In the book of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the bride said to the groom, “Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give you my loves”, and in chapter seven and verse thirteen of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the bride said, “the mandrakes give a smell” where we read,
The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old,
which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.
The verse reads, “The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, ...”Solomon began with the words, “the mandrakes” or “the love-apple which were thought to promote sexual desire and favored procreation” “give a smell” which means “bestow, ascribe, produce and deliver up a scent, fragrance, aroma and odor”, “and at our gates” or “and upon the ground of our, the bride and groom's, opening, doorway and entrance” “are all manner of pleasant fruits” which means “exist each, every, the whole, everyone and the totality of excellent, valuable and precious fruit”, “new and old” or “fresh and withered, flabby and aged”. Solomon shared how the bride spoke of the scent which “mandrakes” produced, and upon the ground of the entrance to the bride and groom's place were a total number of fresh and withered “fruits”.
The verse goes on to say, “... which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.” Solomon continued with the words, “which I have laid up for you” or “that I, the bride, have hidden, treasured or stored up on behalf of you, the groom”, “O my beloved” which means “O my, the bride's, well-loved groom”. Solomon shared how the bride shared how she stored the “mandrakes” on behalf of her well-loved groom.
When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Solomon how the bride spoke of the scent “mandrakes”which were known to be aphrodisiacs that she stored up for the groom along with a great number of valuable “fruits” on the ground at the entrance of their place. She loved the groom, and she wanted him to be attracted to her in any way possible, and if “mandrake” aphrodisiacs were to enhance their time together, she would employ the use of them. God loves us, and His desire is to have us attracted to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we yield our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and enjoy a relationship with Him for all eternity.
Next time we begin the final chapter and see Solomon share how the bride says to the groom, “O that you were as my brother” 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".
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