Introduction: At last, we come to the final two verses of the Song of Solomon. It has been an incredible journey of truth and discovery. In our very first study, I said that the scope of the book is determined by the structure of the book as a whole. The story gradually develops itself; and, from the key, which is found in the last chapter (8:5-14), the whole story may be pieced together. We are now in that section of the book and about to finish it.
1. The last of the Shepherd's words. - Song 8:13
"Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it."
- The shepherd speaks to the Shulamite and addresses her as "Thou that dwellest in the gardens..."
- She had been taken away from her home, her family, and her shepherd boy. She was taken to Jerusalem, the city of the great King Solomon where, for a short time, she was made to dwell.
- She was no longer in the city as she was in Song 5:7, "The watchmen that went about the city found me..."
* There, she had her own apartment.
* There, she had her special treatment.
* There, she had her new wardrobe.
* There, she had the admiration of Solomon.
- The word "dwellest" here is a picture phrase in the Hebrew meaning "to permanently abide." The shepherd said that the Shulamite was home now and never had to leave again.
- Next, the shepherd says, "...the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it." He and his companions are ready to listen to what she has to say next.
- She earned and has their attention. They are listening.
2. The last of the Shulamite's words. - Song 8:14
"Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices."
- She is ready to bring this entire negative experience to a close and get on with her life.
- The Shulamite now lets the Shepherd and his companions hear what they have said they are ready and willing to hear.
- In front of the family, the companions of the shepherd, and the shepherd himself (in front of God and everybody), she declares that her shepherd boy is the love of her life.
- She also states clearly that he can be as a gazelle or a deer and hurry to be with her.
- While she was away, she longed for him to be as a gazelle or a deer and hurry to come and get her as she said in Song 2:17, "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether."
- She says, "Turn, my beloved," literally, "Return to me quickly!"
- "Bether" means "separation." Her desire is toward her shepherd from whom she has been taken. She wants the separation to end!
- Here, in chapter 8, it HAS ended. She says, "Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices."
- No longer separated, by the Mountains of Bether, She now wants him to bound quickly over the mountains of sweet-smelling spices.
- In other words, now that she has returned home and no longer held against her will in Solomon's harem, she desires to marry her beloved, her betrothed, her shepherd.
- Truly, this reminds me of the words of John the Beloved in Revelation 22:20, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
- It should be the heart-felt desire of all believers for the Great Shepherd to come, take them home, and have the great wedding feast!
- Then, the time of separation would be over, and the time of great rejoicing would begin.
- "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
Conclusion: What a story! What a song! No wonder it is called the song of songs, the best of the best, the highest of the highest.
As we read the words of the Shulamite in this last verse in the book, I am reminded of a phrase I heard growing up. My folks were born in Tennessee, but I'm sure the phrase is not specific to the south as it used to be. It is the phrase, "If I had my druthers..."
The word "druthers" means "choice or preference" and is almost always found in the phrase "to have one's druthers." The word, as you might guess, comes from a vowel alteration of "'d rather," a contraction of "[I, he, etc.] would rather."
She said, if she could have her druthers, she'd take her shepherd over the king and all that he had to offer.
When it comes to Jesus and the world, do you have any druthers?
In 1922, Rhea F. Miller, inspired by Philippians 3:8, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ," penned the words to one of the best loved songs in all of Christianity. George Beverly Shea made it famous. It is entitled "I'd Rather Have Jesus."
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather be His than have riches untold:
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
Refrain
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.
I'd rather be true to His holy name.
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs.
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.