Song of Solomon 3:6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.
8 They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.
It is important to remember that God is the Author of all Scripture, including this book. God describes a godly marriage here. Again in verse 6 we read of the attitude of the bride to her groom. She is taken up with him. She is not delusional. He is not bluffing her either. This is a genuine caring couple who are looking to build a beautiful life together. That is what a true marriage is. The courtship up to that point is also pure and enriching.
The groom here is described again with the perfume of myrrh and frankincense. Again, these are two fragrances that were brought by the wisemen to Jesus Christ as a young boy. We have already stated that Solomon was directed to write this book as a type of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church.
In verse 7 we see the protection that Solomon has around his bed. The bride is completely safe in the care of her groom. This too is a picture of the safety there is in knowing Christ. The world cannot provide that safety. The devil has many tricks that he plays on the gullible. He is able to convince the gullible that what they have is the real thing, even though their lives are a mess.
I was reading of a public figure who was interviewed not long ago. At that time both she and her husband claimed to be a Christian couple in love with one another. However, pictures of her show a worldly woman who is advertising she is for sale. Now she is separated from that man and is chasing after a man much younger than herself. That is the picture that the devil wants to paint of a “Christian couple”. They have no godly convictions and marriage is a temporary thing that can only be sustained by pleasure and gifts. Often prenuptial agreements are signed just in case. There is no heart attachment.
That is obviously not the picture that God gives us here. Here we see a groom and a bride who have been waiting for one another and who are taken in with each other.
In verse 8 we see that the valiant men around Solomon’s bed are equipped for battle. Any enemy will have to go through them to get to their king. People will lose their lives trying to destroy his life. Of course no one can get past the Lord Jesus Christ. He has already laid down His life for the sheep. No one tricked Him into dying. He came to lay down His life for the sheep. He was buried and rose again three days later. He ascended back to heaven and is seated on the right hand of His Father in heaven. He is coming back to call His church out of this world. Seven years later He will come back and destroy the antichrist and the false prophet and have Satan bound and cast into the bottomless pit for one thousand years. He will set up His kingdom on earth and build His Temple in Jerusalem. He will rule with a rod of iron. His law will stand and there will be no corruption of that law.
In verses 9-11 we read more about the provisions of this groom. He had a chariot made with wood of Lebanon. This would be some of the finest wood available. It was durable wood. This chariot is made of cherished, high quality material. It is paved with love. It was not slapped together quickly. It was made with great care so that it would endure.
The daughters of Jerusalem are a reference to the maidens that were there to assist the bride. This is a high class wedding and marriage. This too is a picture of Christ and His church. That is a “high class” affair. That does not mean we all need to be materially rich. The riches are in Christ, not in us. He was mocked and a purple robe put on Him. However, He is seated on the right hand of majesty in Glory and there is none greater than He is. He was briefly exalted as He entered Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion. The chief priests wanted Him to silence the people. He refused to do so. He was worthy of all the praise they gave Him and more.
He is worthy now as well. Those who are saved are in the hand of the God of glory. We are guided by the King of kings. We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are a royal priesthood. We do not walk around with our noses in the air. We understand our royalty is in the heart and it permeates through our lives. We reject the attempt of the devil to cheapen that blessed thing we have in Christ.
In verse 11 we read that the daughters of Zion are told to go forth. They are to announce the king’s presence. Every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ one day. Those who are saved have the privilege of bowing before Him now. It is important to remember that the subjects do not tell the King how to govern. The subjects are pleased to dwell in His presence.
Most modern day churches dictate what they will do. They do not follow Jesus Christ and yet they want to claim Him as their King. Fools indeed. They will be shocked to find out their deceptive ways did not win them any status with God. It will be to their shame.
It is important to know this true King today and submit to Him. Great blessings are there for those who know Him.
Pastor Bartel
