“Look! There He stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.” Song of Songs 2:9
Taken in the context of Solomon and the Shulamite, what lovely, poetic expectation of love.
In the spiritual development of the Bride, her statement is nothing short of beautiful words that cut like a knife.
What kind of love sonnet is this?
The Bridegroom was standing there – *presenting Himself. Appointed. Dwelling. Being employed. Enduring. Establishing. Ordaining. Remaining. Repairing. Tarrying. He was occupied about His Father’s business while He was waiting, sourcing her as the Vine to the branch.
It was apparent there wasn’t going to be much forward movement, though, for standing behind her wall literally meant He was *loitering back away from the barrier that she had erected. The implication was that as long as she held out, so would He for He had promised to never leave nor forsake her. But neither would He grab a battering ram and force His way into her guarded space. It was up to her to open the door to receive Him who stood without desiring entrance within.
“As many as I love, I do convict and chasten; be zealous, then, and reform (repent); lo, I have stood at the door, and I knock; if any one may hear my voice, and may open the door,
I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:19-20 YLT
The revelation of all she was saying in just this one exclamation deepens as we recognize again that this was not about her salvation experience. This prophetic Love sonnet lets us know John 3:16 has already been secured. Songs 2:9 is the beginning of the rest of the Love Story, having everything to do with His purpose in her having been the recipient of His sacrifice. Even now, though, she is the reluctant Bride.
***
In the holy light of Christ’s redemption, there is nothing redeeming about our walls except for the fact that they serve to *compact, gathering inmates. ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ comes to mind.
Gathering inmates has nothing to do with visiting the prisons or being a seeker-friendly church. Until believers awaken to the fact that as long as there are walls within their heart behind which they refuse the Lord access, the individual and corporate Bride remains in many ways in a prison of her own making. The sad reality is that many of our enemies are gathered within our heart, where they need not remain.
The beauty of Christ’s standing at the door knocking is that He bears the Kingdom’s Government on His shoulders; powerful to the releasing of our captivity. The Son overcame All; now He has All authority. When granted access to the chamber of one’s heart and the other side of the wall, this Word becomes the new reality:
“So if the Son makes you free (liberated, delivered) you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
Until then, as the Shulamite Bride found, it is quite crowded within with all the gathered inmates. And liberty is elusive.
Jesus often spoke in conditional terms – “So IF the Son makes you free…”
This Man with a Plan; this Builder of the Bride’s Blueprint; this Vine grafting in healthy branches; this Bridegroom seeking a Bride who has made herself ready…stands even now behind our walls, at the door of our heart – the inner chamber of who we are and are becoming.
The Bride will journey no more quickly or easily than her responsiveness to the Bridegroom patiently waiting – while she is content within and he is lonely for her without.
When did the prison become more enticing than He Who sets the captives free? You can keep the inmates busy but one day the walls will come down. If you believe Christ cannot be trusted with the whole of you, then who among flesh can you trust in the days ahead?
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness,
but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish
but for all ( the whole) to come to repentance.
II Peter 3:9 NASB
Meet me soon for Through the Lattice, Part 3
~ Gracefully Free
*original Hebrew
Leafy lattice photo credit: wit via photopin cc
Shammahs Field LLC/Shammah Ministries is the biblical counseling, life coaching, and spiritual growth ministry entrusted to Wayne & Nancy Bentz. You can learn more about the resources they have to offer at shammahsfield.com and nancybentz.com.
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