Merchant Powders
Song of Solomon 3:6-11
Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
Here is the Song's testimony of the goodness of God to her in the land of the living of Psalm 27:13. This text speaks of Solomon coming out of the wilderness along with certain other spiritual leaders of that time. The Song said he came out like pillars of smoke in the house of God as in Isaiah 6:4. However, he came with the merchant showing how the God of Isaiah 42:8 will not share his glory with any nor can his presence be bought. There were three people who were sent to fetch him from wherever he was. There was Zadok the priest; Nathan was the prophet with them who had also been present at his birth. Along with them was Benaniah son of Jehoiada. If you will recall frankincense and myrrh were also given to Christ at his birth. Matthew 2:11 tells of this gifting by the three wise men of that time. Here the prophet, priest, and king are presented symbolically as one for the first time in Israel's history. Frankincense was used as a sweet savor in the temple unto the Lord.
Myrrh was used at the time to anoint the dead. You know, some of you should have died had it not been for the Lord. In Solomon the picture of the three is not yet perfect. The powders of the merchant came along with him. But in Christ that good work will be made perfect which has already begun as Philippians 1:6 states. This is why God could not let King David begin building his house because he shed much blood as in 1 Chronicles 28:3. Solomon could have come back looking for revenge. Instead, he came with a holy purpose, the Lord on his side, and wisdom in his heart. I would like to see them spend some time of sweet loving in the wilderness; sometimes nothing makes a desert seem more like a palace than the company of each other. Solomon here is as careful as he is wise. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says there is "a time for everything" under Heaven. Some of you are out of order because it is not the proper time for these things. First, Solomon came with justice then with preparation. You can also see the preparation he made for his Song in the perfume, smoke, and powders; how much also the Song anticipated having and holding him until even his own final days.
Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.
You must be feeling dizzy by now. Would you like to lie down yourself? See now what is happening. Some of you who know must be saying, 'you mean to tell me that the prince of Israel was half Edomite and married an Egyptian princess.' It sounds that way does it not. Then through Solomon, came the Messiah. Could it be that the reason those people rejected Christ had less to do with his claims and more to do with his descent? Some of you object to a mixed marriage yet you believe in a mixed Savior. My friend, I do not believe the two are mutually exclusive. Solomon came with a bed because with him came his Song from their dwelling place together. So now she tells their story because she witnessed everything firsthand. I fancy some lighter subject matter and quite possibly some sexual lessons, such as how to be intimate with so many people watching. You might also be wondering to yourself how I know this. In 1 Kings 1:38-40, King David made Solomon ride his own mule when he sent for him. Thus, the bed would have been left to the Song for both she and the bed were Solomon's. See, such dealings may seem very old-fashioned to some of you. But as the men rode, they picked up supporters until they came to Gihon. It is little wonder then that threescore brave men went with them to the place of anointing. When God has called you to do something, he will often send others with you not only for your safety but also for your witness. Is it any wonder that King Jesus refers to Solomon more than any other; here particularly we see echoes of this scene told of in Zechariah 9:9. On that day the Messiah came echoing Solomon when riding into Jerusalem on the colt, the foal of an ass.
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
Some say when witnessing to Jewish people today that when you get to Isaiah 53 and ask them of whom it speaks, they grow silent. Then you know you have problems. No honey, they had problems long before they ever got to Isaiah 53. Even a blind and partially tied man such as Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 could see that. So also, could Pilate of John 19:22, himself a Roman. I do not know about you, but if a man ever shows up barking about Solomon and witnessing to Samaritans, you really ought to check to make sure it is not the Lord. For is he not the one greater than Solomon according to Matthew 12:42. He was greater than him not in wealth but in mercy. It has been said by some that Solomon's mercy made him the wisest and the wealthiest of his time. For he used this wisdom to show mercy to those to whom none was shown. Jesus had come to this earth during a time when all others had proclaimed themselves king, not unlike the time of Solomon. As the party went on, they picked up people. Each man carried the sword "because of the fear" of the night. They rode in faith and held their swords from fear. The ones they picked up were valiant men with some faith in them. See, there were two coronations going on at once. Another son of David crowned himself king while the chosen of God came riding into Gihon with the believing. Has not this been the problem all along? From this text I can hear the whispers of the end of time also. In the night, sound travels a long way sometimes from afar.
