“A garden enclosed is My sister, My spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, fragrant henna with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices – A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.”

“Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my Beloved come to His garden and eat its pleasant fruits.”

“I have come to My garden, My sister, My spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with My spice; I have eaten My honeycomb with My honey; I have drunk My wine with My milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!”

(Song of Solomon 4:12-5:1)

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We are a garden enclosed, belonging to God alone, and HE is the only One who can produce fruit in us.

SEEKING GOD’S FACE and SPENDING MUCH TIME IN HIS PRESENCE is what’s needed. He breathes His Holy Spirit into and through us, producing living waters and fruitful fields.

“You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” says the LORD, “and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” says the LORD, “and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:14)

God created you as a garden enclosed for HIMSELF, and He desires to walk with you there. He will ensure your garden has healthy soil, keep it free of hindrances, and produce abundant fruit in and through you as you seek Him in all things and walk every step in tandem with HIS will.

ALL THINGS stem from MUCH TIME AND INTIMACY WITH OUR LORD GOD!

“Come away with Me,” He calls out to us…..

(The LORD cultivates our garden in order to bless others with its fruit as well. We exist to glorify God in all things, and then to edify the Body of Christ. This gives accountability and takes away self-focus.)

For of HIM and through HIM and to HIM are ALL THINGS, to whom be GLORY FOREVER. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

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The words in this passage of Song of Solomon gives much insight into God’s hand at work in our garden:

a garden – to cover, surround, to hedge about, under wings (defend, protect)

enclosed – barred, bolted, locked, shod (furnished with sandals – as a Groom does for His new Bride)

is My sister – beloved, of the same Father (together)

My spouse – daughter-in-law (in reference to the Husband’s Father), Bride (just before marriage)

a spring – well, rock garden, waves/billows of water (roll stone away from, commit, trust)

shut up – bolted, locked up, bind on sandal (furnished with sandals – as a Groom does for His new Bride)

a fountain – a spring, well, a rock locked (eyes, in His sight, thought best of, favor, contentment)

sealed – to seal up, affix a seal upon, with the King’s seal (in covenant with, attested by seal, with Me)

your plants – sprout/shoot of growth, branch (defenses, sword, weapon of attack, put forth by His hand)

are an orchard – a preserve, park, forest (of fruit trees and costly plants)

of pomegranates – (as ornaments in the temple/tabernacle)

with pleasant – excellence, choice things, precious things (eminent, distinguished things, valuable)

fruits – to bear fruit, made fruitful (firstfruits, growth, increase, reward)

fragrant henna – coated inside/outside w/pitch (the price of a life, ransom, cover, satisfaction, redemption-price)

with spikenard – costly perfume/ointment prepared partially from spikenard – (this ointment was kept closely sealed, very precious, very costly) – in Bethany at Simon the leper’s house the alabaster jar was broken and this ointment was poured over Jesus’ head – Mary also anointed the feet of Jesus with it, and wiped His feet with her hair (and the house was filled with the fragrance of her sacrifice/worship)

and saffron – yellow – used for perfume, dye, and color/flavor in cooking (aroma, flavor, health)

calamus – a stalk, branches, aromatic reed (measuring rod, scales, shaft of lampstand)

and cinnamon – a principle ingredient in holy anointing oil, there’s no trace of it in Egypt (family)

with all trees – wood for building, timbers of a house, gallows (birth, life, death – all aspects of life)

of frankincense – one of four things which goes into the holiest of holy anointing oils (with which to anoint priests and kings – and for use in the Holy of holies – frankincense is the offering which is made with all offerings except for sin/trespass/jealousy offering because this is the offering AFTER you have been PURIFIED and CLEANSED of all sin – with NOTHING remaining on the throne of your heart – it is a PURE offering – as you lay on the altar continuously – bound with His cords of love – submitting to every testing and every chastening – your offering turns from myrrh to frankincense when you continue to be PURGED and EMPTIED OUT and there’s NOTHING left on the throne of your heart – burning white and clean when it burns – a PURE OFFERING TO THE LORD)

