SCRIPTURE: Song of Solomon 5
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls! Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you— if you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love. [Song of Solomon 5:6-8]
For some reason, this poor girl is frustrated by her beloved, he disappears and she goes looking for him – only to be abused by the watchmen.
I am not exactly sure why this happens – I am sure Freud could come up with an explanation about repressed sexuality.
Whatever the specifics, the basic point is that this woman found deep joy and love, and yet was frustrated in that experience of it.
And other people abuse her in her desperation and frustration.

When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is–that she is a sinner.” [Luke 7:37-39]
I am remind of this ‘sinful woman’, probably a prostitute abused by many men, including these religious watchmen.
And yet she finds in Jesus something different; His love is different, it does not abuse her but honours and values and liberates her.
Was her action here purely spiritual – it is probably more comfortable for us to read it this way, but I suspect this woman was drawn to Jesus physically and spiritually and emotionally… with her whole being.
She – like all of us – was created for love and intimacy, yet in this world all she experienced was being used and abused and discarded – until she met Jesus.
It should not offend us if this woman (and many other women) were attracted to Jesus as a man.
I do not believe Jesus encouraged this, but being the man that He was He naturally attracted this kind of attention.

So what is the point of this?
I guess a reminder that Jesus came to restore us completely, not just spiritually.
The good news is that through Jesus, we can finally become all who we were created to be, and to find the fulfillment (including intimacy) that our hearts desperately long for.
For the woman in Song of Solomon, and for this sinful women, there was this deep longing for full love and acceptance, deep frustration at its absence, sorrow and grief because of its abuse, and deep joy at its discovery in her “lover”.
We will not be satisfied deep within – whether mentally, emotionally, physically, sexually or spiritually – until we experience God’s love and acceptance.
Once we taste this kind of love, no other love will satisfy, and we will sacrifice anything to experience and enjoy it!

PRAYER:
Lord, this kind of deep love is hard for us to comprehend, our experience of it is so distorted by our sin and selfishness. Give me an experience of it, like this sinful woman experienced, that I may respond to You with joy and tears!