Mbostrom2's Blog

NOTE: Chapter One focuses on how God feels about us, even in our weakness and failures. She sees herself as a failure. God loves us because that is His nature to love unconditionally. We are now in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. God looks at the heart, our spirit, because He is Spirit. God sees us fulfilling our destiny.

Songs 1:6, “Do not look upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.

I think the Passion Translation puts this the best, “Please don’t stare in scorn because of my dark and sinful ways. My angry brothers quarreled with me and appointed me guardian of their ministry vineyards, yet I’ve not tended my vineyard within.”

The maiden is describing 5 failures and 5 pressures that relate to her crisis

1. She feels shame because of her failure, mental state.
   1. This represents people, saved and unsaved, who are aware of their stains, their darkest secrets and failures (Who told you that you were naked? Gen 3:11)
   2. When you feel that way about yourself, you are always self conscious that people will find out your faults, secret sins (like a stain on your shirt you try to hide)
2. She is rejected by her angry brothers
   1. Mother’s sons – those who are in authority over her
   2. She is rejected by the leadership of the Body of Christ
   3. They were angry at her zeal because it convicted them of their dullness – they accuse her of legalism, they prefer compromise
3. She is being overworked keeping too many vineyards (plural)
   1. If the enemy cannot keep you away from Jesus, he will cause you to be too busy in the ministry
   2. Religious works are a burn-out waiting to happen because there is no connection with the Holy Spirit
4. She has allowed her own vineyard (singular, her heart) to not be kept with fresh love for Jesus
   1. What she really wants is to be private with Jesus, receiving His love
   2. She has allowed weeds of spiritual coolness, sin and shame. This is the 3rd level of ground in Mark 4:19 and it is choking the Word
5. She serves Jesus at a distance
   1. She wants to be near Jesus without a veil, doing what He is doing
   2. 1:7, she is veiled because in Eastern cultures when a woman works in public she has to veil herself around strangers
   3. Lepers had to wear veils and stay hidden, away from their loved ones, living with other lepers
   4. The veil comes off in private to those closest to her (family) and to her lover (intimacy)

Brothers, Mother’s sons – Mother represents the Church (Gal 4:19, 26; I Thes 2:6-7) In the Middle East sons represent authority.

Matthew Henry Commentary — They dealt very hardly with her: They made me the keeper of the vineyards, that is, First, “They seduced me to sin, drew me into false worships, to serve their gods, which was like dressing the vineyards, keeping the vine of Sodom; and they would not let me keep my own vineyard, serve my own God, and observe those pure worships which he gave me in charge, and which I do and ever will own for mine.’ These are grievances which good people complain most of in a time of persecution, that their consciences are forced, and that those who rule them with rigor say to their souls, Bow down, that we may go over, (Is 51:23) Or, Secondly, “They brought me into trouble, imposed that upon me which was toilsome, and burdensome, and very disgraceful.’ Keeping the vineyards was base servile work, and very laborious,(Is 61:5)  Her mother’s children made her the drudge of the family. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. The spouse of Christ has met with a great deal of hard usage.

Verse 6 warns us that the maiden had only been doing what was entrusted to her, not what God had ordained for her. What God had ordained for her would have brought her joy and strength, where trying to please religion brought depression.

Selah