September 6, 2013
Song of Solomon 4:12-15 — A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
It was Myra’s birthday today. I was at work so I haven’t spent as much time with her as I would have liked. Of course my mind has been on her, and it came to me early that of course today’s devotion was about her. I didn’t know the details though. It happens like that most days. There’s the germ of an idea, that grows through the day … And I’m not sure of the fruit until the end.
Look how beautiful Solomon’s praise of his beloved Shunamite is. He says exactly what I feel.
Solomon’s beloved reserved herself to him and him alone — she was a private garden, a closed in spring, a sealed fountain. My beloved reserves herself for me … Often she says “this is just for you”. How privileged I am.
Solomon’s Shunamite was valuable to him.
She produced pleasant fruits, and living waters. My beloved is valuable to me — no, more than valuable, she is precious beyond my ability to describe.
Solomon’s sweetheart was refreshing to him — those streams from Lebanon that he compares her to are streams tumbling down the mountains of Lebanon — cool, refreshing, and probably a cheerful sound too as it tumbled down. My beloved is all of that. Day by day she refreshes me, cools me and cheers me.
Solomon enjoyed his Shunamite — she was a garden of delights. My Myra, too, is a garden of delights.
There are, of course differences between Solomon’s relationship with the Shunamite and the relationship between me and Myra. We’ve been married for a good few years, and they hadn’t got there yet. And her birthday this year reminded me that when we were married I got a special gift. When we were married I wasn’t a Christian. After I got saved we had a blessing ceremony. I remember making a little speech, including one of my favorite proverbs — 18:22, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.” I try to find gifts for Myra that she will like (and she’s getting hard to shop for — she says she has everything she needs), but I am reminded every day that I have a gift from The Lord!
Happy Birthday sweetheart