“Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like ointment poured forth.”  Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:3

The maiden in the Love Song thinks about the king as he is being anointed and a fire above all other starts to burn in her heart as she thinks of him.  He was single and was to succeed his father David as the 3rd king of a united Israel.   Solomon, the son of David, was the promised Messiah, so they anointed him.   His name was pleasing to her. The special holy ointments used for anointing Solomon were the best smelling ointments.   The combination of oils was designed by God and was to be used only for specific and important occasions.  Messiah, or in Greek, Christ, means “anointed one.”  The name of the anointed one was pleasing to her.

Context in History

David was dying.   Solomon is anointed and crowned co-regent.  The maiden is at the anointing and desires to be married to new single king of Israel and be kissed by him over and over again because of the superlative delightfulness of his love and pleasing nature of his name.   She also has no fear, but trusts him because he has a good name.  It’s a true love story between a slave girl and Israel’s 3rd Messiah. When the object of her heightened affections is near the thought of his name is pleasing to her.  He belongs to her as her king but she wants him as more than that she wants him as a husband, shepherd, lover and best friend.

Context in the Love Song

The “arousal” section of the Song.  Where he arouses her affections for him and she arouses his love and affection for her.  Its love at first anointing.

This is the beginning where they meet and she falls in love with him.  She desires physical intimacy with the new king in marriage due to his love being more delightful than wine and his name, character or reputation being pleasing to her.  What we have an account of here is her feelings towards him and why she desired him.  What was it about him and his love that made him so attractive and desirable?  They start off separated he knows very little about her, she knows more about him.  She is a Gentile enslaved in the promised land and gets the Love of God dwelling in her heart.  Song 8:6-7.  Now will love in her heart she falls deeply in love with the newly anointed young Solomon.

She says of him,

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips”

then to him she says,

“for your love is more delightful than wine.  Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments.  Your name is like ointment poured forth.”

Noticing all the other maidens love for the newly anointed king Solomon and being pleased with his “name”,  she continues,

“No wonder the maidens love you.”

Not wanting to waist any time getting closer to Israel’s Messiah the young lady lets us know whats in her heart by ardently asking him to,

“Draw me after you and let us run together!“

The scene changes from being at his anointing to now being in his chambers.

Not waisting any time in answering her request to “draw her away with him” and “run together” we find out that,

“The king has brought me into his chambers.”

In his chambers their are people who rejoice in the king and are glad and,  they promise to extol or praise his love more than wine.

“We will rejoice in you and be glad;
            We will extol your love more than wine.”

The young maiden notices the good moral nature of their love and delight in him and praise of the kings love and says,

“Rightly do they love you.”

It is moral right for them to love a king with a holy name.

Then the slave girl gets stared at by the daughters of Jerusalem and makes her peace with them by giving her testimony.  Then she goes on her first date with the king which ends with them in a banquet hall and her passing out do the overwhelming experience of being aroused by his love in courtship.  He proposes to her, she shy’s away, they talk it out and get engaged, they get married and become as close as a soul is to a body due to the “superlative strength of their love, unquenchability of it, priceless value and its holy jealousy being as cruel as Sheol.”  Solomon’s Song of Songs 8:6  The Song ends with her yearning for his presence.

Our focus

To see what it was that brought the two really close so that those who want a closer more intimate relationship with the one/One they love can get closer by doing similar things.

In the first lesson we learned that Being loved makes her happier than wine!  Therefore make each other happier than wine/anything else. For she said,  “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for your love is more delightful than wine.”

In this lesson we will focus on why the mention of his name drew out her affections for him.  Because it was his virtuous character that pleased her.

What made her desire him?  What was it about him that fired her up and aroused her feelings for him?

1  The experience of his love being more delightful than wine.

2  His name being pleasing to her.

His name.  His name pleased her.

In this lesson we will see that the newly anointed king whom she desires has a good name or reputation.  Having a good name makes one desirable, therefore we ought to seek a good name so that closeness in any of our relationships will grow.

Look at the verses again and see why she desired him other than the superlative delightfulness of his love.

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for your love is more delightful than wine.  Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like ointment poured forth.  No wonder the maidens love you.”  Song 1:2-3

When his name was mentioned it pleased her and all the other single ladies at his anointing.

The comparison

The comparison is that of between the name of the Messiah and his anointing oils.  She compares the two and concludes that both give her pleasure, for she says, “Pleasing is the fragrance of you ointments your name is like ointments poured forth.”  His ointments are pleasing to smell and his name is pleasing to think of.

