Adorned

DEVOTION

SONG OF SONGS

ADORNED

Song 1:8-11

8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds.

9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. 10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver.

NIV

In answer to the question asked about being behind the veil. How we no longer need to be outside the veil but can come into the Holy of Holies. The Lord answers and says to his most beautiful church to follow the tracks of his sheep and come and graze by the tent of the Great Shepherd. The Lord has left us tracks to follow to be able to find his resting place, heaven, where we can graze in his presence. A path to follow and he has provided light to illuminate the path. Jesus is the light of the world, he is the way, the tracks to follow to the tent of God. If we ever wondered how God sees us, what he thinks about his creation, in fact, the crowning jewel of creation, mankind, we merely have to read this vision he has of us. He likens us to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. What does that mean? First we should understand the mare is the preferred type horse for many reasons. The stallion or gelding neither have the refined beauty of a mare. These mares were in fact used by the Pharaohs and were given as gifts to Solomon. Of course on the modern racing world the male horses win more races then the mares or fillies. But during the time of Solomon it seems the mare was the more desired horse. The church is no doubt the desired filly with cheeks and neck that are adorned with jewelry. Let us think for a moment how the church, how we are compared to this vision of the mare adorned with jewels. What if the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh were seen as this force chasing after the children of Israel at the Red Sea? Then they would represent an opposing force to the children of God. But also they could be seen as horses brought out of Egypt, bought by Solomon for his stable at a great price. Then this mare would look like the Exodus of the people of God. Which also could look like the church, the believers bought at a great price as a great prize to the King. He loves us and adorns us with jewels. As Peter and John told the beggar they did not have silver and gold, but they had the healing power of Jesus, get up and walk. The Lord adorns us in this same sense, as the silver and gold. It is interesting how some would think the “we” is a response of the maidens to the king, but could it not also be the “we” of the trinity? We do not adorned the Lord, he does that for us. At the same time we are that mare harnessed to the chariot of Jesus, his militia, onward Christian soldier, marching as to war. The revelation shows Jesus as the conqueror and the church riding out with him dressed in fine linen and riding upon white horses. Oh to be the army of God, the mare of his chariot, the church, the bride of Christ, Adorned by God, with Christ and the Spirit.