This beautiful verse tells us about our sealing by the Holy Spirit, what our love should be for Christ, what Christ's love is for us and ends with a stern warning for us. Let's break this down:
>Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm
The seal shows that we are God's, and on the Heart and Arm symbolize the emotions (heart) and actions (arm). A few other places this symbolized in Scripture we find this is:
Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Revelation 13:16 And he (antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (hand symbolizes what they do, forehead symbolizes what they think)
Deuteronomy 6:6,8 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
>for love is strong as death
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
>jealousy is cruel as the grave:
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Zephaniah 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
God is a jealous God and expects us to be loyal as in a marriage, demonstrated here in Song of Solomon and throughout the Bible. We are the Bride of Christ.
Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Ephesians 5:31-32 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
> cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Fire and flame refer to the grave of those that have provoked God to jealousy.
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Mark 9:45-46 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Now we see our duty clearly. God spoke it through
Moses: Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Paul: 1 Corinthians 13:2-3, 13 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing. ...And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Christ: Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Love is how we can tell who is Christ's and who isn't. Love is “as strong as death” my friends, and, in the case of Christ: stronger, He overcame death for us. But do we love Him enough to die for Him? Do we love Him enough to treat the His sheep with love? Our enemies?
“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”
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