Plants of the Bible
2. The Lily – Glory
“I am...the lily of the valley”
(Song of Solomon 2:1)
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In the Song of Solomon Christ is lovingly addressing his church. We have seen how he compares himself to the rose, a splendid bloom which speaks of his glory as the eternal Son of God. Now he compares himself to another plant: the lily. It presents a very different view of Christ to the rose but one which is just as necessary for us think about and to understand.
Lilies belong to a group of plants which includes tulips. There are over eighty species of lily, all found in the northern hemisphere, some in our own country and others as far away as China and Japan. The flowers grow from a bulb and may be trumpet-shaped or more spread out in their form, varying also in their colour. In the Bible we learn of lilies growing in a garden and lilies growing in the field but most importantly of the lily of the valley, which concerns our Lord Jesus Christ.
We all made our appearance in the world at some point in time, born to our fathers and mothers in the usual way. The Bible tells us of the unique way in which Jesus came into this world. God had promised a Saviour ever since the fall of our first parents. For centuries the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, including those remarkable words in Isaiah, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa.7:14). God would one day become man and dwell upon the earth!
This is just what took place. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal.4:4). God’s only begotten Son became the firstborn child of Mary, a young Jewish woman who knew no man. The very One who created and upholds the universe was born as a tiny babe. How the Son of God became man is a great mystery but what it meant for us is seen in the lily of the valley.
Jesus is like the lily in his humility. A valley is a low place. The Son of God was in the highest heaven, sharing the glory of the divine majesty. He was perfectly blessed in fellowship with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. But he had a people in this world. They were sinners and he must save them! So the Son of God stooped down and entered our flesh, hiding his own glory and honour. This was the beginning of Christ’s humiliation.
Coming into this world Christ exposed himself to poverty and hunger, hatred and scorn. But he underwent much more besides. “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil.2:8). The Lord bore the burden of his people’s sin from Bethlehem all the way to Calvary. There even his Father hid his face from him as he descended into the lowest place of all, into hell.
We see the humility of Jesus in so many aspects of his life. He learned a manual trade (Mark 6:3). He mixed with publicans and sinners (Matt.9:10,11). He refused the honours of men (John 6:15). He washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:4,5). Above all he welcomed sinners to himself, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt.11:28,29).
Jesus is also like the lily in his purity. The best lilies are those which are white in colour. Christ is a lily for the whiteness or pureness of his character. He is spotless in holiness. Though living in a world of sin and subject to temptation Jesus “knew no sin” (2Cor.5:21) and “did no sin” (1Pet.2:22). He could say of his Father, “I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). Jesus kept the demands of God’s law perfectly. “In him is no sin” (1John 3:5).
What a contrast with ourselves! We are black through sin. When you look into your own heart what do you see? You see wrong thoughts and wicked desires. You see vain ambitions and arrogant pride. “The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live” (Ecc.9:3). When you look at your life you must say with Saul, “I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly” (1Sam.16:21). How we need God’s forgiveness!
Jesus is like the lily in his beauty too. While proud men despise and reject Christ souls that have been made aware of their sin see great beauty in him. God brings his people down from their mountains of pride and into the valley of repentance. There they meet with Christ the Saviour and he becomes to them a precious lily. There is nothing more beautiful in their eyes than their Lord and his love.
By his grace God richly blesses poor sinners who believe in Jesus. First he clothes them, putting upon them the perfect righteousness of Christ, a better garment than the finest robe king Solomon ever wore. Then he changes them within and makes them truly holy. So Jesus can say of his people, “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (Song 2:2). His beauty has become theirs. May it become yours too through trusting in him for salvation from sin.
