Song of Solomon Chapter 1 of 8

Song of Solomon 1

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

The Song of Solomon is written between various voices, such as the Shulamite woman, the “Daughters of Jerusalem”, the “Beloved” of the Shulamite woman, the Shulamite’s brothers, and the friends of the “Beloved”. In Song of Solomon 1:12-13, we read how this is a love story between King Solomon and the Shulamite woman, “While the king is at his table, my perfume sends forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts.” The Shulamite was a dark-skinned black woman, very black, and much darker than any of the Jewish people. King Solomon was a Jewish person.

With the above paragraph being written, the whole book of the Song of Solomon reveals the “scarlet cord” of the Old Testament pointing to Jesus as the Christ, Son of God, and Savior. More specifically, a love story between our Lord Jesus and every one of us who has come to know Him in a heartfelt and born-again way.

Beginning of Chapter One
“The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.” Song of Solomon 1:1

Solomon is the son of King David; he finished building the first magnificent and stationary temple to worship God and is known for his great wisdom. The life of Solomon can be read about beginning from 1 Kings 1:28 through chapter 11

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—For your beloved is better than wine. Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. Draw me away!” Song of Solomon 1:2-4a

Who is the woman speaking in this verse? This is the Shulamite woman in love with King Solomon, as she is identified as a Shulamite in Song of Solomon 6:13, “Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you!” 6:13 Which is spoken by her “Beloved” and his friends. We know the man is King Solomon because of this verse, “While the king is at his table, my perfume sends forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts.” Song of Solomon 1:12-13 Solomon’s name is mentioned all through the eight chapters to identify the relationship between him and the Shulamite.

We have an insight into the type of man that king Solomon was, he was attractive, desirable, well-groomed, smelled pleasant, had a supply of ointments, and all the young girls wanted him. All the girls wanted to be drawn away by him to be with him.

This also refers to the relationship we have with Jesus Christ who we love because of the love He has for us. We welcome His kisses that caress us with the Holy Spirit, and His love is better than any euphoria we might feel. The fragrance of our Lord Jesus Christ is the aroma of grace, mercy, and the forgiveness of sin, and just the mention of His name is associated with the fruit of the Spirit. In Jesus Christ, we are made pure in the eyes of God, we have become virgins to the ways of the world after being born-again, therefore we virgins love Him. We want to be drawn away by Him to be with Him for eternity.

The “Daughters of Jerusalem” replies to the words of the Shulamite woman by saying “We will run after you.” Song of Solomon 1:4b.

This verse uses the word “we”, so we know this is more than one person. Also, the Shulamite woman replies to them in Song of Solomon 1:5 by calling them the “Daughters of Jerusalem”.

The “Daughters of Jerusalem” are all of us non-Jewish who have been adopted into the family of God [through Jesus Christ] as offspring of the Jewish culture. Jesus Christ was an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. “…some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree…” Romans 11:17 We run after the early Christians to believe the Gospel that Jesus is the Christ.

The Shulamite woman replies to the “Daughters of Jerusalem” who said, “We will run after you” by saying “The king has brought me into his chambers.” Song of Solomon 1:4c. She had to let them know that king Solomon brought her into his chambers, which was off limits to anyone else.

Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross so that our heart, mind, and spirit, could be open to receive the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…” Matthew 27:50-51 The only way to follow the early Christians into the most Holy chambers of the King is to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

O Come into the King’s chambers
And Worship Before His Throne
O Come Into the King’s Chambers
His Glories Shall Be Shown
O Come Into His Holy Presence
And Magnify His Name
O Come into the King’s chambers
You Will Never Be the Same

The “Daughters of Jerusalem” replied to the Shulamite woman who said the king brought her into his chambers by saying, “We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.” Song of Solomon 1:4d.

