ROSE
OF SHARON
Is the
Church the Lily of the Valley? - Is
Jesus the Rose of Sharon?
First
Word
·
Sharon is a Hebrew word that means; “a plain or
level place”. The town of “Lod” was built in the midst of the
Plain of Sharon which lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the Samarian
Hills. - It stretches from Nahal Taninim, a stream marking the
southern end of Mount Carmel in the north, to the Yarkon
River in the south, at the northern limit of Tel Aviv, -
Parts of the Plain are included in the Central, and Tel
Aviv Districts of Israel.
·
Flowers can be found in the parts of the
Sharon plain where the soil is very fertile and noted for the hardy beautiful
crocus
plant; with a tulip cup like flower & pungent fragrance.
·
Note:
The descriptions given of the Rose of Sharon CANNOT be applied to an
actual ROSE,
it is more of a catch phrase that is used in poetry. There are a number of translations with
different thoughts as to what this Rose is actually believed to be; let’s
begin, it is:
a) A Crocus; which has about 90
species growing as a lily among the thorns. It is cup shaped which tapers off to a narrow
tube. The colors are enormous, but
predominately the colors are lilac, mauve, yellow and white.
b) A Lily; which has large fragrant funnel shape flowers growing
from 2 to 6 feet tall with a montage of colors that include whites, yellows,
oranges, pinks, reds and purples. – It is commonly called the Madonna lily because of the “Song of Solomon”.
c) A Tulip; which is cup or star
shaped, general with bright red, yellow or white colors and is very prolific in
the hills of Sharon
d) A Narcissus; which has about 50
species – It has a conspicuous flower with six petals that appear trumpet
shaped with colors that are generally white, yellow, orange or pink.
·
Side Note: Much of the Plain of Sharon was swampy. – In
the time of Isaiah the plain had become a wilderness and Isaiah prophesized that one day it
would become a fertile pastureland. - Zionist Immigrants arrived in the early
20th century and drained much of the swampy land, and populated the region with
many settlements. - By 2008, it was the most densely populated region of
Israel. - Wikipedia –
1 Chronicles 8:12 – The town was called Lod
12 The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built the towns of Ono and Lod and their nearby villages), (NLT)
12 The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built the towns of Ono and Lod and their nearby villages), (NLT)
Isaiah 33:9 - The Plain of
Sharon had become a wilderness
9 The land of Israel wilts in mourning. Lebanon withers with shame. The Plain of Sharon is now a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel have been plundered. (NLT)
9 The land of Israel wilts in mourning. Lebanon withers with shame. The Plain of Sharon is now a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel have been plundered. (NLT)
Isaiah 65:10 - Sharon will again be a place to pasture herds
10 The Plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks for my people who have searched for me, and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds. (NLT)
10 The Plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks for my people who have searched for me, and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds. (NLT)
Isaiah 35:2 - Sharon will have
an abundance of flowers
2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the Plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. (NLT)
2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the Plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. (NLT)
Is Jesus the
Rose of Sharon?
·
This idea seems to have
developed
around “The
Song of Solomon” where there is dialog or a song being sung between
the Shulamite maid, the Bride and the Bridegroom, King Solomon. As
a parallel
we see the painting of a picture of the Rose of Sharon being Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom and the Bride as
the Lily of
the Valley which is the Church. - Some commentaries and students
believe that the bride in this story is the one that is speaking about herself;
not boasting at all, but saying that she is the lowliest
of all the flowers, but I must
disagree.
·
It is Christ Himself that speaks these words
about Himself; “I am the Rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys” and later goes
on to say that He is gentle and LOWLY in heart.
·
The Song of Solomon is a love story which is
almost a return to the Garden of Eden in its simplicity. - The extensive LOVE MAKING occurs in the
grassy fields among the spreading cedar and fir trees surrounded by animals,
birds, flowers, with the lush greenery of the mountains in the background. –
When you read the “Song” get ready to BLUSH; you already know the Book contains the good, the bad and the ugly and in the case of the “Song”, lots of SEX
which we will not unpack here.
·
I will approach this study as the Hebrews often did by
seeing the Torah
through juxtaposition; the placing of two elements close side by side in
comparison, I will use metaphors and parallels.
