"My Beloved"

The expression, "My Beloved," which occurs so frequently in the Song of Songs, is also one of the special names of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God describes as "My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased" (Matthew 12.18), and tells us what He is to God, His Father. In chapter 5 of the Song of Songs there are some very beautiful words, poetically descriptive of one called "My Beloved," and we believe that under this poetic imagery we may see some of the wonders of that Blessed ONE who is described as "altogether lovely." In this poetic imagery we suggest that there are illustrations of certain truths relative to our Lord Jesus Christ, truths which are abundantly evidenced elsewhere in Scripture.

"What is thy beloved more than another beloved?" is the question asked by the daughters of Jerusalem. This question receives an answer giving a most wonderful portrayal of the deeply imprinted image of an absent one. If we can speak of our Beloved as she did of her beloved we shall do well.

"My beloved is white and ruddy"

Two truths are thus expressed which must stand at the forefront of our witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. White is a symbol of purity, and the purity of the Lord Jesus is beyond all that earth can produce and is of heavenly origin. This is shown in Matthew 17.2 when He was in the mountain "and His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as the light," as the divine radiance from His glorious Person shone through and transformed them, making them " glistering, exceeding white, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them " (Mark 9.3). Ruddy signifies healthy humanity, and is used to describe David at the time of his anointing by Samuel. It reminds us of Him who took the form of a Servant and was found in fashion as a Man, sharing in blood and flesh.

"The Chiefest among ten thousand"

This suggests One who is pre-eminent, unique and peerless.

"Man so perfect!

Holy, noble, humble too."

Ten thousand of the greatest names blazoned on the pages of history beside His, fade from view as the stars when the sun arises. He has no peer!

His head is as the most fine geld"

Here is the truth of headship, so plainly taught in Scripture, but so little thought of today. Gold is symbolical in Scripture of that which is of God, divine in origin. Thus a church of God is spoken of as a golden lampstand (Revelation 1. 20). Daniel, in his interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the image with a head of gold, said, "The God of heaven hath given thee the kingdom ... thou art the head of gold" (Daniel 2.37, 38). The headship of Christ is illustrated by the words " Most fine gold," signifying headship in

its highest form. Thus our Beloved is " Head over all things to the Church which is His Body" and He has all authority in heaven and on earth, for His God has put "all things in subjection under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15.27). Let us learn this much needed truth for today subjection of heart and life to Him whose bond-servants we should be.

"His locks are bushy and black as a raven"

If, as has been suggested, His divine authority is seen in the head of most fine gold, so His glorious Manhood is seen in the locks. "Bushy" and "black" - each contains precious thoughts of our Lord Jesus Christ. With humanity age is marked by the thinning or greying of the hair, but of Him it is said His locks are bushy and black.

In Hosea 7. 9 it is said of Ephraim, "strangers have devoured his strength ... yea, grey hairs are here and there upon him," but our Beloved, our glorious Head, is alive in the power of an endless life. There is no diminishing of strength with Him for it is written:

"The heavens are the works of Thy hands:

They shall perish but Thou continuest

And they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

And as a mantle shalt Thou roll them up,

As a garment, and they shall be changed:

But Thou art the same,

And Thy years shall not fail" (Hebrews 1.10-12).

" His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks"

The eyes are the most expressive members of the face. In them often the inward emotion can be easily read. Love, anger, fear, pity and reproach all can be expressed through the eyes. John describes the eyes of the Lord as being like a flame of fire (Revelation 1.14). Here the Lord is presented as the all-seeing One, who repeats to each church the words "I know", though what He knew of each church was different. But, in this Song, love is the distinctive characteristic. "Like doves " what

"Gentleness and tender feeling,

Pity too, and grace"

are suggested by this! The unjust, blasphemous reproaches of His enemies broke the heart of the Lord Jesus (Psalm 69.20). But the look of love, mingled perhaps with grief, broke Peter's heart after his denial, for " he went out and wept bitterly." The bride here recalls only the tender love of those eyes. We too, in a spiritual sense can realize that look of love.