The “Daughters of Jerusalem” supported the relationship of the Shulamite woman with King Solomon. They were glad and rejoiced for the Shulamite who was loved by the king and the “Daughters of Jerusalem” promised to always love her more than all the euphoria in the world. The young women rightly loved the Shulamite, without jealousy or bitterness.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are glad and rejoice for the early Christians who found God within the chambers of their heart, mind, and spirit. After all, it is the faith and belief of those early Christians who had a love affair with God through Jesus Christ that we were even able to find our way to Him. Because of the early Church the Gospels were written and His word of forgiveness for sin spread to all the world. We feel no bitterness or jealousy for their success, but we rejoice with them in the gladness of living for our Lord Jesus.

The reply of the Shulamite reveals why there might have been bitterness and jealousy from the “Daughters of Jerusalem” [instead of gladness and rejoicing] when she entered into the chambers of King Solomon and into a love affair. “I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not look upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.” Song of Solomon 1:5-6

Kedar was a nomadic tribe known for their black tents, as seen below,

When Moses married a black woman from Ethiopia, a Cushite, there was an uproar in the Jewish community, “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian [Cushite] woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” Numbers 12:1

The Shulamite woman was not genetically Jewish, not Hebrew, and her dark black skin could not hide her deviation from the Jewish community. There was bigotry from within the pure-bred Jewish culture against black people having affairs and marriages with Jewish born people. King Solomon was Jewish, from the Tribe of Judah, the same tribe as Jesus Christ. The Shulamite woman pleaded for the “Daughters of Jerusalem” not to judge her by the color of her skin. Her mother’s sons were fathered by a different man, so she and her brothers were not the same color, as her brothers would have been much lighter and more accepted in the culture of that day. They despised the blackness of their sister and used her like a slave to do labor in their vineyards, although she had no freedom or opportunity to have her own vineyard.

In the days before the coming of Jesus Christ, non-Jewish people, of any color, were “blackballed” by the Jewish community who considered them incapable of serving the same God that they did. The non-Jewish were called Gentiles, and had no access to God, no access to the Scriptures, and were kept out of the Jewish culture with a vengeance. The Gentiles were treated with disdain and bigotry. When Jesus Christ came, the doors opened into the presence of God, not through the Jewish culture, not through Judaism, but through Jesus Christ who gives the Holy Spirit freely to anyone who believes in Him. The relationship between the black Shulamite woman and king Solomon is symbolic of this. As Christians today, that is our heritage, we are the black Shulamite, the gentiles, in a love affair with Jesus Christ.

The Shulamite woman now speaks to king Solomon, her beloved, “Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock, where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions?” Song of Solomon 1:7

The black Shulamite woman is asking the love of her life, king Solomon, to tell her where he feeds his flock, and where they rest at noon, because she desired to be there with him. She wondered why she had to hide her face, like the prostitutes did during those times, while going from flock to flock of Solomon’s companions. In the next verse, Solomon [in his great wisdom] gives a very good answer.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be interested in where He feeds His flock, and the answer is that we are fed within our spirit through Him, “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 We should also be interested in where we can enter into His rest, and that rest is to live in the Holy Spirit and not by good works, religious rules, laws of Judaism, etc. “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest…” Hebrews 4:10-11 As Christians, we boldly ask, why should I be required to hide my black and sinful face from Jesus Christ, because “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

The Shulamite’s beloved, king Solomon, answers her question about where she could find him, his flock, their place of rest, and be free to show her face. In the great wisdom of king Solomon, he answers in this way, “If you do not know, O fairest among women, follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your little goats beside the shepherds’ tents. I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold.” Song of Solomon 1:8-10

Solomon put it very simply how the Shulamite woman could find him, his flock, the place of rest, and to unashamedly show her face. She could simply follow the footprints of the flock and feed her little goats by the shepherd’s tents. The footprints would lead her directly to where she wanted to go and being around the shepherds would reveal to her exactly where all the flocks were. As far as her being able to unashamedly show her face, king Solomon said that she was beautiful with nothing to hide at all. Solomon called her his filly among the Pharoah’s chariot, which is to be surrounded by very protective and caring powerful men. Solomon said how lovely her cheeks were, dressed with ornaments, and her neck with chains of gold.