Song of Songs 2:1 – Jesus said, I am the ROSE of Sharon; a lily
1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
(NIV2011)
Song of Songs 2:1 – I am a wildflower, a LOTUS blossom
1 I'm just a wildflower picked from the plains of Sharon, a lotus blossom from the valley pools.
1 I'm just a wildflower picked from the plains of Sharon, a lotus blossom from the valley pools.
(MSG)
Song of Songs 2:1-2 – I am a spring CROCUS a lily among thorns
1 I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley.
2 Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women. (NLT)
1 I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley.
2 Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women. (NLT)
Matthew 11:29 – Jesus says He is gentle and lowly
in heart
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls(NKJV).
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls(NKJV).
Genesis 2:19-25 – Both naked among the animals
birds & sky
19 So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.
20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
19 So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.
20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
25 Now the man and his wife were both naked,
but they felt no shame. (NLT)
Common
·
The Rose is called by naturalist
the chief or queen of all flowers because of three things in perfection; its shape,
color and fragrance; as a metaphor it is a universal flower common to
all nations and the parallel is
Jesus Christ is Lord and Savor of all nations, He belongs to all.
·
The light of the sun as a metaphor, must rest on the rose
to expose its beauty and as a parallel, we as believers are children of the
light and walk in the light and share the light.
Romans 10:12 – Jesus is Lord of All – Jew and
Gentile
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, (NIV2011)
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, (NIV2011)
1 Thessalonians 5:5 – Believers are the children
of the light
5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. (NLT)
5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. (NLT)
1 John 1:7 – The Believer walks in the light
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (NKJV)
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (NKJV)
Colors
·
The Rose as a metaphor is a beautiful
flower intermixed with WHITE and RED colors and the parallel is Jesus Christ; the Bridegroom
who is “white and ruddy”; this is the dual natures of Christ. The White is his natural divinity and
the Red is His humanity. Jesus is
the chief among ten thousand sons of man.
Song of Songs 5:10 – Jesus’s dual nature; white
and red
10 The Shulamite my beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. (NKJV)
10 The Shulamite my beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. (NKJV)
Psalm 45:2 - You are
fairer than ten thousand sons of men
2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. (NKJV)
2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. (NKJV)
Fragrance
·
The fragrance is a metaphor for the most excellent odor produced
by the rose for perfumes and as a parallel Jesus is as a fragrant ointment that
is poured out for our sins.
Song of Songs 1:3 – Name of
Jesus is an ointment poured out
3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. (NKJV)
3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. (NKJV)
Trodden
under
·
King
David fed his flocks and herds on the Plain of Sharon, and
as a metaphor,
the flowers grew FREE and would
be trodden under by the beast of the field. – As a parallel, Jesus was trodden
under, He was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with the deepest
grief; He was, beaten, whipped, pierced and crushed for our sins.
1 Chronicles 27:29 – David fed his flocks on the Plain
of Sharon
29 Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Sharon Plain. Shaphat son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys. (NLT)
29 Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Sharon Plain. Shaphat son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys. (NLT)
Isa 53:3-5 - Despised rejected beaten whipped pierced crushed
3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (NLT)
3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (NLT)
Free
·
The Rose as a metaphor is Free to any that would
desire to have it; the parallel is that the Gospel message and access
to Jesus Christ is free, that whosoever will may come to Him and
purchase the water of life without money. – Salvation is Jesus Christ plus nothing else.
-
Isaiah 55:1 – Buy food and drink without money –
FREE
1 Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (ESV)
1 Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (ESV)
Revelation 22:17 – Come and take the water of life
FREE
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (ESV)
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (ESV)
John 3:16-17 – God sent in Love His only son to
save the world
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (NLT)
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (NLT)
Lily of the
valley
·
Jesus called Himself the Lily of the Valley and there is actually a flower known by that
name; described as a metaphor it has white bells arranged in
a row on a tapered stalk that has a humble drooping head and
usually found in the background behind the broader green leaves. The parallel to that is the emblem of lowliness
and humility exemplified by our Lord Jesus and His pattern our life should
exhibit. – The color white reminds us of His purity.
·
The lily as a metaphor is grown numerously in
the lowly place of the valley where living streams of water are
found. The parallel is that believers have
streams of living water flowing deep within them that propagates and reproduces
numerously wherever they are.
