Behold the Man
Introduction: What Is Your Beloved?
We live in an age that is simultaneously obsessed with and terrified by sex. The world has made it a cheap commodity, a recreational activity detached from covenant, and has consequently stripped it of all its glory. And the church, in a misguided reaction, has often treated it with a sterile embarrassment, as though it were a slightly dirty secret God reluctantly included in the instruction manual. The Song of Solomon is God's glorious rebuke to both errors. This is not a tame book. It is high voltage. It is erotic poetry, and it is in your Bible for a reason.
But we must not make the opposite error of thinking it is only about human love. The apostle Paul tells us that marriage itself is a mystery that points to Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32). If every Christian marriage is a living sermon about the gospel, then this marriage, the one God placed in the center of His Word, must be the pinnacle of that sermon. This is not mere allegory, where we discard the literal meaning to get to a "spiritual" one. This is typology. The love between this man and this woman is real, it is physical, it is passionate, and in its very reality, it is a picture, a shadow, of the ultimate love story between the heavenly Bridegroom and His bride, the Church.
The context for our passage is crucial. The Shulamite bride has been searching for her beloved, and in her search, she encounters the "daughters of Jerusalem." They ask her a question that is, in essence, the question the world is always asking the Church: "What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?" (Song 5:9). Why all this fuss? What's so special about your man? What makes your Jesus better than any other god, any other philosophy, any other source of meaning? The passage before us is her answer. It is a creed. It is a passionate, detailed, poetic confession of faith in the glory of her beloved. It is the Church's answer to a watching world.
The Text
"My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Lifted up as a banner among ten thousand. His head is like gold, fine gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven. His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Washed in milk, And sitting in their setting. His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Towers of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh. His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is a plate of ivory Inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold; His appearance is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars. His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."
(Song of Solomon 5:10-16 LSB)
The Standard of a Man (v. 10)
She begins with a summary statement that sets the tone for all that follows.
"My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Lifted up as a banner among ten thousand." (Song of Solomon 5:10)
He is "dazzling," radiant, bright. There is a glory about him. And he is "ruddy," which speaks of a healthy, vibrant life. This is the same word used to describe David, the great king and type of Christ (1 Sam. 16:12). This is not a pale, anemic, effeminate savior. This is a man full of life and vitality. Our Christ is both glorious and earthy, divine and human.
And he is "lifted up as a banner among ten thousand." A banner is a military standard. It is a rallying point in the heat of battle. Among a multitude, he is the one who stands out, the one to whom all eyes are drawn, the one under whom the people gather for war. This demolishes the sentimental portraits of a meek and mild Jesus who wouldn't hurt a fly. He is the Captain of the Lord's hosts. He is the one who wages war in righteousness. He is both a lover and a warrior, and the Church must see him as both. He is the standard by which all other men are measured, and he is the standard under which we fight.
The Head and His Vision (v. 11-12)
From the general description, she moves to the specific, starting from the top down.
"His head is like gold, fine gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven. His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Washed in milk, And sitting in their setting." (Song of Solomon 5:11-12)
His headship is of the highest value, like "fine gold." This speaks of His divinity, His authority, His perfect wisdom. Christ is the head of the Church, and His rule is precious and pure. His locks are thick and black, a sign of undiminished youth and vitality. Our Savior is not fading; His strength is eternal. He is the Ancient of Days, yet His vigor is everlasting.
His eyes are like doves. Doves are gentle, and they are known for their singular focus on their mate. His gaze toward His bride is not harsh or critical, but tender and utterly faithful. They are "beside streams of water," which speaks of life and purity. His vision is not clouded by sin or deceit. They are "washed in milk," a picture of richness and clarity, and "sitting in their setting," meaning they are perfectly placed and proportioned. Christ's perception of His people is perfect. He sees us not as we are in our sin, but as we are in Him, washed and made righteous. His vision for us is one of perfect, loving clarity.
The Aroma and the Words (v. 13)
She continues down to his cheeks and lips, the source of his presence and his speech.
"His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Towers of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh." (Song of Solomon 5:13)
His very presence, represented by his cheeks, is like a fragrant garden. To be near him is to be surrounded by a pleasing, life-giving aroma. This is the "aroma of Christ" that Paul speaks of (2 Cor. 2:15). His lips, the source of his words, are like lilies, a symbol of beauty and purity. And they drip with "liquid myrrh." Myrrh was a precious perfume, but it was also used for embalming. Here is a beautiful foreshadowing of the gospel. The words of Christ are beautiful and life-giving, but they are seasoned with His sacrificial death. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, and His words of love are backed by the cost of His own blood.
The Work and the Walk (v. 14-15)
The description moves to his body, representing his actions and his steadfastness.
"His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is a plate of ivory Inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold; His appearance is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars." (Song of Solomon 5:14-15)
His hands, which represent his works, are "rods of gold." His actions are both powerful (rods) and divine (gold). Everything He does is precious and sovereignly effective. His abdomen, his inmost being, is pure and strong like ivory, and regal like sapphires. There is no flaw, no hidden corruption within him. His legs are "pillars of marble," speaking of immense strength and stability. He is unmovable. And these pillars are set on "bases of fine gold." His walk, His way of life, is founded upon His divine nature. He cannot stumble. His entire appearance is majestic and strong, like the famed cedars of Lebanon. He is utterly reliable, from his inmost thoughts to his outward actions.
The Sum of All Desire (v. 16)
Finally, she concludes with a summary that is both a description and a personal confession.
"His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." (Song of Solomon 5:16)
His mouth, literally his palate, is sweetness itself. Everything about His communication is good. But then she moves to the grand total. It is not just that his parts are excellent; the sum of him is perfection. He is "wholly desirable." There is nothing in him that is not lovely. He is the satisfaction of every righteous desire. He is the object of all holy affection.
And then she drives the point home. This is not an abstract theological treatise. This is not a detached appreciation of a fine specimen. This is personal. "This is my beloved and this is my friend." This is the language of covenant. He is not just the Lord; He is my Lord. He is not just a friend to sinners; He is my friend. She owns her relationship to him publicly. This is her answer to the daughters of Jerusalem. This is why he is better than all others. Because this glorious, perfect, strong, tender, and wholly desirable man belongs to her, and she belongs to him.
Conclusion: Answering the World
The world looks at the Church and asks, "What is your beloved more than another beloved?" They see our worship, our ethics, our strange devotion, and they wonder what all the fuss is about. Our task is to be able to answer them as the Shulamite answered.
Our answer cannot be a set of dry propositions. It must be a passionate, detailed, personal testimony to the glories of Jesus Christ. We must be able to speak of His divine headship, His vital life, His faithful vision, His gracious words, His powerful works, and His stable walk. We must be able to declare that He is our banner in the battle and the sweet aroma in our lives.
And we must be able to say, with unwavering conviction, that He is altogether lovely, "wholly desirable." The world offers a thousand fleeting and cheap desires. Christ offers himself as the one true and lasting desire. And we must conclude our testimony with that possessive, covenantal claim: "This is my beloved, and this is my friend." Do you know Him this way? Is He your treasure? Is He your friend? Can you commend Him to a watching world not just as a historical figure, but as your own magnificent Lord? This is the testimony of a bride in love with her husband. This must be the testimony of the Church in love with her Christ.