Our Brother the Lord

“His mouth is most sweet; yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” (Song of Solomon 5:16)

This verse is from Solomon’s book of the relationship between a bride and her husband. It tells of their love. It’s included in the Bible because Jesus is the bridegroom of the church, the bride of Christ. Solomon inadvertently prophesied about Jesus and the church. There is no Scripture that tells us that Solomon was a prophet. He was the wisest man, but in this book, he prophesies about Jesus and the church through his story of the bridegroom and the bride.   

“His mouth is most sweet...” This portion of the Scripture can refer to the fear of the Lord which David described as “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” in Psalm 19.  It can refer to His Word which again David describes as sweet. “How sweet are Your Words to my taste! More than honey to my mouth!” (Psalms 119:103)

The bride describes the bridegroom as lovely, very attractive, delightful and desired. Ezekiel prophesied that yes, He would be lovely, delightful and desired by the people, but they would not obey His Word. And so, it was. Jesus came and His Word drew many to Him, but only a few of those followed Jesus. There were one hundred and twenty in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. (Acts 1:15) And three thousand were converted when they preached to those who had come to the feast. (Acts 2:41) “And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.” (Ezekiel 33:32 KJV) To us, His followers, disciples and believers, the church, He is lovely, delightful and the desire of our hearts.

Jesus is the Beloved. At His baptism, the Father calls Him, “...My beloved Son.” (Matthew 3:17 Isaiah prophesied, and Matthew reiterated that Jesus was the Beloved. “Behold my Servant, whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.” (Matthew 12:18) Again at the transfiguration, the three disciples that went with Jesus to the mount heard the Father’s voice. “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35)

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are accepted by the Father in Him. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6) We have to have understanding of this verse. It does not mean that God chose those who would be accepted in the Beloved, but that since the beginning of the world, the Father knew those who would love Jesus, and it is those He predestined to be accepted in the Beloved.

Of course, Jesus is more than our friend. The bride says the bridegroom is her friend. The Hebrew word that was translated friend means companion, husband or lover. It may depend on who is talking about whom that lends the correct connotation. In Scripture we see that Jesus called His disciples first servants, then friends and finally brethren. This progression was the result of His relationship to His disciples. “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) After His resurrection, Jesus calls His disciples brethren. Now they are the children of God and joint heirs with Jesus. “Jesus said to her, Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek? Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away from here, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned herself and said to Him, Rabboni! (which is to say, Master!) Jesus said to her, Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father and Your Father, and to My God and your God.” (John 20:15-17) He calls His Father, their Father.

Jesus is the Beloved in Whom we are accepted. He is our “friend” the lover of our souls and our Brother with Whom we are joint heirs. But He is so much more. He our Savior and Lord, the Bridegroom of the church Who is coming for us. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord.” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17)