myrrh – bitter, troubled, vexed (‘stacte’ – pure myrrh caused by bruising – gotten when the bark of a tree is bruised – burns scarlet – laying yourself down as a sacrifice – surrender of self – living sacrifice)

frankincense & myrrh along with galbanum (gold before and then it burns purple– bitter smelling) – and onychus (burns blue) and all these (scarlet, white, gold, purple, blue) are the colors on the priests’ garment on the chest of the ephod where the precious stones of the 12 tribes go

and aloes – aloe tree, odorific tree, (sweet perfume, garments of Bride)

with all the chief – chiefest, highest, principal, foremost, most easily shaken (of place, time, rank)

spices – spice, balsam, balsam tree, fragrant (for the light, oil for lighting, spices/oil for anointing)

a fountain – a spring, well, a rock locked (eyes, in His sight, thought best of, favor, contentment)

of gardens – to cover, surround, to hedge about, under wings (defend, protect)

a well – often made by digging, water taken from it by drawing, (declare/make clear/expound/inscribe)

of living waters – life, alive, fresh, strong, sustenance, of God (welfare & happiness in King’s presence)

and streams – flowing, distilled, fresh water (running water, poured down, floods for drinking/irrigation)

from Lebanon – wooded mountain range (simile of a majestic figure, figurative of royal house of Judah)

Awake – rouse, raise, stir up, arise

O north wind – hidden, dark, concealed, kept secretly (secret place, stored, treasured, divine abode)

and come – come in, go in

O south – south wind

blow upon – breathe, haste (cause garden to exhale aromas of spices, set aflame, speak, tell, utter)

my garden – to cover, surround, to hedge about, under wings (defend, protect)

that its spices – spice, balsam, balsam tree, fragrant (for light, oil for lighting, spices/oil for anointing)

may flow out – flowing, distilled, fresh, (running water, poured down, floods for drinking/irrigation)

let my Beloved – loved One, Lover (Betrothed)

come to – come in, go in

His garden – to cover, surround, to hedge about, under wings (defend, protect)

and eat – eat freely, feast, enjoy (burn up as an offering, consume entirely)

its pleasant – excellence, choice things, precious things (eminent, distinguished things, valuable)

fruits – to bear fruit, made fruitful (firstfruits, growth, increase, reward)

I have come – come in, gone in

to My garden – My covered, surrounded, hedged about, under My wings (defended, protected place)

My sister – My beloved, of the same Father (together)

My spouse – daughter-in-law (in reference to My Father), My Bride (just before marriage)

I have gathered – gathered, picked (plucked as grapes off the Vine)

My myrrh – My pure myrrh caused by bruising, as you have (surrendered yourself and laid yourself down as a living sacrifice to Me alone)

with My spice – spice, balsam, fragrant (for light, oil for lighting, spices/oil for anointing)

I have eaten – eaten freely, feasted, enjoyed (burned up as an offering, consumed entirely)

My honeycomb – honeycomb, forest, woods (honeycomb as hived in trees)

with My honey – (figurative of love)

I have drunk – was well-watered (assuredly drank, banqueted)

My wine – banquet, metaphor of (wisdom’s drink of love)

with My milk – milk as (an especial delicacy)

Eat – eat freely (feast, enjoy)

O friends – fellows, companions (His people/followers)

Drink – be well-watered (assuredly drink, banquet)

yes drink deeply – imbibe deeply (drink freely)

O beloved ones – (My people)

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Song of Solomon chapter 4 speaks of the LORD giving His own attributes to His beloved (Bride of Christ – each one who has laid down their life in exchange for HIM) He gives to His Bride – HIS peace – HIS words of life – HIS strength – HIS righteousness – HIS countenance – HIS love – HIS promises – and then He speaks of His beloved as His own garden enclosed. Once she is surrendered to Him alone, He enters, walks together with her, and they both, together, enjoy the fruits of all He has instilled in her. As a restoration of His original Garden where He walked with His people “in the cool of the day,” He now walks together with His beloved in intimate communion in the Secret Place! As He breathes the breath of His Holy Spirit upon His garden, His beloved – she is filled to overflowing with Him – and He then flows out through her to those around her!