When thoughts of who he was and what he was like were in her mind she felt a pleasure similar to that of when she smelled his anointing oils.  Both his name and the anointing oils gave her a sense of pleasure and delight.   Solomon, the king of peace, was the most desirable single Messiah/man alive due to so many wonderful and delightful things attached to his name.

When truths about him and what he was like went forth in her mind, they were pleasing to her.  His name was like ointments poured forth.  The coming king of Israel was Solomon, the king of peace.  The mention of his name, was pleased, satisfying and appealed to her, thus she wanted a closer more intimate relationship with him as soon as possible.

What’s in a name?

Titles, character and great things prophesied that he would do.

What was it about Solomon’s name that pleased her so much?

Solomon had titles that made him desirable.

Titles

Titles Solomon had at the time of his 1st crowning made him desirable.  Titles like Messiah, “son of David”, and co-regent king.

Titles are included with someones name.  The title of Messiah made the name Solomon pleasing to her.  Solomon’s title was “Messiah” or in Greek, “Christ” which means anointed one.  She would be marrying a man anointed for a specific holy role.  Set apart for the purposes of God.  She desired a man with a high and holy calling.  Being anointed by God through a prophet meant you had an extra ordinary calling and were blessed by God.  So she wouldn’t be marrying any ordinary person.

Marrying a Messiah of Israel would also mean that she would be a mother in the line of The coming Messiah and may even be the mother of The Messiah.  This would be the greatest blessing a woman could have.  To be the mother of Israel’s Greatest Messiah!

“Son of David” was also a title that had Messianic overtones with it as well.  The young maiden more than likely knew Solomon”s father King David.

“King” was also another title that made Solomon’s name pleasing to her.  King of Israel.  She wanted the closest most intimate relationship with a man who was the 3rd Christ of Israel, king, son of David, preacher, prophet and many other good titles. Royalty.  Solomon was of royal blood.  Im sure the fact that Solomon was of royal blood help in making him the most desirable single man alive!  Being married to Solomon would make her QUEEN, which is the highest most glorious position a woman could have.  She would go from being a lowly slave girl to being queen!

So she is on fire and in love with a young, co-regent king, newly anointed Messiah,  who is God’s representative on earth.

Solomon had other titles like prophet and preacher etc, but these weren’t until after his first marriage.

Character

Second lets look at young Solomon’s character.

“Loved God and kept the statutes of David”  1 Kings 3:3

Solomon was holy.  Holiness consists in love to God and young Solomon “loved God and kept the statutes of David.”  Only another holy person could truly delight in another holy person.  To have a delight in someone due to their holiness is the same as having a “love of complacency” in them.  Her complacency is in his holiness.  Her loving nature in her agreed with his love in his heart for they both had the same love dwelling in them that was “superlatively strong, unquenchable, and priceless” Song 8:6-7

Not only did Solomon love God but Solomon had a special place in the heart of God.  God wanted Nathan the prophet to give Solomon another name, Jedidiah, which means “beloved son of God”.   2 Samuel 12:25 “and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.”

Solomon means peace, so he would be a man who was at peace with God and other’s.  Although it is possible that the young slave girl new Solomon to have been peace loving by personal experience.  It is more likely that she knew he would be a man of peace from now on because of the prophecies about him in 2 Samuel 7.

Solomon’s other name was Jedidiah, meaning “beloved son of God”.  Solomon had a love relationship with God.  Solomon “loved God and kept the statutes of David”

Not only did Solomon have some of the most majestic titles and a peace loving character but was also prophesied to do great things as king.  Like build a temple for God come dwell in.  Which would allow God to be closer to Israel than ever before.

So even though Solomon was young and single when the young maiden desired him, he had a name sweeter than any other, which is why all the other women loved him as well.  Notice in the next verse that the other young maidens loved Solomon as well due to his name.

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for your love is more delightful than wine.  Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like ointment poured forth.  No wonder the young maidens love you.”   Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:2-3

Prophecies about him.  2 Samuel 7

The young slave girl, though she was a Gentile, now had faith and love, so she believed the promises about Solomon in Scripture.  Therefore his name was exceedingly pleasing to her not only for his character and titles but also for the prophecies of God that would be fulfilled in Him.

