Looking Through the Lattice

 

“…Behold, He stands behind our wall;

He is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice.: 

Song of Songs 2:9b

 

I so love the Song of Songs.  I love to ponder the mysteries of God’s love hidden in each metaphor, each allegory, each symbol.

Well acquainted with Jesus, the Judge, gratefully aware of Jesus, the King, I am on a delightful journey to know Jesus as the Bridegroom.

While pondering the song in chapter two, I can’t get away from the “secret place” from behind the wall.  The King led her to this place.  He cautioned everyone to leave her alone, to not awaken her before it was time.  She looks out to see the King leaping over mountains and hills like a superhero.  He comes to the wall but doesn’t come in.  He stands, ready for action, looking through the window.  I also can’t get away from the lattice. The lattice obscured the view of Him.  He has come to tell her the season is right to leave the secret place.  He reminds her of His love and invites her to come away with Him to the mountains.  But she sees Him through the lattice.

What is the melody of love in this passage?

 

In Old Testament times, walls surrounded the vineyards.  The King brought her to His vineyard to eat, drink, rest and learn about His heart for her.  It was a place of religion.  It was a place of learning the protocols of royalty.  It was placed to learn the disciplines.  She knew how to work in a vineyard.  She was “dark” because she had been so busy working with her brother’s vineyards… without their appreciation.  Now, she was being schooled in the spirit of the vineyard.  Gotta wonder, did it look like “law”?  Did it look like “legalism”?  From the outside, it probably did.  The difference was the motivation.

The echoes of this Truth are resounding in my heart.

• He brought her to a place of law; ceremony, rules, and ordinances probably just like the one she has left.
• The place was a place of religion. But obviously, all religion is not bad.  True religion is just “discipline to follow what you believe.” (However, the spirit of religion, to dictate and control others, is not good.)  
• Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” The lifestyle of obedience, of purity, of holiness, that He desired for her would come not from being afraid of judgment that from knowing how much He loved her.
• Behind the wall, she was safe and secure with her rules and disciplines.
• He was okay with that. He had put her there… for a time.

But NOW, she was looking through the lattices of types and shadows and ordinances and prophecies to see outside the vineyard.  His beautiful eyes were piercing the depths of her heart to awaken her to adventure with Him… ON THE MOUNTAINS.  He was saying, “Let’s go for a hike in the High Places.”  Could she?  Would she? Could she look past the lattice to see Him clearly enough to give her the courage to go?

– A Devotion from my Song of Songs Love Story