The King is Coming
Introduction: A Wedding March Through the Wilderness
We live in an age that has cheapened romance down to something you can swipe left or right on. Love is treated as a disposable commodity, a fleeting feeling, and marriage as a temporary contract of convenience. The modern world has taken the glorious procession of covenantal love and turned it into a sad, shuffling walk of shame down to the courthouse, if it bothers with the courthouse at all. It is a romance of the wilderness, for the wilderness, and it ends in the wilderness.
But the Bible will not have it. The Scriptures present love and marriage as something weighty, glorious, royal, and secure. And nowhere is this more vividly displayed than here in the Song of Solomon. After the bride has sought for her beloved in the night, after the anxiety and the searching, the scene shifts dramatically. We are no longer in the dark streets of the city. We are witnesses to a magnificent, public spectacle. A question is asked by the onlookers, the daughters of Jerusalem, a question full of awe and wonder: "Who is this?"
This is not just about Solomon, the son of David, coming to fetch his bride. The Holy Spirit has included this inspired love song in the canon of Scripture for a far greater reason. Solomon, in all his glory, was a type, a pointer, a shadow of the true King, the Lord Jesus Christ. And this procession is a picture of our Christ, coming for His bride, the Church. This is not a timid approach. This is a triumphal march. He is coming up from the wilderness of this fallen world, not as one who is lost in it, but as one who has conquered it. And He is coming to bring His beloved home.
We must therefore read this with two sets of eyes. We see the historical splendor of Israel's king, a splendor that was real and God-given. But through that, we see the spiritual and eternal splendor of the King of kings. This is a portrait of the gospel. This is the majesty of Christ coming to claim His own.
The Text
“Who is this coming up from the wilderness Like columns of smoke, As rising incense of myrrh and frankincense, With all scented powders of the merchant? Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel. All of them are those who seize the sword, Learned in war; Each man has his sword at his side, Guarding against the dreadful things of the night. King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair From the timber of Lebanon. He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold And its seat of purple fabric, With its interior inlaid with love By the daughters of Jerusalem. Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of his gladness of heart.”
(Song of Solomon 3:6-11 LSB)
The Awe-Inspiring Approach (v. 6)
The scene opens with a question of astonishment.
"Who is this coming up from the wilderness Like columns of smoke, As rising incense of myrrh and frankincense, With all scented powders of the merchant?" (Song of Solomon 3:6)
The question itself is telling. This is no ordinary traveler. The procession is so magnificent that the onlookers are stunned into wonder. He is "coming up from the wilderness." The wilderness in Scripture is the place of testing, of chaos, of sin and death. Our King, Jesus, was tested in the wilderness. He lived His life in the wilderness of this fallen world. But He is not overcome by it; He comes "up from" it, victorious over it.
The procession is marked by "columns of smoke." This is the smoke of incense, of myrrh and frankincense. These are the smells of worship, of sacrifice, of the Tabernacle and the Temple. Myrrh was used for anointing and for burial; frankincense was used in the holy offerings. This points directly to Christ, our great High Priest. He comes to us smelling of His own sacrifice. His entire life was a fragrant offering to the Father (Eph. 5:2). He is the one whose prayers, like columns of smoke, ascend to the Father on our behalf. He is not just a king; He is a priestly King, and His approach is an act of worship.
The Royal Security (v. 7-8)
Next, the focus shifts to the centerpiece of the procession and its guards.
"Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel. All of them are those who seize the sword, Learned in war; Each man has his sword at his side, Guarding against the dreadful things of the night." (Song of Solomon 3:7-8 LSB)
This is the King's transport, his palanquin, and it is surrounded by an elite guard. Sixty is a significant number, a multiple of the twelve tribes of Israel. These are the best of the best, the "mighty men." They are not ceremonial soldiers; they are battle-hardened, "learned in war," and ready for a fight. Each man has his sword at his side.
