Building Up

Song of Solomon 8:9-12

If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

See what shall be done with her on the day she is spoken for. They will try and test her spirit to find what sort of woman she be. Notice they are not mean about it as some are. They simply wish to see by her actions which sort of fruit she bears. Matthew 7:16 bears out the impracticality of such. If she be like a wall, then they will do unto her as she has done to them. It is important to note that the Song and her Solomon are extremely kind about the whole affair. So also, was the Lord of gracious speech to Jeroboam. On that day was set before him both blessing and cursing as in Deuteronomy 30:19. The choice was entirely his. I do not need to recite history to prove a point. That is what is wearying some of your spouses now. There stands in Jerusalem naught but a wall of the temple. Here the people go to weep and pray. It is not for nothing they call it the wall of wailing, or of lamentations. They have done it unto themselves. The silver speaks of Judas betraying Jesus for money in Matthew 26:15, even for thirty pieces thereof. But when the Lord is in the house, it will not be desolate for long.

There is a palace of silver to be constructed. In this palace are all the redeemed who have erred. They like Judas betrayed the Lord for silver; so, with silver will they be bought. Precious is his blood. If, however, the little sister be like a door that will eventually open, then they will help to frame her. This is not a malicious sort of criminal framing that some of you know. Instead, the cedar came to David for the building of God's house even from Lebanon. Thus, it speaks of making the little sister into an ally. So, she is a useful part of the house of God. Now some of you that build things know all about the different types of doors. There are the ones that look up and say, 'I adore you.' Then others serve as guards for the house as in Revelation 3:20. Still others are like the doors of Jesus' time which have a hard time opening even for the Savior. Regardless of which door you may be, it is important for you to remember, this is God's house. Even so he is the administrator, author, and Father thereof.

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

See, the Song was once among her mother's children herself before she had become all grown up. Then she had been a wall in the palace of God. How many of you know that a wall by itself is not very sturdy. It must be held up by the posts in the house of God. So, she was like a supportive wall with pillars that held up itself. Proverbs 31 details everything she did. She got up early and went to bed late. The house and children were in complete order. She clothed all of them. They wanted for nothing. She made business partners with the merchants even from afar. She made her own goods for the house with the work of her hands. She made shrewd business dealings among the townspeople. She brought in the bread and the butter of the house. Then her husband went out and was well-esteemed because of what his wife had done. Not only was she a wall with towers, but she was also a complete fortress to her Solomon. Towers in those days were sort of like the tissue commercials of today. More practically, the righteous would run to them and find safety according to Proverbs 18:10. She was used for protection and for comfort. Then her Solomon gave her favor in the sight of both God and man.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

I know some of you see the name Baalhamon and jump to all sorts of conclusions. The name means he who possesses wealth. If you will recall Psalm 75:8, it speaks of the cup of wine mixed in the hand of the Lord. Thus, this is certainly an odd place to have a vineyard which grows the wine thereof. Stranger still for some reason associate it with wealthiness. Sure, the business of judgement, prophecy, and tending the people might be a financially profitable one for some. But this sounds awfully like something the daughters of Jerusalem, or the keepers of the wall would do. How can it be that Solomon and his Song are here at this place. See, the name Baalhamon sounds awfully like the word Bethlehem of Jesus' day. Micah 5:2 speaks of Bethlehem, the least in the land of Judah. From them came a governor which ruled his people, Israel. How many of you know that this was even the place where Jesus was born. He came unto the house of David many years later.

At the time of Solomon, God had not yet revealed where the Messiah would come. But for these two, it seems they already know. Here Solomon's vineyard is nearly the same as that of the men hired to work Christ's of Matthew 20:1-16. They came throughout the day each one getting the same wages. Some who came later were angry for the wages of the first. How many of you know that when the harvest is the souls of men, the risk and effort alike are worth it to God. Each person hired was given a place to stay and a portion of the vineyard. Even so the keepers have received the command to dress it and keep it. Indeed, the laborers were many and the harvest priceless. The fruit of the vineyard was precious indeed. So, each one brought forth fruit; by it were they sold for a great price. See it is even as the picture of the grains of sand which formed the pearl inside an oyster. The Father called it a pearl of great price in Matthew 13:45-46. When the purchase was made with his life, it is precious indeed.

My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

Now the Song has inherited his vineyard. Her Solomon entrusted all his things to his wife. As we have seen before she is also the Proverbs 31 woman. Now she calls his mission and ministry hers. She takes responsibility for it as she did for that of her people. So, it has always been before her. Even when she was without and her Solomon gone, the daughters of Jerusalem were first. For the love of her Solomon, she suffers thus. The price of the fruit is even a thousand. But the laborers are paid two hundred for their many troubles. Talk about a living wage. Here they are being paid a concubine salary for vineyard keeping work. But you know that Solomon must have a wife. So, they pay him husband work to receive a concubine's pay. We talk about the thousand-year reign with Christ in Revelation 20:6 as some wonderful event. But even before this, Solomon has been paying them a living wage all along. I know some of you think the situation is just not fair. But look closely now. Solomon has hired some men to do what they ought, even right by these women regardless of whether they know God or not. Since they are under his authority, he expects there to be no issues in that house. Even if there were over a thousand wives, still there would be only one Song. But in God's house, he is entirely fair.