The Fragrance of Christ

You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
10 How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
11 Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
15 A fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

16 Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.

Song of Solomon 4:9-16 NKJV

I am basking in the love of my Bridegroom King today. The imagery of the Song of Solomon chapter 4 has captured my heart.

King Solomon, who is a type of King Jesus, is expressing his love for his bride. The Shulamite bride in Song of Solomon represents the Bride of Christ. That’s you and me!

It is Jesus’ heart that beats faster when you and I look in His direction (v. 9). Jesus is excited when we give Him our attention and our affection.

Jesus considers our love to be better than wine (v.10). Our love for Him is more thrilling than anything else the universe has to offer.

The fragrance of our oils (the anointing of the Holy Spirit) is better than spices (v.10). In other words, Jesus loves the fragrance of our partnership with His Spirit above all the perfumes that world can offer. The beautiful thing is that Jesus anointed us with those oils (the Holy Spirit) that have made us attractive to Him (2 Cor 2:14-16).

Then our Beloved Bridegroom extols our lips that drip with honey (v.11). It is Jesus’ words, His kindness, that drips from our lips bringing sweetness to our lives and those around us.

Jesus compares us to a garden spring flowing with fresh water (v.15). Again, Jesus was the One who gave us a spring of living water inside of us (Jn. 7:38). He is the One who planted good seed in our soils.

The choicest of fruit and spices grow in our gardens only because of Jesus. He compliments and adores the fragrance of our garden wafting on the winds. Yet, our intoxicating fragrance on the winds is the result of His planting, His pruning, and His tender loving care. Our garden really is His garden.

Like the Shulamite bride, I invite my Bridegroom King to come and enjoy the fruit of His garden. I pray that He will make my garden (my quiet times with Him, and my lifetime of spiritual growth) breathe out His fragrance.

Yes, Lord, use what You have sown and grown in me to attract others to You! Amen.