Song 5:14 | KingComments | STEP | The bride continues with the hands of the groom ( ). Hereby we think of the Lord Jesus. His hands point to His works. The universe is the work of his hands ( ; ). The “rods [or: rings] of gold” remind us that everything He does carries His Divine attribute. Just as a ring is without end, so are His works without end. This all-powerful Creator is our Bridegroom, Who has connected us to Himself through His love. His hands are nailed to the cross ( ). They are precious to anyone who is touched by them ( ). He has engraved the believers in the palms of His hands ( ). What is engraved is impossible to remove. No one can snatch a child of God out of His hand ( ). It is added that they are “set with beryl”. Beryl is a precious stone. Precious stones have a meaning. A possible meaning can be derived from the place they have on the breastplate of the high priest. The beryl or topaz is the first stone of the fourth row of precious stones ( ). We can draw a parallel with the fourth Gospel, the Gospel according to John. In that Gospel the glory of the Lord Jesus is presented as the Son of God. We can also connect the beryl with the governmental ways of God. That stone is also mentioned in connection with the wheels of the throne chariot of God which Ezekiel sees ( ). The throne chariot symbolizes God’s government in the world. He makes it clear that God leads everything to the goal He has set and that no one can change anything about it. All “the works of his hands”, all His actions in and with the world, “are truth and justice” ( ). What applies to the world also applies to the life of His own. God’s plan with the world and with our life is that therein the Lord Jesus will be visible and glorified. It is a great privilege to see that. “His abdomen” indicates His inner being. He is inwardly committed to us. His inner being is compared to “carved ivory”. Ivory is mentioned in connection with the kingship of Solomon, the king of peace ( ; ). Solomon has made “a great throne of ivory” ( ; ). We can therefore connect ivory with the kingship of the Lord Jesus that He exercises in peace. His government excels in justice. His government is not hard or insensitive, but full of sympathy for His subjects. He excels in this too. This is emphasized by the “sapphires” with which the ivory is covered. Sapphire is a precious stone which, like the beryl mentioned above, appears on the breastplate of the high priest. This stone is the second stone in the second row of the breastplate ( ). We can link this to the second Gospel, the Gospel according to Mark. This Gospel is that of the Servant, Who serves men full of compassion and does everything in obedience to His Sender. We also see the sapphire, again like the beryl, in connection with the governmental ways of God. He is connected with the throne of God. In any case, it reminds Ezekiel of this ( ). The reign of God is exercised by the Lord Jesus as the Son of Man. God has given Him the power to do so. It is a great encouragement to know that He Who rules is our beloved Savior, Who has given His life for us. Then “his legs” are described ( ). They look like “pillars of alabaster”. Pillars support a building and indicate stability, like the two pillars of the temple, Jachin and Boaz ( ). Alabaster is hard. It makes clear how rigid and immovable everything is with the Lord Jesus. The universe rests on Him and is therefore certain. There is nothing in the world and nothing in the church that is capable of shaking Him. The pillars are “set on pedestals of pure gold”. This indicates that God’s glory is the foundation of His immovable dominion. The pedestals are reminiscent of His feet, of His way through the world. He went His way in God’s power, without hesitation, without returning, without slowing down. Everywhere He has left the traces of His glory. His walk on earth was perfectly Divine. God “does not take pleasure in the legs of a man” ( ). But how different were His legs. He is perfectly stable, untouchable to all problems and all needs that may arise over His own. By looking at Him in this way we are encouraged to persevere in our way on earth. The bride has described her groom from head to toe. She then takes a step back, as it were, and looks at his whole “appearance”. It looks “like Lebanon” and “the cedars” thereon ( ; ). The view is overwhelming because of the immovability and beauty. Just as cedars transcend all trees, so for us the Lord Jesus transcends all people. He is the glorified Man in heaven. This is a place the Father could give to Him and Him alone and not to anyone else. We see this when we see Him in His full glory, as far as it is perceptible to us. He is the only One Who has truly and fully deserved to be “crowned with glory and honor” ( ). And suddenly another thing is described of Him: “His mouth is [full of] sweetness” ( ). With the mouth, better: palate, the food is tasted. Everything that the Lord Jesus has tasted in His life on earth is mere sweetness. He has fed Himself with everything the Father said to Him. It was His food to do the will of His Father ( ). He has tasted perfectly “that the Lord is merciful” ( ). Everything about the Lord Jesus, He Himself, is “wholly desirable”. For those who love Him, there is nothing to discover in Him that is not desirable. It is not possible to describe His glory in full extend (cf. ). Everything about Him is overwhelming. The “daughters of Jerusalem” have asked the bride what is so special about her groom ( ). She has given an impressive description of him. This confession is the result of the loving contact of the groom with his bride. The Lord Jesus is also working in our lives to persuade us to see much of Him and bear witness to that. In everything we learn about Him in glory and beauty, we may also say: This is my Beloved and this is my Friend. We experience Him close to us when we are engaged with Him in that way.

‏ Song of Solomon 5:14

Hands, Abdomen, Legs, Appearance, Mouth

The bride continues with the hands of the groom (Song 5:14). Hereby we think of the Lord Jesus. His hands point to His works. The universe is the work of his hands (Psa 19:1; Isa 45:12 ; Isa 66:1-2). The “rods [or: rings] of gold” remind us that everything He does carries His Divine attribute. Just as a ring is without end, so are His works without end. This all-powerful Creator is our Bridegroom, Who has connected us to Himself through His love.

