8 The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing[d] has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
Do you wistfully long for the Heights. (Isaiah 38:14) Do you long for new, higher levels of Presence and favor. He desires to come to us again and again and call us to “go way with Him” to new heights in His presence. Figs and vines in scripture often represent God’s set apart people; those on whom He has set His heart. Ripened figs, and vines in blossom speak of hearts that are ripe with a desire for the “much more” of His presence and favor. A blossoming vine is full of longing, to be “taken away” with Him again “further up, and further in.” Whenever a heart is that ripe with longing, The Holy Spirit, who orchestrates encounter, always responds, and the voice of the Dove can be heard, calling forth Christ to come and take us away. Jesus always comes when The Spirit and The Bride cry out “Hurry my Beloved.” Beware though, if you do rise up to go away with Him, to a new place with the One Who is always making things new, then be prepared for pruning. That word “pruning” in verse 12 can also be translated “singing.” New heights, new vistas in Him, always bring a new song of glory and wonder to our hearts, but before the singing comes the pruning. The further up you go, the less you can take with you, and therefore some things will have to go. You can always settle for the foothills, or the small mountains, but if you desire hinds feet for the highest places, some thing’s must go. If you add abandonment to your longing you will climb with Him, and once you’ve arrived at the new summit of Nearness, all loses will seem like lost rubbish, and mourning will turn to laughter and song.