Song 4:16 | KingComments | STEP | The groom says to the bride full of delight: “[You are] a garden spring” ( ). He sees her as a spring that irrigates her own garden, but also passes on the water to other gardens. It is therefore “a well of fresh water” or “a well of living waters” (Darby translation). Living water flows, it moves on to other places to bring life. It is water “[flowing] from Lebanon”. Here we see its origins. The water comes from the mountains, from the height. A spring is a repository of water, not stagnant water, but living or flowing water. A spring speaks of depth; living water speaks of powerful and constantly flowing water. In the kingdom of peace there flows through Jerusalem “a river of the water of life” ( ). The renewed Jerusalem can, in the context of here in Song of Songs, be called a ‘garden city’. The characteristic of a river is also that there is a constant flow of fresh water. We recognize the description of the groom in the activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The Lord Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman about water He wants to give her ( ). The water He gives not only delivers from restless searching for peace, but gives much more. That water is a spring of joy that someone gets within himself and that he never loses. That source within is connected with eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit Whom He gives in the believer to be in him a fresh spring of Divine joy ( ). The Holy Spirit is the gift that God gives us through His Son and through Whom we are able to enjoy everything that has been given to us in the Son. The Spirit of God makes the life of the believer fruitful and also makes him a blessing for his surroundings. The streams come here from Lebanon. The Spirit comes from Him Who is on high, that is Christ. From the high He gave the Spirit ( ). All spiritual refreshment and irrigation that flow into the life of the believer comes from the Spirit of life from the presence of the Lord Jesus for us with the Father in heaven. Then the bride reacts to everything the groom has said of her as a garden in ( ). The bride wants what the groom has given her to grow and develop further. She wants the fragrance of the spices of her garden to be wafted abroad, i.e. the abundance of fragrances can be smelled. This requires wind. She asks the north wind and the south wind to blow through her garden. In both winds we see a picture of the working of the Spirit in the life of the believer. It is similar to the Spirit Who will blow through the valley of the very dry bones through which life comes ( ). Spiritually, the bride asks for the cold of the north wind on the one hand and the heat of the south wind on the other. The bride knows that regardless of whether the conditions are favorable or unfavorable, whether they are in season or out of season, those conditions serve to make the fragrance of the spices all the more wafted. Paul also speaks of these winds when he says he knows what it is to be humbled and also to live in prosperity. He also speaks about this when he says that he has learned the secret of being filled and going hungry. He knows both abundance and suffering need ( ). He is only concerned about the fragrance that comes from it, and that is the power of Christ through Whom he can do everything ( ). The cold that can enter our lives are the things we don’t like, the difficulties and worries of life. The bride asks for it. Do we ask for it? The question is whether we are ready to agree with what James says: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” ( ). We’ll agree with what he says, but is it really so that we’re happy when we’re being tried? We do not ask for problems, for a cold airflow in our lives. But do we really long that from our life more of fragrance is spread from and for Him? Then we ask Him to search and try us to see whether there is a hurtful way in us, something that hinders the spread of that fragrance, and whether He wants to lead us in the everlasting way ( ). There is a north wind in the life of the family in Bethany when Lazarus becomes ill and dies ( ). The cold of death has come. But the Lord Jesus comes with the south wind when He raises Lazarus from the dead ( ). The Lord has already said that Lazarus’ sickness is not to death, “but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” ( ). The painful or sad things that happen to us aim to spread the fragrance of the glory of God and the glorification of the Son of God. Disappointments are also like the north wind. The two disciples who went to Emmaus experienced the north wind in their disappointment in the Lord ( ). The reason for this lies in false expectations. We can have them too. We have our wishes and imaginations about what happens. If things go differently, they are disappointments. Then we speak about it, and the Lord comes to us and makes our hearts burning by opening the Scriptures for us ( ). Then the south wind blows. We can experience the cold north wind when we have a ‘bad news talk’ with the doctor. A friend and brother had such a talk. Investigation had shown that he might have colon cancer. Such a message puts the whole of life in a different light. It had driven him and his wife into the presence of the Lord. They live with Him, but that life with Him then took on a deeper meaning. They shared their needs with the believers of the local church. It had led us all in the presence of the Lord and to intercession. This is the tremendous effect of the ‘north wind’ that blows through the life of a couple and a local church, enjoying the fragrance of fellowship with the Lord Jesus and with each other. In his case, shortly thereafter, when the results of the examined piece of intestine were heard, the southern wind started to blow. No cancer cells were found. There was a large polyp that could be removed surgically. This message had made them and us as fellow believers very grateful to our God and Father. The fragrance of fellowship with one another and the glorification of God had blown through the church and beyond, to those who have no part in the faith in Christ, but to whom is testified of what God had done. Do we wish to be a garden in which the Lord Jesus loves to come, because its fragrance is for Him? If we wish, we will say to Him: “May my beloved come into His garden and eat of its choice fruits!” It is striking that the bride in relation with the winds speaks of “my garden” and when she then invites her beloved to come to her, she speaks of “his garden”. It is both true. We do not often think that our life is a garden for Him, where He would like to be to enjoy the fruit of it, fruit He Himself cultivates. Whether we are such a garden for Him is apparent from the things we fill our time with. Just consider, for example, how much time is spent posting and reading nonsensical messages on social media, consuming films and all sorts of entertaining programs. What can we offer Him of these as the “choice fruits” of His garden to eat?

