Song 8:6 | KingComments | STEP | The bride is deeply impressed by what the groom has done for her by giving her new life. She reacts to this by her desire to be attached to him like a seal (cf. ; ). We will also express this desire when we are impressed by all that the Lord Jesus has done in His love for us on the cross of Calvary. Then we want to experience His love deeper and richer. We will say to Him that we want to be “like a seal” over His heart ( ). We know that we are firmly established with Him. The Holy Spirit is the seal, for we are sealed with Him. As a result, we know His ownership of our life ( ; ). Through the Spirit we are connected with Christ. This is a connection that cannot be broken. The Spirit is His seal, which says that we are His property forever. This certainty can never change. But we also want to experience that. We want to feel His heart beating for us. The heart speaks of the feelings of love. We also want to feel as firm as a seal His strong arm carrying us. His arm speaks of strength and protection ( ; ). In the Old Testament there is no constant assurance in knowing an established relationship between the people and God. We may have that assurance, but we often lack the experience of it. The desire here is that love is experienced. He loves us and stands by us with His power. It begins with His heart, which is called first. Then follows inseparably connected to it His arm. His arm is always controlled by His heart. Then follows an impressive description of the love of the groom. It is not clear who pronounces this description, the bride or the Spirit. It is clear that the bride and the Spirit correspond perfectly in this description. Love is said to be “as strong as death”. Love and death are compared here. It is not about showing who is stronger, because that is not a question, for love is stronger than death. It is a comparison of what love is capable of and what death is capable of. Then there are similarities. Just as death overcomes every power and goes to all men, so does love. Death, the grave, is unstoppable, it can be stopped by nothing. Unstoppable, insatiable it swallows people ( ). No one can escape its grip. The same goes for the passion of love. Love always goes on, it always flows on; love knows no boundaries, it knows no beginning and no end. Love can be rejected, but then she goes new ways. She is unstoppable in her passion. Love goes to everyone and it goes to the end ( ). With this love we have to do. That love has given herself for us ( ). The expressions of love are compared to “flashes of fire”, with “the [very] flame of the LORD”. It is an all-consuming love. Any other love disappears through it. This love sets us on fire. God seeks people who are on fire for Him, just as He Himself is on fire. This means that He judges everything that is not in accordance with His love. With this consuming zeal for the honor of His God, the Lord has cleansed the temple ( ). But through the jealousy of His love, the dimly burning wick, which is almost extinguished, can also become a flame again ( ). He can do that with us if we don’t ‘flame’ for Him and our testimony is only dimly burning. His love cannot change by death. He has proven that. Love is sealed by His victory over death. It is an invincible love, for the greatest power is overcome by His love. Nothing can separate us from that love ( ). With us, time and distance can cool love, but not with Him. Another picture of love is the comparison to many waters that cannot extinguish or wash away the fire of love ( ). The waters can be applied to the waters of God’s judgment that have gone over the Lord Jesus ( ). These waters have not been able to take away that love. The love of the Lord Jesus has endured judgment and has gloriously emerged from it. The love of the Lord Jesus cannot be bought off either. Satan has tried it by offering Him “all the riches of his house”, that is the world and his glory ( ). But the Lord has utterly despised him. He has just sold everything to possess that “one pearl of great value”, that is the church ( )! Instead of enriching Himself at her expense, He acquired her for Himself at the expense of His own riches, yes, at the expense of Himself as property, because He loved her ( ). The Lord Jesus did not die for an ‘ideal’, but out of love for His bride. We can say with deep gratitude: “And the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” ( ).

‏ Song of Solomon 8:6

Love Is As Strong As Death

The bride is deeply impressed by what the groom has done for her by giving her new life. She reacts to this by her desire to be attached to him like a seal (cf. Jer 22:24; Hag 2:23). We will also express this desire when we are impressed by all that the Lord Jesus has done in His love for us on the cross of Calvary. Then we want to experience His love deeper and richer.

We will say to Him that we want to be “like a seal” over His heart (Song 8:6). We know that we are firmly established with Him. The Holy Spirit is the seal, for we are sealed with Him. As a result, we know His ownership of our life (2Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13). Through the Spirit we are connected with Christ. This is a connection that cannot be broken. The Spirit is His seal, which says that we are His property forever. This certainty can never change.

But we also want to experience that. We want to feel His heart beating for us. The heart speaks of the feelings of love. We also want to feel as firm as a seal His strong arm carrying us. His arm speaks of strength and protection (Deu 33:27; Isa 40:10-11).

In the Old Testament there is no constant assurance in knowing an established relationship between the people and God. We may have that assurance, but we often lack the experience of it. The desire here is that love is experienced. He loves us and stands by us with His power. It begins with His heart, which is called first. Then follows inseparably connected to it His arm. His arm is always controlled by His heart.

Then follows an impressive description of the love of the groom. It is not clear who pronounces this description, the bride or the Spirit. It is clear that the bride and the Spirit correspond perfectly in this description.

Love is said to be “as strong as death”. Love and death are compared here. It is not about showing who is stronger, because that is not a question, for love is stronger than death. It is a comparison of what love is capable of and what death is capable of. Then there are similarities. Just as death overcomes every power and goes to all men, so does love.

Death, the grave, is unstoppable, it can be stopped by nothing. Unstoppable, insatiable it swallows people (Pro 30:15-16). No one can escape its grip. The same goes for the passion of love. Love always goes on, it always flows on; love knows no boundaries, it knows no beginning and no end. Love can be rejected, but then she goes new ways. She is unstoppable in her passion. Love goes to everyone and it goes to the end (Jn 13:1). With this love we have to do. That love has given herself for us (Jn 15:13).

The expressions of love are compared to “flashes of fire”, with “the [very] flame of the LORD”. It is an all-consuming love. Any other love disappears through it. This love sets us on fire. God seeks people who are on fire for Him, just as He Himself is on fire. This means that He judges everything that is not in accordance with His love. With this consuming zeal for the honor of His God, the Lord has cleansed the temple (Jn 2:15-17).

But through the jealousy of His love, the dimly burning wick, which is almost extinguished, can also become a flame again (Isa 42:2-3). He can do that with us if we don’t ‘flame’ for Him and our testimony is only dimly burning. His love cannot change by death. He has proven that. Love is sealed by His victory over death. It is an invincible love, for the greatest power is overcome by His love. Nothing can separate us from that love (Rom 8:35-39). With us, time and distance can cool love, but not with Him.

Another picture of love is the comparison to many waters that cannot extinguish or wash away the fire of love (Song 8:7). The waters can be applied to the waters of God’s judgment that have gone over the Lord Jesus (Psa 42:7 ; Psa 69:1b-2). These waters have not been able to take away that love. The love of the Lord Jesus has endured judgment and has gloriously emerged from it.

The love of the Lord Jesus cannot be bought off either. Satan has tried it by offering Him “all the riches of his house”, that is the world and his glory (Lk 4:5-7). But the Lord has utterly despised him. He has just sold everything to possess that “one pearl of great value”, that is the church (Mt 13:45-46)!

Instead of enriching Himself at her expense, He acquired her for Himself at the expense of His own riches, yes, at the expense of Himself as property, because He loved her (2Cor 8:9). The Lord Jesus did not die for an ‘ideal’, but out of love for His bride. We can say with deep gratitude: “And the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal 2:20b).