Song of Solomon 1:13
A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts.
When I was young, and had a cold, one thing my mom would do was grease my chest down with Vicks VapORub. I don’t know why it helps, but the vapors that come from the eucolyptis, or camphor, or whatever is in that stuff always seemed to be what was needed to get a good night’s sleep. In this passage, the woman who is telling this may not be sick, but she
compares a simple package, or a sachet, of perfume to her loved one, and the soothing affect it brings.
The pleasant aroma of having that perfume bundled in the middle of the chest gives a comforting feeling. It stays around and does its soothing work all night long. It helps us settle our minds and get the rest we need. God is that way. He works in quiet and unknown ways, but they are ways that brings just the comfort we need.
An interesting word is one that ends up being translated with the phrase, “lies all night.” The significance is that it (the package), the lover, God, won’t leave us in our time of need. As we become unconscious, and sleep, he quietly uses his soothing ability and stays with us through the whole night that we are going through.
That phrase can also mean to stay permanently. He will be there for us in our need, but he will also be there, and remain past that time as well.
After a day of life’s normal chores, no matter how bland or overwhelmingly stressful, a time comes when we need rest. We need a safe place to be able to sleep, rest our minds, and generally be ministered to. Find that quiet place and take God to your chest. He has the soothing power that just works.