Veiled

Song of Solomon 6:7

Your temples (or cheeks) are like a slice of pomegranate behind your veil.

When I think of veils I think of mid-eastern belly dancers, brides, or the curtain in the temple. I don't think this veil was any of these. It was probably a semi-sheer scarf wrapped about the face. It would protect from the sun (she had commented about being dark from the sun earlier in her life), keep her warm and guarded at night (she had spent the night looking for where he had gone), and for modesty (the guards at night couldn't tell who she was). The veils could be quite beautiful and she did use one at her wedding. It indicated that she was still a bit of a mystery to him, but the veil would be removed and he would see her for who she really was once they were married. I don't know how much you could see through it. She would have to be able to see out, but Jacob couldn't tell Leah from Rachel at his wedding, so seeing in must have posed a challenge to some extent. Or Jacob was the reason they say Love is Blind...he was too excited to pay enough attention to what was happening...he just wanted to get through the wedding and love on his wife...but the veil covered what was really going on underneath. There was fear of getting caught, a bit of shame in not being loved and married before her little sister, and wondering what he would do once he removed the veil and it was too late to go back.

But Solomon was close enough to this wife to see through her veil. She was blushing...soft reddish brown cheeks were defined behind that covering. She was smiling...defining those cheeks like pomegranate slices. She couldn't hide her delight in being in his presence. She was delighting in him behind that piece of cloth. There were eyes piercing through him so intently that he asked her to look away...he could hardly control himself! He loved those white teeth that shone while the smile rounded her cheeks. Veil or no veil, she could not hide her love for him.

Are we Leah or the bride of Solomon...are we hiding ourselves, or being modest? Are we fearful, or hopeful? Are we cowering in fear hiding who we really are, or smiling at the mere thought of being close to our true love, Christ? Are we ready to be loved by deceiving, or by lifting the veil in private moments and letting our true selves be known? Are we fearing rejection or anticipating intimacy?

She was close enough to her love that he could see right through us, and God can, too, whether or not we are trying to hide ourselves. He sees us as His beautiful bride looking adoringly at him, or hanging our heads in shame over things we are trying to hide. We might as well get used to the fact that He sees it all, veiled or not. We might as well enjoy His presence, for we are His bride, after all. Marriage used to be for life, and was not as oppressive as our culture would like us to believe. God wanted men and women to delight in the differences they had, not resent them or fear them. And He wants that in our relationship with Him. He is wholy other, so different and yet so like us. To be known, and yet not totally knowable.

So let's smile under the veil...what's not to Love about Him? Let's draw so close that there is no doubt that He can see that smile shining through.