Song of Solomon 1:12-14

(12) While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance. (13) A bundle of myrrh is by beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts. (14) My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms, in the vineyards of En Gedi.

This week we see the bride in deep thought and contemplation as to what has just transpired in the few preceding verses we studied last week. To review, the Bridegroom King had just affirmed her in every way possible. He saw the "Yes" in her spirit towards Him, and He saw her will and emotions ultimately submitted to Him for His work to be done in her life. Based on this, she makes a statement in these three verses, which I feel are really not a verbal statement, but more of a thought process she is going through that is filled with the revelation and truth of what He has just spoken.

In verse 12, the bride recognizes His complete and ultimate provision for her (the king is at His table). He has provided everything we need through His death and resurrection. Have you ever just pondered that, and understood the indescribable value of His sacrifice? Selah (pause calmly & think about this). In the second part of verse 12, the bride understands that her submitted life to Jesus, along with her worship, releases a sweet fragrance. In Biblical days, spikenard was a very precious and costly oil, or spice. In John 12:3 we see Mary, in an extravagant display of worship, anoint the feet of Jesus with spikenard, and wipe His feet with her hair. Can you imagine the fragrance she carried when she walked out of her house? What about you? Do you know your worship has a fragrance?

Myrrh is also a spice, but the Hebrew root word for this spice means "bitter." In verse 13, the bride is comparing Jesus her beloved bridegroom to a bundle, or an abundance of myrrh, representing the bitter sufferings of Jesus and His obedience unto death. She does not take the sufferings He went through lightly, but holds them close to her heart, realizing the great price He paid so that she could be His. As she meditates on this through the night, it causes her to love Him more. What kind of love is this, that would suffer so greatly, and love so deeply? As she meditates on this revelation, her heart is filled to overflowing.

Out of that overflow comes the progression of thought in verse 14, where she realizes His love is so rare and precious. She is filled with the awe and wonder of who He is. In the days of Solomon, the vineyards of En Gedi had the greatest fragrances in Israel, and that is where the henna bloomed and had the most intense fragrance. The bride was comparing this most intense, beautiful fragrance, to the love of her bridegroom.

As we, too, understand and experience the truth of His great love, and what He has paid to win us back from the hands of the enemy, we will find our heart and spirit opening up to Him in a way we never have. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." (I John 4:18 a) The unconditional, perfect love of our bridegroom King will drive out all fear, condemnation, rejection, shame, and torment. It is then that our worship will rise as a beautiful fragrance, revealing His beauty to the world.