Cheeks as a Bed of Spices - Song of Songs 5:13

In the book of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the bride said, “my beloved is white and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set”, and in chapter five and verse thirteen of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the bride said, “his cheeks are as a bed of spices” where we read,

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

The verse begins, “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers:” Solomon began with the words, “his cheeks” or “his, the groom's, jawbones or cheeks of the face” “are as a bed of spices” which means “exist similar and in likeness to a garden terrace or parterre with balsam or perfume with a pleasant odor, aroma and fragrance”, “as sweet flowers” or “similar and in likeness to aromatic spicy tower and castle like herbs”. Solomon shared how the bride spoke of the jawbones and cheeks on the face of the groom and described them to be similar to a garden terrace with aromatic balsam and a tower of herbs.

The verse continues, “his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.” Solomon added the words, “his lips like lilies”or “his, the groom's, physical lips used for speaking existed similar and in likeness to Shoshannim or the trumpet and tubular shaped flower”, “dropping sweet smelling myrrh” which means “distilling, dripping and falling in drops of overflowing and traversing aromatic myrrh which is an Arabian gum from the bark of a tree which was used in sacred oil and perfume”. Solomon shared how the bride described the groom's “lips” to be similar to trumpet shaped flowers known as “lilies” which were dripping with aromatic “myrrh” used in sacred oil and perfume.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how Solomon continued to share the bride's description of her well-loved groom. She spoke of his jawbones or “cheeks” of his face being similar to a garden terrace full of pleasant and aromatic fragrances and towering herbs. His physical “lips”, according to the bride, were similar to trumpet shaped “lily”flowers, and they were dripping with pleasant odoriferous “myrrh”. The bride loved and admired the groom, and the details of his features were important to share. God wants us to love Him like this, and when we realize how He expressed His love toward us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, we may receive Him as our “Savior and Lord” to have our sins forgiven, be granted everlasting life and learn to give adoration and honor to Him like this bride did for the groom.

Next time Solomon shares how the bride says, “his hands are as gold rings” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".