Song of Solomon 1:13a

“A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.”

Myrrh. It’s referenced in the Bible a handful of times and seems to be a fragrant spice of some sort. I didn’t know for sure — so I did a good old Wikipedia search and came up with the following:

Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin.

Basically, it’s a rare perfume-y oil that was held as incredibly precious, especially in Biblical times. You may also recognize it as one of the three gifts the wise men from the east gave to Jesus when he was a baby.

In Song of Solomon, Solomon uses myrrh to compare it to Jesus Christ on account of its preciousness, its perfume, its pleasantness, its healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and its connection with sacrifice.

Christ offers Himself to us in all of these ways and more, and that is why myrrh is a perfect illustration for who He is. And Christ doesn’t just offer us a small amount of Himself.

Song of Solomon 1:13 says that a bundle of myrrh is my beloved. There is so much of Christ for all of our needs that we’ll never run out. A bundle is an understatement.

Christ must be as precious to us as myrrh was in in the time of Solomon. Not to be lost or dropped on the floor, but stored and kept. We must value Him as our best treasure; we must prize His words.

The bundle of myrrh is my everything. It’s precious. Solomon is comparing the value of the bundle to the value of Christ’s love.

Finally, Jesus is as special as myrrh was in the time of Solomon. Since before the foundation of the world, He was set apart for us. He gives His perfume only to those who understand how to enter into communion with Him.

As C.H. Spurgeon concludes about Song of Solomon 1:13, “Oh! blessed people whom the Lord hath admitted into His secrets, and for whom He sets himself apart. Oh! choice and happy who are thus made to say, ‘A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.'”

We are so blessed as Christians to call Jesus our beloved. That He would call us out of the depths and sacrifice Himself for us. Christ is our beloved.

Think about it …