1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.
3 “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love you.
4 “Take me away with you and let’s hurry!
Here are a few thoughts that will help you understand better the first four verses of Song of Solomon chapter 1. The word “mouth,” in verse two, can also be translated “words”or “commandments.” Wine in the Song of Solomon represent pleasures, or those things that bring gladness of heart. Those things that exhilarate our heart. The oils spoken of in verse three are about his presence. In verse two when the Shulamite says “may He kiss me with the kisses of his commandments,” she is expressing a desire to be fully and radically surrendered to Solomon. This is how this love song begins; with her longing to be totally yielded. She is asking for commandments to be given so that she can express her obedience as acts of affection. In John 14, Jesus says if you love me you will keep my Commandments, and here she’s expressing her desire to show her love to him by keeping commandments. She seems them as kisses, no longer as burdens, or duties. She has a passionate desire to please Him. The question is, what happened to her that would cause her to so love the opportunity to obey, and display her surrendered heart. The last half of verse two and verse three gives us the answer. In verse two she says for “Your love is better than wine.” Obviously she is had some new encounter with the love of Jesus that has exhilarated her heart, and brought more gladness to her heart than anything else she has ever known. The beginning of verse three she says “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance.” The word “pleasing” there, means to “fully satisfy.” Again, it is obvious that He has encountered her in such a way that revealed His love in a deeper way she’s ever known, and He has made His presence very tangible to her. How many times has that happened to each of us, where Christ has come to us either in a public service or private devotion and just made His presence and love so real and personal. Like the Shulamite, did we respond by surrendering to a WASTED life, in pursuit of the Much More of His of His love and Presence, while longing to love Him back. The opportunity will come again. Ask Him for it. O’ to be a Lovesick Dwelling place, where His presence can be on full display.