*this is writing #3 in a series of studying the Song of Solomon.
It’s a terrible feeling isn’t it, to find out about an event going on that you were not invited to? There is a sense that every human was born with, a desire to belong. This desire of ‘belonging’ unconsciously drives much of our lives choices and even the course for our families, careers and social circles. If you look back, you may be able to trace your path back to invitations you received and said ‘yes’ to. Feeling like you are on the outside, up against a current, breeds doubt and fear, but being invited into something breeds vision and zeal for life.
All through the Song of Solomon we continually see the back and forth of this. The shulamite wondering if her lover is thinking about her, remembering her, coming for her. Then the Lover reassuring her, giving her vision, restating His invitation. When our hearts are sinking, the Lord is so faithful to come and breath fresh invitation to come back to Him, to come into His heart and to receive His love.
I have found that people offended with God mostly are hurt because they believe God isn’t paying attention to them, so as human nature is, we would prefer to reject others before they have the opportunity to reject us. Many people do this with God. It is a strategy of the enemy to sow seeds of doubt in us that God is not involved in our lives nor does He really care about us. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The truth is that God is constantly speaking to us, through creation, His divine nature, though invisible, His love and passion for us has indeed been expressed. He is always speaking to us, reaching for us.
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.” - Romans 1:20 Berean Study Bible
Song of Solomon 2:10 is an invitation, one of the four invitations we see in the book, this one, the invitation to rise up and come away with Him. This invitation comes with a cost, yes. It isn’t easy to “rise up”, but there is a great reward in doing so.
“My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” - Song of Solomon 2:10 AMPC
In verse 11 he adds to the invitation a clue as to why it might be difficult for her to to say yes and to trust him. He tells that the season she’s just experienced was winter.
“For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone.” - Song of Solomon 2:11 NKJV
She is coming out of a time of darkness, barrenness, loss of hope, stripping away- think about the “winter season” and what that means to you. The winter is a very intense season in the natural, and depending on where you live, could even be a time of devastation. In January 2020 the Lord spoke to me and said, “It is going to be a long, hard winter.” This led me to meditate and learn a little about the winter season, so I could fully understand the natural and spiritual principles of the winter.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WINTER SEASON
First, winter is a “Selah”. The world must pause from regular activity in most places, or completely change the way of life in those months due to the elements. This is the most obvious significance of the winter, you must slow down. You also have to keep working, you can not stop completely, but things are harder and take longer. Where we live everything above ground dies and the trees are bare. Being from California, my first winter in the Midwest was quite shocking. See where I come from, when something dies, it’s dead. But in places where you get to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, things are only dead above ground. The first winter here in the midwest I was shocked when spring came and flowers popped up out of the ground that I didn’t even plant! Where did they come from? And how is everything turning green? I didn’t water or plant a thing and yet green grass, plants and flowers were everywhere in just a few days of the first of spiring.
Winter is a time to rest and regroup. You have heard of “spring cleaning”? There is another type of cleaning that happens in the winter, a spiritual cleansing. With more time, we usually reflect and reprioritize, take a hard look at things in fact. In places of coastal living boats are docked for the winter. This is a season to stay inside, work on the “inside” if you will. When roots go deep, deep work is done in the heart and mind. Considering life, purpose. Many people often get depressed in this season. The daylight has less hours and its dark. You are beginning to get the picture. The summer goes by so fast, but the winter seems to drag on forever.
It is in this position, this emotional place of the shulamite’s heart, her beloved comes to her and says, “rise up my love and come away with me.”
IN YOUR WEAKNESS, SAY YES
After months of winter, not being outside, not exercising and having no strength left, now he says, “rise up”. It is in the moment of darkest hour and weakness where she must turn her eyes up and find the strength to believe again. He is here. He is calling me. He desires me. This invitation into the identity as the bride of Christ, is also our invitation.
When we stop and just think about how God is and always has been speaking to us, reaching for us, and inviting us, how can we not feel loved, favored and chosen? This is why it is critical that we slow down and meditate on these truths in Gods word and develop deeper intimate heart connection with God, not just intellectual knowledge about who God is. But that we would really and truly know Him, this is the chief end of all man’s purpose- to know God and be known by Him. This is our bridal identity and the chief purpose of life.