My beloved is mine and I am his
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The bible begins with a wedding and ends with a wedding. In the middle Christ comes as Bridegroom to win His bride. Throughout, the LORD is described as jealous and his people are either “faithful” or “adulterous.”
No wonder that when Solomon turns from his exercise in spiritual doubt (Ecclesiastes) to pen the “Song of Songs”, it will be a love song.
“The song of songs, which is Solomon’s. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.” (Song 1:1-2)
Here is the wonder of Lover and Beloved calling to each other in tender intimacy:
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (Song 2:4)
“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” (Song 2:10)
“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.” (Song 4:1)
“Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” (Song 4:10-12)
It is an unabashed celebration of love. Yet it is far more than that. Given the meaning of marriage in the bible we should have our eyes open to the significance of what we read.
The beloved is likened to a vineyard – indeed she seems to be one (1:6; 8:12).
The lover is a shepherd (1:7) and a king (1:4,12). He smells like a priest (perfumed with myrhh and frankincense). And he looks like the LORD – coming up from the wilderness in a pillar of smoke (3:6).
So here is a relationship between the Shepherd-King-Priest-LORD and His vine (His people – Isaiah 5:1-7). This truly is the Song of Songs. It’s the greatest love story ever told. Here is Christ and His bride the church. And the burning love which they share? It is the very flame of the LORD!
Let me quote to you one of the concluding verses of the book in a more modern translation:
love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. (Song of Songs 8:6)
The LORD Himself is a blazing fire of love (1 John 4:8). Love is the divine nature and it is this love that is shared between Christ and the church. This is wonderful news: the eternal love of God can be ours. How? In marriage union with Christ.
Because in marriage, all that is ours becomes our spouse’s. And all that is theirs becomes ours. This is a common theme in Song of Songs:
My beloved is mine, and I am his (2:16)
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: (6:3)
I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me. (7:1)
This is why Martin Luther sought to explain the gospel as the marriage of a King to a prostitute. We are the prostitute. We are the beloved, full of sins and shame and spiritual debts. Yet when the prostitute marries the King, what happens?
All our debts go to him, and all his riches come to us. Better yet – we belong to him and he to us.
So it is with our union to Christ. Our sins and shame are taken by our Heavenly Bridegroom and He pays off all our debts on the cross. Then He turns to us and gives us all that is His – His royal name and wealth and power and Family connections. It is all ours. Better yet – He is ours. And we are His.
Who can even begin to appreciate what this royal marriage means? Who can comprehend the riches of this glorious grace? Christ, the rich and divine bridegroom, marries this poor, wicked whore, redeems her from all of her evil, and adorns her with all of his goodness. It now is impossible for her sins to destroy her, for they are laid on Christ and swallowed up by him. She has her righteousness in Christ, her husband, which she now can boast is her very own. She can set this righteousness over against all of her sins and, in the face of death and hell, say with confidence: “If I have sinned, nevertheless, the one in whom I trust, my Christ, has not sinned. Through our marriage, all that is his is mine and all that is mine is his.” (Martin Luther, The Freedom of the Christian)
[...] thе first: Mу beloved іѕ supply аnԁ I аm hіѕ | Thе King's … Related Posts:Samson | The King's English In this way he is a forerunner to wise king [...]
Thank you. This prostitute needs to have the Royal Wedding before my face every minute of every day! Thank you for being a conduit of His Mercy and Tenderness, while at the same time, helping me face and not run from His fierce Jealousy. He’s been coming after me for 30 YEARS to separate me from my idols. I’ve run and run and run. He’s had to box me in, now, finally, so that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to run anymore. He is patient. I have abused that Patience, horribly. Still… He comes… as my Beloved.
Forever grateful,
Jane
Hi Jane,
Thanks for commenting. He is the Hound of Heaven! And He pursues us in His love.
Every blessing in Jesus
[...] Jealous God” burns with zeal for His people. Those on the inside of this fierce, committed, marital bond experience it as the sunshine of His love. Those on the outside experience it as a consuming [...]
I love this article, agree completely with it. He is our king, and we are the prostitute. Even after we first meet Him we sell ourselve short, Short because Jesus paid the only price possible for her but we are so distrusting of Him. Seeking after things of the flesh, tempted with both good and evil. In my life my heart divided between Him and what I believed He had promised me over the years, those very promises becoming a subtil form of idolatry which actually kept me roaming around a dry and thirsty land for many years, culminating in me simply standing before the Lord head bowed, tired from the journey, Him asking me Kevin, will you surrender those to me now? sounds something like Jane’s situation. God bringing both of us to an end of ourselves.
Funny thing but He took those promises into himself in such a way that I could no longer see them. They are still there but not in my hands anymore. They are in His, the promises of God are yes and amen but are not in mine anymore. I’ve realised I don’t have the power of resurrection, I cannot give them life, only He can do that, meanwhile I live a surrendered life, Far as I am concerned if He wants to bring promise to fruition he can. His decision, His business. My focus is on Christ alone. His will be done, not mine.
The prostitude becomes the bride of Christ, dressed in white, a pure spotless bride, That’s what He is doing with us as we continue to lay our lives down a living sacrifice. This God we adore is so beautiful
Kev