THE DANCE IN THE GARDEN

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SONG OF SOLOMON 6:11-8:4
Lesson #06
THE DANCE IN THE GARDEN

• Memory verse: Song 7:10
• This section of the book begins with the answer to a question Solomon asked in chapter 6 verse 10:
  • “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?”
  • Of course the answer is that she is a country girl taken out of her natural environment and placed in the very busy, political environment of the palace in Jerusalem. She misses her home in the vineyard.
  • On their wedding night Solomon promised to take her back to her home in Lebanon.
    • Solomon had not yet fulfilled that promise.
    • Shulamith goes to the palace garden and sees that time has passed and spring has come again.
• The Narrative:
• Song 6:11-13 A Daydream and a Transition
• Shulamith: “I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded.” (6:11)
• “Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.” (6:12)
  • The palace garden in the Spring has reminded her of her homeland in the Spring.
  • Shulamith is daydreaming of getting into a chariot and going to the mountains of Lebanon.
• She does not actually leave the palace. It is simply her deepest desire.
• The Chorus: “Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee….”(6:13a)
  • The chorus reminds her of position and responsibility as queen. She should bring her mind back to reality.
  • She must not entertain the thought of really leaving the palace and the king.
  • In this verse, the name “Shulamite” is used for the first time.
    • Remember that this name is the feminine form of the name Solomon.
    • In other words, Solomon and Shulamith are one flesh in marriage. She must stay with her husband.
• Shulamith: “…What will ye see in the Shulamite?…” (13b)
  • She asks the chorus what they see in her that is so special.
  • Remember that she is just a country girl.
• The Chorus: “…As it were the company of two armies.” (6:13c) = The two are made stronger together like an army.
  • The phrase, “…that we may look upon thee…” (13a)
    • Verse 13 presents us with a transition into the next scene where Solomon is looking at his wife as she dances for him.
    • The Hebrew words for “the company of two armies” (6;13c) means the same as “the dance of the Mahanaim”.
    • Mahanaim was a small town not far from the Jordan valley. Two Biblical events occurred there.
      • David fled as his son, Absalom, attempted to take over the throne.
      • Jacob saw a vision of the angels ascending and descending on a giant ladder that reached into heaven. (Gen 28:12)
  • The following description is an intimate dance by Shulamith as Solomon watches and describes her. The chorus was not present for this intimate dance, but if present, the chorus would see that Solomon loves her because he thinks she is beautiful and dances like an angel. He does not see her as a simple country girl but as a graceful and beautiful queen.
• Song7:1-10 The Dance of Mahanaim
• Solomon: “How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman” (7:1).
  • She is wearing sandals and keeping time to music with her feet.
  • She is rotating her hips in a dance.
  • His description moves up her body from her feet to her head as she sways in the dance.
• “Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.” (7:2)
• “Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.” (7:3)
• “Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.” (7:4)
• “Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.” (7:5)
  • The places that are mentioned in the last two verses: (7:4 and 7:5)
    • The pools in Heshbon = This city was known for its beautiful pools and fish ponds.
    • The gate of Bathrabbim = Everything important in a city occurred at the city gate: the government center, the market place, the court system.
    • The tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus = This tower protected Israel from attack from the East giving Israel an early warning.
    • Carmel = Mt. Carmel is a tall mountain that sits high over the valley like a crown a queen would wear.
  • The purple color is the color of royalty as this color was rare and difficult to obtain.
    • Only the wealthy and royalty could buy it.
    • The same thing was true in the New Testament when Acts tells us that Lydia had a thriving business of purple cloth and dyes. (Act 16:14)
• “How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” (7:6)
• “This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.” (7:7)
• “I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;” (7:8)
  • Solomon is delighted with Shulamith.
  • The dance and movements of her body are likened to the swaying palm tree.
  • Palm branches in the Bible are a symbol of rejoicing and victory. (Lev 23:4 Neh 8:15 Rev 7:9)
• Shulamith: “And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.” (7:9)
• “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.” (7:10)
  • We have seen this phrase previously in this book but each time it occurs there is a slight change:
    • “My beloved is mine and I am his…” (2:16) = During their courtship her possession of him is the most important aspect to her. = a selfish priority.
    • “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…” (6:3) = After marriage, his possession of her became the most important aspect to her. = a selfless priority.
    • “I am my beloved’s and his desire is toward me.” (7:10) = After problems are resolved his desire for her is the continuing most important aspect to her. = a servant’s priority.
  • The sequence of these statements reflects her growing security in her relationship with Solomon.
• Song 7:11-8:4 Promise of Love in Lebanon
• “Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.” (7:11)
  • Solomon promised her on their wedding night that he would take her for a visit to her home in Lebanon. He evidently had not fulfilled that promise to her.
  • She reminds him of that promise.
• “Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.” (7:12)
• “The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” (7:13)
  • Mandrakes in the Bible were indefinable plants. Probably many different plants fell into this category like apples in Song 7:8.
  • Mandrakes were plants considered an aphrodisiac that enhanced sexual performance and fertility.
• “O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.” (8:1)
  • She wishes Solomon were her brother and then she could kiss him in public without any criticism.
  • Sexual affection in public is not appropriate.
• “I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate” (8:2).
  • However if they were at her home in Lebanon, they would be free to express sexual love.
