The Shulamite continues to express her love and commitment for the Beloved. Strong’s Concordance lists Shulamite as “the perfect” or “the peaceful”.
Song 7:12, “Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.”
- Early – diligence in assignment, priority, not waiting until a more inconvenient time
- Now she is serving for HIM, not for the people
- Undistracted intimacy
- Watchman Nee,“Laziness is not a characteristic of the Lord’s life. Only those who are spiritual can be diligent…..The difference between diligence and laziness lies in the use of time. This is why the apostle charged us to redeem the time” (Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5).
- I can attest to this. Unless I get up early and make prayer and devotion a FIRST priority, the distractions of the day take over. Once I have made this a priority, my day flows and everything gets done – ‘decently and in order’
- Vines budded, grapes blossom, pomegranates in bloom all speak of different people and ministries that need maturing
- Pomegranates have lots of seeds. It is fun teaching someone who will spread the Word and are hungry and productive.
- Budded, blossoms open, in bloom all speak of different stages in our faith walk with Jesus in the midst of ministry. This is a place of selfless love.
- There is a risk of faith, disappointments and mistreatment, but love for the Beloved causes strength and courage to go forth into ministry.
- Apostle Paul knew Jesus in the suffering of ministry
- Phil 3:10, “That I may know Him (intimacy with God) and the power of His resurrection (ministry) and the fellowship of his sufferings (hardship), being conformed to His death.”
- I Cor 15:10, “I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
- 2 Cor 11:23-28, “In labors more”
- Watchman Nee, “In the past, work was something that was a distraction. Because of much serving, the maiden would lose the fellowship at His feet. To an immature believer, work does not improve his love to the Lord. On the contrary, it puts a barrier between him and the Lord. This is a sign of an imperfect union. But by this time, her experience has reached the stage of perfection, and she is able to relate the Lord’s work to the Lord Himself and able to relate even the world to the Lord. She is able to relate the Lord’s brother to the Lord Himself. Now she can express her loves to the Lord at the place of His work. She can make her work an expression of her love to Him. She has no condemnation after she works, and she is no longer afraid of losing something of the Lord through her work.”
Song 7:13, “The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.”
- Mandrakes symbolize intimacy with God
- It is a fruit associated with love
- Mandrakes are believed to have ability for fertility (Rachel & Leah, Gen 30:14)
- Genesis 30 & Song 7:13 are the only time mandrakes are listed in the Bible
- Gates – the fragrance of the beauty of pleasing Jesus in ministry goes before her
- The ‘gates’ are places that God has assigned for us, and we will find fruit ‘there’
- New & Old– proven truths from her past and new fresh ones
- Matthew 13:52, “Every scribe instructed..brings out of his treasure things old and new”
- Not just one kind of fruit, some new fruit and some older fruit- different people bearing different fruits.
- Those who have walked with the Lord for years but have grown cold can only bring out the old, no new & fresh testimonies, no intimacy, no fruit
- Jesus has laid up treasures in heaven for us, but we are laying up treasures of love and obedient service to Him and for Him
- Rev 4:10, “The 24 elders fell down before Him…. and cast their crowns before the Throne.”
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