“Come back, come back, O Shulammite; Come back, come back, that we may gaze at you!” “Why should you gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of the two companies?”
—Song of Songs 6:13

Reflection

In Song of Songs, the Shulamite woman is the bride who loves King Solomon. Her devotion to her bridegroom gives us a spiritual picture of our relationship with Messiah Jesus. As she rises in confidence and capability, ready to leave the familiar place and go serve in the kingdom, the voices of others begin to intrude into her commitment.

Some cry out for her to return. It is as if they are saying, “come back to us. Don’t leave us. We want you here. Let’s keep things as they were. We liked you better that way!”

As you rise up in confidence and capability, just as the bride did, many people will want to hold you back.

But another response emerges in the passage, described as the dance of the two companies. This speaks to the two types of responses that arise when someone becomes bold for Jesus.

One camp is inspired by our zeal and God’s work in our lives. They want to partake of it and be with us. The other camp wants us to leave. They have had enough of our Jesus talk, our love for the Bible, and our devotion to the Lord.

Yeshua warned that this would happen. He said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). He went on to explain that following Him could even bring division within our own families.

When we get radical for Jesus, our lives will bring division, just as the Shulamite bride’s life brought division when she became radical for her bridegroom.

Jesus also said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you” (Luke 6:26). We cannot make the approval of others our aim. We need to press into Him and go all the way. Everybody in our lives should know who we are living for. Everybody should know we love Jesus with everything we have.

Interestingly, this is the only time in Song of Songs that the bride is called the Shulamite. The name Solomon in Hebrew is Shlomo, which comes from the root of shalom, meaning peace. The name Shulamite is related to that same Hebrew root.

Beloved, we take on the name and character of the King we serve. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has given us His name! Just as a bride takes the name of her bridegroom, we take on the identity and character of the One to whom we belong in the Spirit.

Let this revelation come alive in your heart. Don’t allow the approval or rejection of others to stop your progress. Let the Lord give you the confidence and courage to continue climbing, to overcome, and to fulfill your calling in His kingdom.

Application

• Consider whether the approval or rejection of others is holding you back from fully following Jesus. Choose to be more concerned with pleasing Him than pleasing people.
• Ask the Father to strengthen your identity in Yeshua so that you can move forward confidently in the calling He has given you.

Prayer

Father, show me my noble calling as I labor in Your fields and vineyards among Your people. Give me the selfless heart of the Shulamite bride, and build in me a warrior spirit that will not be stopped or pushed back. Let me hear Your affirming voice and remind me how beautiful I am to You. Give me the confidence and courage to continue climbing and overcoming, even when others reject me. Because Yeshua has risen from the dead, I declare that I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. Amen.