King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
"The wood of Lebanon" speaks of the strategic alliances with those people who have lent their aid. So also as in Isaiah 59:1 we see stretched out to save; but the people's sins separated them from God. Yes, Solomon has done a few things that are questionable because he is human. He made himself a chariot when he was supposed to be riding a mule back to the city. Not only that, but it was also a heavy one at that. The text does not say when this was made. But we can see that Solomon has been planning this for some time. See now with such care he tends to his wife. Solomon had to have something to haul his wife in did he not. He was moving her from a long way even as far as her home in Egypt. I can see the men of Israel now hauling a bed, a chariot, and a mule along. Please stop laughing for a minute. We are trying to hear the Lord talking. Someone, please do me a favor and put the bed in the cart and hitch the mule up to it. Then when you are done with that, place Solomon on the mule as his father commanded and his wife behind him on the bed. Then you can go tell the one who tried to crown himself that he has no place in the house of God. When God is your driver, protector, and leader, he will keep your borders and your house intact.
He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.
The spirit of bitterness has no place in the house of God. God is moving in this situation here. King Solomon had every reason to be bitter. King David passed on to him a list of them in 1 Kings 2. See, despite all the issues, daddy also passed down a legacy of faith to his son. This is seen in the instructions given to show mercy lest not a man be left in Israel. Thus, there is a basis of mercy for the people's sake and for the Lord's. For this reason, the Lord forbore so that he might redeem the people. The middle of this chariot was paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem. Even if they were wayward and their men engaged in dark pursuits, still God loved them. The chariot itself is covered with purple, being a symbol of royalty and service alike. The little Song was made a keeper of the vineyard by her mother's house; so, Solomon has flattered her with his covering. It is amazing to see how a blessing for one becomes a blessing for many. By this chariot are the daughters of Jerusalem also blessed. There is a danger to be found though in not letting God keep the chariot and the house. He must build it, drive it, and make the house fit to live in lest disaster come upon it. As we will soon see, these daughters and this couple are only human. But that is no excuse for what comes after. Thus are the pillars of silver made up of the betrayer and the backslider alike. The bottom of the chariot was paved with gold as in Psalm 12:6. It speaks of those purified in the fire and refined even as gold seven times. In the Heaven of Revelation 21:21, the street in that city will also be paved with gold. There will be no impurity or flaw there because of who is running the place.
Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.
The word espoused in Scripture can mean married or it can also mean something else. Betrothed can be in the sense that Mary was the espoused wife of Joseph while yet with child according to Luke 2:5. I cannot tell if King Solomon was married on the same day he was crowned or if that would have been a different day. Regardless, the little Song seems to have known him from a long way. I heard someone once say that you know who is for you when they are also happy with you. But here the little Song suffers, waits, and rejoices with him. Solomon was once a happy man surrounded by his mother who crowned him king and gave him his bride-to-be. Hebrews 11:1 tells us about another little principle called faith. It "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen;" it enables us to see what will be through the eyes of what is. This Bathsheba lady had an awful lot of faith. No wonder King Solomon thought very highly of the women in his life. Yet not so highly did he think of them that he let certain men go unpunished. 1 Kings 2 tells of those he deposed; among them were his brother Adonijah and Joab the captain who were responsible for the leading of the attack on the Edomites in 1 Kings 11. Even so, 1 Kings 1:32-33, 38-39 tells the story of how Bathsheba spoke up for the life of her son while King David yet lived. There might have been another murder of Bathsheba and Solomon if the Lord had not intervened. Due to this mother's faith, she, her child, and the kingdom were spared. You might want to talk about Esther and how her bravery saved a nation; this is some better stuff right here. I may even find the blood of Abel, Christ, and a better word spoken in Hebrews 12:24 while I am looking.