Page 75 - Radical Love by Linda Robinson_FEB2025

SESSION 4

them to lie down beside the still and restful waters.” How beautiful and

tender that is! The other translation can seem forced and harsh, but our
Beloved Shepherd is never harsh to us.

Noon is the hottest time of the day, when the sun is at its strongest. I
get the sense that she is really asking the Lord where she can find

people who, despite the evil in the world, have been transformed by His

love, mercy, and grace—and, as a consequence, have the ability to be
completely at rest, content, and settled, in whatever storm they may

encounter.

Following on from this, she then says: “For why should I be as a veiled

one straying beside the flocks of Your companions?”

The Shulamite rejects being veiled from the freedom Christ won on the

cross because of legalism and religion. She now sees how futile it is

and how it has caused her to stray from the truth—that as a friend of
Jesus, she is in covenant with the Living God. She therefore wants to

reconnect with true lovers of Jesus—His companions.

Verse 8 is interesting because it tells us what to do to get back on track

with Jesus: choose to seek, trust, and obey Him, and fellowship with

like-minded, like-spirited people.

Notice how Jesus does not chide her, but instead displays more of His

lovely nature. Because he is kind and patient, instead of berating her
for going off track, he gently guides her on the next step: to run without

further delay and follow in the footsteps of his faithful followers.

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