Song of Solomon 6:2,3

The woman knows where the man went. In fact, it was she who told him to go there (4:16)!

He has gone to the garden where there are many plants with beautiful smells. Those beautiful smells are a word picture for their love. She has lost him, but he has found love! That is, he knows constant love for her. But for a short time, she seemed to forget her love for him.

She repeats phrases from 2:16-17. She spoke those phrases when he first proposed marriage to her. At that time, she was not ready for him or for his love. But now she speaks these phrases because she is ready. She wants their love to be complete. She wants him to find the beautiful things that their love will provide.

When she expresses these thoughts, something wonderful happens. She discovers that he is very near to her. She worried so much that she had lost him. But his love for her is as strong as it ever was. When, at last, she was ready to love him, he was ready for her.

That is like God’s love. Elsewhere, the Bible compares God to a husband whose wife has left him. (See especially the Book of Hosea.) Such a husband may eagerly wait for his wife to return. And God eagerly waits for people to return to him. When people are ready to return to God, God is pleased to receive them. (See also Luke chapter 15.)

The women were kind when they offered to help. But the young woman does not need their help. She remembered Solomon’s character. So she already knew where Solomon would be.

Jesus spoke about Christians as if they were sheep. At that time, a man would look after a small group of sheep. The man would lead the sheep into the fields. The sheep knew the man’s character. And they could even recognise his voice (John 10:2-5). So Jesus said, ‘My sheep (people) listen to my voice. I know them. And they follow me’ (John 10:27). As Christians, we learn God’s character. We learn how to trust him. And we learn to obey him.

The woman is right about the place where she can find Solomon. He is not angry with her. Instead, he speaks kind words to her again. He still loves her deeply.

Solomon’s kind words to the young woman

Solomon

v4 You are beautiful, my special young woman.

You are as beautiful as Tirzah,

as lovely as Jerusalem.

You are as wonderful as those great cities.

v5 Turn your eyes away from me.

They excite me too much!

Your hair is long.

It is like a *flock of goats that are coming down from Gilead.

v6 Your teeth are like a *flock of sheep.

Their wool is clean.

Each sheep has its *twin.

None of the sheep is alone.

v7 Your cheeks are red behind your *veil.

They are like the halves of a *pomegranate.

v8 There might be 60 queens.

There might be 80 women who live in the palace.

There might be too many *virgins to count.

v9 But my *dove, my perfect young woman, is special.

She is the only daughter of her mother.

Her mother prefers her to any other person.

The young women see her and they praise her.

There are queens and women in the palace.

They praise her too.