The Pleasant Fruits

October 23, 2011

Lesson: Song of Solomon 4:7–5:1

Key Verse: Song of Solomon 4:16

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Introduction

How shall we approach the Song of Solomon? The Song begins with these words, “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.” the word ‘song’ means to sing; it is the music of heaven: for all Scripture is inspired by God and most profitable. Matthew Henry wrote that this “Song of Solomon’s is very much unlike the songs of his father David; here is not the name of God in it; it is never quoted in the New Testament; we find not in it any expressions of natural religion or pious devotion, no, nor is it introduced by vision, or any of the marks of immediate revelation.” Then, how shall we receive it? Is it not like a parable, revealing the truth of fellowship we have with Christ: the chosen people of God “are the seed which the Lord has blessed? I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, ‘as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels” (Isa. 61:9–10); and in the New Testament we read, “And I John saw the holy city new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).

Henry sees this book “to be a very bright and powerful ray of heavenly light, admirable fitted to excite pious and devout affections in holy souls, to draw out their desires towards God, to increase their delight in him, and improve their acquaintance and communion with him. It is an allegory, the letter of which kills those who rest in that and look no further, but the spirit of which gives life (2 Cor. 3:6, John 6:63). It is a parable, which makes divine things more difficult to those who do not love them, but more plain and pleasant to those who do (Matt. 13:14, 16). Let us approach our study in the Song of Solomon with our thoughts upon Christ who is the husband of the bride, the Savior of His Church: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4).

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My Spouse—Song of Solomon 4:7–11

As the Bride of Christ, we in the Church place our eyes upon our Husband, our King and Head. Our Lord speaks to His Bride: “Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee.” We have a new life, a new way in Christ our Savior: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from and evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19–22). The Second Person in the Godhead, holy and without blemish, presents to Himself “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27).

Therefore we love our Lord as He first loved us. His invitation is this: “Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lion’s dens, from the mountains of the leopards.” M. Henry wrote that “All that have by faith come to Christ must come with Christ, in holy obedience to him and compliance with him. Being joined to him, we must walk with him. This is his command to us daily: ‘Come with me, my spouse; come with me to God as a Father; come with me onward, heavenward; come forward with me; come up with me; come with me from Lebanon, from the top of Amana, from the lions’ dens.’ The Lord has an eternal dwelling place for us. The earth, including its valleys and mountains, belong to the Lord; and therefore is ours: ““Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it forever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God” (Isa. 34:16–35:2).

To His Bride, the Husband speaks: “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 faith is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointment 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.” It pleased our Lord that He “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Christ chose us as His Bride: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:4–6). By His grace and love we, as His people, have become His Bride, His Church.

Discussion: What does it mean to be the Spouse of Christ Jesus?

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A Garden—Song of Solomon 4:12–5:1

Christ speaks of His Church: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; cypress, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.” God’s congregations of which Christ is the King and Head belong to Him alone. M. Henry wrote: “The peculiarity of this garden: It is a garden enclosed, a paradise separated from the common earth. It is appropriated to God; he has set it apart for himself; Israel is God’s portion, the lot of his inheritance. It is enclosed for secrecy; the saints are God’s hidden ones, therefore the world knows them not; Christ walks in his garden unseen. It is enclosed for safety; a hedge of protection is made about it, which all the powers of darkness cannot either find or make a gap in. God’s vineyard is fenced (Isa. 5:2); there is a wall about it, a wall of fire. It has a spring in it, and a fountain, but it is a spring shut up and a fountain sealed, which sends its streams abroad, but is itself carefully locked up, that it may not by any injurious hand be muddied or polluted. The souls of believers are as gardens enclosed; grace in them is as a spring shut up there in the hidden man of the heart, where the water that Christ gives is a well of living water.” Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Christ said: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me; as the Scripture hath said, out of his belling shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37–38); which is “A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters (the Holy Spirit), and streams from Lebanon.”

The Bride responds to her Husband, the Church to its King: “Awake, O north wind, and come thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits.” Is not the Church, the Savior’s congregation, like a beautiful garden? To Christ the Church “gives all the glory of her fruitfulness, as being nothing without him: O fountain of gardens! fountain of all good, of all grace, do not thou fail me. Does a believer say to the church, All my springs are in thee, in thee, O Zion? (Psa. 87:7), the church transmits the praise to Christ, and says to him, All my springs are in thee; thou art the well of living waters” (M. Henry). “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart” (Psa. 36:9–10).

Christ responds to those whom He loves: “I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends: drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved” (5:1). M. Henry wrote: “She called him her beloved (and really he was so), and invited him because she loved him; in return to this, he called her his sister and spouse, as several times before. Those that make Christ their best beloved shall be owned by him in the nearest and dearest relations. She called the garden his, and the pleasant fruits of it his, and he acknowledges them to be so: It is my garden, it is my spice.”

We are the Garden that belongs to Christ. God our Father has blessed us in His Son; for “He has “predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:5–7).

Discussion: How does the ‘garden’ show us the love of Christ toward His Church?

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Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2011 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.