Shulammite

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite
as on the dance of Mahanaim?

The Shulammite is the beloved from the Song of Solomon. She is the sought after, the favored one of the lover. After her rejection of the lover’s overtures she changes her mind and seeks him through the city.

We are the beloved of Christ and too often we reject his advances and find that regret takes us by many narrow byways.

Away from the protection of her lover the Shulammite is ill used by the city guards.

We also suffer needlessly the ravages of sin when we are out of relationship with Christ.

The Shulammite finds her lover in his garden, gathering lilies.

We never have to wonder where Christ has gone. He is always about his father’s business. We find him in quiet places.

She appears before her lover bruised and disheveled with the chorus of friends calling her to come back so that they can stare at her.

Likewise, coming away from the world we appear before Christ beat up, in rags with the world begging us to come back that we may be made sport of.

She asks why they would use her so, comparing herself to the dance of Mahanaim. The dance of Mahanaim is a poetic device referring to the clash of two armies.

A bloody, tragic sight like the clash of two armies or a train wreck is impossible to look away from. We become like a train wreck that people can’t stop staring at when we fall from grace and the world desires to spotlight every bump and bruise that it inflicted upon us.

Without a single comment on her condition the lover spends the next nine verses extolling her beauty.

We may feel like a train wreck. The world may be howling with joy over our ruination. But, as soon as we listen to Jesus he says, “You are beautiful, my beloved.”