6 “[h][i]What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like columns of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all scented powders of the merchant?
7 “Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty mighty men around it,
Of the mighty men of Israel.
8 “All of them are wielders of the sword,
Expert in war;
Each man has his sword at his side,
Guarding against the [j]terrors of the night.
9 “King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 “He made its posts of silver,
Its [k]back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly fitted out
By the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 “Go forth, O daughters of Zion,
And gaze on King Solomon with the [l]crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the day of his wedding,
And on the day of his gladness of heart.”
In the second half of the chapter, we see Solomon riding into town on his “traveling couch”. You could smell it a mile off, and it was guarded by sixty mighty men, who were “guarding against the terrors of the night…”? Much like we see in Jesus’ parable of the virgins (Matthew 25), the groom could often be from another town, and it seems they usually arrived in the night.
Thus the virgins holding their lamps, ready and waiting, hoping their betrothed was coming, but ready to join the celebration for a friend as well. Solomon’s couch is quite the sight, with imported timber, silver, goal, and the most costly purple fabric. Yet the thing which stands out to me, perhaps strangely, is what comes next. “With its interior lovingly fitted out by the daughters of Jerusalem.”
Solomon was the king, he didn’t need to care who did the work. For that matter, his power could have emboldened him to force any workers to do it, for a fraction of the cost, or free. Yet he knew that the best work is done by those who take pride and joy in their craft, those who would “lovingly” fit out his sedan.
It is a reminder to me, and I hope to you also, that we are all in the “service industry”. Some may think otherwise, but I can’t think of a job where this doesn’t apply. Whatever position we hold, it should be our desire to serve our customers. Sure, some don’t have traditional customers, but a teacher has students, and a doctor has patients, and both are in business to serve.
That said, some misguided souls may get into business thinking they are in it for themselves, but it is unlikely that they will get far with that mindset. And so, like the daughters of Jerusalem, we should take pride in our craft, not to be puffed up, but to know we’ve done our best, and turned out a “product” that serves others well.
If you need more inspiration, remember that everything we do is a reflection of our relationship with God. What is your work saying about you? Does it show others your love for Him, or does it say something entirely different? Don’t settle for less, and don’t expect others to either. Do what God has put before you, big or small, and do it with all your heart, soul, and mind.