  • Now they are married and a sexual relationship is appropriate.
• “His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.” (8:3)
  • In this section of scripture there are repeated phrases and illusions.
  • They remind us of the phrases used on their wedding night when they first had a sexual relationship.
• “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.” (8:4)
  • This statement spoken by Shulamith is repeated for the third time to the chorus of women.
    • (Song 2:7 Song 3:5 Song 8:4)
    • Sexual love should not be stirred or awakened until marriage.
      • Why is this statement repeated three times?
      • Usually in the Bible when something is repeated three times, it is a message from the Holy Trinity.
  • The first two occasions where this phrase occurs, the animals of the fields are part of the verse. In other words, God’s people should not act sexually like the animals in the field because God has provided the more beautiful place for sexual expression and that is in marriage.
• Theme #1: Marital Relationship:
• “I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof…” (7:8)
  • Palm trees produce either male or female flowers. In the Middle East at the time, to hand fertilize a female palm tree one must climb the male tree and take the male flowers, descend, and then ascend the female tree in order to tie the male flowers in the midst of the female flowers.
  • Sometimes in scripture grapes and wine are used as symbols of rejoicing in sexual desires. (7:8-7:9)
    • Marital sex was created by God.
    • Both man and woman should enjoy sex equally as God designed it, inside of the marital relationship.
• “His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.” (8:3)
  • We saw this same phrase in Song 2:6 on their wedding night.
  • This phrase indicates sexual union.
• To resolve marital problems, three attitudes are important on the part of both the husband and the wife who are now one flesh:
  • =1= Each person must assume responsibility for his or her own actions without blaming the other.
    • After Shulamith’s rejection of Solomon at her door, she felt guilty and changed her attitude.
    • She did not blame him for working too late at night or for not fulfilling his promise to take her for a visit to her home.
  • =2= Each person must give forgiveness and a blessing in exchange for a hurt. Solomon did not reprimand her or remind her of the night she locked him out of her room.
  • =3=Each person must continually and honestly share the feelings of the heart. Solomon knew she was homesick for Lebanon.
• Theme #2: God and Israel:
  • “How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter!…” (7:1)
  • Read Isa 52:7
    • The Jews were supposed to be a light to the Gentiles preaching the good news of Jehovah.
    • Instead the Jews had a selfish priority.
      • Unlike Shulamith that began with a selfish priority, her love for Solomon transformed her priority into a selfless priority and then into a servant priority.
      • Because Israel never developed a servant priority, she was never willing to really serve God to do His will so that His desires were her commands.
• Theme #3: Christ and the Church:
  • Shulamite’s mind kept returning to her world before Solomon.
    • The believer is not to constantly let his desires and imaginations tend toward the desires of the things of this world.
    • It reminds us of Lot’s wife that turned towards Sodom with longing desire in her heart. (Gen19:26)
  • Read 2Cor 10:5
    • We must take these worldly thoughts and desires captive and submit them to the priorities of Christ.
      • The believer’s priorities should become God’s priorities.
      • This is the only way a believer can truly serve God.
    • Read Rom 10:15
      • The beautiful feet of the Jews in Isa 52:7 become the beautiful feet of the Christian called to serve God.
        • The believer in Christ should be willing to serve God and take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the world.
        • That surrender to the call to serve occurs only when the believer is willing to put aside any and all desires of the world.
      • True union between Christ and His church occurs when both are united in one purpose that extends the kingdom of God and glorifies God.
  • The believer in Christ is called to serve God.
    • Like Shulamith that asked what one could see in her that made her so special for her position of responsibility before God, the believer also frequently feels unworthy and without talent to do what God has called us to do.
    • However, in the same way as Solomon gave her a new identity and saw in her a great deal of beauty, God sees the believer in Christ as a new creation reflecting the beauty and glory of Christ enabled to take the Gospel to the world.
    • Christ sees His bride as shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. (Eph 6:15)
    • Read Psa 92:12-14
  • How should the believer measure his service to God?
    • He should measure it by loss instead of by gain. (Phil 3:7-8)
    • He should measure it not by the wine of rejoicing he has drunk but by the wine of his life that he has poured out for others.
  • Many believers follow Christ as receivers. They follow only for what they can receive from God.
  • Every believer should follow Christ as givers. We must constantly ask what we can give To Him.
• Nine parts of the body are mentioned in this section as Solomon watches Shulamith dance.
  • Christ gives to His bride nine ministry gifts mentioned in 1Cor 12:8-10.
  • The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the word of faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.

Homework
Song of Solomon 8:5-14

• Application of Song 6:11-8:4
  • In consideration of your call to serve Christ, in which level of commitment of priority are you?
    • ____“My beloved is mine and I am his…” (2:16) = During their courtship her possession of him is the most important aspect to her. = a selfish priority.
    • ____“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…” (6:3) = After marriage, his possession of her became the most important aspect to her. = a selfless priority.
    • ____“I am my beloved’s and his desire is toward me.” (7:10) = After problems are resolved his desire for her is the continuing most important aspect of her. = a servant’s priority.
• Preparation for Song 8:5-14
  • Read Song 8:5-14 Return to the vineyard
    • When Solomon and Shulamith return to the vineyard in Lebanon, what does that tell you about God?
    • In what way does Mat 9:36-38 relate to the message of Song of Solomon and the third theme?
• Memory verse: Song 8:7