His head is the finest gold;
his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
sitting beside a full pool.
His cheeks are like beds of spices,
mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are lilies,
dripping liquid myrrh.
His arms are rods of gold,
set with jewels.
His body is polished ivory,
bedecked with sapphires.
His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.
We spend a lot of time and money on physical fitness in our society. We invest in our appearance, perhaps, more than any other type of investment. We all want to look good. This is not just a phenomenon with women. Men also want to look good. They want to appear physically prowess. Some have lost their ability to look so due to age and physical challenges, but most wish to look powerful and strong.
In the above passage we have the only time in the Song of Songs that the woman speaks to describe the man in this relationship. The man, on several occasions, has described the women. Here we have her telling us what she sees. She starts with his head and describes it as pure gold. She then works her way down his body and ends with his “bases,” which are probably his feet. They too are gold. So, this guy, to her, his gold from the top of his head the bottom of his feet. His arms are also described as gold. In between we have dark black hair. We have eyes that apparently capture her as doves beside streams and pools of milk. His cheeks are strong and his lips are inviting. She can’t wait to kiss them (v. 16). His body is liked polished ivory. His legs like columns of alabaster. This guy is built! His appearance is the like cedars of Lebanon (something strong and awesome in their presentation). We see here that this is all attractive to her. His mouth is “most” sweet. She complete desires him.
Most men DO NOT fit this description. However, in her eyes that is what she sees. This man has presented to himself to her and she has found him gold from head to toe. Physical attractiveness is not a bad thing. It is designed by God to be used for his glory. We don’t read that this guy is walking around with a cut of t-shirt, flexing his muscles. What we do read is that she is taken aback by his appearance and that is a gift of God. God designs our bodies and causes us to be attracted to them and to attract others. It is not the body look or shape that is right or wrong. It is what we do with this feature of the relationship. She is to be drawn to his body. Solomon, in Proverbs, tell the man to be attracted to the woman’s body:
Proverbs 5:18-19 (ESV)
Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love.
Physical attraction is a gift from God.
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