Locked-In

Song of Solomon 4:13-16

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

Look now, this Song is as one dead which still lives. There might be something underground that is sealed off as other seasons approach. But these are not yet. It is important that we love our spouses well while we still have time; tomorrow was never promised to anyone. God has offered eternal life and this more abundantly in the here and now. Romans 6:23 says such is not given unto you tomorrow. Here we see the Song's beloved Solomon within her garden describing everything he sees, tastes, touches, and experiences. Thus, he knew his spouse. For there was not a place in that garden he had not been. Some of you are afraid to let your spouse into the garden fully. Then you come and complain to the therapist about your partner saying that he or she 'doesn't love you.' My friend, if they do not love you, I wonder if they even know you at all. I once heard a story of a woman who would let her lovers out the backdoor as the husband came home. Then you have got to hide that part of the garden where the lovers have been; it is only natural to do so. But that is not so here. Solomon can name everything inside because she has laid it with care and him in mind.

Look now, I could almost lay out the fruits of the Spirit with as much cunning. Let us see if we can recognize where we are together. Psalm 37:23 says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Some of you should be so ordered by God that I could lay Galatians 5:22-23 or Revelation 22:1-3 alongside the path as a light to stroll on down. Now, we see "an orchard of pomegranates" and pleasant fruits of all sorts. Yes, skip, check. You might be asking what I am doing. I do not yet know, but this garden seems very familiar even to me. Here are the trees for the healing of the nations. Could it be. There is a garden of this text found within a garden. Now whatever could the little Song be doing all the way in Revelation. There is an oft-told story told of the man who looked back at the end of his life and saw a set of footprints behind him in the sand. He asked the Lord, 'why? You promised you would never leave me.' The Lord answered him and said, 'child, that is when I carried you.' See, here God has carried the little Song from a mighty long way. But what of her Solomon?

Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

Talking about these gardens makes some people very angry. I know this text is very hard for some of us to understand. Even in all the beauty around, it is still possible for some to be angry when they bring their problems with them. But there is none of that with the little Song. These plants grow in orderly rows around the paths of righteousness for the feet to walk between them. There are "spikenard and saffron" growing here. The spikenard once anointed the feet of Jesus prior to his crucifixion as told in Luke 7:37-38. The saffron also with it makes little sense; it has been used by some cultures as a symbol of courage and bravery. But how many of you know that to get to the bravery, courage, and reward you must first go through some things. The "spikenard and saffron" are as the restored years of tears spoken of by one modern hymn. That is why he will wipe every tear of Revelation 21:4, because of the things that have been faced. There will be no more of these things that make us cry up in that garden one day.

The "calamus and cinnamon" comes next. Calamus is also the same word for reed as in Isaiah 42:3: "a bruised reed he will not break." How many of you remember the story of how an old man wanted to show God's love one Christmas. So, he made a red and white candy cane to give and thus it became a tradition. Some of the things we have been through in this life cause us pain. Sure, their desires and smells are sweet, but not so for the pain they bring. One day in Heaven's garden will be no more pain as in Revelation 21:4; this means we will no longer go through what we have down here. The trees of frankincense are as those of worship to the Lamb. These speak of the places in life which make us say both "praise God from whom all blessings flow" and 'amen, thank you Jesus.' The myrrh and aloes also grow together a little further on. The myrrh of John 19:39 was what anointed Jesus body prior to his burial. The aloes also are a balm for those low places. In Heaven's gardens there is no more death for behold God makes all things new in Revelation 21:5. There also might be some comfort and some balm found for those that remain in the garden of the Song after the worst has happened.

A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

But how many know that when there is a garden within a garden filled with all we have been through, only God can make those things better. It will help to have those we love also with us then. I do not wish to be married, as some are, to my Scripture at the neglect of my spouse. There is also a danger to be found in neglecting your Scripture for your spouse. Some people like to call for rabbits when they should call men from the garden. Could it be for some of you that your focus is wrong. So also, even these things take some time to correct. Here the therapist is asking you what happened. But if you really knew that God happened, this too will become your testimony. This is how Solomon can look at his Song and see the fountain of gardens and find the well of living water within. When your source is Jesus as in John 4:14, the enemy may come looking; then, they will not find you but rather Jesus.

This is why the Song is as one with streams from afar even from Lebanon, a place surrounded by seas. There the little Song is found as a garden within a garden, a spring of living water within her, and with streams from Lebanon in her midst. When you make God your source, it does not matter how far you travel. He will make you to be a blessing. Even if you go through Lebanon which was out of the way and unlooked for, even there, will the living water flow. See, when God is in your midst, your location does not matter. Yes, it might matter to man whether you are in the woods, on an island, or in a palace. But he is making the blessing come from even these places of hurt and pain. The living waters always flow from him with nothing lost, missing, or broken. Through the land they flow no matter the season you are in. This is how the desert, and the overgrown gardens are turned into a place of rejoicing because of who he is. This is his work. Let us invite him into his garden.

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Here the little Song finally answers all that Solomon has said of her. You may not always need to answer everything; that is okay too. Because of the seasons and the places you have been, your own garden may be locked. So also, you might find yourself unable to let anyone in. The Song here finds her Solomon knows her so well. He was already in her garden, but she needs him to know he is welcome there. It is important to see she does not slam the door, lock it, and howl at him to get out of the west wing as the Beast did to Beauty. The therapist will say 'it is good for couples to respond to each other;' indeed so it is. Sometimes we need to submit our responses to the Spirit to allow him to change some things. See now she calls unto the north and the south wind to blow through her garden. I find it amazing she calls not for either the east or the west winds. She asks only for the north and the south winds to blow. In prior books we have seen how the four winds correspond to the four spirits of God as in Revelation 7:1. Now the little Song should not know about the words of Daniel, Ezekiel, or Revelation for they are well before her time. But see how it is as Ecclesiastes 3:10 says: he has "set eternity in" men's hearts. The winds of the Spirit blow upon her spices of the sorrow, trials, rejoicing, and finally oneness with Christ flow forth. Now she is as a feast set before her King Solomon. Thus, she is tended and lovingly prepared by Jesus Christ the righteous. How many others will he also make her a blessing unto; for as she has found her beauty in brokenness. How many of you know the secret life of abiding in Christ.