His hands are nailed to the cross (Psa 22:16c). They are precious to anyone who is touched by them (Mt 8:3 ; 15 ; Mt 14:31). He has engraved the believers in the palms of His hands (Isa 49:16). What is engraved is impossible to remove. No one can snatch a child of God out of His hand (Jn 10:28).

It is added that they are “set with beryl”. Beryl is a precious stone. Precious stones have a meaning. A possible meaning can be derived from the place they have on the breastplate of the high priest. The beryl or topaz is the first stone of the fourth row of precious stones (Exo 28:20 ; Exo 39:13). We can draw a parallel with the fourth Gospel, the Gospel according to John. In that Gospel the glory of the Lord Jesus is presented as the Son of God.

We can also connect the beryl with the governmental ways of God. That stone is also mentioned in connection with the wheels of the throne chariot of God which Ezekiel sees (Eze 1:16 ; Eze 10:9). The throne chariot symbolizes God’s government in the world. He makes it clear that God leads everything to the goal He has set and that no one can change anything about it.

All “the works of his hands”, all His actions in and with the world, “are truth and justice” (Psa 111:7). What applies to the world also applies to the life of His own. God’s plan with the world and with our life is that therein the Lord Jesus will be visible and glorified. It is a great privilege to see that.

“His abdomen” indicates His inner being. He is inwardly committed to us. His inner being is compared to “carved ivory”. Ivory is mentioned in connection with the kingship of Solomon, the king of peace (1Kgs 10:22; 2Chr 9:21). Solomon has made “a great throne of ivory” (1Kgs 10:18; 2Chr 9:17). We can therefore connect ivory with the kingship of the Lord Jesus that He exercises in peace. His government excels in justice.

His government is not hard or insensitive, but full of sympathy for His subjects. He excels in this too. This is emphasized by the “sapphires” with which the ivory is covered. Sapphire is a precious stone which, like the beryl mentioned above, appears on the breastplate of the high priest. This stone is the second stone in the second row of the breastplate (Exo 28:18 ; Exo 39:11). We can link this to the second Gospel, the Gospel according to Mark. This Gospel is that of the Servant, Who serves men full of compassion and does everything in obedience to His Sender.

We also see the sapphire, again like the beryl, in connection with the governmental ways of God. He is connected with the throne of God. In any case, it reminds Ezekiel of this (Eze 1:26 ; Eze 10:1). The reign of God is exercised by the Lord Jesus as the Son of Man. God has given Him the power to do so. It is a great encouragement to know that He Who rules is our beloved Savior, Who has given His life for us.

Then “his legs” are described (Song 5:15). They look like “pillars of alabaster”. Pillars support a building and indicate stability, like the two pillars of the temple, Jachin and Boaz (1Kgs 7:21). Alabaster is hard. It makes clear how rigid and immovable everything is with the Lord Jesus. The universe rests on Him and is therefore certain. There is nothing in the world and nothing in the church that is capable of shaking Him.

The pillars are “set on pedestals of pure gold”. This indicates that God’s glory is the foundation of His immovable dominion. The pedestals are reminiscent of His feet, of His way through the world. He went His way in God’s power, without hesitation, without returning, without slowing down.

Everywhere He has left the traces of His glory. His walk on earth was perfectly Divine. God “does not take pleasure in the legs of a man” (Psa 147:10). But how different were His legs. He is perfectly stable, untouchable to all problems and all needs that may arise over His own. By looking at Him in this way we are encouraged to persevere in our way on earth.

The bride has described her groom from head to toe. She then takes a step back, as it were, and looks at his whole “appearance”. It looks “like Lebanon” and “the cedars” thereon (Psa 92:12; Isa 60:13). The view is overwhelming because of the immovability and beauty.

Just as cedars transcend all trees, so for us the Lord Jesus transcends all people. He is the glorified Man in heaven. This is a place the Father could give to Him and Him alone and not to anyone else. We see this when we see Him in His full glory, as far as it is perceptible to us. He is the only One Who has truly and fully deserved to be “crowned with glory and honor” (Heb 2:9).

And suddenly another thing is described of Him: “His mouth is [full of] sweetness” (Song 5:16). With the mouth, better: palate, the food is tasted. Everything that the Lord Jesus has tasted in His life on earth is mere sweetness. He has fed Himself with everything the Father said to Him. It was His food to do the will of His Father (Jn 4:34). He has tasted perfectly “that the Lord is merciful” (1Pet 2:3).

Everything about the Lord Jesus, He Himself, is “wholly desirable”. For those who love Him, there is nothing to discover in Him that is not desirable. It is not possible to describe His glory in full extend (cf. Jn 21:25). Everything about Him is overwhelming.

The “daughters of Jerusalem” have asked the bride what is so special about her groom (Song 5:9). She has given an impressive description of him. This confession is the result of the loving contact of the groom with his bride. The Lord Jesus is also working in our lives to persuade us to see much of Him and bear witness to that. In everything we learn about Him in glory and beauty, we may also say: This is my Beloved and this is my Friend. We experience Him close to us when we are engaged with Him in that way.