WILDflower at Heart¹ (Song 2:1-2)

 
     There’s a song out there about the flowers, “Rose of Sharon” and “Lily of the valley” — attributing them to Christ. It’s not contextually accurate to the Song of Songs, since the woman is speaking about herself. But it’s forgivable, and even justifiable. The lines get a little fuzzy in oneness! :-)

     Firstly, though. When I know a verse or passage is coming up, even before studying it, I usually ask the Spirit of God to make it alive to me somehow. I really want to be able to look back on each post and remember how a lesson was learned. Not surprisingly, God has been faithful to answer this prayer in unique (and sometimes challenging) ways. Every. Single. Time!

     In this case, the application came first through what I’d call a “thorny trial,” and then following two confirmations about wildflowers, and finally the comfort of it’s meaning overwhelming my soul and wiping away every tear. I remembered who I am! This is ultimately what the Song is about —  to know Christ more intimately, and ourselves through His eyes.

     When the Shulamite mentions these flowers, it is my sense that she was becoming more aware of her physical body, and her desirability in the King’s eyes. When they met up, she may have been sitting in a bed of these pretty flowers, and saw an instant connection.

(In a future post I may expound on these flowers more, but generally there is no agreement on which species match the Hebrew words, and they should not be confused either, with the Western plants named Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley [capital V] that were named after Song 1:2 — not the other way around.)

     The point is, both flowers reflect the Woman’s modest view of her beauty, and both are wildflowers (fitting for her) that were common to Israel. Some commentators say she was depreciating herself, but I don’t agree. Wildflowers are always useful in some way, and an attractive splash of color in a field of green. Especially when there are many of them, as they usually grew. If anything, the Woman saw herself as one of many blossoming beauties in the universe, and was unassuming about any exclusivity she had with Solomon.

     What a rare trait, humility is! By this time in Solomon’s career, he had over 140 young women in his harem, given for different diplomatic reasons, and it was a number that would only grow. Self-absorbed and spiritually compromised, many of these women were more like thorns in Solomon’s side, and hers. 

     He wanted Shulamite to know she was special, and that he only had eyes for her. Imagine how her heart skipped a beat when he came back with, “You are a lily…a lily among thorns!”

     Now in the next post I want to talk more about “blossoming among thorns,” but for now it is enough to stop and dwell on the desire of being the exclusive passion of someone, whose eyes don’t wander to others. Whether admitted or not, or ready for it or not, it is an inherent need we all have to be loved in this special way.

     Committed relationships are one way people seek for validation, and to some degree it can provide that. But unshakeable satisfaction in human love is illusive, and an illusion, and needs to be put in its temporal place. The romance of the Song of Songs is not given to make us focus on human relationships, or long for a lover we don’t have, but to point us to the eternal substance of our inner life with Christ – and spiritual relationships, which are unshakeable.

     Humble lily… bride of Christ (gender neutral)… there’s no need to feel lost in the crowd, or “just” another pretty face. Look to the Cross and behold the King of kings who couldn’t live without YOU. Out of a field of commonality you’ve been seen and chosen, and lovingly placed in a “thorny” position to bring the beauty and fragrance of heaven on earth.

     You are not one of many, but the “only one” among many!

There’s no one like her on earth,
    never has been, never will be.
She’s a woman beyond compare.
    My dove is perfection,
Pure and innocent as the day she was born,
and cradled in joy by her mother.
Everyone who came by to see her
    exclaimed and admired her—
All the fathers and mothers, the neighbors and friends,
    blessed and praised her:
“Has anyone ever seen anything like this—
    dawn-fresh, moon-lovely, sun-radiant,
    ravishing as the night sky with its galaxies of stars?”
– Song 6:8-10 (The Message)

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¹ This title is a spin off the popular (and beautiful) book: “Wild at Heart,” by John Eldridge.
* Picture credit Parker Coffman at Unsplash