In this chapter the groom admires his bride’s beauty. It sounds like beauty is in the eye of the beholder – or is it?
“…my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young. Your neck is like the tower of David, built in rows of stone; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors.” (v1-2, 4)
Teeth like naked sheep, wild hair, and a heavily-adorned thick neck. These are the ‘compliments’ every bride wants to hear, right? Well, at least he also pointed out her eyes are peaceful and none of her teeth are missing, so that’s something.
Scripture teaches that appearances are literally skin-deep – the way someone looks. The groom and bride portrayed in this book definitely realize this – their love, like God’s, goes so much deeper than surface appearances. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ ” (1 Sam 16:7) If the groom in this book, God, and Jesus all look past outward appearances, then we as God’s followers, can do the same.
Have you ever heard the term “Hollywood marriage”? It used to simply mean the union of celebrity couples, though now it implies a short-lived marriage. Many of these short-lived marriages are built on superficial love, or fueled by appearances / status. The type of love described in scripture (eg. this chapter, Rev. 19, Eph. 5) is a deep, unconditional love that looks beyond the surface.
I encourage us to love everyone unconditionally, in obedience to Jesus’ command to love one another as He loves us (Jn 15:12). If Jesus loves us so much He died for us, and we are all made in the image of God, then everyone is worthy of God’s unconditional love that flows through us. This love know no bounds, surpasses all understanding, and overcomes all bias. This kind of love tears down walls, destroys stereotypes, and heals brokenness. This is what it means to follow Jesus – to love God and people as He loves them. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then God, who creates / defines beauty, gets to show us how to behold beauty.
Father God, our Wise and Discerning Lord, You are the source of all beauty and love. Thank you for sending Jesus to demonstrate love, grace, and Your perspective on how to behold people. May we learn to consistently mirror Jesus, looking past all surface differences and appearances, and love people unconditionally. Spirit please help us to look to the Father for guidance, and not rely on culture to define love or beauty. In the name of Jesus we seek to love, honor and obey You, every moment of every day, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training