 On my bed by night
I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. 2 I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. 3 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” 4 Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. Solomon Arrives for the Wedding 6 What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant? 7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon! Around it are sixty mighty men, some of the mighty men of Israel, 8 all of them wearing swords and expert in war, each with his sword at his thigh, against terror by night. 9 King Solomon made himself a carriage from the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple; its interior was inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart. Meditation Love awakens us to seek God, only to discover His love has been seeking us first. Mary sought Jesus’ body at the tombs and Jesus found her, resurrected and welcoming her into a new reality (John 20:1-18). God’s love in Christ finds those who seek Him, offering more than we can ask or imagine. The bride in this poetic portrayal of covenant relationship is passionately seeking her groom. Longing for His presence, the bride asks everyone she meets, all night and throughout the city, if they know where her beloved can be found (1-5). A reader of Scripture cannot help but hear the invitation of Jesus: “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). The next poem quickly moves to a wedding scene where Solomon’s splendor is used to celebrate consummating love with marriage. The seeking bride was found by the love of her king! And the day of the wedding was “filled with the gladness of heart” (11). The magnificent celebration of marriage moves us to celebrate the love of the King who has found us, Jesus who celebrates the wedding supper by inviting people to seek Him, to find satisfaction in His love: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ (Revelation 19-22). God promises we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Jesus is the King who loves us and found us, offering us a new reality and giving us more than we can ask or imagine. Richly Dwelling -How are you seeking God? Do you trust His love enough to find you? -Are you humbled by the fact that the King finds you and seals relationship with covenant, a marriage bond that is unbreakable? How does this feed your faith? -What does it look like for you to live FROM the covenant love of God rather than seeking it? Knowing Christ has found you, how can you live from the strength of this security? Key Verse 2 I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. Comments are closed.
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