Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of the merchant? Look! It is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty warriors . . . Come out, and look, you daughters of Zion. Look on King Solomon wearing a crown, the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart rejoiced (Song of Songs 3:6-7; 11).
Imagine standing on the wall of Jerusalem, looking out toward the desert horizon. In the distance, columns of dust rise. A caravan is approaching, a company of men so perfumed with myrrh and frankincense that the scent is perceptible on the wind. Pointing to the approaching carriage, the bride calls out to her friends, “Daughters of Jerusalem, come out and look! King Solomon is wearing his crown!”
“And oh, see? There are sixty warriors accompanying him, the noblest of Israel, each one experienced in battle, each with his sword at his side. And just think, Solomon had the carriage made for himself, specifically for our wedding.” She turns to her friends to see if her joy is mirrored on their faces too.
“Do you know that he had it crafted with wood from Lebanon?” she gushes further. “It has posts of silver and a base of gold, and its cushions are purple, made by the young girls of Jerusalem with love!” Her face softens as she glances at a group of smiling young girls beside her. How she delighted in this carriage, seeing it as an expression of Solomon’s love for her.
Allegory Parallels
We consider twelve groomsmen lavish for most weddings—imagine sixty! And with such a fancy carriage, we can safely assume that this was the ancient Israeli version of a wedding on the scale of King Charles and Princess Diana. Impressive indeed!
But how does the bride’s love story in Song of Songs parallel ours with our heavenly bridegroom, Jesus?
She is in love with a king who came for her. We, too, are in love with a king—the King of kings and Lord of Lords who will one day come for us with more glory, splendor, and majesty than you’d see at the most lavish royal wedding.
Solomon came escorted by an impressive show of military strength—sixty warriors. Jesus will come escorted by the armies of heaven. Matthew 16:27 says, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”
Solomon lovingly prepared for his wedding day. He spent time and effort crafting a special carriage “inlaid with love.” Jesus told his disciples, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:2-3). Jesus is like a happy bridegroom, lovingly preparing for the day of our union with him.
Our Preparation
We are betrothed, promised to The Most Worthy One. The prophecy to Israel in Hosea 2:19 is true for the bride of Christ as well: I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.
And so we make ourselves ready, putting on the bright and clean fine linen given us to wear because our bridegroom, the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star says,
“Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen and amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Took a bit of my breath away, Ruth!
Cool