Song 1:2 | KingComments | STEP | The song starts suddenly. Without any introduction we suddenly hear how the girl, the bride, expresses her longing for the love of the groom. She comes straight to the point, because she is so full of his love. She knows that love: it is an excellent love. The girl doesn’t say who she is talking about, of whom her heart is so full. She first speaks in general, “he”, not to anyone personally. She longs for the groom’s intimate declarations of love. The kiss is an expression of intimate, personal love (cf. ). That much the bride longs for the affection of the groom. No one can kiss two people at the same time. A kiss is an expression for one person. It is the expression of a personal, intimate love. This desire goes far beyond the ordinary desire for a proof of love. It is for us the starting point of true spiritual growth. If this great longing for the love of the Lord Jesus is not there, we will not understand what Solomon means by this song. In the prophetic sense of the word we see in the faithful remnant of Israel this attitude of intense desire for declarations of love from the Messiah, the Bridegroom. The question of the remnant, the bride, is always whether He will accept her. She indeed speaks to Him, but more often about Him to others. The Bridegroom always only speaks to her. We will see how He wants to convince her of His love for her. When we read the book Song of Songs, we notice that the bride is constantly looking for confirmation. She does not doubt his love, but she doubts his love for her . She desperately desires proofs of love from the groom, which will give her the certainty that he has accepted her. We see in her desire an uncertainty that we often see in Psalms. There is no established, lasting relationship yet. There are still doubts. Sometimes we hear her say she knows she is loved, but a little later the doubts return. The assurance of faith, the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God will only be known and enjoyed by the remnant when they see the Lord Jesus at His return to earth. Then He will free them from all doubt and show them His love in a perfect way and let them enjoy it in the coming millennial kingdom of peace. The new testament church as a whole, as well as the individual believer of the church, is not in such a relationship of uncertainty to Christ. It is not a question for the church and the individual believers whether He will accept them, for they know that they have been accepted. They rest in the work that He once and forever accomplished on Calvary. That is something that the remnant has to be convinced of in the future. Yet even in this time, a believer can live in uncertainty when it comes to know whether his sins are forgiven and he is a child of God. This is the case when the law is taken as the norm for Christian life. The law cannot be accomplished by any human being, not even if one tries – as is said – to do it out of gratitude. Maybe that is the case in the life of one of the readers. Whoever has truly confessed his sins and believes God at His word that He forgives whosoever confesses his sins ( ), may know for sure that he is a child of God. Then there is no doubt. In the second line of the verse the bride does turn to the groom. She has experienced the groom’s love declarations. His declarations of love transcend all earthly joys, of which wine is a picture ( ; ). She yearns for this excellent love, because earthly joy is nothing compared to his love (cf. ). For this bride the love of the groom was better than wine. It goes without saying that these expressions of love in our relationships put everything that can be bought with money into the shade. There was a man whose wife had left him. She couldn’t stand any longer to be with him. He had shouted it out to the Lord. When he told about it, he said: ’I don’t know what I did wrong. I gave her everything she wanted.’ In response, it was said that there is more than giving someone everything he or she wants. It is important that we reach the heart . You can’t buy love, you can’t just show your love through gifts. When I get something, the heart must become visible. Only then is love really better than wine. Then there is an inner joy. Whoever has tasted that the Lord is kind ( ; ), knows that nothing ‘tastes better’ and will want to enjoy it more. The love of the Lord Jesus “surpasses knowledge” ( ). Whoever desires more of earthly joy, than for His love has not yet understood and enjoyed His love. In our relationship with our fellow brothers and sisters, proofs of love are also important. However, we must bear in mind that this must be done in a different way than in the marriage relationship and in a family context. There are brothers and sisters who yearn for a proof of love, so that their experience is that of being looked after, that attention is paid to them, that they are appreciated for who they are. Nowadays, users of modern means of communication can also express or respond to their feelings via certain signs or icons. For young believers especially, traps lie here. Don’t get carried away in sending or replying to messages that stimulate your feelings. Such messages transcend the boundaries given by God. Preserve your expressions of love for him or her whom the Lord wants to give you or has given you. Expressions of love must always take place as God purposed them. In marriage and in the family, it happens in an intimate, tender way; in the mutual relationships between brothers and sisters, young and old, it happens in a sound, honorable way, without any ulterior motives.