‏ Song of Solomon 4:16

My Garden, His Garden

The groom says to the bride full of delight: “[You are] a garden spring” (Song 4:15). He sees her as a spring that irrigates her own garden, but also passes on the water to other gardens. It is therefore “a well of fresh water” or “a well of living waters” (Darby translation). Living water flows, it moves on to other places to bring life. It is water “[flowing] from Lebanon”. Here we see its origins. The water comes from the mountains, from the height.

A spring is a repository of water, not stagnant water, but living or flowing water. A spring speaks of depth; living water speaks of powerful and constantly flowing water. In the kingdom of peace there flows through Jerusalem “a river of the water of life” (Rev 22:1). The renewed Jerusalem can, in the context of Song 4:12-15 here in Song of Songs, be called a ‘garden city’. The characteristic of a river is also that there is a constant flow of fresh water.

We recognize the description of the groom in the activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The Lord Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman about water He wants to give her (Jn 4:10-14). The water He gives not only delivers from restless searching for peace, but gives much more. That water is a spring of joy that someone gets within himself and that he never loses.

That source within is connected with eternal life. By this the Lord refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit Whom He gives in the believer to be in him a fresh spring of Divine joy (Jn 7:38-39). The Holy Spirit is the gift that God gives us through His Son and through Whom we are able to enjoy everything that has been given to us in the Son. The Spirit of God makes the life of the believer fruitful and also makes him a blessing for his surroundings.

The streams come here from Lebanon. The Spirit comes from Him Who is on high, that is Christ. From the high He gave the Spirit (Jn 16:7). All spiritual refreshment and irrigation that flow into the life of the believer comes from the Spirit of life from the presence of the Lord Jesus for us with the Father in heaven.

Then the bride reacts to everything the groom has said of her as a garden in Song 4:12-15 (Song 4:16). The bride wants what the groom has given her to grow and develop further. She wants the fragrance of the spices of her garden to be wafted abroad, i.e. the abundance of fragrances can be smelled. This requires wind. She asks the north wind and the south wind to blow through her garden.

In both winds we see a picture of the working of the Spirit in the life of the believer. It is similar to the Spirit Who will blow through the valley of the very dry bones through which life comes (Eze 37:1-2 ; 9-10). Spiritually, the bride asks for the cold of the north wind on the one hand and the heat of the south wind on the other.

The bride knows that regardless of whether the conditions are favorable or unfavorable, whether they are in season or out of season, those conditions serve to make the fragrance of the spices all the more wafted. Paul also speaks of these winds when he says he knows what it is to be humbled and also to live in prosperity. He also speaks about this when he says that he has learned the secret of being filled and going hungry. He knows both abundance and suffering need (Phil 4:11-12). He is only concerned about the fragrance that comes from it, and that is the power of Christ through Whom he can do everything (Phil 4:13).

The cold that can enter our lives are the things we don’t like, the difficulties and worries of life. The bride asks for it. Do we ask for it? The question is whether we are ready to agree with what James says: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (Jam 1:2). We’ll agree with what he says, but is it really so that we’re happy when we’re being tried?

We do not ask for problems, for a cold airflow in our lives. But do we really long that from our life more of fragrance is spread from and for Him? Then we ask Him to search and try us to see whether there is a hurtful way in us, something that hinders the spread of that fragrance, and whether He wants to lead us in the everlasting way (Psa 139:23-24).

There is a north wind in the life of the family in Bethany when Lazarus becomes ill and dies (Jn 11:1-3 ; 17). The cold of death has come. But the Lord Jesus comes with the south wind when He raises Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:43). The Lord has already said that Lazarus’ sickness is not to death, “but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (Jn 11:4). The painful or sad things that happen to us aim to spread the fragrance of the glory of God and the glorification of the Son of God.

Disappointments are also like the north wind. The two disciples who went to Emmaus experienced the north wind in their disappointment in the Lord (Lk 24:13-21). The reason for this lies in false expectations. We can have them too. We have our wishes and imaginations about what happens. If things go differently, they are disappointments. Then we speak about it, and the Lord comes to us and makes our hearts burning by opening the Scriptures for us (Lk 24:27 ; 32). Then the south wind blows.

We can experience the cold north wind when we have a ‘bad news talk’ with the doctor. A friend and brother had such a talk. Investigation had shown that he might have colon cancer. Such a message puts the whole of life in a different light. It had driven him and his wife into the presence of the Lord. They live with Him, but that life with Him then took on a deeper meaning.

They shared their needs with the believers of the local church. It had led us all in the presence of the Lord and to intercession. This is the tremendous effect of the ‘north wind’ that blows through the life of a couple and a local church, enjoying the fragrance of fellowship with the Lord Jesus and with each other.

In his case, shortly thereafter, when the results of the examined piece of intestine were heard, the southern wind started to blow. No cancer cells were found. There was a large polyp that could be removed surgically. This message had made them and us as fellow believers very grateful to our God and Father. The fragrance of fellowship with one another and the glorification of God had blown through the church and beyond, to those who have no part in the faith in Christ, but to whom is testified of what God had done.

Do we wish to be a garden in which the Lord Jesus loves to come, because its fragrance is for Him? If we wish, we will say to Him: “May my beloved come into His garden and eat of its choice fruits!” It is striking that the bride in relation with the winds speaks of “my garden” and when she then invites her beloved to come to her, she speaks of “his garden”. It is both true.

We do not often think that our life is a garden for Him, where He would like to be to enjoy the fruit of it, fruit He Himself cultivates. Whether we are such a garden for Him is apparent from the things we fill our time with. Just consider, for example, how much time is spent posting and reading nonsensical messages on social media, consuming films and all sorts of entertaining programs. What can we offer Him of these as the “choice fruits” of His garden to eat?