The Shulamite has chosen the life of a Bond-Servant. She has chosen to live to please Him as her primary purpose because of love. A Bond-Servant is someone who has volunteered to a life of slavery, when freedom was offered. They choose to forever stay, living for the pleasure of the One whose goodness and love they’ve encountered, instead of being released to live to themselves. Therefore, a Bond-Servant is a “Volunteer Prisoner of Love.” As Paul said in 2Corinthians 5:14, they are “Controlled by Love.” The word “controlled” means to be “Taken” and “Compelled.” This is (S.S. 1:4). Take me away with you; let’s run. This is the heart of this volunteer prisoner. Look at (Rev. 1:2). “Rev. 1:1 ¶ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,…” The word “revelation” means to “unveil.” This is the lure of someone,who having encountered the love of Jesus, chooses the life of a Bond-Servant. It’s the reward of the volunteer slave of Christ; the unveiling of Jesus. It’s the Bond-Servant who experiences a life of Jesus unveiling Himself to them. This is the lure. This is the reward. This is the captivating offer. When He awakens our heart with loves encounter, it’s for the purpose of not just delighting in us, in that moment, though it’s does bring Him delight, instead, it is an invitation to enslavement to His heart, and a life of delighting in the unveiling of His beauty to us. His love, I think, is the glorious temptation.
