A love story from Song of Solomon

Vignette
Tenaciously clung to
Follow the flock and you find their shepherd.
Previous love song of God
A love promise
A close and intimate communion complete unity and oneness of love is possible only with the believer through the church, the Bride, and Jesus Christ, the Divine Bridegroom.
A debt of gratitude
He took me by the hand
Courtship
Learn to love him
Open your eyes to behold his beauty
Longing for fuller enjoyment of his love
Fear of total surrender includes fear of pain and hurt emotions
She loves his presence but his visits are infrequent
She will not trust him fully. Her will is unsurrendered.
She longs for his presence. His absence becomes more unbearable.
She fears what he might require of her. Her distrust grieves his tender heart. She is unsatisfied and unhappy.
His love conquers her fear. She yields herself. She will love him, come what may.
When she agrees (submits), he takes her into his chambers alone with him. Sacred intimacies of his wondrous love. First fruits of her consummation are gladness and rejoicing.
She is aware of her imperfections in the light of morning; she is ashamed of her appearance. She wears the wounds of her sin like scars. He knows, yet loves her still. He likens her beauty to that which is beautiful around him.
She desires to labor with him and for him. This stirs his heart-love for her.
He gives her gifts. He delights to add to her adornments. His gifts increase his own pleasure. His presence brings out her beauty and fragrance.
He himself is well-beloved and far better than everything his gifts bring unto her. Their communion is intimate. He may lie all night betwixt her breasts. She finds him wholly desirable.
His great heart is occupied with her. Hawks have quick and penetrating eyes. Doves have tender eyes of innocence.
She affirms that he is the one who is fair and pleasant. She compares his pleasantness to that of her surroundings.
He tells her she is choice among women. He is delightful, refreshing and noble.
She experiences yet another demonstration of his love, this time in public. He is not ashamed to acknowledge her before his friends. He brings her to a banquet. All who are present recognize his great love for her. He spreads his love banner over her.
She is overwhelmed with his love. She finds the blessedness of being possessed. She is comforted by his hand under her head, his arms embrace her.
Heart-rest is her right and enjoyment. It is never by his will that her rest be disturbed.
She loves hearing the voice of her beloved. The sound of his voice brings her great anticipation.
He playfully wants to secretly gaze upon her without her knowing but she sees him behind the wall, at the window, peeking through the lattice. (cf voyeurism and television and movies where we get to look at others without their “knowing”)
In the clefts of the rocks, in the secret places of the stairs . . .
He yearns to see her face, to hear her voice. He grows concerned that she is unhappy with him.
She comforts herself that no matter how she treats him, she will never lose him. She possesses him. He possesses her. She knows where to find him if she needs him.
Until the shadows flee away
She turns him away and tells him to return next morning
Careless of his desire, she will enjoy his love later.
Wounded by her refusal, he departs, too hurt to reproach her.
By the time night came, she realized she was alone. She sought him whom her soul loved but found him
Not. She missed him. His absence becomes insupportable, so she goes in search of him in the dark. She could not find him.
The watchmen of the city (police?) find her desperately searching for her beloved. She inquires if they have seen him. They reply no. She leaves them.
Then she finds him, a very short time after this.
She confesses her love for him openly.
She held him and would not let him go. She clung to him, determined to never let him go again. Frightened of losing him, she retreats with him to the safest place she knows (her mother’s bedroom?).
He lets her lead him to her safe place with no words of reproach. Intimate communion is immediately restored. He tells everyone to be quiet and not disturb her sleep. He will let her awake when she pleases. (What an honor and privilege!)
As he returns with his “entourage,” others see their own handiwork of his vehicles and their ornate artistic richness. They have pride in their own handiwork and not their returning king.
But she is occupied with her returning king. She calls attention to him. She rejoices upon seeing him.
His wedding day, recalled, was the day of the gladness of his heart. She glories in his remembrance of their love.
The first words of his greeting reveal how much he has missed her. He exults her beauty.
Her love is silent during his greeting. Too deep for expression.
He tells her he is leaving again, the next morning. He woos her. He stirs her desire to be with him. He invites her to come with hi, even in dangerous places. He wants her to want to be with him, no matter where he is.
He has ravished his heart, taken it away, with one look of her eyes. Her ready attentiveness inspires more of his praise.
He is entirely ravished with her. She holds his heart.
He praises her love, fair, better than wine. Her lips and tongue drip like honeycomb and cream. Her garments smell like fragrant spices and herbs. She is his personal private garden. She is sealed up to all but him. She is savory and full of life.
She invites and entices him to enter into his private garden, and partake or eat of his pleasant fruits. He answers her call at once. He assures her that he finds all his satisfaction with her.
She is asleep. Night. Alone. Her heart awakes. It is night, and he has come home. He wants in. He knocks at the door, not opening it himself. He implores her, “open to me.” He wants her to freely open to him. He tries to inspire her, to open to him, on the basis of his closeness to her. He urges her to open by reference to his need. He is wet with dew or rain.
She refuses and makes excuses that she’s ready for bed. He tries to open the door himself but finds it locked. She hears this – her heart is moved for him.
She got out of bed but paused to put on fragrance, more occupied with her graces than with his desire. She opened the door but he had already left. She realizes she failed him when he had spoken.
She seeks him in the dark, calls him, but he doesn’t answer.
She is overcome with his love. She forgets her own problems and thinks only of him. She describes his
Appearance – white or sun burnt? Ruddy – fresh, healthy red color, a glorious complexion, curling locks of COLOR hair, sparkling clear eyes evenly positioned, smells fragrant, soft lips, speech is sweet, strong lips, jointed perfectly, beautiful countenance, mouth is sweet and good, altogether lovely and perfect.
She calls him her beloved and her friend.
From her heartfelt description, other women desire to see him. Because she knows where his heart is, she suddenly knows where he is.
She claims herself as his possession. Her claim on him comes last. She still knows herself to be the object of his desire.
She knows he has been waiting for her.
He appears. He immediately speaks loving words to her in the presence of other women.
Even though she is wounded, he describes how beautiful she is to him, overwhelming beauty. Abundant COLOR hair.
Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, fresh as a new day.
She partakes of his work. He is beside her. Before she is aware, her soul carries her away. He is more to her than any other beloved. Shula.
In the presence of the king, she cannot conceive why any attention should be paid her. She asks what they see in her that makes them act so.
The women describe her overwhelming beauty.
The king is held captive in her tresses. Her hair is wrapped around his memory.
Now, after listening to their praise, he cannot remain silent. He openly delights in her. Fair. Pleasant. He finds her delightful and refreshing.
The apples she had eaten at his tree imparted to her a sweet breath. He is the source of her beauty and fruitfulness.
Even when asleep, she is aware of his presence.
She claims herself as his possession. She identifies herself as the object of his desire. She leaves out her claim on him.
She wishes to be alone with him. She calls him away. She wishes to satisfy him with her love. Commune together alone. She wishes to demonstrate her love.
She wishes she could have cared for him as he has cared for her. She would give him the best of herself (enclosed garden). For giving of herself, he would love her.
She sleeps restfully after contemplating such happy thoughts.
She leans upon him. Others notice their oneness. She is leaning upon him. He claims her as his possession from her very birth.
He takes delight in her beauty.
She remembers her inconstancy. She pleads him to bind her to his heart and arm. Seal upon his heart. His love is as strong as death.
Her jealousy, fear of losing his affection, is cruel as the grave.
He reassures her. Many waters cannot quench love. If a man gave all he had to buy love, it would be despised. Love cannot be quenched or bought. Her love to him is secured by his love to her.
She is conscious of her union with him by the fact that she says “we”. In all things she is one with him.
She recognizes him as her instructor and asks his advice.
Her walls enclose him, not ass doors would keep him out.
She is conscious that she has found favor in his eyes.
She does not work for him to earn favor but to demonstrate her love. She knew he loved her.
He asks her to let him hear her voice. He desires her presence.
In response to his voice, she beckons him to come to her. Make haste.