“How beautiful and how delightful you are,
My love, with all your delights! (7:6).
While much of the poetic imagery in today’s chapter may not seem to make much sense to us, or even seem flattering, there is no doubt that the king is absolutely smitten with his bride as he explicitly expresses his rapturous desire for his love; and he finds every facet breathtakingly beautiful. His metaphors expound on the excellence of her beauty and all her delights; and there is not one thing whatsoever that he finds displeasing.
“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish in you,” (Song of Solomon 4:7).
But I couldn’t help but wonder. Was this woman truly the most beautiful woman Solomon had ever laid eyes upon? Or was it his magnanimous love that had painted an image of incomparable beauty, and it was that which colored his perspective? As the saying goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” While we don’t know the definitive answer to this, one thing is clear, she definitely received his message. There was not one doubt in her mind that she was completely loved and adored by him.
“I am my beloved’s,
And his desire is for me,” (7:10).
And that is security. Can you imagine the certainty and peace of mind she enjoyed, convinced she was so completely treasured by her love, knowing that the king found irresistible delight in her beauty?
And this brings us to our King. Could He possibly find any Beauty in us? And if He finds anything Beautiful in us at all, is it the sort that would cause Him Delight? Oh yes! Because when we humble ourselves and come to Him in faith, He is the One Who Beautifies us!
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation, (Psalm 149:4 NKJV).
He Beautifies us with salvation, and as He beholds His new creation and sees His work in the image of His Son, He Delights in us, the Beauty of His Creation!
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come, (2 Corinthians 5:17).
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, (Ephesians 2:10).
Consider Him Who Delights in Our Beauty
Because the Lord sees not as man sees, but sees our heart, if Our Beauty is ever to bring Him Delight, it will always be a matter of the heart.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
- He Delights in Our Beauty as He sees our authentic faith and reverent worship.
- Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised, (Proverbs 31:30).
- Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
- He Delights in Our Beauty as He sees our faith in Christ Who lives in us.
- I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me, (Galatians 2:20).
- He Delights in Our Beauty as He sees our imperishable and spiritual qualities within.
- your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God, (1 Peter 3:3-4).
- He Delights in Our Beauty as He sees our dependence on Him to stand blameless in His Presence.
- Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen, (Jude 1:24-25).
How do we respond to Him Who Delights in Our Beauty?
We know that our own works are anything but beautiful and utterly incapable of bringing Him Delight.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him, (Hebrews 11:6).
It is His Spirit Who dwells in us through faith that is Beautiful.
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16).
And through our faith in Christ we are clothed with Him, and when He looks into our heart of faith, He Delights in Our Beauty.
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ, (Galatians 4:26-26).
We are His workmanship, and that is what makes us Beautiful in His sight. And in that reality, that through Jesus Christ He finds irresistible Delight in Our Beauty, we can enjoy the certainty and peace of mind of living secure in His love, now and forever.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 8:38-39).
We are His work by His creation, but He also call us to cooperate with Him in faith, that we may live our life devoted to Delighting Him.
Let’s close today by reexamining the Scriptures we considered and by asking Him to examine our hearts.
Lord, do You Delight in Our Beauty through our authentic faith and reverent worship?
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised, (Proverbs 31:30).
Lord, do You Delight in Our Beauty through our faith in Christ Who lives in us?
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me, (Galatians 2:20).
Lord, do You Delight in Our Beauty through our imperishable and spiritual qualities within?
your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God, (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Lord, do You Delight in Our Beauty through our dependence on You to stand blameless in Your Presence?
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen, (Jude 1:24-25).
Oh, let us lay aside all the ways of our flesh that we would live with a consuming desire to please Him through putting on our new self of faith, love and obedience, that He would Delight in Our Beauty as we reflect His Spirit of righteousness, holiness and truth.
that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth, (Ephesians 4:22-23).
Today, let us listen and incline our ear, that we would understand, as incredulous as it is, that our King loves us and desires Our Beauty.
Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear:
Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will desire your beauty.
Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him, (Psalm 45:10-11).
Oh, that we would so forget our former way of life that we would happily lay aside the old self. Today, let us humbly respond to Him in faith, love and obedience, so with all that are, we would become a Beautiful and holy offering to Him Who Delights in Our Beauty
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, (Romans 12:1).