Song 8:4 | KingComments | STEP | Here a new chapter begins, but still belong to the previous section. We see this in the refrain of that closes the section (cf. ). After the beautiful climax at the end of the previous chapter, we see that the situation of final and undisturbed happiness has not yet come. It is not yet the time of the kingdom of peace. This is evident from the last verse of the book, in which the bride expresses her longing for the groom’s imminent arrival. Love has experienced great growth. But there has been no wedding yet. They cannot yet openly appear as husband and wife. The bride longs for that time. This is how the remnant in the great tribulation will feel just before the coming of the Lord Jesus. They will long for Him. It seems that the bride does not dare to openly express her relationship with the groom. Therefore she sighs, as it were, that the groom would be her brother, nursed by the same mother ( ). From a prophetic point of view this also is the case. The remnant of Jerusalem is the daughter of Israel ( ). The Lord Jesus was also born of Israel according to the flesh ( ). We heard the groom call the bride “my sister” several times ( ). Then he is her brother. She seems to have forgotten that. In any case, she is looking for him again, not so much as her groom, but as her brother. We can also see in this a proof of Jerusalem’s love for the Messiah. The city loves Him, here not in the first place because He is her King, but because of Who He Himself is in His family relationship with her. That is why she wants to have Him close by to give Him her love. This selfless love does not give rise to contempt. Our selfless love for the Lord Jesus is often not understood by our surroundings. Sometimes we are also ashamed to show in no uncertain terms that we love Him. Yet others will not despise us if we show our relationship with Him in our lives by revealing His own features. When His love, His peace and His joy are visible in our lives, it is not despised. Perhaps we do not talk about our love for Him, but in our life it becomes visible that He is our life. In her attachment to the groom the bride wants to take him to the house where her origin and where she is instructed ( ). To be in this house of instruction again, means that she wants her thinking to be corrected. This is also an important wish for us. We also need to receive the instruction of God’s Word again and again because we are easily influenced in our thinking by the world or to have our thinking corrected when we still think worldly. “The house of my mother” recalls the roots of her existence. The new Israel, the faithful remnant, is based on the old promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She wants to learn more about that. The connection that Jerusalem, the remnant, will have with the Messiah is based on the connection that God has had with Israel in the past. The faithful remnant of the future must be connected with Israel from the past as the people of God. God will fulfill the promises He made to the old Israel, to the new Israel. He will do so on the basis of the work of the Messiah – the promised Offspring – on the cross. It is also important for us to know who our mother is. Our mother is the heavenly Jerusalem and Mount Zion, the mountain of grace ( ; ). We are connected with our heavenly Bridegroom only by grace and not by works of the law or by any of our own works. If we know this, we will also desire to be instructed by Him about our connection with Him and about the grace that underlies it. Grace gives that instruction ( ). Grace gives us the necessary instruction to live as believers. This instruction is a continuous learning process. This enables new people to honor God in their new walk in life. In this instruction it first becomes clear that the past has been dealt with. The instruction relates to the past, the present and the future. An attitude of longing for instruction from Him is a joy to Him, which is expressed in the spiced wine. The spiced wine represents the joy that is aroused by the glories that can be found with Him. The believer offers those glories to the Lord Jesus. The juice of pomegranates that the believer offers the Lord Jesus speaks of the fruit that is pleasing to Him. It is a fruit that produces new fruit over and over again. It represents a life in which one fruit after another is produced for Him. The result of the instruction is that the believer desires to be so close to Him again that he experiences His support and embrace ( ; cf. ). The left side is the side of the heart. His left hand raises her head, reminding her that He loves her. The right side is the side of strength, honor, protection. The protection feels like an embrace, in love. In the refrain sounds for the third time. Love should not be forced to express herself prematurely. We should not force young believers to expressions of love they are not ready for. The Lord goes with them His way and will ensure that their love for Him will grow. Love must be found among each other and for that we must be encouraged ( ). We can encourage each other to love. We may not demand anything from anyone that is not (yet) there or for which it is not the right time. In dependence on the Lord, we must learn to know the time for this.

