"Leaning on Her Beloved" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Song of Songs 8:5,

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?"

As the friends see the lover and his beloved "coming up from the wilderness", they ask the question. It is an observation that the beloved, the woman, is coming up from the "wilderness" while leaning on Solomon. 

This simple picture conjures within my mind the specter of the Lord leading his "bride" (see Revelation 19:7-8) up from the wilderness of this lost and fallen world, estranged from God - separated from him, leading her into everlasting life in the resurrection.

It is a picture of lovers, and not of master/servant. It is a picture of lovers, and not of rabbi/congregant. It is a picture of lovers and not of teacher/student. It is a picture of lovers and not of Creator/creation. While each of the preceding relationships are all accurate depictions of the nature of the relationship between the redeemed and their redeemer, the sight of the beloved coming up out of the wilderness while leaning on her beloved is a picture of love, of desire, of possession.

Perhaps we might find our perspective on our new life in Jesus Christ to be more fully understood and experienced as we witness and embrace this passionate couple within the pages of this amazing song - observing how our new estate within the family of God is represented in this couple.

How tragic it would be to only understand our new life in Jesus Christ to be the formulations of dusty and academically ordained theology! How tragic it would be to only understand our new life in Jesus Christ to be defined by the liturgy, vestments, sacraments and ordinances of organized ecclesiastical organizations! Let us celebrate our new life in Jesus Christ within the terms of passion, of love, of ardent desire - us for our Lord and he for us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com