Song of Solomon is a love letter between King Solomon and his wife and it is full of beautiful imagery and romance. It also jumps from character to character without warning in the dialogue, so you must read carefully to determine which one is speaking. The fifth chapter opens with the bridegroom speaking for one verse, and then suddenly changes to the bride from verses 2-8.
The bridegroom is a type of Christ while the bride is His church. When you read the book from this viewpoint, you see the passion and the love that is shared between Jesus and His church, and how much He truly loves and cares for us. We also see some problems with the love as given and received by the bride, but never by the groom; a telling scenario for us in the church today.
The bride is asleep, not in her heart but in her situation. Christians are not asleep in their hearts, but in their actions and in their lifestyles, they far too often are. To arouse us from our slumber, Jesus knocks on our hearts door, desperately desiring a relationship with us that is both intimate and personal. The bridegroom knocks, asking for the bride to open, even calling her, “my undefiled” (Song of Solomon 5:2). It is wonderful to know that Jesus sees a slumbering bride as undefiled.
The third verse shows the objections of the bride as she explains why she is not quick to rise and open the door. She has removed her coat and wonders how she can put it on and she has washed her feet and does not wish to defile them. Both objections are evidence of her lack of understanding of the finished work of Christ. Why has she removed her coat (robe of righteousness)? Apparently she views her righteousness as a work which she puts on and off, and why is she washing her own feet? Jesus is the one who washes His church by the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26).
The groom “put in his hand by hole of the door” (verse 3). This ancient phrase harkens back to the architecture of that day and age. The modern keys that we use on door locks were not in use back then, but instead it was usually a piece of wood with pegs in it corresponding to small holes in a wooden bolt within, and was put through a hole in the door, drawing the bolt. The bride sees the hand of her lover come through the hole of the door, but He will not force His way in, so she rises and grabs the handle from the inside (verse 5) but is too late to catch him before he leaves. Notice how our Jesus shows us His nail-scarred hand to display to us His love, but will not use that same hand to force His will upon us?
In His message to the church at Laodicea, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Have you ever wondered why Jesus is standing outside of the house, knocking on the door? His desire is for a personal relationship with us where we eat with Him and He eats with us. This fellowshipping is at the forefront of God’s heart, but oftentimes He must knock on our door just to get permission to enter.
Jesus will not force Himself into the house, just as the groom would put his hand in the hole in the door, but obviously did not have the key to the lock. Jesus wants to be invited in rather than come rushing in taking what He wants. True romance is only possible if both parties reciprocate the same feelings and emotions, and Jesus desires that true romance with all of us. If He is outside, won’t you open your heart to Him today?
The bridegroom is a type of Christ while the bride is His church. When you read the book from this viewpoint, you see the passion and the love that is shared between Jesus and His church, and how much He truly loves and cares for us. We also see some problems with the love as given and received by the bride, but never by the groom; a telling scenario for us in the church today.
The bride is asleep, not in her heart but in her situation. Christians are not asleep in their hearts, but in their actions and in their lifestyles, they far too often are. To arouse us from our slumber, Jesus knocks on our hearts door, desperately desiring a relationship with us that is both intimate and personal. The bridegroom knocks, asking for the bride to open, even calling her, “my undefiled” (Song of Solomon 5:2). It is wonderful to know that Jesus sees a slumbering bride as undefiled.
The third verse shows the objections of the bride as she explains why she is not quick to rise and open the door. She has removed her coat and wonders how she can put it on and she has washed her feet and does not wish to defile them. Both objections are evidence of her lack of understanding of the finished work of Christ. Why has she removed her coat (robe of righteousness)? Apparently she views her righteousness as a work which she puts on and off, and why is she washing her own feet? Jesus is the one who washes His church by the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26).
The groom “put in his hand by hole of the door” (verse 3). This ancient phrase harkens back to the architecture of that day and age. The modern keys that we use on door locks were not in use back then, but instead it was usually a piece of wood with pegs in it corresponding to small holes in a wooden bolt within, and was put through a hole in the door, drawing the bolt. The bride sees the hand of her lover come through the hole of the door, but He will not force His way in, so she rises and grabs the handle from the inside (verse 5) but is too late to catch him before he leaves. Notice how our Jesus shows us His nail-scarred hand to display to us His love, but will not use that same hand to force His will upon us?
In His message to the church at Laodicea, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Have you ever wondered why Jesus is standing outside of the house, knocking on the door? His desire is for a personal relationship with us where we eat with Him and He eats with us. This fellowshipping is at the forefront of God’s heart, but oftentimes He must knock on our door just to get permission to enter.
Jesus will not force Himself into the house, just as the groom would put his hand in the hole in the door, but obviously did not have the key to the lock. Jesus wants to be invited in rather than come rushing in taking what He wants. True romance is only possible if both parties reciprocate the same feelings and emotions, and Jesus desires that true romance with all of us. If He is outside, won’t you open your heart to Him today?
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