Bible Passage:  Songs of Solomon 7

Verses 1-9 describe how The Beloved is praising from feet to head the body (parts) of the Shulamite.

When I first read it, it felt like an illustrative passage and I tried to visualize how the body parts are being described… But I have difficulty understanding descriptions like blended beverage… or how the waist can be compared to a heap of wheat set about with lilies; how breasts are compared to two fawns…

After reading it for 3 times, it came to my mind how the Church is described to be the body of Christ and the members are the different parts of the body. We read about the hand and the eye in the New Testament, so it did not occur to me when I first read the waist and the navel… And instead of being illustrative descriptions, I suppose the comparisons of the body parts are made to beautiful workmanship or naturally beautiful or useful things. I guess there will be many theologians giving their different insights. I am no theologian; I cannot go into detail of what each description mean. So the following sharing is just my simple thoughts.

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”         

1 Cor 12:12

 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”                                                              

Rom 12:4-5

Actually when I was taught that the Songs of Solomon is supposed to described the intimate loving relationship between Christ and the Church, I find it hard as I read to think of how God would see us on earth as so beautiful and desirable. I cannot imagine God praising me from head to toe, and as we are aware of the weaknesses of the Church today, I wonder how much more we need to do before we are worthy to receive praise from God.

However, I do believe that God wants to look at the good side of us, and He treasures our sincere endeavors to draw near to Him and become more holy. And being a part of the body, if we recognize our role or our talent that we can use to serve the Lord and glorify Him, if we try to make the best of our abilities to let Him use us as His vessels, I believe God will be pleased and will work through us so that our work may be perfect.

Moreover, God is our Creator. He made us perfect, and He desires us to be perfect.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”                                                              

Ps 139:14

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”                     

Eph 2:10

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”       

Matt 5:48

Since we are His workmanship, we cannot belittle what He has made of us, and our potential to glorify Him. So let us strive to be as good children bringing glory to our parents, and support the church as a member of the body, that She may be perfect and compatible with Her Groom – our Lord Jesus Christ.