1  In the future Solomon would “establish God’s kingdom” on earth.  2 Sam 7:12

2  In the future Solomon would “build a house” for “God’s name” v. 13

3  In the future Solomon’s “throne” would be established by God “forever”. v. 13

4 In the future Solomon would be like a son to God.  2 Sam 7:14

5  In the future God will be like a father to Solomon, which means Solomon, when he sinned would be disciplined by God.  God would make Solomon holier and holier. v :13

6  David’s house, kingdom and throne will be established forever through the king of peace, God’s beloved son, Solomon.  This speaks of never-ending covenant keeping love.  For God promised Solomon’s father David that God’s lovingkindness will never leave them.  2 Sam 7:15

David would have a ruler forever on the throne. “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”   Solomon being the son of David.  Therefore the promise of 7:16 continues through Solomon and his child Rehoboam.  And so on to Jesus Christ who fulfills every jot and tittle of the prophecy.

All this so that God could  “make a name for Himself” v. 23

Solomon would live out his name and be peace loving.  God loved Solomon.  Solomon loved God.  Solomon was chosen by God.  Solomon would build a house for God to come down and dwell closely with man!  Solomon was a king.  Solomon would be king during a time of peace and rest from enemies.  A king would come through Solomon that would reign forever.  Solomon was a holy man.  Solomon was set apart for the purposes of God.  Solomon was single, therefore his name was pleasing to hear.  And this is young Solomon he isn’t king yet but the night after being king he gets unmeasurable wisdom!  To hear the name of the king of peace and love was pleasing to the single slave girl.

Side note.

His unmeasurable wisdom isn’t included in his name at this point.

Solomon’s unmeasurable wisdom was not in her thoughts of him at this time because Solomon didn’t have unmeasurable wisdom until after his wedding day.  Solomon was “made king twice” 1 Chronicles 29:22.  The first one is Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:2-3 compare with chapter 1 of 1st Kings.  The second one is in Solomon’s Song of Songs 3:11 and 1 Chronicles 29:22.   I say this because the day after Solomon’s wedding God comes to Solomon and gives him unmeasurable wisdom because Solomon asked for it.  So Solomon name wasn’t pleasing to the young maiden because of his unmatched wisdom and promises of riches because that did not happen til after their wedding.  They are just meeting for the first time when she says to him “Pleasing is the fragrance of your ointments.  You name is like ointment poured forth.”  Song 1:3

I don’t include Solomons unmeasurable wisdom into the pleasure of his name because Solomon didn’t have wisdom til after his second crowning and wedding in Song 4:11.

Add the fact that Solomon was given “unmeasurable wisdom”  1 Kings 4:29  (Solomon was given wisdom beyond the sand of the sea sometime after Chapter 4 of the Song), then I believe that Solomon would have been the greatest type of Jesus Christ to have ever lived!  Mainly because no one else had as much wisdom and depth of love.  Yes, the constancy of his love failed at the end of his life in 1 Kings 11:4 probably after his first wife died. But all the other types of Jesus sinned only the Anti-type Jesus didn’t sin.  Combine the wisdom given him in 1 Kings 4:29 and the Love he had in his heart of Song of Songs 8:6-7 and these two factors alone make Solomon in my book the greatest type of Jesus Christ to have ever lived. There are many similarities between Solomon and Jesus Christ.

Use of information for men in courtship, husbands, women in courtship, wives and Christians.

Men in courtship.

A bad or sinful character in courtship brings up yellow and red flags.  Any woman desiring the deep and constant love and intimacy in the Song will first look to your current character.  Are you trustworthy?  Do you show up on time?  Can you keep a job?  Do you keep your promises?  Are you faithful?  Do your friends, family, co-workers, discipler and church family approve of your character?  Is your name pleasing to them?  Is your character getting better and better?  When she adds up everything she knows about you does the mention of your name please her?  If you love her and desire a closer more intimate relationship you must have a name that pleases her.  Everything you think, feel, believe, say and do matters.  Seek a name more valuable like gold and smells pleasing like myrrh rather than dirt and trash.

Homework for husbands

How would I describe my character?

How would my wife describe my character?

Would the mention of my name be pleasing to my wife?

Seek a good name and let love and faithfulness never leave you will win her favor.

How can I love my wife like Jesus Christ loves His Bride?

It what ways did Solomon love his bride that are similar to how Jesus loves His Bride?

