Song 6:4 | KingComments | STEP | Here the groom is speaking again. Now that the bride has found him again, he tells again what she means to him. He has told her before that she is beautiful ( ). It is an encouragement for the bride to hear this again after the slackening of her love. We also need to hear from the mouth of the Lord Jesus what we mean to Him every time, especially after a period when our love for Him has been weak. This is how the Lord Jesus encourages the apostle Paul when he is in prison ( ). The practical lesson is that a man regularly tells his wife that she is beautiful. This should not only be said when she has dressed well for a particular occasion. It’s about being beautiful for who she is, being valued for her person with her own abilities. We must also say the same to our children and grandchildren personally. When a child or grandchild is called Emma, we say: ‘You are the most beautiful Emma in the whole world! A mother called her son. She asked him: ‘Where are you, what do you do?’ The son later said: ‘My mother is only interested in where I am or what I do. But she didn’t ask me how I’m doing, how I feel.’ He missed the interest in him as a person. This is also how we can deal with fellow believers. We do this if we are more interested in what they are doing than in what is going on inside them. The fact that the groom calls her “my darling” or “my friend” is also a repetition. He has called her so several times already ( ). With this he says that there may again be that confidential relationship that characterizes friendship. He can share with her the intimate thoughts of his heart. That is fellowship. It is a next step in the spiritual development in the unity between the groom and the bride. The purpose of confidentiality is fellowship, growing in unity. For us it means that seeing the Lord Jesus transforms us into His image ( ). Christ wants to recognize His image in us, that He is formed in us ( ). That is the result of fellowship, recognizing Himself in us. This can happen because He is our life. With the words “beautiful”, “lovely” and “awesome” the groom uses three pictures. The bride is beautiful “as Tirzah”. Tirzah was the capital of the ten tribes realm before Omri made Samaria the capital ( ). Tirzah means, among other things, ‘pleasure’. It must have been a beautiful city. He then compared her loveliness to “Jerusalem”, the capital of the two tribes realm. Jerusalem means ‘the foundation of peace’. In both capitals we see the glory of all Israel when the twelve tribes are back in the land. The bride is beautiful and lovely for the groom, but also awesome for those who want to do her harm. She is “as an army with banners” to resist the enemy. After speaking to young people about sexuality with the history of Dinah as an example ( ) two girls came to me. They looked beautiful. They asked what kind of evil it can be to go out, just like Dinah, and have certain friendships. My answer was: ‘Then you’re on dangerous ground. Boys can come to you and they want ‘something’ with you. They are there for that. If you’re there too, they think you want the same thing. ‘Yes, it has happened before’, one said, ‘but I said no.’ My reaction was: ‘If a boy has had the occasion to ask you, it means you’ve already gone too far.’ Such girls have not raised up the banners, the banner of the Lord Jesus’ love ( ), and are not awesome to the world, but are attractive to the world. For us, it means that we do not give sin, which is an enemy, a chance to gain a place in our lives. We must take a clear stand against sin. This also applies to the local church. When sin is allowed to enter, the love for the Lord Jesus disappears. In the bride is beauty and loveliness that attracts those who want to join her and at the same time there is a deterrent power and strength toward those who want to do her harm. It seems that many believers have lost both aspects. Because we have lost our holy character, people are no longer afraid of us. Because we have lost our lovely character, there is no longer any attraction with us.

‏ Song of Solomon 6:4

Beautiful, Lovely, Awesome

Here the groom is speaking again. Now that the bride has found him again, he tells again what she means to him. He has told her before that she is beautiful (Song 4:1). It is an encouragement for the bride to hear this again after the slackening of her love. We also need to hear from the mouth of the Lord Jesus what we mean to Him every time, especially after a period when our love for Him has been weak. This is how the Lord Jesus encourages the apostle Paul when he is in prison (Acts 23:11).

The practical lesson is that a man regularly tells his wife that she is beautiful. This should not only be said when she has dressed well for a particular occasion. It’s about being beautiful for who she is, being valued for her person with her own abilities. We must also say the same to our children and grandchildren personally. When a child or grandchild is called Emma, we say: ‘You are the most beautiful Emma in the whole world!

A mother called her son. She asked him: ‘Where are you, what do you do?’ The son later said: ‘My mother is only interested in where I am or what I do. But she didn’t ask me how I’m doing, how I feel.’ He missed the interest in him as a person. This is also how we can deal with fellow believers. We do this if we are more interested in what they are doing than in what is going on inside them.

The fact that the groom calls her “my darling” or “my friend” is also a repetition. He has called her so several times already (Song 1:9 ; 15 ; Song 2:2 ; 10 ; 13 ; Song 4:1 ; 7 ; Song 5:2). With this he says that there may again be that confidential relationship that characterizes friendship. He can share with her the intimate thoughts of his heart. That is fellowship. It is a next step in the spiritual development in the unity between the groom and the bride.

The purpose of confidentiality is fellowship, growing in unity. For us it means that seeing the Lord Jesus transforms us into His image (2Cor 3:18). Christ wants to recognize His image in us, that He is formed in us (Gal 4:19). That is the result of fellowship, recognizing Himself in us. This can happen because He is our life.

With the words “beautiful”, “lovely” and “awesome” the groom uses three pictures. The bride is beautiful “as Tirzah”. Tirzah was the capital of the ten tribes realm before Omri made Samaria the capital (1Kgs 15:33 ; 1Kgs 16:23-24). Tirzah means, among other things, ‘pleasure’. It must have been a beautiful city.

He then compared her loveliness to “Jerusalem”, the capital of the two tribes realm. Jerusalem means ‘the foundation of peace’. In both capitals we see the glory of all Israel when the twelve tribes are back in the land.

The bride is beautiful and lovely for the groom, but also awesome for those who want to do her harm. She is “as an army with banners” to resist the enemy.

After speaking to young people about sexuality with the history of Dinah as an example (Gen 34:1-4) two girls came to me. They looked beautiful. They asked what kind of evil it can be to go out, just like Dinah, and have certain friendships.

My answer was: ‘Then you’re on dangerous ground. Boys can come to you and they want ‘something’ with you. They are there for that. If you’re there too, they think you want the same thing. ‘Yes, it has happened before’, one said, ‘but I said no.’ My reaction was: ‘If a boy has had the occasion to ask you, it means you’ve already gone too far.’ Such girls have not raised up the banners, the banner of the Lord Jesus’ love (Song 2:4 ; Song 5:10), and are not awesome to the world, but are attractive to the world.

For us, it means that we do not give sin, which is an enemy, a chance to gain a place in our lives. We must take a clear stand against sin. This also applies to the local church. When sin is allowed to enter, the love for the Lord Jesus disappears.

In the bride is beauty and loveliness that attracts those who want to join her and at the same time there is a deterrent power and strength toward those who want to do her harm. It seems that many believers have lost both aspects. Because we have lost our holy character, people are no longer afraid of us. Because we have lost our lovely character, there is no longer any attraction with us.