Meditations on the Song of Songs
Meditations on the Song of Songs
The spiritual read this book and grow in their love for God. As for the carnal, they need a guide when reading it, lest they misunderstand it and descend from its lofty meaning to worldly interpretations…
In our previous meditation, we reflected on the verse, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” Today, we continue with the similar verse: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?”
Who is this coming up from the wilderness?!
Like pillars of smoke:
Here, the Lord contemplates His Church—in her righteousness, in her worship, and in her sufferings for His sake—and says: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke…”
Surely, the phrase “pillars of smoke” cannot carry the cheap, worldly sense that some falsely attribute to the Song of Songs. No woman would accept such a description from her beloved. And would such an expression agree with what is said of this bride—that she is “fair as the moon, clear as the sun”?
Yes, the two meanings agree in their spiritual depth. The phrase “like pillars of smoke” bears a beautiful, spiritual symbolism befitting the soul in her relationship with God. How so?
Imagine you are standing before a censer. You take a handful of incense and place it inside. What happens? The incense burns in the holy fire, and rises as pillars of smoke, with a sweet aroma… Thus is the Church.
Indeed, picture this beautiful scene: a censer filled with the sacred fire—which is divine love. The Song of Songs compares love to fire, saying, “Many waters cannot quench love” (Song 8:7).
This censer contains grains of incense—each grain representing one of the saints: one named St. Anthony, another St. Macarius, another St. Bishoy, another Athanasius, another St. George… and many other grains representing hermits, anchorites, martyrs, popes, bishops, and righteous souls in every generation.
These grains were kindled with love and ascended upward as pillars of smoke, as incense pleasing to God. The angels inhaled their fragrance, were delighted by its sweetness, and sang joyfully: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?”
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all powders of the merchant:
Myrrh was one of the spices used in the composition of the sacred anointing oil—the oil with which the Tabernacle of Meeting, the Ark of the Covenant, and all the vessels of ministry were anointed, as were Aaron the High Priest and his sons (Exodus 30:23–30).
Both myrrh and frankincense were among the gifts offered by the Magi to Christ. Frankincense symbolized priesthood, while myrrh symbolized suffering and the fragrance of a virtuous life. By all these, the Church is perfumed, as is the soul that lives for Christ.
Among the sacred spices were also cassia and aloes. Hence, the Psalm says of the Church and the holy soul: “Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments” (Psalm 45:8).
Therefore, the Song of Songs does not stop at saying that the bride is perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, but adds, “with all powders of the merchant”—with every fragrance.
And you, blessed child, when after a long life your spirit ascends upward—will it rise with a sweet fragrance, or will the stench of sin emanate from it? Some, when they pass away, their rooms are filled with the scent of incense; others, their bodies decay quickly, and their families hasten to bury them before the odor spreads…
What are the “powders of the merchant” that perfume your soul?
Are they gentleness, humility, wisdom—all the fruits of the Holy Spirit—the powders of the merchant?
And who is this merchant?
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; when he found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” This is the wise merchant who said to the Lord at the end, “You delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.” You are that wise merchant.
The merchant also symbolizes every servant of the Lord who offers spiritual treasures to others and wins souls for Christ. These wise merchants have filled the Church with fragrance—myrrh, frankincense, cassia, cinnamon, aloes, and all powders of the merchant.
Thus the Church rises to the Lord as pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant.
There is another meaning to “pillars of smoke”:
The sacrifices and burnt offerings were placed upon the altar and consumed by fire, ascending as pillars of smoke. The Apostle urged us to imitate these sacrifices, saying, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1).
Let us live on earth as a sacrifice—as a burnt offering upon the altar, consumed by the holy fire, ascending as pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh, frankincense, and all powders of the merchant.
Offering the self as a sacrifice is clear in our prayers: “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Let my prayer rise as incense—as pillars of smoke—as an evening offering. “In Your name I lift up my hands; my soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness.”
After this, can anyone say, “The Song of Songs causes me to stumble”? Such a person is carnal, and his thoughts are carnal—he has not yet come up from the wilderness.
The phrase “coming up from the wilderness” may refer to the Church of the Old Covenant, or to the Church of the New Covenant—adorned with virtues and enriched by the Holy Spirit with all His gifts, all powders of the merchant: to one He gives the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, gifts of healing, to another working of miracles, to another prophecy—all powders of the merchant.
“Who is this coming up from the wilderness?”—perhaps it refers to prayers.
Day and night, prayers, hymns, and praises rise from the Church. All ascend upward, and the angels receive them with this song: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?”
Is our Church today a praying Church? Do prayers, praises, hymns, and psalms rise daily from her? Or are the angels waiting in vain, as though she were asleep—no myrrh, no frankincense, none of the powders of the merchant!
And you—in your home—do holy pillars of smoke rise from it, like those of the temple, perfumed with the sacred anointing oil, with myrrh and frankincense?
How beautiful it is when the angels say to one another, “Come, let us behold the spiritual workshops in Egypt—from which rise pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with praises, prayers, and sweet virtues!”
There are things you simply cannot conceal—sweet fragrances that cannot be hidden. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; neither can the scents of a garden full of roses, jasmine, and basil. Thus is the Church. The other world contemplates her beauty—in her holiness, purity, zeal, love for God and people—in all the powders of the merchant with which she is adorned.
Imagine the Church becoming the wonder of angels, the wonder of heaven, and the wonder of the whole world. All gaze at her in awe: What is this beauty? What is this glory and exaltation? What patience and struggle! What perfection! Never have we seen anything like this before—“Who is this coming up from the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense…”—just as when Christ entered Jerusalem, and they said, “Who is this?”
A spiritual worker joins a new job, and everyone looks at him with amazement: “We have seen a remarkable person, a new kind of human being… Who is this?”—in his honesty, gentleness, love, manners, and understanding. Who is this person? “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense and all powders of the merchant?”
The phrase “all powders of the merchant” also signifies the perfection of the Church.
She is not adorned with a single virtue, but with all of them—all powders of the merchant, all blessings of grace, all fruits of the Spirit. A Church that has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith; she has gathered every good thing—faith and works—and labored for the Lord without growing weary.
As for us, we have entered into what we did not labor for. Others labored, and we have entered into their labors. We look with great admiration at the Church of the Fathers, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense and all powders of the merchant, leaning upon her Beloved.
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Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine, Year 5, Issue 11, 14-12-1974
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