‏ Song of Solomon 8:4

Instruction and Embracing

Here a new chapter begins, but Song 8:1-4 still belong to the previous section. We see this in the refrain of Song 8:4 that closes the section (cf. Song 2:7 ; Song 3:5). After the beautiful climax at the end of the previous chapter, we see that the situation of final and undisturbed happiness has not yet come. It is not yet the time of the kingdom of peace. This is evident from the last verse of the book, in which the bride expresses her longing for the groom’s imminent arrival.

Love has experienced great growth. But there has been no wedding yet. They cannot yet openly appear as husband and wife. The bride longs for that time. This is how the remnant in the great tribulation will feel just before the coming of the Lord Jesus. They will long for Him.

It seems that the bride does not dare to openly express her relationship with the groom. Therefore she sighs, as it were, that the groom would be her brother, nursed by the same mother (Song 8:1). From a prophetic point of view this also is the case. The remnant of Jerusalem is the daughter of Israel (Eze 23:2-4). The Lord Jesus was also born of Israel according to the flesh (Rom 9:4-5).

We heard the groom call the bride “my sister” several times (Song 4:9 ; 10 ; 12 ; Song 5:1 ; 2). Then he is her brother. She seems to have forgotten that. In any case, she is looking for him again, not so much as her groom, but as her brother. We can also see in this a proof of Jerusalem’s love for the Messiah. The city loves Him, here not in the first place because He is her King, but because of Who He Himself is in His family relationship with her. That is why she wants to have Him close by to give Him her love. This selfless love does not give rise to contempt.

Our selfless love for the Lord Jesus is often not understood by our surroundings. Sometimes we are also ashamed to show in no uncertain terms that we love Him. Yet others will not despise us if we show our relationship with Him in our lives by revealing His own features. When His love, His peace and His joy are visible in our lives, it is not despised. Perhaps we do not talk about our love for Him, but in our life it becomes visible that He is our life.

In her attachment to the groom the bride wants to take him to the house where her origin and where she is instructed (Song 8:2). To be in this house of instruction again, means that she wants her thinking to be corrected. This is also an important wish for us. We also need to receive the instruction of God’s Word again and again because we are easily influenced in our thinking by the world or to have our thinking corrected when we still think worldly.

“The house of my mother” recalls the roots of her existence. The new Israel, the faithful remnant, is based on the old promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She wants to learn more about that. The connection that Jerusalem, the remnant, will have with the Messiah is based on the connection that God has had with Israel in the past. The faithful remnant of the future must be connected with Israel from the past as the people of God.

God will fulfill the promises He made to the old Israel, to the new Israel. He will do so on the basis of the work of the Messiah – the promised Offspring – on the cross. It is also important for us to know who our mother is. Our mother is the heavenly Jerusalem and Mount Zion, the mountain of grace (Gal 4:22-28; Heb 12:22).

We are connected with our heavenly Bridegroom only by grace and not by works of the law or by any of our own works. If we know this, we will also desire to be instructed by Him about our connection with Him and about the grace that underlies it. Grace gives that instruction (Tit 2:11-12). Grace gives us the necessary instruction to live as believers.

This instruction is a continuous learning process. This enables new people to honor God in their new walk in life. In this instruction it first becomes clear that the past has been dealt with. The instruction relates to the past, the present and the future.

An attitude of longing for instruction from Him is a joy to Him, which is expressed in the spiced wine. The spiced wine represents the joy that is aroused by the glories that can be found with Him. The believer offers those glories to the Lord Jesus. The juice of pomegranates that the believer offers the Lord Jesus speaks of the fruit that is pleasing to Him. It is a fruit that produces new fruit over and over again. It represents a life in which one fruit after another is produced for Him.

The result of the instruction is that the believer desires to be so close to Him again that he experiences His support and embrace (Song 8:3; cf. Song 2:6). The left side is the side of the heart. His left hand raises her head, reminding her that He loves her. The right side is the side of strength, honor, protection. The protection feels like an embrace, in love.

In Song 8:4 the refrain sounds for the third time. Love should not be forced to express herself prematurely. We should not force young believers to expressions of love they are not ready for. The Lord goes with them His way and will ensure that their love for Him will grow.

Love must be found among each other and for that we must be encouraged (Heb 10:24). We can encourage each other to love. We may not demand anything from anyone that is not (yet) there or for which it is not the right time. In dependence on the Lord, we must learn to know the time for this.