In the Garden

Song of Solomon 5:1-4

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

Now we are coming into the garden with or without Christ. Is it any wonder that these words seem to echo his praise even though they had not yet been written at the time of this text. The palace is now within the garden. Here Solomon is telling of his communion with his friends and his beloved. Now also is the table of the Lord set. This is his garden for it is his household, even that of faith. It is within these walls that the garden is now open unto family and friends along with her Solomon. We see here a full table of the Lord prepared with family, friends, and enemies around it. Communion in all seasons is wonderful where family and friends gather. The little Song with her Solomon has been at her garden for a long time it seems. Now the seasons are changing yet again even if you know it not. How many of you know that God can turn even this situation around. Within this garden, Solomon has gathered the myrrh and spice of the garment of mourning. But how many of you know that God can turn even that of Isaiah 61:3 into a garment of praise. Some of you might be saying to yourself, 'it's just myrrh and spices.' Yes, but see what comes of it. Solomon has also eaten both honeycomb and honey together which are as words both bitter and sweet; so, Revelation 10:8-11 speaks of eating the scroll of the Lord. Also, he ate some honeycomb which draws bees. Again, there was drunken wine with milk as judgment is mixed with what was meant to nourish. This is wine as of celebration and reeling which sees some affected by that situation. Then the milk was drunk as one would feed a newborn calf. This is why Paul calls it the sincere milk of the Word in 1 Peter 2:2. It seems like Solomon even makes his enemies into his friends; then he now brings them unto his beloved. God is doing a new thing within this garden as in Isaiah 43:19. Also, there is a new thing happening to the Song and to Solomon. Some of you know that the situation is changing. You do not yet know what it will be. But when God is in the middle of it, things will never be the same again.

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

Who slept but the Song. By the time she awakens from it she finds her lover gone. Maybe the Song has suffered from a case of mistaken identity. Surely this mistake was not her Solomon's mistake but rather the Song's. She who sleeps has now been awoken by her beloved. How many of you know the testimony of John 6:44 to be true. Those sleeping cannot come "unless the Father" draws him. Even so, her heart is awakened by her beloved; as she has been called, so she responds. Now I would like to think that men are always the initiators of relationships. In our modern times such is not always the case. There should be seen in this text though a leading by the man. This remains true no matter what culture or century in which you find yourself. Finally, the head over all is God. My what a situation in which the Song finds herself. She has gone to bed alone by herself in the comfort of her own house. At midnight she wakes with a cry as in Matthew 25:6. Her Solomon stands without, as does Christ to the church of Revelation 3:20, knocking on the door to her heart and house to be let in.

He himself is in a rather pitiful condition. He has spent the night outdoors and is now wet and cold with the dew and the rain. What an awful dream she has had, or is it even a sleeping dream, for behold she has woken. It is important to note that I am not calling Solomon Christ. How else would Jesus be the one greater than Solomon according to Luke 11:31. This also raises doctrinal issues in which Jesus had to be sinless, as a colt on which "never man sat." The Song to Solomon, even on the other side of the door as one reluctant to come out, is still his love, dove, sister, and undefiled. Here I can certainly see Solomon's care for his Song, nor does he judge her for it. He still loves her no matter in what situation the two find themselves. Before you judge them, remember how often Christ has done the same for you. He loves us as the church of Ephesians 5:25 and beyond. Sure, there is a situation now, but give God some time to work. As we saw one Good Friday long ago, hold on for Sunday is coming. Oh, if you could but remember the one step of praise that would change your heart.

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

I cannot say here everything I would like for fear of doctrinal heresy. Instead, I will let the Song and Solomon's testimony speak for them. There are some situations you may find yourself in through no fault of your own from which only God can bring you out. The little Song has put away her clothes in her closet and now is afraid to put them on. There is something stopping her from getting dressed again. That is because she took off her coat of covering and her feet have already been washed of the places she has been. This text here sounds just as the dust washed off the feet of the disciples in John 13:4-5. Again, Matthew 10:14 mentions the dirt shaken from the places which rejected the followers of Christ. Whether the Song is afraid of the dust from rejection, or the self-washed feet is unclear here. Now we see her looking at her wardrobe wondering what she should do. She knows she should not get dressed again to go out at night at this time as she did before. See how the Spirit of God brings wisdom. Had she listened to her staying, what happened next might not have. The coat is like "the garments of salvation" in Isaiah 61:10. But look it is her own. She took it off because she could not save herself. This also the Jewish nation found in all their works, sacrifices, and laws. She washed her own feet and found she was bound by the same situation in which she commanded the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken her love. But now he has been awakened by her own situation. You ought to let God wash your feet and make you clean. You ought to let God be your therapist and take you to his Holy Spirit counselling sessions. You ought to let him clothe you with the coat of his salvation and his righteousness. But even when you are in a situation, how many of you know that God can bring you out. Hearing this just makes me want to throw the door open wide no matter how undressed or unwashed I become.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

So, she went again to stand in the secret place of the stairs. She had done so before when the situations of life were too much to be borne. What does she see but her beloved putting his hand by the door. The hand was symbolic of the sealing by the blood told of in Exodus 12:13. In the time of the Passover out of Egypt when the angel of death came, the male of the house would take the blood of the lamb and anoint the door frame. Then the angel of death would pass by the house for it found those within worthy. So here the little Song knows something is going to happen. There has not been a death angel seen in the streets for a long time. But being Egyptian she would have understood what was happening again having heard their stories. Solomon here just puts his hand over the door of the house. He does so even if he cannot stay. He does it even when she cannot come out. He does this even if she has already undressed and washed herself. He still finds her worthy. He has gone away again from her into the night with the smell of death in the air. He himself might be slain that night yet still he puts his hand over her door. It should be seen that he put his hand upon the handle of the door.

What drew her out is her desire and longing for her beloved. The bowels of that day spoke of the innermost part of the person, the seat of affection and love. Some of you have your heart set on the wrong parts of yourself. The little Song got up out of fear and came out due to love. How many of you know the beds of your own choosing that are nearly impossible to get out of safely. The Song found herself in much the same way and to her own hurt as we will soon see. So, before you poop from fear or excitement, just remember that God understands. He knows your frame as in Psalm 103:14 and remembers of what you are made. There is never a situation that the Father cannot pull you from. It is time someone showed compassion to these two. This man, Solomon, is her spouse after all. If not himself, then one of us ought to. But if man does not, the Father soon will.