Q. Is it right to call Jesus the “Lily of the Valleys” and “Rose of Sharon”?

A. Song of Solomon 2:1 presents a conversation between two lovers: the man (most consider him to be Solomon) and the woman. The woman spoke of herself as the rose of Sharon. Sharon was a lovely region along the coast of Israel. She also spoke of herself as the lily, another common flower of the valley. So she compared herself with common flowers of the field, and her lover affirmed this evaluation by comparing her to a lily and all other women to thorns. She was actually unique among many thorns. This is a literal view of the phrases. Some people have made an analogy concerning Christ here because He is certainly admirable and delightful to us who know Him.

Do you have feedback or a Bible question to submit? Send your Bible questions to nolson@garbc.org, or mail to Norman A. Olson in care of the Baptist Bulletin, 1300 N. Meacham Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60173-4806.