“My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies.
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
On the mountains of Bether.”
— Song of Songs 2:16-17
The Lord has told his seeker clearly, “Now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone,” and has asked to see her countenance and hear her voice in the clefts of the rock and the covert of the precipice. Her answer, however, is, “Oh Lord, I am sorry. I cannot follow You right now, although I am willing.” Thus in verse 17 she says:
“Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
On the mountains of Bether.”
She realizes that the Lord is calling her, but she is too busy to follow. She knows the Lord desires a deeper union with her and is asking her to live in resurrection together with Him, but she cannot leave her work. She wants to follow, but lacks the ability to do so. Therefore she cries out, “Until the day dawns and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart on the mountains of Bether.”
Adapted from The Journey of Life, pages 193-194.
Tomorrow: “The Mountains of Bether” (2)