THE MOVING VESSEL OF CHRIST
She is not only the couch for Solomon to rest in at night, she is also the palanquin for Him to move in by day. “King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, the interior thereof being fitted with love from the daughters of Jerusalem” (3:9-10). The seeking one is now a vessel to contain Christ, carrying Him about in His move. A palanquin is a stately, royal car. As a vessel, it contains the person it carries. She is now the moving vessel of Christ. Christ moves by being contained in her. While she is containing Him, He moves in her and with her. Hallelujah! This is the palanquin of Christ.
The palanquin is constructed of wood, silver, and gold. The wood is the cedar of Lebanon, signifying the Lord’s humanity. The pillars are silver. Silver always signifies the redemption of Christ. The palanquin is supported by the redemption of Christ. The bottom, the base, is made of gold, which signifies the life and nature of God. God’s divine nature is the base.
When we pray-read all of these verses, we see how much the seeking one has been transformed. The humanity of Jesus, the divinity of God, and the redemption of Christ are all wrought into her. Only these things can make us a palanquin to Christ. We must have these three materials wrought into us. Then, as His palanquin, we will be built with the humanity of Jesus, the redemption of Christ, and the divine nature of God. It is all very meaningful.
The interior is fitted with love from the daughters of Jerusalem. Our interior must be nothing but our love toward the Lord. As a palanquin to Christ, we are decorated and fitted within with our love toward the Lord. This is why this whole book is a love story. Even when we are transformed to such a stage, our interior must be fitted with love. This is the palanquin that carries the Lord. It is made of the humanity of Jesus, the redemption of Christ, and the divinity of God; and the interior is fitted with love to Jesus.
THE WEDDING CROWN
Eventually, such a person becomes the crown. “Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart” (3:11). There was the question, “Who is this?” First, the answer came that this was Solomon’s couch for resting and his palanquin for moving. Then the answer came that this was Solomon with his crown. She is now the crown of Solomon. If we love the Lord, we will become the crown of Solomon. This is not the crown for kingship; it is the crown at the wedding day. That is the crown for Christ’s espousal with us. He is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. Eventually the Bride becomes the crown to the Groom. Hallelujah!
EXPRESSING ONLY CHRIST
We must see one more thing. When the seeking one was like a horse loving the Lord, she was full of her own opinions. Even as a little dove, she still had a certain kind of personality. However, when she becomes the pillars, the couch, the palanquin, and the crown, she has lost all her personality by being permeated with the myrrh and frankincense, the death and resurrection of Christ. Now she only expresses the personality of Christ in His rest and in His move. This is the way for us to take Christ as our life. It is by loving Him as our Person, enjoying Him as our satisfaction, and experiencing Him in so many ways that we may become His full expression.
(Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