‏ Song of Solomon 1:2

Excellent Love

The song starts suddenly. Without any introduction we suddenly hear how the girl, the bride, expresses her longing for the love of the groom. She comes straight to the point, because she is so full of his love. She knows that love: it is an excellent love.

The girl doesn’t say who she is talking about, of whom her heart is so full. She first speaks in general, “he”, not to anyone personally. She longs for the groom’s intimate declarations of love. The kiss is an expression of intimate, personal love (cf. 1Sam 20:41). That much the bride longs for the affection of the groom.

No one can kiss two people at the same time. A kiss is an expression for one person. It is the expression of a personal, intimate love. This desire goes far beyond the ordinary desire for a proof of love. It is for us the starting point of true spiritual growth. If this great longing for the love of the Lord Jesus is not there, we will not understand what Solomon means by this song.

In the prophetic sense of the word we see in the faithful remnant of Israel this attitude of intense desire for declarations of love from the Messiah, the Bridegroom. The question of the remnant, the bride, is always whether He will accept her. She indeed speaks to Him, but more often about Him to others. The Bridegroom always only speaks to her. We will see how He wants to convince her of His love for her.

When we read the book Song of Songs, we notice that the bride is constantly looking for confirmation. She does not doubt his love, but she doubts his love for her. She desperately desires proofs of love from the groom, which will give her the certainty that he has accepted her. We see in her desire an uncertainty that we often see in Psalms. There is no established, lasting relationship yet. There are still doubts. Sometimes we hear her say she knows she is loved, but a little later the doubts return.

The assurance of faith, the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God will only be known and enjoyed by the remnant when they see the Lord Jesus at His return to earth. Then He will free them from all doubt and show them His love in a perfect way and let them enjoy it in the coming millennial kingdom of peace.

The new testament church as a whole, as well as the individual believer of the church, is not in such a relationship of uncertainty to Christ. It is not a question for the church and the individual believers whether He will accept them, for they know that they have been accepted. They rest in the work that He once and forever accomplished on Calvary. That is something that the remnant has to be convinced of in the future.

Yet even in this time, a believer can live in uncertainty when it comes to know whether his sins are forgiven and he is a child of God. This is the case when the law is taken as the norm for Christian life. The law cannot be accomplished by any human being, not even if one tries – as is said – to do it out of gratitude. Maybe that is the case in the life of one of the readers. Whoever has truly confessed his sins and believes God at His word that He forgives whosoever confesses his sins (1Jn 1:9), may know for sure that he is a child of God. Then there is no doubt.

In the second line of the verse the bride does turn to the groom. She has experienced the groom’s love declarations. His declarations of love transcend all earthly joys, of which wine is a picture (Jdg 9:13; Psa 104:15a). She yearns for this excellent love, because earthly joy is nothing compared to his love (cf. Psa 4:7).

For this bride the love of the groom was better than wine. It goes without saying that these expressions of love in our relationships put everything that can be bought with money into the shade. There was a man whose wife had left him. She couldn’t stand any longer to be with him. He had shouted it out to the Lord. When he told about it, he said: ’I don’t know what I did wrong. I gave her everything she wanted.’ In response, it was said that there is more than giving someone everything he or she wants. It is important that we reach the heart. You can’t buy love, you can’t just show your love through gifts. When I get something, the heart must become visible. Only then is love really better than wine. Then there is an inner joy.

Whoever has tasted that the Lord is kind (1Pet 2:3; Psa 34:8), knows that nothing ‘tastes better’ and will want to enjoy it more. The love of the Lord Jesus “surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:19). Whoever desires more of earthly joy, than for His love has not yet understood and enjoyed His love.

In our relationship with our fellow brothers and sisters, proofs of love are also important. However, we must bear in mind that this must be done in a different way than in the marriage relationship and in a family context. There are brothers and sisters who yearn for a proof of love, so that their experience is that of being looked after, that attention is paid to them, that they are appreciated for who they are.

Nowadays, users of modern means of communication can also express or respond to their feelings via certain signs or icons. For young believers especially, traps lie here. Don’t get carried away in sending or replying to messages that stimulate your feelings. Such messages transcend the boundaries given by God. Preserve your expressions of love for him or her whom the Lord wants to give you or has given you. Expressions of love must always take place as God purposed them. In marriage and in the family, it happens in an intimate, tender way; in the mutual relationships between brothers and sisters, young and old, it happens in a sound, honorable way, without any ulterior motives.