"As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." [Song 2:2]

In Samuel we read of “the sons of Belial,” who are like, “thorns [which are] thrust away.” These men are like thorns; the man who goes to lay hold of them will quickly have to pull his hand back, lest he get pricked. As it says, “they cannot be taken with hands.” [2 Sam 23:6] Furthermore,

“The man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.” [2 Sam 23:7]

These men are so unsavory and hard to get along with, so hard to approach, that David describes them like thorns, which in order to touch, a man must first put a protective covering over his hands. These are the children of Belial, those particular men and women of the world who are very hard to interact with. And if by chance one were to have a pleasant interaction with them, yet he may be on edge the whole time, wondering when their true and thorny nature is going to surface. Though there are some like this, even as “thorns thrust away,” yet we can enjoy the fact that Jesus is not so. As it says in our verse for today,

 “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” [Song 2:2]

The love of Christ is sweet and pleasant. It is something upon which we can rest and trust, having no worries that we shall be pricked as it were like a thorn, for The Lord’s love is “as the lily among thorns.” Though the love and good works of men may hide a thorn or two, and though there be other men who seem to be full of only thorns, yet Christ and His love are not so. In Matthew we read, “and when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head.” [Mt 27:29] As Jesus was experiencing the suffering which we deserved, “they…platted a crown of thorns…upon His head.” And therein the verse in Song of Solomon is fulfilled it all its literal glory: for He whose name is Love, who is Love – whose love was proved to us in His death – was there before His accusers and mockers a beautiful lily surrounded by a crown of thorns. Our precious Lord Jesus, who with joy endured the cross and the torments preceding, though pierced and broken and scourged, though given a crown of thorns to wear, though being made into sin for us – yet even so, He, our King of Love, stood there as a lily among those thorns.

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