Read Song of Solomon 5-6 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Son 4:12-5:1 {s} The bridegroom compares his bride to a secret garden, which together they unlock
Son 5:2-6:3 {s} The bride seeks the bridegroom
Son 6:4-9 {s} The bridegroom praises the bride’s beauty
Son 6:10 {s} Who is she who is fair, awesome as an army with banners?
Son 6:11-7:11 {s} The bridegroom praises the bride’s beauty
I sleep, but my heart is awake;
It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,
“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.”I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;
How can I defile them? Son 5:2-3
What was happening to the Shulamite happens to all of us in our love relationships, after the newness wears off: she began to take the love of her beloved for granted. When he called, her response was, “It’s too much bother to answer!” Just as we can start to ignore the cry of our beloved for time and attention and relationship, especially after our own need for love has been met by them (Son 5:1).
When the Shulamite’s beloved was rejected, he left her door. Now there is a breach in the relationship, and they are not together. A lot of us might find ourselves in a similar situation in our own relationships: when a breach has happened, and we are no longer together or in unity, what do we do to restore the love and the closeness?
The first thing she did, was not remain content with the distance. She repented of the rejection and then devoted time and energy to seeking her beloved out.
The next thing she did, was recall to mind her beloved’s excellent qualities, the things about him that she loved. She set her mind and her eyes on what was good about him, what was right about him, and not what was wrong about him.
The third thing she did, was voice her appreciation of him, and her praise of him! She did not stop with just thinking to herself what she appreciated; she opened her mouth and let him know too.
So many times, when we become thoroughly familiar with our spouse, we are tempted to turn our eyes on their imperfections and faults. We forget to look on their perfections and excellent qualities that we fell in love with in the first place. When we find ourselves doing that, we need to adjust our focus:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Phi 4:8
My husband and I just celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary recently (2011). This is something I learned to do — every morning, when I get up, I think of something about my husband that I appreciate, that is wonderful about him, that blesses me, or a sweet service or kindness that he recently did for me. That day, I dwell on that one thing. I thank God for giving me my beloved with qualities such as his. Then I thank him also! It is much more difficult to get mad or stay mad at our beloved, when we let our minds dwell on what is good and perfect about them!
It is the same thing with our love relationship with our Messiah Yeshua. If we find that we are losing our first love, we can rekindle it: by meditating on His excellent perfections and His greatness, and glory, and opening our mouth in His praise! Practice enumerating with our lips, all that we appreciate and are thankful for!
I have learned to do the same thing with my God that I do with my beloved: every morning, when I get up, I think of three things that my God did for me the previous day, or three things that happened to me that were a blessing or a gift to me that day (for every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, Jam 1:17). And then I thank Him for it! I praise Him for it! I vocalize my gratitude and adoration!
If you struggle with not feeling joy, or feeling far off and distant from the ones you should feel closest to, try this for a week. Do what the Shulamite and the Beloved did, and begin dwelling on and vocalizing all that is right in your life instead of all that is wrong. Express appreciation and gratitude to our mate and our God, instead of complaints and unmet needs. You will amaze yourself, at the end of the week, how just changing your focus and perspective transforms your relationship with God and man!
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