“The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” (Song of Solomon 7:13)
In Solomon’s love poem, he includes the use of mandrakes. In our Scripture, the bride gives mandrakes to her bridegroom. Mandrakes are an aphrodisiac and it was believed to increase fertility. Rachel, Jacob’s wife exchanged her time with Jacob for mandrakes. Her sister Leah had given Jacob children but she didn’t have one child. “And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.” (Genesis 30: 14,15) In our Scripture, the bride is saying that their time together will be fertile.
Traditionally in Jewish custom, the gates of those newly married were usually lavishly decorated with flowers and fruit. The bride invites the bridegroom to enter. She has fruit, for him. Solomon’s book has been canonized as sacred because of its metaphorical representation of the church and Jesus. Our union with Jesus is fertile. The Holy Spirit is producing fruit in us. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.” (John 15:8) When we abide, remain and dwell in Jesus, the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us. We cannot produce it. It’s a result of being in Jesus and remaining in Him. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” (John 15:4) Only as we are with Jesus, following and obeying Him will the Holy Spirit produce fruit in us.
In our Scripture the bride invites the groom to see the fruit. Likewise, we invite Jesus, our Beloved Savior to see the fruit the Holy Spirit is producing in us. Only those who are in Jesus who have left the works of the flesh can produce this fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:22-24) We cannot have both, although we have crucified the flesh, the struggle with the flesh is real throughout our lives. “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8-10)
"Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” (Psalms 92:1-15) In our prime when we are full of strength and our vision is new, we bear fruit in our obedience following Jesus in our work. We get planted in the “house of the Lord” and “flourish in the courts of our God.” And even when we get old and our strength is waning, we continue to bear fruit.
Solomon’s Shulamite bride has made all kinds of preparations for her union with the bridegroom. The church also should be making her preparations. Sincerely following Jesus and obeying Him. The Holy Spirit will display all the fruit to Jesus the product of our faithfulness and love for Him.
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