Have you ever experienced a strange dream? We all probably have had dreams we thought we were actually living through. Solomon seems to be describing a dream he had, but he is trying to relay it to us through Abishag. Evidently, he was facing something every Christian faces from time to time: a sense that God isn’t near us when we need Him.
In verse 1, Solomon describes his enjoyment with his wife and their fellowship. Others are encouraging them to enjoy each other in their life together. Then in verse 2, Abishag relays a dream she had. “One night as I was sleeping, my heart awakened in a dream. I heard the voice of my beloved: he was knocking at my bedroom door.” He was wet with dew and wanted to come in. She made excuses as to why she didn’t respond.
“My beloved tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. I jumped up to open it, and my hands dripped with perfume, my fingers with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. I opened to my beloved, but he was gone. My heart stopped.” Have you ever felt God speaking to you asking you to do something, but for some reason, you didn’t respond to His call? We probably either have or will at some point(s) in our lives. We missed an opportunity, and we felt guilty. We know God spoke to us, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to respond. Once we’ve missed the opportunity, we wish we could rewind the clock for another chance.
What opportunity Solomon missed, we will never know. The king messed up again! Why would a king who had everything this world could offer fail in his response to God’s voice? He failed because he was too much like us; he was human with all of our short comings.
Imagine how the disciples felt when they returned from their first mission without Jesus. He had given them so much power to preach the word, to cast out demons, and to heal the sick. Yet, when they returned, they again experienced failure.
Life is a learning experience that never quits this side of eternity. We experience ups and downs just like Solomon did. We have to remember that God loves us in spite of our failures. God is doing a great work in this world. He is the vine, and we are only the branches working to bear fruit. Jesus also said, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32). Our job is to lift Him up.