Why? Because of "the dreadful things of the night." The night represents the time of unseen dangers, of demonic assault, of fear and temptation. This world is a dark place, and there are real spiritual enemies who prowl around like roaring lions. The world's idea of love is defenseless. It has no guards, no swords, and no protection against the terrors of the night. It is vulnerable to every passing whim and every demonic whisper.
But the love of our King is not like that. The Church, His bride, is carried in this secure vessel. Christ surrounds His people with absolute protection. These sixty mighty men are a picture of His divine power, His angelic hosts, and the authority of His Word that guards us. When you are in Christ, you are guarded by the King of the universe. The "dreadful things of the night" are real, but our King is more real, and His guard is ever-present. He does not promise a world without threats, but He does promise His bride absolute security in the midst of them.
The Master's Craftsmanship (v. 9-10)
The camera then zooms in on the sedan chair itself, a work of art built by the king.
"King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair From the timber of Lebanon. He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold And its seat of purple fabric, With its interior inlaid with love By the daughters of Jerusalem." (Song of Solomon 3:9-10 LSB)
Notice first that Solomon "made for himself" this chair. Our King, Jesus, builds His own Church. "I will build my church," He said, "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). He is the architect and the builder.
The materials are all deeply symbolic. The "timber of Lebanon" speaks of the finest humanity, pointing to the incarnation of Christ. The "posts of silver" speak of redemption, the price He paid for His bride. The "back of gold" speaks of His divinity and glory. The "seat of purple fabric" speaks of His royalty. This is the vessel in which He carries His bride, fashioned from His own perfect humanity, divine glory, redemptive work, and royal authority.
But the most beautiful detail is the interior. It is "inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem." While Christ builds the Church, He furnishes it with the responsive love of His people. Our love for Him, our acts of service, our fellowship, our worship, these are the things that adorn the interior of the Church. He builds the structure, and He calls us to beautify the inside with our love for Him and for one another. He delights in the love His bride returns to Him.
The Call to Behold the Groom (v. 11)
The passage concludes with an invitation, a summons to witness the king in his glory.
"Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of his gladness of heart." (Song of Solomon 3:11 LSB)
This is the gospel call. "Go forth and see." Do not stay where you are. Come out and behold the King. And what do we see? We see King Solomon wearing a crown. But this is not his coronation crown. This is a special crown, one his mother, Bathsheba, gave him for his wedding day. This is a profound touch. Bathsheba, the woman caught in such terrible sin with David, is the one who crowns the son of that union on his wedding day. This is a picture of grace upon grace. It reminds us that our King's lineage is rooted in the messy, sinful history of His people, a history that He redeems.
Christ comes to us, crowned with the glory of His humanity, born of a woman, identifying with us in our frailty and sin. He is crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). And this is all happening "on the day of his wedding." The cross was the bride price. The resurrection was the victory. And the great wedding feast of the Lamb is the culmination of all history. This is the day of "his gladness of heart." We often think of our own joy in salvation, but the Scriptures tell us that it was "for the joy that was set before him" that Christ endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). His greatest joy is the salvation and consummation of His relationship with His bride, the Church.
Conclusion: Your King is Coming
This is the portrait the world desperately needs to see. Not a flimsy, sentimental love, but a royal love. Not a fearful, cowering groom, but a conquering King. Not an abandoned bride, but a cherished and protected one.
Christ is coming for you, His Church. He is coming up out of the wilderness of this age, and the fragrance of His atoning sacrifice fills the air. He has you in His care, a vessel He Himself has built, and He surrounds you with His almighty power, guarding you against every fear the night can produce.
The call to us is the same as the call to the daughters of Zion. Go forth and see. Stop looking at your own weakness. Stop being mesmerized by the terrors of the night. Look at your King. See Him in His royal splendor, crowned with grace, coming for you on His wedding day. And see the gladness in His heart. He rejoices over you with singing. This is our God. This is our King. This is our Bridegroom.