Diane Virginia: Beloved Solomon’s Kiss
Mandy poured her coffee and retreated to the porch swing. As she listened to the chirring of crickets in the flower garden, she opened her Bible. She was reading the Bible from cover to cover and Song of Solomon was next in line.
In preparation for her reading, she had looked up the meaning of Solomon, which is shelomah, translated as “peace.” In her spirit, she felt Solomon must be a prototype of Jesus Christ. She had seen a typology in every other book she’d read so far, so she was expecting to find Him in Song of Solomon.
She read, “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips” (SOS 1:1-2a KJV) Mandy closed her Bible and brushed the chill bumps from her arms. “This is too much,” she said. “How can I have a romance with You, Lord Jesus. That’s just not right…”
The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth:
for thy love is better than wine.
Song of Solomon 1:1-2 KJV
Within Mandy’s spirit, she felt He was prompting her to understand beyond what words could express, the holy love He felt for her. Jesus did love her; this she knew, but what was this strange language she was reading? She felt this must be an expression of divine love. What else could this represent? And why this romantic language?
Could it be, that Song of Solomon was an allegory of Christ’s love? After all, the New Testament allegorized her as the Bride of Christ. Mandy decided to test the theory. If Song of Solomon was, indeed, written as an allegorical representation of Jesus’s love for her as His Bride, then she would see other congruent language.
She opened her Bible and read verse two again, continuing, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy love is better than wine.” (SOS 1:2b KJV)
Mandy recalled a time of study where she had studied Old Testament customs. When a gentleman was ready to propose to his bride, he would offer her a cup of wine. What was better than the wine? It was the “yes” his lady would say to him. If she sipped, and spoke, she was agreeing to her suitor’s proposal of marriage.
Mandy felt a warmth wafting through her window. She recalled the warmth she’d felt within her spirit as she received Communion while reflecting on her Savior’s sacrificial love, and the wine as representative of the blood He shed on Calvary’s cross.
“My Beloved Jesus, thank You for the message You have allegorized for me, Your Bride, in this holy book, Song of Solomon. Draw me into a knowledge of Your divine love and peace for me. Open this book to me.”
Mandy continued to read, but it took many weeks. After this, she continued to reflect on these passages daily, for she needed the reassurance that Jesus was her Spiritual Husband and she was His Bride… What had begun as a read-through of the Bible, continued as a life-long journey into Christ’s divine love as portrayed in Song of Solomon.
Within the pages of this allegorical romance, she read about her Lord’s pierced, gem-set hands, the Communion elements, the myrrh and frankincense, and so much more….
Mandy was immersed into a holy romance found within a holy book. Jesus’ divine peace and love flooded her soul. “I’ve been kissed with the kisses of Your peace,” Mandy said to her Beloved Lord Jesus as she tarried. “I’ve been kissed by my Husband-King. Your allegorical name may be Beloved Solomon–which translates as Beloved Peacemaker– but I know Your true identity is Jesus Christ.”
How do you feel, knowing that Beloved Jesus is the Groom, and you are the Bride, allegorically portrayed in the greatest love-song ever written, The Song of Solomon?
My Beloved Jesus, recieve me as Your Bride and kiss me with Your divine love and peace. Amen.
Beloved Solomon’s Kiss is a fictional story based on real life events.
Concepts outlined in this devotion are explored in detail in the award-winning book, The Kiss of Peace: A Contemporary Exploration into Song of Solomon (awaiting publication).
Copyright © 2018: All Rights Reserved: Vinewords: Beloved Solomon’s Kiss: Author Diane Virginia Cunio; Pen Name, Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved
Published: September 2018: Christian Broadcasting Network: Beth Patch, Senior Producer: Internet Ministries Producer: http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/beloved-solomons-kiss
Meet Our Contributor
DIANE VIRGINIA
Diane Virginia (Cunio) is an award-winning writer, the founder and administrator of VineWords: Devotions and More, and the author of The Kiss of Peace: A Contemporary Exploration into Song of Solomon and Behind the Veil: Becoming the Ascended Bride of Song of Solomon (both books awaiting publication).
Diane has developed the model for motion-activated musical prayer stations for use in the garden retreat, themed to the places the Bride travels to in Song of Solomon.
She and two friends are compiling a devotional entitled, Love-Knots: Stories of Faith, Family, and Friendships.
Diane is creating a children’s book series called, The Cowdoggie Adventure Series.
Diane is the Co-Host of Taste and See Conference with Co-Host Judy Taylor, Lumberton, NC.
Find Diane’s Devotions/Articles at: Answers2Prayer (The Sermon Illustrator/The Nugget), Christian Broadcasting Network, Christian Devotions Ministries, Faith Beyond Fear, Pentecostal Publishing House, PresbyCan Daily Devotional, The Secret Place, VineWords, and other Ministries and Blogs
CONNECT WITH DIANE VIRGINIA AT:
Just beautifully written! The love of Jesus is greater than any love we will ever know!
Thank you, sister. 🙂
Beautiful. It is wonderful to know that Jesus loves us intimately and completely. Looking forward to reading the book.
Thank you, sister, for your continued support. I appreciate that a lot.
Diane, I love how your character Mandy doesn’t just want to read the words to fulfill some annual reading schedule. But instead, she uses them as a passageway to knowing the true nature of Jesus. How He wishes to have an intimate, personal, loving relationship, that brings the “Kiss of Peace” into her life. I pray we all will learn to ask the questions we need to ask in the passages we read in the Word and that they will draw us to Him. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story; looking forward to the book. Blessings!
Thank you, Castle, for your insightful comments. I pray everyone who reads Song of Solomon will seek to discover our Beloved Jesus in its holy pages.
Diane, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I read it on a very personal level because I share the name of the character. I smiled. I felt the warmth you wrote of. And during the part about the proposal, I touched the ring finger of my left hand as if there were a ring on it. That’s something I haven’t done in years, but it was very special to me. Beautiful.
Thank you, Mandy, for your heartfelt comments regarding this devotion. Your response is exactly the sentiment I pray the Bride of Beloved Jesus Christ feels as he/she reads this devotion, and my book, The Kiss of Peace: An Intimate Exploration into Song of Solomon (soon to be published). I enjoyed using the name, Mandy, as it represents love, and I thought of you when I wrote this devotion. Shalom, sister.