The Pathway to God

Song of Solomon is a love story between Solomon and what appears to be a lowly servant girl who was forced to work outside and bear the heat of the sun:

Song of Solomon 1:6 (ESV) Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!

Notice her attitude about herself. She's ashamed. She doesn't feel worthy. What has made her like this? She has been hated by those who should have loved her - her own brothers. She has been worked in ways a woman should not have been. And she has not been able to attend to herself. 

What a picture of the unregenerate person. The pain of life, the brunt of hardship, and the hatred faced by those around them cause them to cower in shame. YET, the woman is not without hope. She seeks the lover of her soul. 

Song of Solomon 1:7 (ESV) Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?

She wants to be in the presence of Solomon's flock. Why? Because she knows if she gets there she will be closer to Him. 

It's a simple thing to draw close to God. Attend to His flock, the church. You cannot and must not assume only a personal subjective connection to God. He is in heaven and perfect. He is holy and righteous. And He is also the shepherd of the flock of God - an enormous population of people made perfect by His grace. 

The woman comes with an intriguing question: "why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?" In other words, why should I hide from you anymore? Deep down she longs to connect with the king. Her soul draws her out of the place of shame and puts her in His presence, to come clean as she is before Him. And best of all, she gets what she desires.

Song of Solomon 1:8 (ESV) If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.

Here the King advises her in the path. What is the path? The tracks of the flock. Spiritual growth begins when we find mentors in the faith who can lead us where they have been, those who can show us the tracks they took to follow Christ. Notice what Paul says to the Corinthian church:

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV) Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

A spiritual connection to God happens through people. Some don't like this. Again, they long for a highly individualized connection to a God of their own making. This must not be. For as we cannot hide who we really are before Him, we also cannot imagine Him as anything other than who He is. And He is discovered through people. Even Peter came to Christ through his brother Andrew. Saul came through the compassionate labor of Barnabus. You had someone tell you about Christ. That is how it works. 

Notice what else the King says:

Song of Solomon 1:9–11 (ESV) I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. 10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.

There is no shame from the King toward his beloved. He lavishes praise and compliments. What a picture of our relationship to God through faith in Christ. Our sins are removed and He sees us righteous in Himself. 

So many fear approaching God. Song of Solomon makes it clear that though we may have reason to fear in ourselves, there is no reason from God. He longs for us to come, but we must come among those who know Him and partake of His glory.