There are some biblical scholars who can’t reconcile the way Solomon is portrayed in the Song of Songs. How can a great king, with all his kingdom responsibilities, be romping the hills outside Jerusalem, checking vineyards, and even moving sheep around like a lowly shepherd? I would like to ask them, “How is this not a most beautiful representation of Jesus Christ?” He is the King of kings, the “last Adam,^⁠1” and our “Good Shepherd” — all in one person.

Besides, why wouldn’t Solomon have experience with things like shepherding? His father David was one by trade, and would have encouraged the young king-to-be to play outdoors and learn animal husbandry. It is recorded Solomon had astounding wisdom about nature.^⁠2 And he owned many animals and vineyards that he put into the care of others.^⁠3 Would he not check his flocks, and even for recreation spend time with his shepherd friends?^⁠4

Anyway, this is where the next scene in the story begins: The Woman wakes up one morning to discover Solomon is not in bed beside her. He’s on a shepherding mission, she finds out — and she wants to know where.

︎  The Challenge of Separation

Tell me, the one who my soul loves. Where do you graze? Where do you make your flocks to rest at noon? – Song 1:7

Here we have the first of three episodes when the Shulamite temporally loses sight of her Beloved. The other two are: Song 3:1 and 5:6. I’d like to say it got easier by the third time, but it didn’t. It’s never easy to be separated from the one you are in love with.  

And yet life happens. And death. As long as we are in these earthly bodies, there will be challenges in our relationships. Some of the challenges will require us to rest, and trust in the omnipresent and eternal existence of love. Others will have clear action steps that we can take to help bridge the gap.

Last week I had an experience with the Lord about this, when I woke up one morning feeling gloomy and distant. I couldn’t figure out why, when I felt so close to Him the day before! Was it a bad dream? Was it a lapse in my daily disciplines? 

“Don’t worry,” He tenderly replied, “I’m about the Father’s business.” 

I have to admit this unexpected response gave me mixed feelings. On one hand, it was comforting to know Christ wasn’t really “gone” from me. He’s still my husband and lover, and always will be. Like the parents of Jesus when he went missing on their trip to Jerusalem,^⁠5 I’m sure it would have made them feel relieved had they known ahead that their boy was safe, and they would see him again. 

But on the other hand, I don’t want to be separate from Christ in anything! I want to be doing what the Father is doing too!

So my heart was motivated to seek Him: 

“Where are you exactly? Can I be of help to you? How do I find you?”

What happened next, I found out, was similar to what happened next to the Shulamite woman. (I wasn’t even making all these connections until today!)

She was lovingly assured by Solomon that he wanted her, and, he showed her the way:

If you do not know, O most beautiful of women, follow the footsteps … – Song 1:8.

For me, I was reminded of the “next steps” that were right before my eyes that I wasn’t noticing, or eagerly doing. Small things: like reach out to the person whose been on my heart for days now — or sit down to study and actively meditate on heavenly things — or write another paragraph in the chapter of my book. I have to admit, some of the things I know God has put before me to do, feel insignificant sometimes. Even hard to do. Many things don’t have immediate results, and have to be done strictly by faith that in God’s time, it will bring produce spiritual fruit.

But Jesus taught me something through all this. On gloomy days especially, when we don’t “feel” as close to God as we’d like… if we put on our spiritual shoes and faithfully follow the footsteps that He left for us — we will, through the action of our faith, find the manifest presence of God again that we so desperately long for.

He’s faithful.

His desire for us is even stronger than our desire for Him.

¹ 1 Cor.15:45-49 / ² 1 Kings 4:33 / ³ 1 Kings 4:22-27, Song 8:11 / ⁴ The evidence is also in favor of Solomon being quite young, and in transition of becoming king when in relationship to the Shulamite. / ⁵ Luke 2:49