Song 5 | MHM | STEP | The Love of Christ to the Church. This verse is Christ’s answer to the church’s prayer, Let my beloved come into his garden (Song of Solomon 4:16). Christ responds quickly, showing how ready He is to accept the invitation of His people. He not only comes, but also makes the church feel welcome and loved. Christ’s love is generous and joyful, and He delights in what He finds among His people, even when their gifts are small or imperfect. He calls the church His “sister” and “spouse,” showing how close and special this relationship is. Christ also invites His friends to join in the blessings, making the feast even greater. v. 1 : Christ says, I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved . Christ gladly accepts all that the church offers Him, even if it seems small. He gathers the fruits Himself, showing that He helps believers use their gifts and graces. Christ does not just enjoy the “fruits” of the church, but also brings the best gifts—honey, milk, and wine—which represent all the blessings and joys of salvation. He invites all His friends to join the feast, saying, “Eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly.” There is more than enough grace and blessing for everyone who belongs to Him (Isaiah 55:1; Psalm 36:8 ; Revelation 3:20 ). In Christ’s presence, everyone is welcome to share in the spiritual feast, and there is no danger of running out

‏ Song of Solomon 5

The Love of Christ to the Church.

This verse is Christ’s answer to the church’s prayer, Let my beloved come into his garden (Song of Solomon 4:16). Christ responds quickly, showing how ready He is to accept the invitation of His people. He not only comes, but also makes the church feel welcome and loved. Christ’s love is generous and joyful, and He delights in what He finds among His people, even when their gifts are small or imperfect. He calls the church His “sister” and “spouse,” showing how close and special this relationship is. Christ also invites His friends to join in the blessings, making the feast even greater.

v. 1: Christ says, I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved . Christ gladly accepts all that the church offers Him, even if it seems small. He gathers the fruits Himself, showing that He helps believers use their gifts and graces. Christ does not just enjoy the “fruits” of the church, but also brings the best gifts—honey, milk, and wine—which represent all the blessings and joys of salvation. He invites all His friends to join the feast, saying, “Eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly.” There is more than enough grace and blessing for everyone who belongs to Him (Isaiah 55:1; Psalm 36:8 ^a; Revelation 3:20 ^b). In Christ’s presence, everyone is welcome to share in the spiritual feast, and there is no danger of running out—His love and grace are endless.

The Bride’s Slumber and the Bridegroom’s Loving Call

This section describes a time when the bride is asleep but still aware of her beloved’s voice calling to her. It is a beautiful picture of how Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, lovingly calls his people even when they are spiritually sleepy or slow to respond. Matthew Henry explains it as a lesson about spiritual dullness and the gentle, persistent love of Christ.

v. 2: I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night (Song of Solomon 5:2 ^c). The bride says she is asleep, but her heart is awake. She is not as alert or active as she should be, but she can still sense her beloved’s presence. This is like a Christian who may become spiritually dull or lazy, but still has a heart that responds to Christ. The beloved (Christ) comes and gently knocks, calling with tender words—“my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.” He asks to be let in because he has come through the night and is longing for closeness with her. This shows the patient and persistent love of Christ, who continues to call to us even when we are slow to answer. He does not give up, but lovingly waits for us to open our hearts to him. The “dew” and “drops of the night” show the difficulties and sufferings Christ endured to seek his people, and how much he desires their fellowship. Christians are reminded to listen for Christ’s voice and not to ignore him, even when they feel spiritually tired or distracted.

– – – – – –

The Daughters of Jerusalem Question the Bride

This section describes a conversation between the bride and the “daughters of Jerusalem.” The daughters ask the bride what is so special about her beloved, so that she is searching for him so earnestly. This gives the bride an opportunity to describe her beloved’s qualities and explain why she loves him so much. Matthew Henry explains this as showing the character of those who truly love Christ, and how they are able to speak of his excellencies to others.

v. 9: What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? (Song of Solomon 5:9 ^d). The daughters of Jerusalem ask the bride why she cares so much about her beloved. They want to know what makes him different from others, and why she is so eager to seek him. This shows that people sometimes do not understand why true believers love Christ and seek him with such passion. They may ask, “What is so special about your Christ, that you are so devoted to him?” It is good when Christians can answer this question by speaking of Christ’s greatness and beauty, explaining what makes him worthy of all love and devotion. Those who know Christ should be able to say what he has done for them, and why he is more precious than anything else in the world.