January 18, 2004

THE ROSE OF SHARON

"I am the rose of Sharon" (Song of Solomon 2:1, NKJV).

The rose is the best loved and most popular flower in the world. Its color, beauty, and fragrance have made it a universal favorite since ancient times. Isaiah 35:1 describes the desert as blossoming like a rose, while Song of Solomon 2:1, in poetic language, makes reference to the rose of Sharon. It is believed that Sharon was the name of the open maritime plain between the biblical Joppa and Mount Carmel. This region became popular for its gorgeously bedecked fields of beautiful wild flowers known as the rose of Sharon.

Though the Bible doesn't expressly declare the rose of Sharon to be one of the titles of Jesus Christ, this familiar metaphor has long been accepted as such. The portrayal of Christ as the rose of Sharon has provided inspiration for Christian poets and hymn writers across the centuries. The symmetry, beauty, and fragrance of the rose symbolize the unblemished beauty and spotless character of Jesus, the rose of Sharon.

As the fragrant rose draws its admirers to share its beauty and aroma, so does the rose of Sharon draw us to His heart of love. "I have loved you with and everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV). Jesus Christ is the rose of Sharon that is always in season. He is always available to redeem, renew, and transform our dullness into radiance. His precious promise is always in season: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV).

The rose of Sharon longs to bloom in our hearts. He longs to exude the fragrance of His love in each life. Ellen G. White said it well: "We need Jesus, the Rose of Sharon, to beautify the character and make our lives fragrant with good works, so that we shall be a savor of Christ unto God." Review and Herald, August 14, 1894.

My Prayer Today: Rose of Sharon, fill my life today with the beauty of Your character and the fragrance of Your matchless love. Amen.