Rose of Sharon

ROSE OF SHARON

“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys”, says the bride in verse 1, with the true sense of humility concerning her status and position amongst the daughters of Zion. According to the Amplified version, “I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a humble lily of the valleys (that grows in deep and difficult places)”.A true bride of Christ would always humble himself/herself before the children of God. He/she would never covet praises of men either for himself/herself or for his/her ministry. When glorified or praised by men, he/she would promptly retort, “I am only a little rose or a humble lily of the valleys”.

The great apostle Paul did not glory in his personality, his marvelous ministry, and the visions and revelations given by God. He rather preferred to describe himself as “one born out of due time”, “the least of the apostles not meet to be called an apostle”, one who was “less than the least of all saints”, the chief of sinners (I Cor. 15:8 9, Eph. 3:8, I Tim. 1:15).

Let us turn to the book of Acts. When Cornelius fell down at the feet of Peter and worshipped him, Peter said, “I myself also am a man” (10:26). Paul and Barnabas, when glorified by the people of Lystra who had even brought oxen and garlands for sacrifice before them, told the plain truth: “Why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you” (14:8-15). Paul, while defending himself against the accusations of the Jews in Jerusalem, testified before the chief captain, “I am a man…” (21:39) and again before the multitude, “I am verily a man which am a Jew” (22:3).

When I wrote to an evangelist in a bid to bring him home the need of evangelizing those who had not yet heard the glorious gospel even once, he wrote me back. “Brother, I am not an ordinary person. But I am a man of God…” His words hurt me deeply, and prompted me to search the Scriptures for the basis of his statement. And it was in this context that the Holy Spirit led me to the Scriptures quoted above. Paul or any other apostle never glorified himself saying, “I am a man of God or a special person chosen of God.”

Truly speaking, a true bride of Christ is like a rose in the midst of thorns. Nevertheless, a rose grows among thorns which are nothing but part of the very rose plant. Thorns do not prevent the rose from blossoming but rather serve the rose as its wall of protection.

Thorns may be your past sins forgiven by God or your past failures being constantly reminded by the Devil. They may also be the fierce persecutions being constantly faced by you for His Name’s sake. Nevertheless, these thorns “work together for good to them, that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom.8: 28).

Next....LILY OF VALLEYS