Page 255 - Radical Love by Linda Robinson_FEB2025

SESSION 14

When the real Jesus arises on the earth through His true Bride,

immature Christians will desire to walk deeper, and non-Christians will
be drawn into fellowship with the Living God. No time spent with God

is ever wasted—it will always bring increase and fruitfulness.

May we be the generation to carry the fragrance and countenance of the

beauty of Christ.

In verse 2 of the New International Version (NIV), I noticed just like
the Passion Translation that it begins with the Shulamite explaining to

the Daughters of Jerusalem that her Beloved had gone down to His
garden. However, in the same breath, she then adds that He has gone

down into the gardens, which is plural.

I see this firstly as a depiction of the corporate body—i.e., His

garden—but then, on closer scrutiny, we see that He browses in “the

gardens to gather lilies,” now using a plural form. I consider the
“gardens” to be individual believers, and Jesus is searching for “lilies”

among these gardens. They are described as lilies because of the purity

and holiness of their walk with Jesus. He will only browse and gather
to His heart for intimate fellowship, those who out of love and desire

for Him, have yielded and set themselves apart from the muddy,
clouded waters of worldliness.

A further interesting point about this verse is that it says: “My beloved
has gone down,” and the Passion Translation says: “down into His

garden of delight…”

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