My Take on Song of Songs 5...

I think there are 3 key messages in this chapter:

1. A call to maturity
2. A call to intimacy
3. A call to surrender

The call to maturity, to me, is indicated when the lover is in the garden of the beloved. The symbolism of the milk, to me, indicates immaturity. And although the beloved has grown in so many ways (as symbolised by her garden) there are a variety of ways in which she has to mature. And the same goes for us. We can have a lover/beloved mature relationship with the Lord. I think once we can open some of the keys to Song of Songs, we start to be able to access that kind of relationship. It is a fantastic mature love that we can experience with Him.

I think the repetition of symbolism of myrrh is very poignant. For me it is symbolic of surrender, death to self, focus on Christ.
At the end of the chapter when we are applauding the features of Christ we read:

13 His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh.

For me the lips symbolise worship. The Hebrew word for worship means to kiss. From this I read that Christ's worship is pure and self-sacrificing.

We know from His life that his 'bread' was to do the will of God. In John 17 it is his desire that God be glorified and that through His surrender and suffering love we are united with God. It also shows that His worship is pure (lilies) - we are called to imitate Christ's sufferings and to imitate His life. And in John 15 we are called to abide in Him. That is a mature walk.

This chapter further deepens that definition of maturity. Although her worship is sweet and she has developed fruits of the spirit (as symbolised by the spices/fruit) she is unable to heed His call to intimacy. She has an immature response to Him. It is like that of a child, not that of a lover. Her inability to open the door immediately and with delight is a very telling sign of her need to enlarge the place of her heart. Or often for us, to unlock the secret of that intimate love we can experience with Him. The bible is full of bride/bridegroom symbolism and metaphor. He longs for an intimate relationship with us. We can open ourselves to experience this with Him. We can invite Him in. We can heed the call/the knock...

This chapter is all about missing the moment. Her 'heart is awake' but it is not enlarged enough for this kind of intimacy. The Lord is knocking to come into her most intimate place (her chambers). She has invited Him fully and openly into her garden (where the fruits are produced). But she is unable to willingly and quickly respond to His call to come into the most intimate place with her - to be able to live in a lover/beloved relationship with Him is a place of maturity. Missing the moment is to be her lament. Much as with Mary and Martha - Martha was overwhelmed with physical concerns. Mary chose the right place to sit at His feet and listen to Him. At his feet is a place of submission - it is the place of a servant. Abandoning one's self, heeding His call and being in a place of intimacy is a place of maturity. We are called to abide in Him and He in us at all times and in all places (John 15). Until we heed the call to sit at His feet, not to miss those moments of intimacy we cannot learn how to abide in Him at all times. We first learn His voice at His feet.... then we know it in all places.

The call is to surrender to Him in this chapter. To heed. To listen. To submit. To surrender ourselves to intimacy with Him over and above the physical cares and concerns we experience in this world. To die to ourselves and to live for Him. Myrrh - it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. To allow Him into our hearts in a mature way. And for our walk with Him to demonstrate a maturity. When we are bruised (as the beloved is) to respond in a mature way - imitating Christ's sufferings. To take up our crosses and follow Him.

I absolutely adore the Song of Songs. It has been, for me, for many years the key in unlocking a mature, intimate relationship with the Lord. It is, at times, almost overwhelming the intensity of the intimacy. It makes us queens and brides and moves us on from the Father/child relationship into a new intimacy.

When we are truly surrendered - our lives in His hands, our time and attention for Him.... when we keep alert and listening with a surrendered heart we won't miss the moment. We will willingly heed the call.

There is real treasure in this chapter. And for me, in particular, I love the focus at the end where our Lord, our Lover, the lover of our souls is painted in such a majestic way. Of course she is faint with love - He is divinely beautiful - how can our hearts not respond ?