By Greg Daley

Song 2:11-13
11 For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!
NKJV

Ah, Spring time! Winter is past and the rain is over and gone, a time of flowers and sunshine and birds singing in the trees. Well, maybe the sun is still hiding and rain hasn’t totally gone here in Seattle but I did hear some birds chirping the other morning and the flowers in Mary’s garden are starting to show up.

When the Song says the rain is over and gone, it is not saying it will not rain again or that a drought is on the way but rather, that the weather has become agreeably warm; the rain too has just ceased and, consequently, has left us the prospect of several days of serenity and undisturbed pleasantness. Have you ever stepped out and smelled the newness in the air after a good rain? It can literally lift your soul.

This Song describes the desire of the Bridegroom to call his beloved bride out from the mundane and mediocre and unto himself. It has much prophetic meaning for us as we look to this season called spring and the coming celebration of Easter and the Resurrection.

There is a prophetic call for us to enter into the fruitfulness that comes from intimacy with our Lord. “The time of singing has come.” Did you know the Lord rejoices over you with singing?
Zeph. 3:17 says: He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
We respond with a song in our hearts and worship the Lord.
Because your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Ps 63:3

“The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” Turtledoves are by nature monogamous, which means they only have one mate in their lifetime. No other lovers here and no distractions in our land. We are focused on Him and not the cares of this world or the lust of other things.

The next verse, about the fig tree, speaks of prosperity and a prosperous soul. Jesus said, in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John writes “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2

“The vines with the tender grape give a good smell.” These tender flowers of the vine were formerly put into the new wine (2 lbs. to every cask) to give it a fine flavor. Did you know that your intimacy with Christ gives you a fragrance?
“ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 2 Cor 2:14-15

The Bible speaks of a scent for the people of God who dwell under the shadow of the Lord.
“Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And grow like a vine.
Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”
Hos 14:7

Intimacy with the Lord keeps us smelling fresh spiritually.
He is calling us to “Rise up.” This is not a time for spiritual slumber nor complacency but a time to enter into the resurrected life of Christ that comes from our union with Him and faith in His finished work.

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Col 3:1-4

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Rom 8:11

Our Lord says “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away! He calls us daily to come away and spend time with Him. Like the foxes that spoil the vine in Song 2:15 – “the little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.”- it can be the little things or distractions of even good things that keep us from spending time in His presence and experiencing “His Best” and the fruit which will keep the fire of His love in our relationship and cause the temptations of the world to weaken in their strength because, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.