Song of Solomon 1:1-7: a reflection

1The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s. 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine. 3Your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is oil poured out, therefore the virgins love you. 4Take me away with you. Let’s hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will praise your love more than wine! They are right to love you. 5I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar’s tents, like Solomon’s curtains. 6Don’t stare at me because I am dark, because the sun has scorched me. My mother’s sons were angry with me. They made me keeper of the vineyards. I haven’t kept my own vineyard. 7Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you graze your flock, where you rest them at noon; for why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions?

The Song of Songs opens with the voice of a lover longing for the beloved, and its opening words breathe a deep desire to be near and to be drawn along: Draw me after you. Let's hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. Your love is better than wine. The heart here longs to be drawn to the beloved, to hurry after him, to be brought near, delighting in a love better than wine. Read, as the church has long read this song, as picturing the soul's love for God, or Christ's love for his people, it voices the deep longing of the heart to be drawn near to God, to be brought into his presence, to delight in a love better than any earthly joy. The heart longs to be drawn to God; and this longing is answered, for it is he who draws us to himself. Draw me after you, the heart cries; and God does draw those who long for him. The soul longs to be drawn near to God, who draws us to himself. The heart's longing to be near God is met by his drawing us to himself.

Notice the heart's cry in these opening words: Draw me after you. There is a longing here to be near the beloved, to be drawn along after him, to be brought into his presence. Read as a picture of the soul's love for God, this voices a deep and proper longing of the heart: to be drawn near to God, to be brought close to him, to delight in his love as better than any earthly joy. And notice that the cry is not merely to draw near by our own effort, but to be drawn: Draw me after you. The heart longs not only to seek God but to be drawn by him; and this is how it works, for our very longing for God is itself the fruit of his drawing us, and he answers that longing by drawing us nearer still. To long to be near God, and to ask him to draw us, is a true and fitting desire of the heart; and God draws those who long for him. The love of God is better than wine, better than any earthly delight; and the heart that has tasted it longs to be drawn nearer. God draws the heart that longs for him. To be drawn near to God is the heart's deep desire, answered by his drawing.

That is worth resting in, for the heart's longing to be drawn near to God is answered by God, who draws us to himself. We can long for God, to be near him, to be brought into his presence, and wonder how to draw close; but the cry of the heart is Draw me after you, and God answers, drawing those who long for him. Our longing to be near God is itself the fruit of his drawing, and he draws us nearer still. To long to be drawn to God, and to ask him to draw us, is a true desire he answers. When you long to be near God, ask him to draw you, as the heart cries, Draw me after you, and trust that he draws those who long for him. Rest in the truth that the heart's longing to be drawn near to God is answered by God himself, who draws to himself those who long for him, as the Song opens with the cry, Draw me after you, delighting in a love better than wine; for the church has long read this song of love as picturing the soul's longing for God, and our very longing to be near him is the fruit of his drawing us, which he answers by drawing us nearer still, so that to long to be drawn to God, and to ask him to draw us, is a desire he meets, delighting to draw near those who delight in him.

Lord, the Song of Songs opens with the voice of a lover longing for the beloved, and its opening words breathe a deep desire to be near and to be drawn along: Draw me after you. Let's hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. Your love is better than wine. The heart here longs to be drawn to the beloved, to hurry after him, to be brought near, delighting in a love better than wine. Read, as the church has long read this song, as picturing the soul's love for you, it voices the deep longing of the heart to be drawn near to you, to be brought into your presence, to delight in a love better than any earthly joy. The heart longs to be drawn to you; and this longing is answered, for it is you who draw us to yourself. Show me the heart's cry in these opening words: Draw me after you. There is a longing here to be near you, to be drawn along after you, to be brought into your presence. Read as a picture of the soul's love for you, this voices a deep and proper longing of the heart. And the cry is not merely to draw near by my own effort, but to be drawn: Draw me after you. The heart longs not only to seek you but to be drawn by you; and my very longing for you is itself the fruit of your drawing me, which you answer by drawing me nearer still. Your love is better than any earthly delight; and the heart that has tasted it longs to be drawn nearer. Let me rest in that, for the heart's longing to be drawn near to you is answered by you, who draw us to yourself. I can long for you, to be near you, and wonder how to draw close; but the cry of the heart is Draw me after you, and you answer, drawing those who long for you. When I long to be near you, help me ask you to draw me, Lord, as the heart cries, Draw me after you, and trust that you draw those who long for you, delighting to draw near those who delight in you.