Of Ten Thousand, The Best

“I AM the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

Song of Solomon 2:1

Jesus Christ stands alone in His character, His methods, His motives, His virtues, and His accomplishments. He is separate from all other historical figure and every other worshipped deity. He is separate because His attributes are superlative, meaning He is not just great, He’s the greatEST. Jesus is simply the best, above every other person who has ever existed.

Solomon sings of a Saviour that you can fall in love with. By every measure of comparison and contrast, He is altogether lovely.  The characteristics He displays allow us see Him against many backgrounds, but Christ alone is still the central figure.

In the second chapter of the Song of Solomon, Jesus Christ is viewed in several such scenes of nature. Among the natural majesties, He stands out.

• With the desirability of a loaded apple tree, 3
  • “Among the trees of the wood.”
• Above the refreshment of fruit juice, 5
  • Stay me with flagons”
• Before the athleticism of a young buck, 7-9
  • “I charge you… by the roes, and by the hinds of the field… like a young hart.”
• Aside from the security of a mountain cave, 14
  • “That art in the clefts of the rock”
• In the tranquility of a lush garden, 16
  • “He feedeth among the lilies”

By very artful literary comparisons, Solomon distinguishes Him among other good things. By positive comparison, He rises above all pleasures.

There are many good things to enjoy in life. They are all gifts from Jesus Christ, and they reflect His goodness. He is the best of all that is good.

But when life’s scenes are less than ideal, and the poetic beauty of living is pierced with pain, stolen by sorrow, and darkened by despair, the magnificent Jesus stands out.

• He stands out with resilient nobility in the down times, 2
  • “The lily of the valleys” 
• He stands with effortless success over difficult obstacles, 8
  • “Leaping upon the mountains”
• He stands out with restraining power over destroying foes, 15
  • “Take us the foxes… that spoil the vines:”
• He stands out with radiant hope in distressing uncertainty, 17
  • “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved”

In no uncertain terms, He wins. By these negative contrasts, He rises above all problems.

There are going to be many grief-filled days and nights ahead for all of us. “The wages of sin is” still “death.” Perhaps it is against this dim landscape that the person of Jesus Christ shines the best. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Among  the pluralities of good things, against the plethora of bad things, He is still the “I AM”.  He is One-of-a-kind. I think I’ll worship Him for who He is today. Won’t you?