Awake,
O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices
may flow out. Let my Beloved come to His garden, and eat its pleasant
fruits. Song of Solomon 4:16
With these words, the
Shulamite articulates the primary transition of her life. Her desire is
no longer that her comfort zone be maintained. Rather, her desire now
is that the King would receive maximum pleasure from the fragrance of
her life. The spices and fruits speak of the fragrant impact of her
life, and she recognizes that in order for that fragrance to be released
to the fullest degree, both the north and south winds are necessary.
The
north winds speak of times of adversity, and the south winds speak of
times of comfort and pleasure. There are some spices, some fragrances of
worship that can only be released in the pressures of difficulty and
trouble. When worship arises from a soul that is troubled, it is a
pleasing and fragrant aroma to God, and a sign of defeat for the enemy.
Without times of trouble, the fragrance of worship is not complete, nor
is the experience of intimacy made full. There is a communion of sorrows
that is uniquely precious, and only those who welcome the north winds
can know that communion.
By the same token, there are spices, or
fragrances of worship and love that can only be expressed as
thanksgiving for times of blessing. The point is that her desire is not
to be comfortable, but to give full expression of her love for the King,
that His pleasure might be full. She is living for Him now, and her
preparation for her place of intimate authority is nearly complete.
In
the past days of her life, the changing winds would have been a source
of anxiety and fear for the Shulamite. But now she sees that she can
command the winds to produce and release fervent love in her own heart.
So she prophesies to the winds, commanding them to do their work of
refining and releasing the pure fragrance of adoring worship that the
King desires. What a transition, and what a preparation for glory!
Gary Wiens
Saturday, October 25, 2014
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