The Song of Songs
by Watchman Nee, 1965
- Introduction
- The Title 1:1 - The Song of Songs is a contrast to Ecclesiastes' "vanity of vanities."
- Part One -- Initial Love -- 1:2-2:7
- Intense Longings 1:2-3 - The Holy Spirit creates a questing spirit within a person, causing an intense desire to seek and know God personally.
- Fervent Desires 1:4a - We get the power for this quest from our Lord Himself.
- Intimate Fellowship 1:4b - When we dedicate our lives to His rule and authority, we are satisfied to know that He will perfect the work He has begun in us.
- The Inner Chamber 1:5-7 - Fervent seeking allows us to see our true nature. At the same time we become aware of our identity in Christ. We stop covering up our faults, realize that tasks assigned by men are worthless, and seek spiritual food and rest.
- The King Speaks 1:8-11 - An awareness of our duty to younger and less mature ones is realized. They must not be neglected as we pursue personal blessings.
- The Maiden Speaks 1:12-14 - What we enjoy is what God enjoys. The Lord gives all to us; we give ourselves back to Him.
- The King's Praise 1:15 - Spiritual insight becomes noticable.
- The Maiden's Reply 1:16-2:1 - The place where we find rest is the same place where God finds it His pleasure to dwell.
- The King's Reply 2:2 - The fruit of the workings of self-will must be burned up.
- The Maiden's Praise 2:3-6 - Our testimony becomes one of rapturous joy in His presence. All that we do is for no other reason than love for Christ. Without His sustaining grace, such joy can surpass the limits of what we can contain.
- The King's Charge 2:7 - The Lord desires that we find rest. After the exhaustion of the pursuit sets in, this rest is much needed. Only when the person has rested and begins to seek again, can they progress.
- Part Two -- Faltering Love -- 2:8-3:5
- The Call to Escape from Self 2:8-2:15 - We are shown the power of resurrection life and its bountifulness. We are called to know the working of the Cross in our inner life in subjective experience. We must be made conformable to His death. Every appearance of the old life - habits, looks back - are hindrances which will affect our day-by-day subjection to the dealing of the Cross and our casting off of our self-life.
- Failure and Restoration 2:16-3:5 - Too easily, we lose our focus on Christ. We become enamored with the feelings and experiences of spiritual growth and our gaze wanders from the Lord to His gifts and blessings. We then sense a loss of His presence - not that we have lost Him altogether, but that we must go on seeking patiently, until once more we find Him. He must have His liberty to withdraw those sensations of His presence. Our faith is based on His promise, not feelings.
- Part Three -- Growing Love -- 3:6-5:1
- The New Creation 3:6-4:6 - After many experiences of stripping away our focus on self, we come into a complete union with Him. The fragrant virtues of His life are given us in exchange for our obedience and devotedness. We are a new creation with the beauty of spiritual perception, consecration, the ability to feed on spiritual provisions, submissive speech, fruitfulness, the inward strength of a will in line with the Lord's will, faith, and love. We enter into a deeper search and press on to greater fellowship and a greater deliverance from the world.
- The Call to the Heavenlies 4:7-15 - When we see things as God sees them, we gain a proper perspective of spiritual things. We are painfully aware of the enemy's wiles. Our affections are set on the things of Heaven. The beauty and fragrance of the life cultivated within us bring forth a bounty of fruit for our Lord's enjoyment.
- The Life of Love 4:16-5:1 - It is the Holy Spirit who spreads the effects of our spiritual growth far and wide to benefit others. The Lord planted the seeds in our lives, cultivated their growth, and enjoys the fruit that results from His labours in us.
- Part Four -- Transforming Love -- 5:2-7:13
- The Further Challenge of the Cross 5:2-6:3 - The full mystery of the Cross involves experiencing the shame of the Cross -- feeling abandoned by God and suffering the misunderstandings of friends and aquaintances. Those who act as spiritual leaders inflict the wounds of accusations of sin. Yet there are those immature believers to whom we must minister. In recounting those things we have learned through former experiences, we come to a realization of His presence in our very love for Him.
- Life Within the Veil 6:4-13 - The love of the Lord never changes. Our experiences may involve the same lesson over and over, yet a deeper meaning is learned in each instance. Less mature believers will recognize those who are mature. We receive His glory, learn humility, and experience progress and victory.
- The Workmanship of God 7:1-9a - As the workmanship of God, our beauty becomes that of heavenly proportions. Our ability to feed others is more manifest. The Lord has something to take hold of for fellowship.
- Co-Worker with the Lord 7:9b-13 - Knowing the Lord intimately, we live only for His pleasure. We express His desires in prayer for we have come to know them. Our greatest concern is how to bring Christ to His people. The fruit of service, like the fruit of character, is for the Lord's glory and enjoyment.
- Part Five -- Mature Love -- 8:1-14
- Groaning for Bodily Release 8:1-4 - An increasing awareness of how limited we are by our carnal shell causes us to yearn for the Lord's return.
- Preparation for the Second Coming 8:5-14 - As we emerge from our spiritual wilderness, we become painfully aware of the wilderness of the world in which we live. Our service is no longer merely from convictions of duty, but rather springs from our love for the Lord. The Lord's minimum portion is that which comes from a full and mature Christian life. Our affections are in another world and our longings are such that they can only be satified by His coming.
