I am a rose of Sharon

  

 Song of Solomon

 

Chapter 2

 

December 25, 2022

 

I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.  (People say this is referring to Christ.  I have been taught that from a child, but I cannot find it in the Scriptures.)

He

As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.

She

As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men.  With great delight, I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.  He brought me to the banqueting house,  and his banner over me was love.  Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.  His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!  I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.

The Bride Adores Her Beloved

The voice of my beloved!  Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.  My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.  Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.  My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.  The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.  Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.  O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.  Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”  My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes^[ among the lilies.  Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag.

 

As I’ve alluded to often, I’m a very simple, uneducated man, who learns in sales the word, “Kiss, Keep it simple stupid.”  So shall we deal with what is clear in the Scripture, for our Lord Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, and worship?  Let us begin with Isaiah Prophecy - “For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). And Isaiah gave this prophecy; “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1).  The fulfillment of those words by Jesus; is found in Luke's gospel.  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  Luke 4:17-21  Now this brings all people to make a choice, as C.S. Lewis states, Jesus was either a lunatic or He is the Son of God.  I am a witness that He is the Son of God, and not only is He my Lord, but He is also Creator John 1:3, and my Redeemer, on this special day of our celebrating His birth, and life, and knowing that death had no hold on Him, for He arose as stated in the Scripture, and sit at the right hand of the Father, making intersession for all who by faith have bow a knee to Him.

This would be a great day to do that and enter into Christ, and He into you.

Merry Christmas,

Bob Rice