Song 2 | MHM | STEP | Christ the Rose of Sharon. This section shows how Christ describes Himself using simple but beautiful images. He chooses to compare Himself to flowers, which shows His kindness and His willingness to be close to His people. Christ is not distant or hard to reach. Instead, He is present with His people, easy to approach, and full of beauty and sweetness. Just as shepherds and shepherdesses would wear flowers, Christ wants His people to find joy and comfort in Him. The rose and the lily are both known for their beauty and fragrance, and Christ is the best and most perfect example of these qualities. He is not hidden away, but available to all who seek Him. The salvation He offers is open to everyone, like flowers growing in a field for anyone to pick. Christ is also humble, like a lily in the valleys, and those who are humble see the most beauty in Him. Everything excellent is found in Christ, and He is above all others. v. 1 : Christ says, I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys . He calls Himself the rose, which is the most beautiful and fragrant flower, and the lily, which is pure and lovely. Sharon was a place known for its wonderful roses, so Christ is saying He is the best and most plentiful source of beauty and comfort. He is not a rare flower locked away, but one that anyone can come to and enjoy. The lily of the valleys grows in low places, showing Christ’s humility and His willingness to be with those who are humble or in low situations. For those who are in the valleys of life, Christ is a lily—sweet and comforting. All the best qualities are found in Him alone.

‏ Song of Solomon 2

Christ the Rose of Sharon.

This section shows how Christ describes Himself using simple but beautiful images. He chooses to compare Himself to flowers, which shows His kindness and His willingness to be close to His people. Christ is not distant or hard to reach. Instead, He is present with His people, easy to approach, and full of beauty and sweetness. Just as shepherds and shepherdesses would wear flowers, Christ wants His people to find joy and comfort in Him. The rose and the lily are both known for their beauty and fragrance, and Christ is the best and most perfect example of these qualities. He is not hidden away, but available to all who seek Him. The salvation He offers is open to everyone, like flowers growing in a field for anyone to pick. Christ is also humble, like a lily in the valleys, and those who are humble see the most beauty in Him. Everything excellent is found in Christ, and He is above all others.

v. 1: Christ says, I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys . He calls Himself the rose, which is the most beautiful and fragrant flower, and the lily, which is pure and lovely. Sharon was a place known for its wonderful roses, so Christ is saying He is the best and most plentiful source of beauty and comfort. He is not a rare flower locked away, but one that anyone can come to and enjoy. The lily of the valleys grows in low places, showing Christ’s humility and His willingness to be with those who are humble or in low situations. For those who are in the valleys of life, Christ is a lily—sweet and comforting. All the best qualities are found in Him alone.

v. 2: Christ then compares His church to a lily: As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters . The church is like a lily, beautiful because she is like Christ. Believers are special to Christ because His love fills their hearts. The church is surrounded by thorns, which are the people of the world who do not love Christ. Thorns are useless and can hurt, but lilies are precious and pure. Even though believers may suffer or be troubled by the world, they are still dear to Christ. He does not forget them, even when they are among thorns (Ezekiel 2:6 ^a). Believers must stay pure and gentle, not becoming like the thorns around them. The grace in their hearts is like a lily among thorns, and one day, Christ will bring them to a place where there are no more thorns or pain (Ezekiel 28:24 ^b).

The Love of the Church to Christ.

This section describes how much the church values and loves Christ. The church compares Christ to the best and most useful things in the world. She remembers the joy she finds in being close to Him and how He gives her comfort, protection, and spiritual food. This love leads to a longing for deeper fellowship and care not to lose that closeness.

v. 3: The church says, As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons . Christ is like an apple tree, which may not be the tallest or biggest, but it gives the best and sweetest fruit. He is greater than all others, including angels and people (Hebrews 1:4; Psalm 45:2 ^c). The world is empty compared to Him. The church delights to sit under His shade, finding rest and refreshment, just as someone would relax under a tree on a hot day (Isaiah 32:2 ^d). Christ gives shelter from the troubles of life, and His blessings are sweet to those who trust Him. Believers find that His promises, forgiveness, peace, and hope are sweeter than anything else (1 Peter 2:3 ^e).

v. 4: The church remembers how Christ has brought her to even greater joy: He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love . Christ welcomes His people to a special place of fellowship, where they enjoy the richest blessings. He leads them closer to God, helps them overcome doubts, and gives them confidence to come to God as a loving Father (Ephesians 2:18 ^f). At this spiritual feast, love is the banner that covers them all. Christ’s love is what brings them victory and joy (2 Corinthians 2:14; Isaiah 11:12 ^g). The church remembers these blessings with thankfulness.

v. 5: The church cries out, Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love . She feels overwhelmed by her longing for Christ. Her love for Him is so strong that it makes her weak, just like David felt longing for God (Psalm 119:20 ^h). She asks for spiritual food and comfort to help her keep going while she waits for more of Christ’s presence. Those who deeply love Christ will always find support while they wait for Him.

