My Heart's Desire

The Word is first...

Song of Solomon 1:7 (NIV)

⁷ Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock

and where you rest your sheep at midday.

Why should I be like a veiled woman

beside the flocks of your friends?

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

I hear it at weddings all the time "where you go, I'll go." It is such a sweet sentiment that is built upon the foundation of love that we are willing to go wherever our loved goes, just to be with them. So it is with the believer, we so love the Lord that we are willing to go wherever he goes, just so that we can be with him, that we may enjoy the consolations of his presence.

In today's passage, I see six important aspects that I wish to draw out for your consideration.

Point of view. "Tell me,..." This is a quotation of a petition from the spouse to her beloved; from the shepherdess to the shepherd; from the church and every believer to Christ. The form of address is one of intimacy and great affection. The metaphor of the marriage as a means to teach us of the covenant relationship we should aspire to have with God is plainly presented through-out Scripture. We, the church, are the bride and Jesus the Christ, the bridegroom. We are also familiar with the concept of Jesus being 'the good shepherd.' But the concept of the church and of believers being a 'shepherdess' is a little less obvious but no less applicable. Just consider that Christ the Good Shepherd is in charge of his entire fold (the church) of flocks (congregations). Each church serves an important shepherding role with respect to its own flock (the members). Thus it is a natural representation to portray the church as a shepherdess. The point here is that for each one of us, we should address our own shepherd from a posture of intimacy and great affection.

Object of affection. The love of the shepherdess/bride is directed towards the shepherd/bride-groom; "you whom I love..." For me, this brings to mind the many pet names I have for those I love. Whether it's "punkin" or "little bit" or "darling" these are the terms of endearment I use when addressing my closest family members. In this passage, it is 'you', not just any 'you' but 'you whom I love' and for us it speaks of the deep longing we have when we consider our Savior. Our normal means of address "Lord", "Savior", "Immanuel", "Christ" do not speak of our affection, they speak of fact. Truly he is all these things but he is these things whether we love him or not. I don't mean to imply that the redeemed may not love the redeemer but rather that the aforementioned terms are based on fact and not on affection. I do however submit that the tears that flow so freely when I address my Lord Jesus are rooted in the affection I feel when confronted with the fact of his reality in my life.

Beseeching of knowledge. In this passage, the bride turns to her beloved to beseech knowledge. "Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday." She is saying "just tell me where you'll be so I can be there too." I think that all too often, we say "Jesus, come to me, where I am" and not "Jesus, tell me where you are and I'll come to you." It's a subtle distinction that profoundly changes the object of affection. In the former, it is 'I' or 'me' that is the center. In the latter, it is Christ that is rightly at the center. Too there is a concept here of not interrupting the normal course of matters of life but rather finding a way to experience intimacy in the usual flow of life. It's a lesson that we all can learn that when beseeching knowledge from Christ it is helpful to go where he is, where he is busy tending his sheep. There we may come alongside the Messiah, lift our hands to his work and shoulder to shoulder enjoy his company and teaching.

Assumption of character. There is an implied understanding in this verse that the shepherd is properly tending to his sheep. The shepherdess knows the importance of the proper feeding and resting of sheep and she does not try to interfere with this. Her request for an audience is predicated upon his being a good shepherd. The good shepherd leads his flock to where the grass is; green pastures that they may be properly and safely fed. When the sun is high in the sky, the good shepherd leads his flock into the shade beside still waters that they may rest and not perish in the heat of the day. So it is with Christ that he leads his flocks to where they be fed and strengthened. During the times of heat, whether literal or the figurative heat of life's challenges, the good shepherd offers rest and refuge. The shepherdess knows the character of her beloved and her address reflects this assumption; that he will be where he belongs, doing what he is supposed to be doing. We can count on this in Christ.

Confirmation of allegiance. "why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?" I believe that this passage speaks of whether we appear to belong to Christ or whether we are followers of other little-g gods. The shepherdess rightly desires to be associated with and in the presence of her beloved shepherd. If she is seen in the company of another she may be mistaken as vulnerable or available. Her being in His presence is assurance of her allegiance and a statement of her commitment. If we as believers are not in the presence of God, we are certainly vulnerable. Perhaps we disguise ourselves in some way, a veil of sorts, and engage in behavior that we know is wrong. Perhaps we choose to place ourselves into the company of pagans and to engage in pagan revelry or debauchery. Mardi Gras comes immediately to mind. Does our every-minute behavior confirm our allegiance to Christ or does it indicate that we have turned aside from him to entertain the affections of another?

Heart's desire. The heart's desire of the shepherdess is to be in the presence of her beloved. So too should the desire of the believer's heart rise and set for the presence of Christ. I know that I do the things that I believe will draw me ever nearer. Whether through prayer, study, journaling, teaching, serving, worshipping or waiting, my heart's desire is to see Jesus, to sit with him, to dine with him, to rest in him.

In His Grip,

Carl