“I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, my locks with the damp of the night.’”
—Song of Songs 5:2 

Reflection

There comes a point in our relationship with Yeshua when He invites us to know Him not only in blessing, but also in the fellowship of His sufferings.

In Song of Songs 5, the bride is lying in bed half asleep, but her heart is awake to Him. The King comes to her with His head drenched with dew and His locks with the damp of the night. He comes to her as the Jesus of Gethsemane, as He was the night before His crucifixion when His hair was drenched with the night dew.

He asks His bride to open up to Him, not only as one He blesses, but as one willing to know Him in the fellowship of His sufferings. In essence, He is asking, Will you receive Me now and share with Me in the nighttime of My greatest grief?

His invitation reminds us of Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Now the bride has a decision to make. Will she open up and receive the Jesus of Gethsemane? Will she open up to share in His sufferings?

She answers, “I have taken off my dress, how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, how can I dirty them again?” In essence, she is saying, I have already consecrated myself to You. I refuse to go backward.

The bride has taken off the dress that once defiled her. She has given herself over to the King and will not put on the old dress of her former behavior again.

We see a similar picture in Zechariah 3, where the Lord removes the high priest Joshua’s filthy garments and says, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”

In both passages, the old, dirty clothes are left behind and exchanged for garments appropriate for a newly cleansed state and relationship with God.

Like the bride, we are called to keep moving forward, even when it may be difficult. Yeshua does not invite us to return to what He has cleansed us from. He calls us to remain consecrated to Him and to open our hearts to know Him more deeply, even when following Him means joining Him in the fellowship of His sufferings.

Application

• When following Yeshua becomes difficult, remember your consecration to Him and refuse to put the old garments back on.
• Open your heart to know Yeshua not only in His blessings, but also in the fellowship of His sufferings.

Prayer

Yeshua, keep my heart awake to Your voice when You knock. I want to know You not only in times of blessing, but also in the fellowship of Your sufferings. Help me remain consecrated to You and refuse to go backward into the things You have cleansed me from. Give me grace to keep moving forward, even when following You is difficult. May my heart remain open to You in every season. Amen.