Enchanted by Love: The God Who Sees Beauty in Weakness (Part 4)
As the curtain lifts in chapter 4, we are stunned by the Bridegroom’s first words to the bride after her season of disobedience and discipline: “Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair!” (Song 4:1). He doesn’t scold her. He doesn’t remind her of her failure. Instead, He is enraptured. Twice He calls her beautiful—an emphatic, divine exclamation to highlight just how deeply He delights in her. What’s even more astonishing is that she hasn’t actually done anything yet. She merely said “yes” to Him. And that “yes” from a willing heart ravishes Him.
To Jesus, a voluntary heart of love is radiant beauty. He’s not looking for perfection before partnership; He’s looking for lovers who are willing to say yes no matter the cost. His heart is stirred not only by what we do, but by who we are and what we desire. And so He names eight features of her developing beauty: her dove’s eyes of devotion, her hair signifying submission, her fruitful mouth and governed speech, the sweetness of her emotions, the strength of her will, her budding maturity in ministering to others. Each image is rich with symbolic meaning—and each one is spoken over her by the Lord in love. She is still in process, still learning, but to Him she is lovely. This is the scandalous nature of grace: the God who sees our flaws, calls out our budding virtues in maturity, and delights in our growth.
The Willingness That Moves God’s Heart
In response to this overwhelming affirmation, the maiden declares, “I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh” (Song 4:6). This is her reversal of the earlier refusal in 2:17. Then, she told Him to go without her until the shadows passed. But now, she sees: the way to wholeness is not in waiting for everything to be perfect—it’s in walking with Him through the process. Myrrh, a burial spice, represents death to self. She willingly chooses the mountain of myrrh, the path of surrender, because she’s discovered that being with Him is better than anything else, even if it means facing her fears. Her obedience now flows not from pressure, but from love.
At her willingness to come away, heaven erupts. The Bridegroom responds with ecstatic joy: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you!” (Song 4:7). She hasn’t climbed the mountain yet, but He sees her willingness and calls it beautiful. He invites her into partnership, not just presence. “Come with Me… from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards” (v.8). He’s asking her to join Him in the risky, dangerous places of calling. She’s no longer the hesitant girl at the window. She’s His chosen partner. And in one of the most breathtaking verses in all of Scripture, He reveals the depth of His heart: “You have ravished My heart… with one look of your eyes” (v.9).
The Ravished Heart of the King
This is the pinnacle of understanding Jesus as a bridegroom: He is ravished—snatched away in ecstasy—by our love. The implications are staggering. If one glance moves Him, if our small desire to be His stirs Him, then every weak prayer, every longing for more, every quiet “yes” carries eternal weight. Our love—imperfect, weak, and growing—is more pleasing to Him than anything else in creation. He desires it more than wine, more than glory, more than perfection. He wants us.
He describes us as a “garden enclosed… a spring sealed” (v.12). Our hearts, once distracted, are now fully His. Our love, once self-centered, is now poured out for Him alone. And as her understanding of His love deepens, her desires shift: “Let the north wind blow… and the south wind too” (v.16). She no longer wants only the comfort of His presence, she wants to bring Him pleasure, no matter what it costs. She invites both the bitter winds of trial and the warm winds of blessing, trusting that whatever combination He chooses will lead her deeper into love. Her identity is secure: she is His garden. And she wants her life to be fragrant and pleasing to Him.
Where Are You in the Story?
This chapter marks a turning point—not just for the bride, but for all of us. Are you still trying to get everything perfect before saying yes? Are you afraid of what obedience might cost you? Or are you beginning to glimpse the ravished heart of Jesus, that even your small yes moves Him? This is the invitation: to know and believe that you are deeply loved and to love Him back with abandon. Will you walk with Him to the mountain of myrrh? Will you be His garden, sealed for Him alone? He’s already delighted. He’s already ravished. All He’s waiting for is your willing heart.