Merry Thursday by Parris Bailey
“Show me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.” Song of Solomon 1:7
The nice thing about making mistakes is that, eventually, we learn (or we should learn). It may take some of us longer than others but thank goodness God has a way of getting our attention.This Shulamite, after feeling His kiss, began a huge soul searching expedition on herself and realized that she hadn’t kept her soul wholly to him. My understanding on the Song of Solomon is the Shulamite was undergoing a spiritual awakening. All her priorities were out of whack, and the one thing she should have done (which is devotion to the Lord) she didn’t do. So out of her heart cry she said, “Hey I don’t want to go around this mountain again, can you tell me where you feed and where you rest at noon, cause this life I have is isn’t working for me? She had felt the effects of a wanderer and the Bible even compares her to a vagabond. She ask the question of “why should I hang with thy companions.” These companions, so to speak, became her rivals, false teachers and those that had itching ears. It was time for her to push away from the pack, the seeker sensitive, feel me, touch me crowd. She wanted him herself. You know there is nothing like coming face to face with (as Gill says) “the chief, the good, the great, and only Shepherd of the sheep; and that he has a flock to feed, which is but one, and a little one, is his property, given him by God, purchased by his blood, called a flock of slaughter, and yet a beautiful one, he has undertook to feed; and feeding it includes the whole business of a shepherd, in leading the sheep into pastures, protecting them from all enemies, restoring them when wandering, healing their diseases, watching over them in the night seasons, and making all necessary provisions for them.”
She was hungry to obtain the noonday rest. Gill goes onto to say; “when Christ is a shadow and shelter in his person, grace, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, Isa 25:4,5; or the noon of affliction, when he makes their bed in it, and gives them rest from adversity; or the noon of persecution, when Christ leads his flocks to cooling shades, and gives them rest in himself, when troubled by others: the allusion, is to shepherds, in hot countries, leading their flocks to some shady place, where they may be sheltered from the scorching heat of the sun”.
Are you begging to be in His presence? Lets turn aside from our mother’s children, from the rabble of this world. Let’s hear His voice, where Christ so graciously provides rest and refreshment, His sheep are not starved and they lie down in green pastures hidden away where wolves cannot devour them. Notice she says, “O Thou whom my soul loves”, her protector, provider for yes, He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for us. She wants His rest, His teaching and His covering, let’s go to this shepherd and find rest for our souls.