Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
– Song of Solomon 1:7-8
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
Today we take a brief pause in our study of Romans to take a look at a critical subject in the Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon is said by inspired Scripture to be the Song of Songs. There are many reasons for this, but there is one reason which at least in my opinion stands above the rest – the Song of Songs encourages us to revive the love we once had for Jesus.
A true, bought-by-the-blood believer has a unique LOVE relationship with Jesus Christ. There may be times when our love for Him will wax dim, and so the command is to “repent, and do the first works” (Revelation 2:5). Remember the joy you had when you were first saved? Remember the zeal you had for Christ? The Song of Solomon speaks of the four failures of Solomon’s beloved each with a calm and loving rebuke or lesson that teaches his beloved more about what love is. These are found in Song of Solomon 1:7-8; 2:14-3:5; 5:2; and 5:3-6:3. Each failure of Solomon’s beloved is a powerful reminder and encouragement to us to revive the longing and desire we once had for Jesus. We may in the future look at these instances in greater detail but, but today I would like to take a brief glance at the first failure – that of laziness and an unfamiliarity with the flock of Solomon.
In chapter 1, Solomon’s beloved asks where he feeds and where he makes his flock to rest at noon, and with a calm and loving rebuke Solomon tells her, “if thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.” Why doesn’t this woman know where he feeds? There are other women in the kingdom who long after him enough to pay attention to where he feeds. It appears as if she does not desire the king enough to look for him. Does she expect the king to show her his feeding place without her putting forth the slightest effort to search it out? Is she not observant enough and caring enough of Solomon’s flock to be able to distinguish his flock from the rest in Israel? While these questions may seem harsh, we fail in the same way when we talk about nationwide revival without having a familiarity with and zeal for the things of God and his Word. Revival will first begin in the heart of a believer who simply desires Christ and is willing to put forth the effort to search out His ways through study of His Word and dwelling on the goodness of the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys as we try to be AS the Lily among thorns (Song of Solomon 2:1-2).
If we want to truly partake in the full blessings of the Lord, we must pay attention to the things of the Lord. We must make note of his ways. We must dig deeper into His Word. If you are not familiar with his ways, go thy way forth. Feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents. Make note of the differences between the things of the world and the things of God. Get familiar with why His ways are better!