"He looked on me, I looked on Him,

And we were one for ever."

As the Lord Jesus moved about on this earth His eyes were always on the look-out for some good to do. How frequently we read that as He passed by "He saw" ! It may have been a man or a woman in need of Him, the blind, the lepers, a weeping widow or a multitude in distress, but the response always was - " He was moved with compassion." One day we shall meet Him; "How shall I meet

those eyes ? " Those eyes once looked down from the Cross, searching the faces of those around, fulfilling the words of Psalm 69.20,

And I looked for some to take pity, but there was none

And for comforters, but I found none."

But when we see Him it will be in His radiant glory, anointed with the oil of gladness, in the fulness of the joy of His Father's presence.

"His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs"

Yet most shamefully and ruthlessly did His enemies pluck the hair from that lovely face when He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, when He hid not His face from shame and spitting (Isaiah 50.6). In some respects this was the most shameful thing they did to Him. In the days of the law, if a man refused to do the kinsman's part-see Deuteronomy 25. 5-10, the aggrieved widow would " spit in his face," and he stood shamed for ever. What a contrast with the One who had left the eternal Throne and was born of a woman for the express purpose of becoming the Kinsman-Redeemer! To be spit upon! Surely, surely, the shame all belongs to those who so acted.

"His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh"

This would speak to us of the words of Him of whom, at the beginning of His public ministry it is written-"And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of His mouth " (Luke 4.22). What wonderful words He spake! words His Father had given Him to speak.

He Himself knew every scripture which told of His sufferings and death. Thus to the two disciples on the Emmaus road He said,

Behoved it not the Christ to suffer these things ? ... And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." What liquid myrrh was here ! The very quintessence of Scripture witnessing to the sufferings of the Christ

"His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl"

The hands speak of action. "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me." "The heavens are the work of Thy hands." "The work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained." These Scriptures confirm the thought that the hands speak of the actions of the One "who went about doing good." How wonderful was the grace of Him who touched the leper with cleansing power, who touched the blind eyes to give sight, who touched the bier whereon the dead son of a widow lay, who took the daughter of Jairus by the hand, and raised her up! Well may we sing of

"Those kind hands that did such good,"

The rings, being of gold, reminds us that all His actions were according to the will of His Father, as He said-" I do always the things that are pleasing to Him." It can be truly said of Him what could be said of none other-" No word ever needed to be recalled, no action regretted, no step retraced." All was perfect.

All His life was right

And holy in God's sight:

No sin He ever knew,

The Son of God so true,"

and yet at last

"Those kind hands that did much good, They nailed them to a cross of wood."

"His body is as ivory work, overlaid with sapphires"

Of His body it is written, "A body didst Thou prepare for Me" (Hebrews 10.5). He had a human mother, but no human father. He had a body like ours, yet having no inherent sin, a body in which He glorified God on the earth and accomplished the work He had given Him to do; a body which was laid at last in the tomb, but which saw no corruption, indeed could not see corruption. Ivory fittingly speaks of this. Happy thought, "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10. 10).

"His legs are as pillars of marble"

Here strength is clearly intended. While it is indeed true that "the LORD hath no pleasure in the legs of a man," yet it is equally true that He found infinite pleasure in the strength of will and purpose always evidenced in Him who never wavered, but set His face like a flint to go to Jerusalem. We read of one of the days, just prior to His going to the Cross, these words-" Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed" (Mark 10. 32). Doubtless the unflinching determination and unfaltering step of that lonely, majestic Figure, as "He went on before" (Luke 19.24), was something the like of which they had never seen. "Marching in the greatness of His strength," is a word which awaits fulfilment, yet here is something akin to it. He stands out in grand and glorious contrast to all who have ever walked this earth.

unknown | Jun 1958
My Beloved