v. 6: The church feels Christ’s care even when she is weak: His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me . Christ supports and comforts His people when they feel faint or tired. Even when He seems far away, He is close and gives strength, like a loving hand holding up someone’s head (Psalm 63:8; Job 23:6 ⁱ). Believers are kept safe and loved by Christ’s strong and gentle arms.

v. 7: The church warns others not to disturb her fellowship with Christ: I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please . She wants the special closeness with Christ to last and does not want anything to take it away. She warns herself and others to be careful not to do anything that would cause Christ to hide His face. When we enjoy close friendship with Christ, we should guard it and not let sin or distractions take it away (Matthew 17:4 ^j). Christ will come and go as He wishes, but we should do our best not to grieve His Spirit.

Mutual Love of Christ and the Church.

This section describes the church’s joyful hope and excitement as she looks forward to being close to Christ again. After feeling weak and distant, she is now encouraged by the promise of renewed fellowship and blessings from her beloved.

v. 8: The church is filled with joy when she hears Christ’s voice. She says, It is the voice of my beloved! She recognizes His voice, just like sheep know their shepherd (John 10:4–5 ^k), and rejoices that He is coming. This can remind us of how Old Testament believers looked forward to the coming of Christ (Psalm 40:7 ^l). Christ comes cheerfully, quickly, and overcomes every obstacle, like a roe or a young deer (Song of Solomon 2:9 ^m). Even when it feels like the wait is long, He always comes at the right time to help and deliver His people.

v. 9: She describes how Christ is close, even if not always seen clearly. He stands behind our wall, he looks forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice . In Old Testament times, there was a “wall” between God and His people—the ceremonial laws and sacrifices. Still, Christ was near, giving glimpses of Himself through these signs. Even now, we see Christ only partly, but one day we will see Him face to face (2 Corinthians 3:13; Colossians 2:17 ⁿ). Sometimes, if we feel distant from Christ, it is because of our own sins (Isaiah 59:1 ^o). But even then, He is near and ready to show grace and comfort.

v. 10–13: The church remembers the loving invitation Christ gave her. He calls her my love, my fair one and says, Rise up, and come away (Song of Solomon 2:10; Song of Solomon 2:13 ^p). Christ repeats His invitation, showing both the church’s slowness to respond and His strong desire to bring her close. The reason for His call is the beauty of springtime: The winter is past, the rain is over, the flowers appear, the time of singing has come, the voice of the turtle is heard, the fig tree puts forth her figs, and the vines give a good smell (Song of Solomon 2:11–13 ^q). All these signs show that now is the time for joy, new life, and closeness to Christ. Just as spring replaces winter, the coming of Christ brings hope, comfort, and blessings.

These verses can be understood in several ways: as the coming of the gospel after the Old Testament, the church’s freedom after hard times, the conversion of sinners, personal revival, or even the resurrection at the last day. In every case, Christ’s call is to leave behind the “winter” and enjoy new life and joy with Him (Isaiah 60:1; Acts 9:31 ^r).

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The Love of the Church to Christ.

This section shows Christ’s loving invitation to His church, encouraging believers to come close to Him and enjoy fellowship. It also describes the church’s response, her desire to belong to Christ, and her hope for His presence and help.

v. 14: Christ calls the church His dove, a symbol of beauty, innocence, and faithfulness. Just as a dove finds safety in the clefts of the rock, believers find safety and rest in Christ. Sometimes, believers hide away because they feel unworthy or afraid, but Christ gently invites them to come out and show themselves. He says, Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice . Even if believers feel weak or ashamed, Christ finds their prayers sweet and their presence beautiful. He encourages them to come boldly and speak to Him, because He delights in their prayers (Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 2:5 ^s).

v. 15: Christ gives a warning to protect the church: Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes . Foxes represent small sins or problems that can harm believers’ spiritual growth. Believers must be careful to remove anything that damages their relationship with Christ, even small faults or temptations. This also means stopping false teachings or anything that would hurt the church. Everyone should work to protect the church and their own hearts from things that spoil spiritual fruit (Luke 13:32; Ezekiel 13:4 ^t).

v. 16: The church responds with confidence, saying, My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies . Believers belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to them. This is a special relationship, full of love and trust. Christ cares for His people and delights to be with them. Even if a believer feels far away, they can be comforted knowing that Christ is always with His people, caring for them like a shepherd among lilies (2 Corinthians 8:5 ^u).

v. 17: The church looks forward with hope, saying, Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether (Song of Solomon 2:17 ^v). She trusts that a new day will come when all darkness and troubles will be gone. She asks Christ to come quickly and be near her, just as a deer runs swiftly over the mountains. This is a prayer for Christ’s presence now and a longing for His final coming, when believers will be with Him forever.