Daughters of Jerusalem

I have always looked upon Song of Solomon as the personification of Jesus and the Church: a pure, intense, real, and true relationship. Before even going to the Avenida, the red light district of Recife, Father God put a deep desire in me to know these girls, and a longing for them to know Him burned in my heart. When I arrived at Shores, Jesus began to tell me that there is no relationship between the Bride and Groom without the daughters of Jerusalem. He continued to show me that the girls working on the Avenida are the Daughters of Jerusalem, that is, the friends of the Bride. In Song of Songs, the daughters of Jerusalem are witnesses to the love between the Church and Christ. I heard God say to me, “How did you stand to live so far away from these girls, don’t you feel your heart ache for them?” And really, it was incredible; I did ache for them! He started to tell me about Song of Solomon chapter 5.

Here, the Bride was looking for the Groom as usual. Several times in earlier verses, she had “ignored” the daughters of Jerusalem. There is a version that says, “do not disturb our love”. When she finally discovers that her Beloved groom is not in the room with her, but in the streets, she says to the daughters of Jerusalem: “If you see Him, tell Him that I faint with love,” and then they ask, “But who is this Beloved?” As the Bride begins to speak in detail about Him, she brings the daughters of Jerusalem into intimacy as well. As Jesus showed me this, He said, “There is no relationship between me and the Church if the Church does not bring the girls into intimacy too!”

After the Bride speaks of her Groom, the daughters respond, “then tell us where your Beloved is that we will seek Him also.” We need to share with these girls about our Christ, who is so filled with passion, and in compassion desires them as He desires the Church.

In the verses of Song of Solomon, the Bridegroom says to his Bride, “You have conquered me with your gaze, with only one pearl of your necklace.” The first time I went to the Avenida, Jesus showed me a treasure chest full of pearls and jewels and told me that each represented a girl on the Avenida. It was then that I understood that they bring glory to the Bride, because the Bridegroom yearns for the Bride to burn for what burns in His heart! After all, there is no us and Him, without the daughters of Jerusalem!

By Paula Leite, missionary at Shores of Grace