Basically a love letter between Solomon and one of his wives, the Song of Solomon is an often overlooked literary masterpiece. The language shifts between husband and wife without warning, and is filled with metaphors that have lost their meaning nearly 3,000 years after they were penned, but at its core, the Song is a letter between Christ and His church. Every verse that is from the husband is Christ speaking love into the ear of His bride, and every verse from the bride is the church worshipping her redeemer.
The phrase, “thou art” in verse 14 is italicized, indicating that it was not in the original Hebrew. When removed, along with “places” a little later, the meaning becomes a bit clearer:
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet thy voice, and thy countenance comely” (verse 14).
The bride is speaking of the husband, calling Him “dove”. When Christ was baptized at Jordan, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, showing the gentleness of God’s nature (Matthew 3:16). Then the bride places herself in “the clefts of the rock”, and in “the secret of the stairs”.
The cleft of the rock is a natural indention which provides safety from the storm and the waves. Paul said that Christ is the Rock, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). The clefts in the Rock are the wounds of His hands and His feet. These wounds were placed there for you and for me, and we have our healing and wholeness in Christ and His finished work. We can rest in the pierced Christ, for His indentions are the clefts that provide for us.
The secret of the stairs is a glorious one that only the redeemed can know. These stairs are like a hidden passageway that provides access into the very throne room of the king. When a believer rests in Christ, he gains access to the Father to make all of his petitions known, where he can see the countenance of God (verse 14). Paul said that, “Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).
When you use this secret access, which is free to the believer through faith, you see the face of God. His countenance shines upon you, and He willingly gives you all that you need. When Moses asked to see God in the Old Testament, God placed him in the cleft of the rock and then covered Moses’ eyes with His hand, so that Moses could only see God walk away (Exodus 33:22). When Solomon wrote his song, he appeals forward to the New Covenant, when the cleft of the rock will lead to a secret staircase, where believers can go and see the countenance of God. That fulfillment came when a little woman with an issue of blood grabbed the hem of Jesus’ garment as He walked away. In the Old Testament, God is always walking away, but when Jesus came, He turned and looked the woman in the eye. Christ always lets us see His face, and God is no longer walking away. Praise the Lord!
You have access to everything that you need today believer. Rest in the cleft of Jesus’ wounds, which He bore for you, and go boldly to your Father to see His loving countenance for you.
The phrase, “thou art” in verse 14 is italicized, indicating that it was not in the original Hebrew. When removed, along with “places” a little later, the meaning becomes a bit clearer:
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet thy voice, and thy countenance comely” (verse 14).
The bride is speaking of the husband, calling Him “dove”. When Christ was baptized at Jordan, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, showing the gentleness of God’s nature (Matthew 3:16). Then the bride places herself in “the clefts of the rock”, and in “the secret of the stairs”.
The cleft of the rock is a natural indention which provides safety from the storm and the waves. Paul said that Christ is the Rock, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). The clefts in the Rock are the wounds of His hands and His feet. These wounds were placed there for you and for me, and we have our healing and wholeness in Christ and His finished work. We can rest in the pierced Christ, for His indentions are the clefts that provide for us.
The secret of the stairs is a glorious one that only the redeemed can know. These stairs are like a hidden passageway that provides access into the very throne room of the king. When a believer rests in Christ, he gains access to the Father to make all of his petitions known, where he can see the countenance of God (verse 14). Paul said that, “Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).
When you use this secret access, which is free to the believer through faith, you see the face of God. His countenance shines upon you, and He willingly gives you all that you need. When Moses asked to see God in the Old Testament, God placed him in the cleft of the rock and then covered Moses’ eyes with His hand, so that Moses could only see God walk away (Exodus 33:22). When Solomon wrote his song, he appeals forward to the New Covenant, when the cleft of the rock will lead to a secret staircase, where believers can go and see the countenance of God. That fulfillment came when a little woman with an issue of blood grabbed the hem of Jesus’ garment as He walked away. In the Old Testament, God is always walking away, but when Jesus came, He turned and looked the woman in the eye. Christ always lets us see His face, and God is no longer walking away. Praise the Lord!
You have access to everything that you need today believer. Rest in the cleft of Jesus’ wounds, which He bore for you, and go boldly to your Father to see His loving countenance for you.
