FURTHER TRANSFORMATION
Now the seeking one says, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies”(6:3). Formerly, she said, “My beloved is mine.” But now she says, “I am my beloved’s.” It is not so much that the Lord is for me as it is that I am for the Lord. This shows more growth in life, more improvement, and further transformation. Now she is like the Apostle Paul, suffering for the Lord’s purpose, not working according to her taste, but according to God’s desire. She is no longer laboring for her contentment or satisfaction, but for the fulfilling of God’s eternal purpose to build up the Body of Christ. To do this, she surely must take the way of suffering. Just as Paul suffered to fill up the lack of the afflictions of Christ for His Body’s sake, this one knows the Lord with the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. She is now being conformed to the death of Christ. Such a one, like Paul, is a useful vessel for God’s purpose.
She has lost her will, her personality, and her way to work. All these things have been fully dealt with by the Lord’s death. Now she is absolutely one with the Lord for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. For this reason the Lord likens her to a city. “Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners” (6:4). The real consummation of the spiritual life is not her individual, personal satisfaction, but the fulfillment of the Lord’s eternal purpose to build up His Body. Even chapter five shows some personal satisfaction and contentment, but now as a city she is absolutely not for herself. Now she is wholly for God’s purpose of building up the church, which is seen at the end of the Bible as a built-up city.
SPIRITUAL SIGHT, SUBMISSION, AND RECEIVING ABILITY
Now the Lord appraises her again. “Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them” (6:5-6). Here the Lord mentions mainly three things: her eyes, her hair, and her teeth. The eyes signify the renewing of the mind; the hair signifies the submission and subduing of the will; and the teeth signify the ability to take in or receive food. We cannot take in food properly without teeth. She has learned to feed upon the Lord Jesus.
How she has captured the Lord! Her eyes have overcome Him. Her sight is very spiritual, so much like the dove. It seems that the Lord simply cannot resist her eyes. Her hair, the subduing and submission of her will, is such a beauty to the Lord. Her teeth have such receiving power. All the time she eats of the Lord and takes Him in. These are the three main points of the Lord’s appraisal of such a seeking one. We need spiritual sight, we need submission, and we need receiving ability. Through these we will be transformed and changed into a city.
THE DAWN, THE MOON, THE SUN, AND THE ARMY
Now the day breaks, and the shadows really flee away. The Lord likens her to three shining things and one terrifying thing: the dawn, the moon, the sun, and the army. “Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” (6:10). She looks forth as the dawn, the breaking of day. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Now her day really breaks. She herself is just like the dawn. Moreover, she is the moon and the sun. There is no more shadow, no more darkness; she is completely filled with light. As the moon and the sun, she is the lightbearer, full of light.
This is not another stage, but is included in the city. These last four figures: the army, the dawn, the moon, and the sun are all included in the city. When she was a garden, she was not yet an army. Now, as the city, she is the army, the dawn, the moon, and the sun. To the Lord she is the city; to the enemy she is the army; and to the whole universe she is the shining one, shining forth all the time. According to the Bible, the sun signifies Christ, and the moon as the reflection of the sun signifies the church. Now she is both Christ and the church; she is both the sun and the moon. This is marvelous! To God she is the city; to Satan she is the army; and to the whole universe she is the sun and the moon. She is shining more and more unto the perfect day.
(Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, Chapter 12, by Witness Lee)