·
Jesus said as a metaphor to look at the lilies
of the valley, how they grow and take no thought about worldly things around
them. The parallel is Jesus calling your
attention to look at the Lily of the valley; LOOK AT ME, I am the pattern for your life.
·
The Lily as a metaphor is pure and beautiful
and rises above the thorns of the briar patch.
The parallel
is that the Believer, the Bride, the Church bears the pure
and beautiful image of Jesus and stands above the wickedness of the thorns and
thistles, reflecting the beauty of Jesus to the world. – The Lily
of the Valley is the Church -
Matthew 11:29 – Jesus is meek and lowly of heart
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (KJV)
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (KJV)
John 7:38 – Streams of living water flow deep
within him
38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (HCSB)
38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (HCSB)
Matthew 13:23 – The Christian self reproduces
23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (NLT)
23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (NLT)
Matthew 6:28 – Look at me –
Don’t worry about stuff
28 And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, (NLT)
28 And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, (NLT)
Thorns
·
As a metaphoric
twist the
“song” speaks of the maiden’s beauty and the parallel is her beauty being compared
to be above the thorns, or her beauty makes the other women in King Solomon’s
harem look like a briar patch.
·
Thistles and
thorns are
a metaphor
for inflicted pain and wounds and the parallel is the lily is exposed to hardships, growing
among the wicked, the useless, worthless, noxious
and hurtful that grow among the righteous. – They will grow together
until the harvest on the Day of the Lord. – It’s in the Book -
Song of Songs 2:2 – A flower among the thorns
2 Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women.
2 Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women.
(NLT)
Matthew 13:30 – Righteous and the wicked will grow
together
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. (NKJV)
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. (NKJV)
Last
Thoughts
·
Jesus is universal, He is common to all that
would seek Him, Jew and Gentile alike.
·
The Red
blood of Jesus and
the White
purity is a reflection of his
dual nature; mortal and divine.
·
Self-praise by any
creature is vanity and holds no recommendation,
but Jesus often praises Himself, He says I am the Good
Shepherd - I am meek and lowly of heart - I am the bread of
life. - I am the Rose of Sharon - I am the
Lily of the Valley – I am willing - I am the Way,
the Truth and the Life. - DID YOU SEE IT; the name of God. - Moses asked God, who shall I say sent me, and
God said, say to them that I am that I am has sent you.
·
Christ by the power of His
spirit
is letting us see the importance of not only knowing about His rags, but also
His royalty; we are being led to esteem Him highly, having a high sense of the
preciousness of His name, to entertain great thoughts of faith, patience and
humility.
·
The Great I
AM is
painting a picture of Himself, the Bridegroom as the perfect Rose
from the Plain of Sharon, and His Church. His bride, as the Lily of the
Valley reflecting His light amongst the thorns of the world. – He is
not just a rose, but the best rose from the Plain of Sharon and the Church is
not just a lily, but the best lily grown in the fertile valley.
WE
ARE HIS LILY OF THE VALLEY
John 14:6 – I am the way, the truth and the life
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. (ASV)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. (ASV)
Exodus 3:13-14 – Jesus is claiming He is God, the
great I AM
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (KJV)
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (KJV)
In the
multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:14
I am grateful to those that went before me
providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses. Because of them I can stand on their
shoulders
and
see further that I otherwise ever could have.
A Commentary; Critical,
Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans
All the Women of the Bible – Edith
Deen
Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius
Josephus Matthias
Apocrypha – Goodspeed
Baker Commentary on the
Bible – Elwell
Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White
Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer
Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row
Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake
English Standard Version
Bible – ESV
Expositor’s Bible
Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein
Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World
Illustrated Bible
Dictionary; The – Tyndale
Interlinear Greek-English
New Testament - Baker
King James Version Bible –
KJV
Lost Books of the Bible; The - World
Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell
Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan
Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press
Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest
Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson
Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan
New International
Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas -
Tenney
New International Version
Bible (2011) – NIV
NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted & made gender
neutral. AVOID IT.
New Living Translation Bible -
NLT
Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J.
Schonfield
Thru the Bible – J. Vernon
McGee
Vincent’s Word Studies of
the New Testament – Mac Donald
Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner
Wycliffe Bible Commentary;
The – Pfeiffer & Harrison
Wikipedia –
Zondervan Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney
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