If anyone ever wants to know how to find Jesus Christ, simply follow the footsteps of the flock of the family of Jesus Christ. And feed, advise, counsel the people we know around the places where the Gospel of Christ is being fed to whoever comes. We are the “Apple of God’s Eye”, His filly among the Pharoa’s chariots, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Zachariah 2:8 We have nothing to be ashamed of as Christians; we should boldly show our face as part of His family. He has made our cheeks lovely, and our neck ornamented with gold [which is to say that His Holy Spirit is the face of who we are].

In today’s atheistic culture it becomes increasingly difficult to find the footprints of the flock and the tents of the shepherds, as described in Revelation 12 about the extinction of Christian births. The churches have abandoned the gospel of Christ, government lawmakers no longer integrate the values of the Bible in their laws and policies, the educational system does not allow the teaching of the Bible in classrooms, and the spread of Christianity is not welcomed in any sector of society. As our Lord Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5

The “Daughters of Jerusalem” chimed in on the conversation between king Solomon and the Shulamite woman about her being able to show her face and to be seen with him, as they said, “We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.” Song of Solomon 1:11

The “Daughters of Jerusalem” wanted to make the Shulamite woman as attractive as possible [she was very beautiful] as she prepared to be in the presence of king Solomon. As followers of Jesus Christ, we want to help prepare one another for meeting our king, Jesus Christ, face-to-face when He returns. We want each other to keep the ornaments of the Holy Spirit burning in our spirit, because that is our ticket into the eternal New Jerusalem, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the  guarantee of our inheritance…” Ephesians 1:13-14

We also want to share our born-again experience with others, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart.

The Shulamite woman declares her love for king Solomon, “While the king is at his table, my perfume sends forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts. My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms in the vineyards of En Gedi.” Song of Solomon 1:12-14

The very blacked-skin Shulamite woman sat at the table of the Jewish king Solomon as they were in an intimate relationship. The sweet aroma of her perfume filled the atmosphere, and he was a bundle of sweetness to her. They spent all night together as he laid between her breasts. To the Shulamite woman, king Solomon was blooms in the vineyards.

Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to sit at the table with Him, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me…” Revelation 3:20 Our fragrance goes up to God, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 2:15 The love we have for God through Jesus Christ is because He first loved us, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 Jesus Christ is to us the blooms of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

King Solomon replies to the Shulamite, “Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes.” Song of Solomon 1:15

King Solomon, a purebred Jewish man, looked past the very dark skin [blacker than black] of the Shulamite woman. He noticed the quality of the spirit within her when he looked through the window of her eyes. He saw the eyes of a dove.

God looks past the blackness of our inherited sin when He sees His Son Jesus Christ living in us through the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ loves us and loves to see the eyes of the dove within us. After all, the fruit of the Spirit includes a meek and gentle Spirit of peace. The Holy Spirit came to Jesus in the form of a dove, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22

The Shulamite woman replies to king Solomon, “Behold, you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green. The beams of our houses are cedar, and our rafters of fir.” Song of Solomon 1:16-17

We learn more about king Solomon, that he was handsome, pleasant, physically and spiritually desirable, and that he was able to provide stability, safety, and comfort in the home. Their houses were made with beams of cedar and rafters of fir, very strong, stable, and enduring. To have a green bed is imagery to describe delight in intimacy, growth, fertility, rejuvenation, and freshness.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our King who has a green bed. Since the time of Christ, Christianity was green with fresh growth, became fertile from inception, and was rejuvenated over the years. His house is one that will stand forever in the New Jerusalem, and His word will never pass away, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:35 To us who are born-again, Jesus Christ looks very appealing, handsome, and pleasant in the Spirit.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1