Marriage Deepens. The married couple enter a deeper state of marriage where they are even closer than before. Once the issue of coldness has come out and been dealt with in self-judgment, the bride’s heart overflows with thoughts of her bridegroom’s love.

 

 

Part 8: The Fullness of Love (7:1 – 8:4)

Husband: Describes His Beloved as What She Is to Him (vv.1-9a)

1 How beautiful are thy footsteps in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The roundings of thy thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of an artist. 2 Thy navel is a round goblet, which wanteth not mixed wine; Thy belly a heap of wheat, set about with lilies; 3 Thy two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle; 4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; Thine eyes, like the pools in Heshbon, By the gate of Bath-rabbim; Thy nose like the tower of Lebanon, Which looketh toward Damascus; 5 Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the locks of thy head like purple; The king is fettered by thy ringlets! 6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, my love, in delights! 7 This thy stature is like to a palm-tree, And thy breasts to grape clusters. 8 I said, I will go up to the palm-tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof; And thy breasts shall indeed be like clusters of the vine, And the fragrance of thy nose like apples, 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine, … vv.1-9a Jehovah views Israel “as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt” (Hos. 2:15). He anticipates fellowship with us.

Wife (Interposing): Her Experience Has Advanced (vv.9b-10)

9b … That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, And stealeth over the lips of them that are asleep. 10 I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me. vv.9b-10 Israel will have spiritually advanced to where they focus on his affection for them, “HIS DESIRE IS TOWARD ME”. it is important to progress beyond the expression of our love for him (song. 3:2) or even our possession of him (song. 6:3) to enjoying the fact that his desire is toward us.

Wife: Invitation to Come Forth for Mutual Enjoyment (vv.11-13)

1 Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! Should I find thee without, I would kiss thee; And they would not despise me. 2 I would lead thee, bring thee into my mother’s house; Thou wouldest instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate. 3 His left hand would be under my head, And his right hand embrace me. 4 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, … Why should ye stir up, why awake my love, till he please? vv.1-4 Israel’s desire for Jehovah under the New Covenant will always be fresh. The Lord never gets tired of communion with us… and we never do either.

 

Part 9: The Depths of Love (8:5-7)

a deeper understanding of love. A second thing that she gains is a deeper understanding of love. She learns that love is strong as death; and that many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Her desire is that she would be the object of his love and power. We think of the waters that Lord passed through to find the sheep that was lost, then we know that the love of Christ is past finding out.

5a Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? v.5a They ask who it is that comes up leaning upon her beloved. The nations will marvel at Israel’s position of favor with the King of kings. As we grow we learn more and more of our position “in Christ”. It is hard for us to understand.

5b I awoke thee under the apple-tree: There thy mother brought thee forth; There she brought thee forth that bore thee. v.5b The bridegroom awakes her under the apple tree. A picture of the remnant recovered under Christ. We can rest under his shadow until he gently wakes us for more communion with him.

6a Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: v.6a She wants to be set as a seal upon his heart and arm. Jehovah’s love and power are for the remnant. We desire more of his love for us.

6b For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, Neither do the floods drown it: Even if a man gave all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned. vv.6b-7 She comments on the characteristics of love. The remnant retrospectively think on Jehovah’s love for them. We will never tire of thinking on the deep, deep love of Jesus, and everything he passed through for us.

 

 

A Mature Care for the Spiritual Wellbeing of Others. A sign of a believer in communion with the Lord is that they exhibit a care and concern for others… particularly others who are younger in the faith. The Jews have a little sister: i.e. the ten tribes who have returned to the land of Israel. They were not in the land when Jesus was crucified, and they have not gone through all the experiences previously brought out. She has not reached the same level of maturity. The older married sister pledges to do anything she can to help her. And so the Lord will “join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” Ezekiel 37:17.

8 We have a little sister, And she hath no breasts: What shall we do for our sister In the day when she shall be spoken for? —  v.8 She has a little sister who has not matured yet. What will we do for her? Judah has a little sister… the ten lost tribes. They have not gone through the same deep exercises that Judah has. Judah now desires for others that same relationship she has with Jehovah. Often we have a “little sister”, another believer who is not as far along as us in the faith. They haven’t experienced this love. We should want them to know the Lord as we do, and all the joys that come with it.

9 If she be a wall, We will build upon her a turret of silver; And if she be a door, We will enclose her with boards of cedar. v.9 She pledges to build her little sister up and enhance her in any way possible. The ten tribes are brought in and edified by the two tribes. We ought to have a desire to do what we can to edify those younger than us, spiritually. Note: “we”… the Jews are again seen having a positive influence on the nations (Song. 1:4)

 

Part 10: The Satisfaction of Love (8:10-14)

Israel in the Millennium. Israel will then be restored in the land. The once unfruitful vineyard of Isaiah 5 will be fruitful at last. The curse will be removed, and the whole creation will breathe a sigh of relief and respond with productivity never before seen on the earth. Their hearts will go out to him afresh, His law no longer written in tables of stone, but on the fleshy tables of their hearts.

 

 

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; Then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon: He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand silver-pieces. 12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: The thousand silver-pieces be to thee, Solomon; And to the keepers of its fruit, two hundred. vv.10-12 She recognizes that she had found peace and was in his eyes as a fruitful vineyard. Israel, in the Millennium, realizes that after all their failed efforts under Adam, finally, they are a profitable vineyard under Christ. The Lord will be satisfied. He does not regret the cross, and never will. We should desire to fruitful for him.

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken to thy voice: Let me hear it. v.13 He desires to hear the voice of her that walks in the gardens. Christ wants nothing more than fellowship with his people. The Lord has always, and will always want fellowship with us. And he wants to hear our voice.

14 Haste, my beloved, And be thou like a gazelle or a young hart Upon the mountains of spices. v.14 She responds, and bids her beloved to come without delay. Israel responds, welcoming fellowship with Christ. Throughout creation’s vault the praises will echo. c.p. Rev. 22:20.

the last word. Not ironically, the bride has the last WORD. While the bride is more vocal, the bridegroom is always found taking the lead in their journey. If you up all the verses in the feminine voice and compare to all the verses in the masculine voice, the ratio is 60/40 in favor of the woman. But that is what he wants; “Cause me to hear thy voice.” For his pleasure we are and were created. He has always desired fellowship with his people. And so he gets it at last – “He shall see of the fruit of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” And we will be satisfied as well.