And this experience makes
her understand through grace another aspect of her
relationship, proving a real progress in the intelligence
of grace and condition of heart. It is no longer the
desire that seeks possession of the object for herself,
it is the consciousness that she belongs to Him. "I
am my Beloved's." This is a very important progress.
The soul that seeks salvation, that seeks to satisfy
newly-awakened affections, exclaims, as soon as it is
assured of it, "My Beloved is mine." When there
has been a deeper experience of self, it recognises
itself as being His. Thus, with respect to ourselves, it
is not "We have found him of whom the prophets did
write"; but "We are not our own, for we are
bought with a price." To belong in this manner to
Christ, no longer thinking of self, is the happiness of
the soul. It is not that we lose the sense of the
blessedness of possessing the Saviour, but the other
thought, the thought of being His, occupies the first
place.
The remnant's
consciousness of what the Bride is to the Beloved
Again the Beloved
testifies to the preciousness of the bride in His eyes.
But here also there is a difference. Before, when
speaking of her, He added to the gentleness and beauty of
her aspect all the graces which were seen in her, the
honey that flowed from her lips, the pleasant fruits that
were found in her, the sweet odours which He called on
the breath of the Spirit to bring forth. He does not now
repeat these things. He speaks of that which she is for
Him. Having described her personal beauty, His heart
dwells on what she is for Himself. "My dove, my
undefiled, is but one." His affection can see no
other: none can be compared with her. There are many
others, but they are not the one whom He loves. The
person of the Lord fills the heart that has been brought
back to Him. The look and the graces of the bride are the
subject of the Bridegroom's testimony. Moreover for Him
there is no one but her, the only one of her mother. Thus
will it be with the remnant of Israel in the last days,
even as in spirit it is now with us.
The reception of Christ
and His union with this remnant at Jerusalem are
represented in a very striking manner in that which
follows. It is no longer the Beloved coming up out of the
wilderness—where He had associated His people with
Himself—in glory and in love. It is the bride, fair
as the moon and radiant with glory, who appears on the
scene, like an army with banners displayed. The Beloved
had come down to look upon the ripening fruits of the
valley, and to see if His vine flourished. Before He is
aware, His love makes Him like the chariots of His
willing people (compare Psalm 110: 3). He leads them in
glory and triumph. He had sought the fruits of grace
among them; but, having come down for this, He exalts
them in glory. It is only when His people are fully
established in grace that everything in them will be
beauty and perfection, and that they will recognise that
they belong entirely to Christ, and at the same time that
they will entirely possess His affection.
This last thought is the
rest of their heart. This is thus expressed in the third
formulary of the experience of this divine song, if I may
coldly so speak, and which gives the full happiness of
the bride, "I am my Beloved's, and his desire is
toward me"—the consciousness of belonging to
Christ and that His affections rest on us—the
consciousness that we are the objects of His own
affections and delight. This is most deep and perfect
joy.
The reader will do well to
weigh these three expressions of satisfaction of heart:
the possessing Christ; our belonging to Him; and this
last, with the unspeakable knowledge that His heart's
delight is in us, however much—and it is surely then
it will be felt—all is grace.
But (to return to the
text) they can now go forth with Him to enjoy all the
blessings of the earth in the certainty and the communion
of His love. What fruits of gratitude, what peculiar
feelings, will be those which the people of Israel have
kept for the Lord alone, which they could never have for
any other, and which, after all, none but themselves
could have towards the Lord, viewed as come on earth.
Song of Solomon 7 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
The recognition that we "are not our own"
And this experience makes her understand through grace another aspect of her relationship, proving a real progress in the intelligence of grace and condition of heart. It is no longer the desire that seeks possession of the object for herself, it is the consciousness that she belongs to Him. "I am my Beloved's." This is a very important progress. The soul that seeks salvation, that seeks to satisfy newly-awakened affections, exclaims, as soon as it is assured of it, "My Beloved is mine." When there has been a deeper experience of self, it recognises itself as being His. Thus, with respect to ourselves, it is not "We have found him of whom the prophets did write"; but "We are not our own, for we are bought with a price." To belong in this manner to Christ, no longer thinking of self, is the happiness of the soul. It is not that we lose the sense of the blessedness of possessing the Saviour, but the other thought, the thought of being His, occupies the first place.
The remnant's consciousness of what the Bride is to the Beloved
Again the Beloved testifies to the preciousness of the bride in His eyes. But here also there is a difference. Before, when speaking of her, He added to the gentleness and beauty of her aspect all the graces which were seen in her, the honey that flowed from her lips, the pleasant fruits that were found in her, the sweet odours which He called on the breath of the Spirit to bring forth. He does not now repeat these things. He speaks of that which she is for Him. Having described her personal beauty, His heart dwells on what she is for Himself. "My dove, my undefiled, is but one." His affection can see no other: none can be compared with her. There are many others, but they are not the one whom He loves. The person of the Lord fills the heart that has been brought back to Him. The look and the graces of the bride are the subject of the Bridegroom's testimony. Moreover for Him there is no one but her, the only one of her mother. Thus will it be with the remnant of Israel in the last days, even as in spirit it is now with us.
The reception of Christ and His union with this remnant at Jerusalem are represented in a very striking manner in that which follows. It is no longer the Beloved coming up out of the wilderness—where He had associated His people with Himself—in glory and in love. It is the bride, fair as the moon and radiant with glory, who appears on the scene, like an army with banners displayed. The Beloved had come down to look upon the ripening fruits of the valley, and to see if His vine flourished. Before He is aware, His love makes Him like the chariots of His willing people (compare Psalm 110: 3). He leads them in glory and triumph. He had sought the fruits of grace among them; but, having come down for this, He exalts them in glory. It is only when His people are fully established in grace that everything in them will be beauty and perfection, and that they will recognise that they belong entirely to Christ, and at the same time that they will entirely possess His affection.
This last thought is the rest of their heart. This is thus expressed in the third formulary of the experience of this divine song, if I may coldly so speak, and which gives the full happiness of the bride, "I am my Beloved's, and his desire is toward me"—the consciousness of belonging to Christ and that His affections rest on us—the consciousness that we are the objects of His own affections and delight. This is most deep and perfect joy.
The reader will do well to weigh these three expressions of satisfaction of heart: the possessing Christ; our belonging to Him; and this last, with the unspeakable knowledge that His heart's delight is in us, however much—and it is surely then it will be felt—all is grace.
But (to return to the text) they can now go forth with Him to enjoy all the blessings of the earth in the certainty and the communion of His love. What fruits of gratitude, what peculiar feelings, will be those which the people of Israel have kept for the Lord alone, which they could never have for any other, and which, after all, none but themselves could have towards the Lord, viewed as come on earth.