Solomon’s girl friend; the Sodomite, was a beautiful one. She must have been some one like today’s most beautiful lady, Grace Kelly. Like most of us this women the Sodomite had a family with siblings. But, something happened to her that could have turned out bad for her, her brothers forced her to work outside and shepherd their sheep for long hours in the sun. So, imagine a person like Grace whose skin is fair and light and tender outside for many hours, she eventually turned dark risking the chance for her beauty to change. For the Sodomite her beauty did not change she remained beautiful, but the sun caused her to forget some important things in her life; she forgot where her lover rested. Living a life of bullied or of a forced labor will cause a lost of direction, of missing out on some rewarding event. Many today lose their way and unless they request those steps many not be found.
Songs of Solomon 1:5-8
Dark am I, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon.[c] Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun. My mother’s sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards; my own vineyard I had to neglect.7 Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends? 8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women follow the tracks of the sheep and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds.
She was forced to labor for her sibling to becoming dark and losing her way to her lover, the Sodomite took it upon her self to set herself free. Pressure from things and people can have unwanted effects in our lives like forced labor or responsibilities. Matthew, like the Sodomite had this experience of being forced to do what he did. Matthew was a tax collector in the times of Jesus and not of his choice. Tax collectors were the most unwanted people there could be. They were selected by the government and therefore were hated and despised. In Matthew 9:9 change came to Matthew when he decided to follow Jesus. His decision for following Jesus transpired to his tax collectors friends when they came to his house where Jesus was (ps.37:23).
The beautiful Sodomite was tired from the heat and did not settle for just being around the other shepherds she wanted to be with her lover and where he rests and inquired how to get there (v.7). Too many Christians are settling for being beside God’s friends when we should be partakers of his rest (He. 4:1-3). It is not enough to just go to church and go through the motions. There is much more when we desire more from God. The fear of entering the unknown is real in our lives because of failure, but God’s promises are sure (ps. 17:5).
Matthew and the Sodomite like Cinderella decided to step out of what had become their comfort zone and seek that which had a better promise (Prov. 20:24) the steps true rest.