Is Jesus patient, gentle and humble in heart so that His Bride is encouraged to yoke herself to Him.  Matt.  11:28-30

Don’t stop wooing her closer with your acts of love!   “Kisses” is plural.   She wants multiple display of love in your words and actions, so don’t stop loving her over and over again.  It is your role, your job, your duty, your delight, the way you protect the relationship and deepen the level of intimacy is to keep your love as immutable as possible, like the Love of Jesus Christ!  His Love doesn’t change and it will accomplish it’s purpose.

Homework for Wives

How would I describe my character?

What are the strengths in my character?

What are my weaknesses?

How would my husband describe my character?

How can I love my husband like the Bride of Jesus Christ loves Jesus?

Would the mention of my name be pleasing to my husband?

What is it about my husband that pleases me?

When we first met, what was it about him that drew you closer?  Was it a title?  Was it his character?  What holy things did he do that pleased you?  What Christ like characteristics does your husband have?

How can I use this information right now to make any relationship I am in better?

Homework together

Questions to answer together with your spouse

1  In what ways has having a loving character drawn you closer to each other?

2  In what ways has having a faithful character drawn you closer?

3  How have these virtues helped draw you closer in the past?  Patience, forgiveness, gentleness, being slow to anger, not keeping a record of wrongs,

Use of information for the Christian

Knowing his titles, holy character and promises about him made his name pleasing to her.

You can cultivate a deeper love and desire for Jesus Christ by thinking of His Titles, Holy Character and everything related to His Name!

Think about Jesus  “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Thinking about the name of a great type of Jesus Christ was pleasing to the young maiden.  How much more pleasing should the thoughts of The Anti-Type, Jesus Christ, be to us when we hear His Name because He is Greater than Solomon?

In order for us to get a better idea of Jesus we can think of how Solomon was like Jesus and then argue from the lesser Christ to the Greater Jesus Christ.  In this way we get a clearer view and idea of Jesus so that our affections can be drawn out at the sight and delight of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that transforms us from one level of glory to another deeper level of love.  Even a sight of the reflected Glory of God in the face of Solomon is transforming as well.  You get a better name by becoming more like the One you love and beholding with delight the excellencies of His Name.

Solomon was like Jesus Christ in many ways.  The women loved Solomon due to his good name.  How much more so should we love Jesus due to his name being “greater“.  See how much she was on fire for Solomon due to the delightful experience of God’s love through him and pleasant nature of his name.  How much more delightful would it be to experience God’s love through Jesus Christ?

What is it about the Titles of Jesus that make him greater than Solomon?

What is it about the Character of Jesus that makes him greater and more desirable than Solomon?

What is it about the things Jesus did that make Him Greater than Solomon?

Single ladies.

Your looking for a Christian and he should be desirable for who he is and the life he lives based on Scripture.

Seek a man with a Christ like character.

A Christian grows in their love for God.  A Christian with a proven good name will sin but in time they will sin less and less because Jesus will be saving them from their sins if He is their Savior.

A Christian man can be desirable due to the titles and description of them in the Bible.

“Bride” “Child of God” “Children of the Light” “Chosen of God” “majestic ones”  Psalm 16:3

“believers in the Lord”  Acts 5:14  “beloved of God”  Romans 1:7

“brethren”  1 Cor. 15:58   “sister” in the Lord  Solomon’s Song of Songs 4:9, 10, 12, 5:1

What is it about these titles and descriptions that make a Christian man desirable and his name pleasing to hear?

Why would you fear a man that had a bad character?

Why would his name not smell good to you?

Side note

In a Christian marriage, both spouses have some of the most glorious titles and should be treated by the other person in a manner consistent with who they are in Christ.  Bride of Christ.  Your wife is a Bride of Jesus Christ.  A queen.  How would you treat a queen of the highest King.  Joint heirs with Christ.  How would you treat a joint heir to the kingdom of God.  Royal children of the highest King of kings.  How would you humbly act if you knew you were royalty?  You are a child of the Highest King and you are His Bride.  He owns you and you own Him.

Verses

Proverbs 3:3-5  NIV

Is the level of physical intimacy ruined in your relationship?  Check your character.  Sin separates but love unites.  Are you being faithful, loving, kind, forgiving, selfless etc. ?  Are their so many bad things attached to your name that its hard to see the good?

Seek to have a name that pleases her more now than before.

Contents of this post

The Verse

Context in History

Context in the Song

Our focus

His name pleasing her

What’s in a name?  Titles, Character and Prophecies

Side note about Solomon’s unmeasurable wisdom not applying to his name until later.

Use of information

Lesson 3  Run Together