Song of Solomon 5:10 – “My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten-thousand.”
Reading verse by verse from SOS, considered by Bible readers to be a love song about Christ. The key to good Bible study is not how many words you read, but what you do with those words. Some of my richest devotions flow from the shortest verses. Each word in this simple verse from SOS conveys deepest truth about our Lord.
Beloved – “Do you love me?” Jesus asked Peter multiple times. Unless I have love for Jesus in my heart, what good is my faith? It is love in my heart, affection and ardor for my Savior which will keep me strong in temptation and safe in despair.
Radiant – How many verses speak to us of the glory our Lord possesses in himself! He let down his hair momentarily in the Transfiguration. From the resurrection forth, the Savior we will deal with is the one described in Revelation 1, the one whose ‘face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.’
Ruddy – Not as obvious what this means. That just means you have to think a little harder and dig a little deeper. The Hebrew word points to ‘redness’. Isaiah 63:1ff says of the Messiah, “Who is this who comes from Edom in crimsoned garments…who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? ‘It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.’ Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? ‘I have trodden the winepress alone…I trod them in my my anger and trampled them in my wrath.'” Ruddy points to the awesome holiness of our Lord, holiness which cannot abide sin, but will one day root it out altogether in divine wrath. Of course, Jesus dealt with our sin in a profound way, that also has something to do with crimson. “This is my blood shed for you.”
Distinguished – The word for ‘distinguished’ refers to being ‘lifted up like a banner’. Didn’t our Lord say he would be ‘lifted up’ before humanity, and when he did so he would draw all men to himself? (John 3:14-15; 12:32)
Ten-Thousand – Who can be compared with Jesus? No one is even close. Psalm 68:17 – “The chariots of God are twice ten-thousand, thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them.” Jude 14 – “Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment…”