From the most delightful personal experience of having her heart shepherded by the king of peace the bride proclaims the excellency of her beloved saying,
“My beloved is mine and I am his”
“He shepherds among the lilies.” Solomon’s Song of Songs 2:16
This is one of those verses in the Love Song where you wonder, What is this verse doing here? Why mention him shepherding among the lilies right after their engagement? This verse seems to just come out of the blue and not have much to do with anything prior to it or after it in the Song.
In Song 6:3 the words are reversed but the same thing about him is true.
“I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine, He who pastures/shepherds among the lilies.” Song 6:3
First he shepherded her heart into believing that he was hers, for she glories in the fact and says first “My beloved is mine…
Then as the bride matures having experienced love from her shepherd husband first she learns to denial herself and labor in love for him then glories in the fact and says “I am his” first rather than saying “My beloved is mine…” first.
“I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine, He who pastures/shepherds among the lilies.” Song 6:3
Yet both times she is letting us know that the main reason for the growing love and closeness in the relationship is due to her wise and loving shepherd husband. Who shepherds her heart in a time when the curse is being reversed on the land and in the hearts of God’s people in His kingdom on earth.
Theres a popular love song in our era that has a line in it that goes “I got my mind set you, set on you…” She has her mind set on him and she is happy with his shepherding skills.
Context from the beginning
King David is about to die and young Solomon is anointed king. The born again Gentile slave girl is at the anointing and falls in love. She deeply desired to be near the king of peace whom her heart loved so she asked the king/shepherd boy where he rests his flock at noon so that she could be out of slavery in the hot sun and near him. As a good shepherd he gives her direction as to where to find peace and rest near him at noon. He adores her desire to be near him and she has no fear of drawing close to him because of his good reputation. This fearless pursuit of the king of peace by a born again Gentile slave girl reminds him of a fearless, powerful mare in battle. So he compliments her inner character and admires her outer beauty. They talk and adore each other, go on their first date, wind up at a banquet hall where he has a banner there with the word “love” on it and she is standing right under it as she has no strength to stand due to the overwhelming thoughts and feelings of his love to her. She falls faint and is supported by his loving arms. Sometime passes then he goes to propose.
He has shown up to her house, she is inside and he is outside. He proposes to her, leading her closer and into a closer more intimate relationship. She shy’s away like a dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock. He gets her to show him her lovely face and let him hear her sweet voice.
They have something really good going on. The relationship is blossoming but she is afraid to lose what they have going on. Foxes could destroy their relationship. She asks him to catch the foxes. She doesn’t want anything coming between her and him. She doesn’t want the foxes to destroy their friendship and growing love for one another so he gives himself to her. He gives himself for her. He gives himself to her for the purpose of making her happy by making sure nothing could separate their love for each other. He gives himself to her to destroy the foxes so that they won’t ruin their relationship from becoming more and more intimate. In return she gives herself completely to him. They now own each other and she glories in the fact and says,
“My beloved is mine and I am his”
“He shepherds among the lilies” Song of Solomon 2:16
Ways in which he was a shepherd or leader.
He was her wise king with a good reputation. Solomon’s role in the courtship was to shepherd her heart. To not do things that made things move to fast. Did what it took to calm her fears. By love drew her closer. As a good shepherd he gave her good advice. He communicated his feelings towards her in words and ways in which she knew he loved her. All in all he was fulfilling his role as a shepherd guided by the wisdom God gave him and empowered by an unquenchable love in his heart.
Ways in which she followed
She did her role as the sheep in the relationship
The shepherd calls and the sheep hear his voice. A major role of the man in a relationship is to shepherd the heart of his bride closer to God and himself. His voice was irresistible and she knew it. For she said “Listen, my beloved…” Then he speaks to her again when she is shying away. He doesn’t want her to shy away from him but to draw closer. So he says,
“Show me your face and let me hear your voice for your face is lovely and your voice is sweet.”
So he wants her to tell him how she is feeling. He wants her to be sincere and look at him so he can see her lovely face.
This would have brought her great assurance that he loved her because if you remember she was a sunburnt Gentile slave girl and now the Messiah and king of Israel is wanting her to arise and go away with him. She would love to but their seems to be so many foxes out there that could ruin the two lovers from getting closer and closer. She is growing in her understanding of the power of love and doesn’t want the priceless love they share to be quenched or destroyed.
So what does the shepherd do?
Out of the burning flame in his heart he gives himself to her. As if he said “I will be your good shepherd. I will lead you closer to God and myself. I will destroy the foxes that have a tendency to destroy relationships.” She in turn gives herself to him. He will shepherd her heart and she receives him as her good, wise and loving shepherd. Even in courtship iron ought to sharpen iron.
My conclusion thus far is that Solomon, who is also a shepherd of sheep and has a flock that makes physical tracks in the ground that she could follow is shepherding his animal flock among the lilies.
Solomon’s Father David
David was a shepherd of God’s people and also a shepherd of sheep. David was a shepherd of the sheep who fought of both the lion and the bear from attacking the sheep. Solomon, the son of David, would have also been taught how to shepherd a flock of sheep.
