As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we sometimes sense that He isn’t as close to us as He used to be. Solomon experienced that after his repentance, and he describes it in the first part of this chapter in verses 1-5.
I have noticed that God answers the prayers of new believers quickly. He wants them to be strengthened in their faith. But as their faith grows, there comes a time when their prayers are not answered as quickly. Why? Because if God answered all of our prayers immediately, we would become like spoiled children. Parents who love their children don’t always respond positively to their whims. And God deals with us in the same way because He loves us.
This is what happened to Abishag. She woke up in the middle of the night to find her husband missing. This had never happened before, and she was concerned. She got up, dressed, and left the palace to find him. She was stopped by police who wondered why she was in the streets at night. After explaining her quest, they let her go, and she soon found her lover. Yes, as Christians fairly new to the faith, we sometimes have questions of older believers and find they don’t have the answers either. They would like to help, but maybe our questions had never occurred to them. But like Abishag, if we keep searching, the Lord will come to teach, encourage, and comfort us again.
In verses 6-11, we find another part of the story. The young women of Jerusalem see something strange. They see something they have not seen in a while. Solomon comes riding in his chariot with sixty of his mightiest warriors. How great it is to see such a display of power and elegance. Abishag encourages the other young women to go out and see the king and enjoy his appearing.
Sometimes we get kind of stale in our Christian lives and in our church. We can remember times of revival when people were trusting Christ and the church was growing. But that was years ago, and we can’t figure out why it isn’t happening now. Over the years, we may have forgotten what revival was like, and we think maybe we sing too many songs in the service or we don’t give people a chance to testify about what God is doing in their life. And when revival starts to come, sometimes it is the newest believers who recognize it first.