‘How beautiful You are and how pleasing, O Love with Your delights!’ (SS 7:6)
The Song of Songs is placed in the middle of the Bible. It is pure passion; a fire that burns the rest of the scriptures.
The woman is called the Beloved, the Bride. She represents us, the true worshippers, the Body of Christ. The Lover is Jesus.
The woman desires intimacy with her lover. At the beginning, she is shy about her appearance. She had no time to learn how to dress up, how to do make up or how to look like a lady. She is a shepherdess, a pastor. She had been working so hard for her brothers that now she is ugly in her own eyes.
She says to others: Please…’do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun…’
But even so, her inferiority complex is not strong enough to stop her desiring to marry the most wonderful Man in the universe. He is the Lover of her soul. She openly confesses her need of Him; she desires to be kissed and embraced by Him. She is ‘dark’ and He is ‘the Fairest of ten thousands’. The two of them look so different at the beginning…But love has its own power to change. At their wedding day, the Bridegroom lovingly kisses all her body, her hair, her lips, her neck, her breasts…He kisses the scars of the past away….He kisses the darkness of sin away and His Bride becomes ‘white as snow’…’without spot or wrinkles’.
Has Jesus kissed your scars away!
Marriage is a very important subject in the Bible. Marriage is a mystery, something that only God can design. The intimacy of marriage will leave you in awe of God’s romantic power. Marriage is a wonderful celebration, a gift from God, especially designed and bestowed on His children on their wedding day.
No two human beings can experience this joy, except the Prince of Peace attends their wedding. Flesh is a cheap counterfeit. Lust is the enemy of true love. Sexual sin is an insult to the mystery of marriage. It destroys the divine seal of protection and the romance will leak away, leaving the couple feeling guilty, bare, weak and ashamed. If your marriage is not extremely happy, something is wrong. If you are not proud of your spouse, if you are not ‘madly’ in love with one another, something is seriously wrong. Your marriage is sick and dying. You must pay the price for its restoration; for God will ask an account from what He has given to you.
This is my testimony: On the outside, I was ‘a successful’ person. But inside, I was dark and ugly, lonely and sad. But one day, I permitted myself to become crazy…I chose to chase the most wonderful Person in the universe, Jesus Christ, my Lord. I had many doubts at the beginning. I imagined that He will reject me, for I was too dirty for His royal court. But something new entered my heart, a strange new passion, to cling to His Cross and touch His cleansing Blood. Religious men discouraged me, reminding me of my past of sin… But still, I could not stop this awaken love, this seeking the King with tears like a flood…Just at the mention of His name, I will weep and weep, unable to stop this longing to be one with Him….Each tear from my eyes was a rebuke to the doubt of my heart, for ‘he that has suffered in the body is done with sin’.
It was a long and dangerous road. I passed thru dry lands and barren seasons. I passed between roaring lions and poisonous snakes. But worship became bolder and none could harm me anymore for ‘love is as strong as death’. At last, exhausted on a pursuit of impossible dreams, I fainted and died, all alone, surrounded by mockers who sang the ugly chant of unbelief. I still remember the hour and the very spot of my death when I became nothing…zero…It is finished, I told myself…
The next day, to my greatest surprise, I found myself in the royal chamber of my Holy King… I lost myself in His presence…His eyes are like doves…His lips are like lilies… His mouth is sweetness itself…This is my Lover, this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem…
Jesus saved my soul, my marriage, my children, my ministry and my all!
Just in case you ask…yes, I lost all my fears and all my insecurity…I am not ugly anymore for He has kissed my scars away…I am now wonderfully and fearfully made, to love Him forever…’You are beautiful, my darling…’- He tells me…And I do believe Him!
To Him be all the glory, both now and forevermore!
Amen!