Song 2:3 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
I believe that the last half of verse three speaks of a couple of things. First, you can’t have shade or a shadow without having an object or a presence that’s casting that shadow. The preceding verses, if you remember, reveal her growing discovery of how much He loves her. She is learning that she is His favorite, and that He delights in an ending love towards her. She is being perfected in love and is growing confident, because of that, in her relationship with her Beloved. In response, knowing how much He cherishes her, He is now becoming her favorite. The result is she now is longing to spend more and more time in His presence, in light of this emerging lovesick relationship.
The word “shade” in this verse is the same word “shadow” that’s used in Psalm 91:1. That verse says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Love is creating an inertia in her heart and soul. She is being driven by affection, to spend more time with Him. As a matter of fact being in the shadow, or shade of His presence has become a delightful thing to her, because His presence is so sweet to her taste. Isn’t this the only true and lasting motivation to spend time in the secret place with Jesus. Guilt and duty won’t last, but when you start tasting the goodness of God, you long to come back for more. Loves addictive grace will build a prayer life you will never recover from.