Other verses in the Bible that may help
After Jacob wrestled with God his name was changed to Israel. Then Israel said that God was his shepherd. So the comparison is what Solomon was to the Lilies so also God was to Israel in Gen. 48:15
There is mutual possession in the shepherd sheep relationship as their is in marriage. She has possession of the one she loves. “My beloved is mine” The sheep listens to the shepherd for the shepherd owns the sheep.
He shepherds her lovely heart in a beautiful setting.
Shepherding or pasturing his people among the lilies.
Shepherding or pasturing the lilies as a metaphor for someone who is humble, pure and beautiful. As the bride to be compares herself to “a lily of the valleys” earlier in 2:1
This verse is a remembrance of his shepherding her and her heart thus far.
it is a beautiful sight and a great feeling to be shepherded by her beloved king.
As she see’s her beloved shepherding his sheep she thinks of how he has lead her heart closer to his. She felt like those sheep among lilies.
Having full possession of the one her heart loves and having lovingly given herself completely over to his will, trusting his lead like a sheep does a shepherd. Loving his protection from harm like a sheep to a good shepherd.
As she contemplates the idea of her fiancé being a shepherd of sheep among lilies and her experience with him thus far there are many similarities thus the analogy is appropriate.
It is true Solomon has three types of sheep.
Solomon has a flock of animal sheep.
Solomon has a personal flock of sheep, meaning the people of Israel.
Solomon, her beloved fiancé is the shepherd of her heart.
He who shepherds in a beautiful setting.
The whole thing is beautiful. A shepherd of hearts doing his work in a beautiful setting.
Shepherding her heart closer requires wisdom or skill like a gazelle, timing, sweet words and self denial.
Shepherding, the mans role in the relationship
1 Leadership. The role of a shepherd husband is to Lead.
Psalm 80:1 “Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!”
Psalm 23 “He leads me beside still waters..” See also 1 Chronicles 11:2, Ps. 78:70-72
2 Ownership
Psalm 95:7 “For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand Today, if you would hear His voice” See also Psalm 79:13, Micah 7:14
3 Hearing, knowing and obedience. Hearing and obeying his voice. Psalm 95:7
4 Authority and obedience. EZ. 34:31
5 Selfless oversight with eagerness. 1 Peter 5:2 “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness”
6 Physical and spiritual provision. Song 2:3, Psalm 23:1“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want” Spiritual provision and physical. Ez. 34:23,
Jeremiah 3:15 “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.”
Protect her feelings of fear by being of good repute. Song 1:9 a mare in battle has no fear. Jer. 23:4
7 She is feeling safe from foxes 2:15, blessed and carried 2:6
Psalm 28:9 “Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.”
8 A shepherd gathers lost sheep and keeps them. Jer. 31:10, Ez. 34:11-16
This is a summary statement and 4 reasons why.
“He shepherds among the lilies”
1 The verse doesn’t directly talk about wether or not it is animal sheep that he is shepherding.
2 Often times she is communicating her feelings in words that come along with her thoughts
3 To have the thoughts and feelings of a woman being properly shepherded by a man at this juncture in the Love Song is quite fitting and appropriate because he has been doing the role of a shepherd of her heart all along.
4 He is a shepherd of Israel in a setting where the curse is being reversed.
5 “among the lilies” the land was being blessed. The land was not a cursed dessert. But was blossoming and rich in flowers and food. Due to Solomon shepherding her among lilies gives us the idea of the surrounding beauty and reversal of the curse on the land.
Other notes
What is clear
When a text of Scripture is unclear we must look to the context first and then notice things about the text that are clear. Once we see what is clear, hopefully we can see what is unclear.
1 She speaks about her fiancé. She says “He…” She is speaking about her beloved, co regent, king Solomon. So we know who she is talking about.
2 She tells us where he is at. He is either in a garden or where lilies grow.
3 What fits in Song 2:16 also fits as a good translation in Song 6:3.
4 Clearly she wants us to know where he is and what he is doing.
Application
For the husbands
She says “He shepherds…” How many of you men could have a wife that gladly rejoices in the fact that you shepherd her heart closer to you. Did you woo her closer when dating but now you have stopped. Do you shepherd her. Do you lead her into a closer more intimate relationship with God. This is your role in the marriage. You are her shepherd. Her role is to follow.
Do you lead by making Biblical decision or do you follow your own will and mind? A Godly woman has no problem following a godly man who loving leads and makes wise decisions.
Do you lead or do you drive her like cattle. The man is to lead by example and do it gently with wisdom and love. He is to not drive her to follow him by force but by love and example.
A good shepherd leader has a woman who delightfully follows. There is sweet harmony in a relationship when both do their Biblical roles. Glorify God by doing your role in the marriage.
Women
Choose a man who can Biblically lead the relationship. Any other man will not be wise. A man wise in his own eyes is a fool. In courtship does he set boundaries that keep the relationship pure and holy before marriage? If your man doesn’t know how to shepherd so well is he learning and getting better. He need not be perfect but you should be able to notice his shepherding skills in some form or fashion in the dating phase of the relationship. Your greatest joy and delight is in being close and closer to God, can he help you do that or will his words and actions draw you further from God?
Categories
Uncategorized