The Rose of Sharon
The Shulamite I am truly his rose, the very theme of his song. I’m overshadowed by his love, like a lily growing in the valley!
The Shepherd-King Yes, you are my darling companion. You stand out from all the rest. For though the thorns surround you, you remain as pure as a lily, more than all others.
The Shulamite My beloved is to me the most fragrant apple tree—he stands above the sons of men. Sitting under his grace-shadow, I blossom in his shade, enjoying the sweet taste of his pleasant, delicious fruit, resting with delight where his glory never fades. Suddenly, he transported me into his house of wine—he looked upon me with his unrelenting love divine. Revive me with your raisin cakes. Refresh me again with your apples. Help me and hold me, for I am lovesick! I am longing for more—yet how could I take more? His left hand cradles my head while his right hand holds me close. I am at rest in this love.
The Shepherd-King Promise me, Jerusalem maidens, by the gentle gazelles and delicate deer, that you’ll not disturb my love until she is ready to arise. Song of Solomon 2:1-4
Remember, we are the Shulamite and Jesus is the Shepherd-King. Let’s go deeper in this conversation with Jesus. One of the names of Jesus is the Rose of Sharon? The name comes from this passage. When she says, “I am truly his rose, the theme of his song,” this is referring to the rose of Sharon. The word Sharon is translated his song. The root word for rose is overshadowed. He overshadows us with his song of love. This understanding will cause us to lean more into Him. He is forever singing over you.
Jesus speaks to us- you are my darling companion. As His companion we stand out around others. We can be surrounded by the curse of sin and be as pure as a lily. Lilies are a symbol of purity in our innermost being. We should never be afraid of that which seems dark in the world. Remember perfect love casts out all fear. We overcome all darkness with our light, which is why it is so important to let Him love you. As we let Jesus love us the way he wants to we will love others purely without fear.
The Shulamite responds with assurance of who she is to Him and who He is to her. We too can be confident in this romance with Jesus. We get to sit under His grace shadow resting where His glory never fades. Suddenly, He transports us to the “house of wine.” Wine always speaks of joy in the scriptures. This house of wine is the place of joy where we feast and have communion with Jesus. It is a celebration of all good things we experience with Him. This is the place we realize the banner over us is love! This banner never fails.
When she says, “revive me with raisin cakes and refresh me again with your apples,” what does this mean for us as His beloved? King David gave raisin cakes to the nation of Israel to celebrate the Ark of Glory, Yahweh’s presence coming into Jerusalem. This points to the fire of passion burning in our hearts for Him. He revives us with His passionate love. “Refresh me with your apples.” These are actually apricots, and they point to the sweet promises of grace. His grace brings refreshment to our daily lives.
Have you ever held a newborn baby? Think about how you hold them. You always have one hand supporting their head and the other you bring them in close to hold them, so they feel loved and secure in your arms. The Shulamite gives us a beautiful description of Jesus holding us this way. His left hand cradles our head. The Hebrew word for left is smowl. The left hand of the Lord speaks of the mysteries of His ways. So often we can look back at moments and think there is no way I got through that without His grace. It is grace working in our lives dealing with situations we don’t even see. We can rest in His arms of love.
He speaks in verse 7, “promise me, brides to be, that you will not disturb my love until she is ready to rise.” We must remember our intimate relationship with Jesus is about sitting with Him and letting Him love us. In turn, our passion for Him grows stronger and we become the Bride he gave the ultimate sacrifice for. We should never feel the pressure of ministry above our love affair with Him. Be careful not to let anyone disturb your secret place (the bedchamber) with Jesus. As you stay focused on your intimacy with Jesus, he will give you the wisdom to know when to arise to do what He is asking you to do. It starts with letting Him love you.
