The phrase, “My love boils for you,” stirs imagery of a boiling pot, which is dynamic, to the point of being aboding. And yet, lovers use this terminology often. They know love is a powerful, captivating, and intense force.

Two Hebrew words describe our spiritual romance in Song of Solomon to our beloved Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. However, one of these words allegorically parallels the above imagery of lovers captivated by their love relationship. 

AHABAH

Ahabah means comparable to a vehement flame, strong as death, jealous, cruel as the grave. It cannot be quenched. We would think this describes divine love, but it doesn’t. The word refers to the natural love-force we can have with or without God’s influence. This word is defined as intense human love, including romantic love, but it is limited in scope. Only on rare occasions is this word used to describe divine love.

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love (ahabah) is as strong as death. Jealousy as cruel as the grave: its flames thereof are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love (ahabah), nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love (ahabah) all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.

~Song 8:6-7 NKJV

This intense love conjures the imagery of a murder-mystery program, where a man loses his mind for the sake of love and acts impulsively. This is the script of the television docudrama, which concludes with a man coming to his senses. Yet, he is in prison when he finally shakes off the love-force that drove him to act. Similarly, this intense love-force brings scenes of a romance where lovers are so captivated by love that the world fades as they look into each other’s eyes. 

But if natural love is this intense, what does divine love resemble?

DOWD

Dowd is also used in Song of Solomon to describe our relationship with Jesus Christ. This word refers to a divine love comparable to a boiling pot. The root word dowd means a boiling pot that effervesces without stopping. This word is used many times throughout Song of Solomon. It is first mentioned in the very first verse of the vignette. 

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love (dowd) is better than wine.

~Song 1:2 NKJV

The woman is speaking to her lady friends but is so captivated by the bridal experience that she finishes her sentence by addressing her Bridegroom. The peace she experiences goes beyond ahabah. It is a love so intense that human language can’t describe it. She becomes tongue-tied and speaks only to the Groom. Her love boils for the Groom she adores. He has her focus, and she cannot not think about Him.

Christians can easily see that the cup represents the Communion cup. The wine of the cup references Christ’s shed blood. In biblical times, a groom asked his prospective bride to agree to marriage by sipping from a cup. Each time we partake from the Communion cup, we remember Christ’s commitment to shed His blood on Calvary. But we equally remember that He has become our Bridegroom by this sacrificial act of love. Who but the most loving Groom would demonstrate His love by shedding His life’s blood? 

Jesus Christ, in the vignette allegorically Beloved Solomon, loves us with a boiling love that surpasses natural love by miles. Therefore, dowd surpasses ahabah by infinity times infinity. This is the strength of divine love.

With the intensity of this divine love, we would think there would be a lead-in time, but there isn’t. Remember, the first mention of dowd is Song of Solomon 1:2. Here, we come from the wedding chamber, which represents the Holy of Holies, and we have become one with the Lord of glory. The divine love of our heavenly Bridegroom captivates and overjoys us and then takes us into a realm of spiritual intimacy we can’t describe. We are head-over-heels, silly-in-love with the One who has caught our gaze. We and the Beloved are lovers whose love boils for each other.

Think of the magnitude of what the writer describes. Beloved’s divine boiling pot of love is effervescent, active, and dynamic; we have experienced this realm of spiritual intimacy. This divine, limitless love keeps boiling strong within our spirits. God loves us with the most intense love imaginable, and the strength of His love does not frighten Him. His love is more dynamic than an explosion.

This is an exclusive experience. Jesus Christ bids only His Bride to come behind the veil where divine dowd love resides. We access this realm through prayer.

GOD LOVE

How long does this romance behind the veil last? A pot boils as long as we apply heat. Thus, our Groom’s love is available as long as we remain behind the veil of the Holy of Holies, tucked away in the wedding chamber.

We should ponder the intensity of our Groom’s divine love, which we can allegorize but never fully define. Compare Song of Solomon 8:6-7, where the writer describes human love (ahabah), with Song of Solomon 1:2, where the writer references divine love (dowd). Both are powerful forces, but nothing compares to Beloved’s boiling pot of divine love. 

If we want Beloved to rock our worlds, we must say, “My Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, love me beyond the inextinguishable flame of human love. I accept Your invitation to come behind the veil of the Holy of Holies to experience the divine love found only in Your spiritual embrace. Kiss me with Your peace, and make me Yours. I want only You and all of You. I come to You, and I give You my entire self. Take me. Embrace me. I am Yours.”

No matter how frail our love when compared to Christ’s, within our Savior’s embrace, our love resembles His, and we become His. Although the human love we can offer to Beloved Jesus is less, when He brings us into the holy wedding chamber, and as we permit His boiling love-force to become ours in this place of refuge, He completes us with His kisses of divine peace.

Reflect on human and divine love. They are both intimate expressions, but one is stronger than the other.

My Beloved Jesus, thank You for loving me with a holy love that is boiling in intensity. Every time I partake of Communion, I will remember Your sacrifice on Calvary and my position as the chosen Bride of Christ. Thank You for completing me with Your kiss of peace. Amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2021: The Boiling Pot: Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved