Aspects of the Bride of Christ Part 2/6.

One man's view of of this fascinating topic by Guest Blogger Alex Smith.

SECOND POINT... the Characteristics of “the Bride”.

The term “the Bride” is a typological picture, or metaphor. But a metaphor of WHAT? Of a place of intimate closeness with the heart of Jesus. I’m pretty sure all true Christians have a desire within them to “want to be like Jesus”. But in what WAY are we to be like him?

In the Hebrew culture, the word “son” not only meant either direct descendent, or even distant descendent (e.g. “the son of David”, meaning “the descendent of David”), but it also meant “the one who practises and follows after them in their actions, doing what the originator did”. As in, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:39b) “Ye are of your father the devil; for he was a murderer from the beginning... he is a liar, and the father (originator) of it.” (John 8:44). 

So to be “sons of God” means to be spiritually born from God (“born from Above” or born again, John 3:3) but it also means “doing what the Father does”. Jesus was directly born from God (physically) but also constantly did what his Father did, John 8:28 - 29 and v.38.

But to be “the Bride” —?

Here we must delve into an ENTIRE BOOK of symbolism, based on a real-life account, almost set up as a poetic pageant of a romantic love story between Israel’s great king Solomon, and a beautiful girl from an obscure country village in the north of Israel.... “The Song of Solomon” which rightly is at the very HEART and CENTRE of the Bible!

There is LOADS of typological imagery to be derived from this!

A “Type”, in case you are unaware, is a symbolic image— it can be a real thing or an abstract concept— that points to a Spiritual Reality, the “Anti-Type”. Like an actual printing Type-face (a piece of metal that has a backward letter engraved into it), when it is applied (stamped onto the paper, with ink), the actual letter comes out facing the right way, and the words the letters form are then understood. So as a literary device, used many times in the Bible, a “type” is the thing representing a greater truth, the more solid spiritual reality, of which the “type” was only a fore-shadowing, or picture. The “anti-type” is the Truth that the thing (whether it be a person, object, or just a figure of speech) points to. 

Example: Abraham offering Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham was a “type” of God. Isaac, the son of Abraham, was a “type” of Jesus, the Son of God. God gave Jesus as an offering for OUR sin. Abraham gave Isaac as an offering. (God stopped him just at the last minute). The “anti-type” was the TRUE offering for Sin, that Jesus actually DID do, centuries later.    Abraham “received him (Isaac) back from the dead, in a figure.” (Hebrews 11:19). It says “a figure”, because although Isaac did not actually die —Abraham counted him as good as dead. In fact, he had faith that God would raise him from the dead, in order to fulfil His great and mighty Promise to him. God DID receive Jesus back from the dead, in REALITY. Jesus really died, and God really DID raise him from the dead. 

This is how the idea of “type” and “anti-type” work. A literal event that by itself just looks like “Yeah, so? That’s vaguely interesting, but what of it? It’s just something that happened.” But when it is placed in the Scripture as a Type, then it has its corresponding anti-type, or real fulfilment of what it was pointing to. You can NOT build a doctrine based on Types. But you certainly CAN use typology to support a doctrine already in place by clear Scriptures. 

The doctrine of the Bride is delineated clearly from the New Testament passages. 

The typology of the Bride is found both in the New Testament passages, and in the Old Testament book “The Song of Solomon”, which interestingly enough, lies at the VERY HEART of the Bible! 

Introduction: 

I Kings 1:1 - 4 King David was old... and was cold (probably from poor circulation). They sought out “a young virgin” (vs 1) “and let her CHERISH him, and let her lie in his bosom...” The word “cherish” is ‘cakan’ which means “to be familiar with, i.e. to minister to”. 

The first qualification was that she would be familiar with him and minister to him.

How many songs do we sing that speak of ministering TO Jesus? Not many... but I really like those ones, when I hear them. Integrity Praise/Hosanna group had one “Unto you, we minister unto you— You gave us beautiful garments of praise, and we minister unto You.” (Written by Gerrit Gustafson, © 1989 Integrity's Hosanna! Music). At a church of mine long ago, we had many: one was a simple chorus that went “I will bring You joy, I will bring You joy, as I love You, my wonderful King.”

Verse 3 “So they sought for A FAIR DAMSEL throughout ALL THE COASTS [territories] of Israel...” —it would be nice if the whole church would fall into this category— but we see right here that they had to SEARCH for her... it wasn’t “just anybody”.

Could YOU be one whose heart would be “sought out” by the servants of the Lord? —your love for Him is beautiful to Him. 

They “found Abishag the Shunamite”. Shunem is agreed by most scholars to be equivalent to Shulem, which is derived from the word ‘shalom’ meaning “peace”. 

Here in this opening of the first History of the Kings, the aged King David represents the Old Covenant, being replaced by Solomon (whose name also comes from ‘shalom’ - “Peace”), representing Jesus, the Mediator, Priest, and King of the New Covenant. Jesus is compared to Solomon in Matthew 12:42 “...a greater than Solomon is here.” Jesus is also called “the Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6.

This beautiful girl, especially sought out, has a name that fits us all: “Abishag” means... “ERRORS” ! Oh! Doesn’t that just describe us? God has cleansed us by the Blood of Jesus, on the Cross, and sees us as beautiful! And yet, we ARE full of errors in our daily walk. Typologically, “feet” represent our daily walk, because we WALK with our feet.

Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, as a lowly servant (a “footman”) would do; Peter protested. But Jesus said, “Peter, if I do not wash you, then you have no part of me!” Peter immediately, enthusiastically went to the opposite extreme, responding, “Lord, then not just my feet— but my hands and my head!” Jesus calmed him down, with a cryptic phrase: “He that IS washed, needs not wash except to WASH HIS FEET— but is clean EVERY WHIT...” (John 13:10)

The introduction to Abishag in I Kings 1:1 - 4 concludes with “The damsel was VERY FAIR, and cherished [ministered to] the King... but the king knew her not.” 

In other words, in the symbolism of typology, is that this “New Testament” beauty (of God seeing us cleansed from our sin) was not compatible with Old Covenant rulership of the Law. That covenant “died” or faded away, as it says in Hebrews 8:13 “In that He said, ‘A new covenant’, He has made the first Old. Now, that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.” King David at that time was so elderly and feeble, that although Abishag was young, beautiful and stimulating, it did nothing for him. She WAS legally his wife as a possession— but they had no intercourse, literally, so their “marriage” (on paper really) was not consummated. Having installed Solomon his son as King, he died soon after. 

The SONG OF SOLOMON is an ancient Near-Eastern oriental-style poem of love, set in a series of Canticles (short love poems). Although in it the figure of the Bride is mentioned several times as “the Shulamite”, she is never referred to by name.

Why is this?

Because of the 1005 “songs” that the wisest of kings, Solomon the son of David wrote (see I Kings 4:32), THIS is the only one that God saw fit to preserve and inspire for His Word. And the PURPOSE is not to look at our imperfections and sins— her name ‘Abishag’ meaning “Errors”— it is to give us a vision of how the Lord (represented by Solomon) sees us, and of OUR reactions to Him... our responses, like the Shulamite’s, of growing from a timid country farm worker, used to fields and flocks, and rather immature and even whiny... to a mature, graceful lady fit not only for the Court of the King, but fit to be the King’s Consort.

This is never to say to ignore or whitewash our sins; it’s just that this book contains a different focus, a different aspect. There are plenty of other Scriptures about “examining ourselves, to see if we be in the Faith or no”, or “search my heart, O Lord, and see if there be any wicked way in me.” 

A good deal of the Canticle (as a whole) is ripe with rich poetic similes and metaphors. I do not believe that they are merely random; the words of our Book, God’s Word the Bible, are limited— there ARE only a certain number of them. I believe that EVERY WORD (penned by the original pen-men) is Divinely “inspired”, that is “God-breathed”; and that they ARE “profitable for doctrine, or teaching; for reproof, or conviction; for correction; and for instruction in righteousness.” (II Timothy 3:16) Going on that, I believe that the words in THIS Song, or Canticle, are a wealth of both literal and figurative MEANINGS: that are not only meanings in the ancient world of Solomon and Abishag— but relevant meanings FOR US.

Harking back to my First Point, that there ARE varying “levels” of relationship to the Lord shown forth both in the New Testament and in the Old— there are personal figures within The Song of Solomon that correspond to the different qualities of the hearts of Believers.

Note: THEY ALL BELONG TO THE KING... whether the intimately close relationship of the Bride, or the semi-close relationship as servants, or even as seemingly distant as citizens of his kingdom (still belonging to him).

·        The Shulamite, called by King Solomon “my love”.

·        The King himself, Solomon, who is called by the Shulamite “my beloved”.

·        The Daughters of Jerusalem, who although they belong to the King as servants, refer to him as “THY beloved”. 

·        The Watchmen of the city, whose role are supposed to protect the citizens of the city from ENEMIES.

·        Her brothers in the town of Shulem, and reference to their mother.

The Next Part is Part 3/6.