The Sweetest Rest

“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forrest is my lover among the young men.” Solomon’s Song of Songs 2:3

Here we have the bride to be comparing Israel’s Messiah who is her king and who also has shepherded her heart, to a superlative apple tree.

He compared her to a “lily among thorns” or lotus

And now she responds comparing him to other men as the apple tree to the trees of a forest.

First we will look at the role of the husband in marriage.  Then we will look at the role of the wife.  See the sweet harmony of the two when united in love.  Then draw a comparison between Solomon’s love to his bride as shepherd and king with Christ’s “greater” love to his Bride as the Wisest King of kings and infinitely good shepherd.

We will look at the reasons for the comparison found in the second part of the verse.  Then we will look more specifically at his role in the relationship as her wise king and good shepherd.

“I delight to sit in his shade and his fruit is sweet to my taste.” 2:3

1. Both are a place of delightful rest
   1. Her physical rest is due to her being taken out of slavery
   2. Her spiritual rest is due to her union with the king/King of peace
2. Both provide nourishment
   1. The tree provide physical nourishment
   2. His role in the relationship is to provide nourishment
      1. Physical
      2. Spiritual

Observe the beauty and sweet harmony between the wise king and loving servant or bride to be.  She found great delight in his shade as her wise, sweet and loving king because his name was like perfume poured out.   Song 1:2-4

Observe the beauty and sweet harmony between the good shepherd and her desire to follow in order to enjoy the sweet rest sitting in his shade.  I don’t know a better way to describe this but they are a perfect match.  They compliment one another perfectly and it is beautiful to see.  She is desperately desiring rest at his side in 1:7 and he desires to shepherd her and give her instruction on where to find that rest in 1:8.  Therefore the comparison is drawn because she found rest by listening to the voice of her beloved shepherd of her heart and followed “the tracks of the sheep and resting her young goats by the tents of the shepherds.” 1:8

Both are a place of delightful rest.  In the shade of an apple tree one can find rest.  If we look back to Song 1:6 we will find that the bride to be was a sunburnt Gentile enemy slave girl, laboring in the hot sun.  She was sun scorched.  Not black skinned but sunburnt and desiring rest.

The reason why there is rest in his shadow.

1. His character and reputation as a wise king and good shepherd drew her to him.
2. The delightfulness of his love as an unmeasurably wise king drew her to unite herself to him in love as a subject in his kingdom with hopes of marriage.

The purpose of this love Song is to help us get an understanding of love.  What is it like?  What is it like to experience love in a perfect relationship.  Its like sweet rest under an apple tree.  How does it feel? It’s the most delightful experience to rest in the shadow of the greatest type of Christ alive.  Solomon was “chief among ten thousand” Song 5:16

The Context

1:7 to 2:7 is one section where the two lovers meet for the first time and have sweet communion in love.  She desires to be near him, he tells her how.  He praises her inner and outer beauty and value to him, which is more than diamond or rubies.  Then the king and others promise to make her more beautiful and valuable, all the while she only desires to please him, he is so precious and valuable to her that she is willing to give her life in order to have him close to her heart, all of who he is and does is absolutely beautiful like a cluster of henna blossoms, they both can’t keep their doves eyes off each other as they lay in the blessed green pasture, the foundation of their dwelling place is secure and luxurious, she recognizes her inner and outer beauty and compares it to the most beautiful rose in the valley of Sharon and she also see’s herself like a lily of the valleys.  Seeing her also as a holy and beautiful lily staying holy and beautiful under trials. Then she is wondering what to compare him to and she says…

“Like an apple tree among the tree’s of the forrest is my lover among the young men.  I delight to sit in his shade and his fruit is sweet to my taste.”

This is a love poem about Israel’s current Messiah and his love to a sunburnt Gentile slave girl.  She is a Jew at heart having the love of God in her 8:6 and she desires to be married to Solomon who is Israels Messiah, king and shepherd.

Here is an outline and basic intro to Song 2:3.  Lord willing I will unpack it in detail in the days to come.  Im thinking to write about the superlative excellency of his character that made sitting in his shade more delightful than any other experience.

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