“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” Song of Solomon 6:3
In the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, there are two instances when the Lord tells Daniel, either by the angel Gabriel, or by the personal revelation of Himself, that Daniel is “greatly beloved.” (Dan. 9:23, 10:11) What does it mean to be beloved, even greatly beloved? And is the believer in Christ, born of the Spirit, one with Christ, “beloved?”
In order to grasp something of the meaning of being “beloved” in the sight of God, we must first, and always, begin with God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the gospel according to Matthew we read God the Father’s words which were spoken and heard immediately after Jesus’ baptism, and the coming of the Spirit of God upon Him. “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (3:17) The testimony of God the Father’s voice from heaven is mentioned in the gospel accounts by Mark and Luke. Later, in the account of Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration, when He was transfigured before the disciples, the Father again said: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (17:5) If there is one great and wonderful word that describes the Father’s attitude towards His Son, the Lord Jesus, it is the word “beloved.” And if that is not enough to convince mankind that the most wonderful thing for humanity is the coming of the “beloved” Son of God to reveal God to us, it would be the Lord’s declaration of His LOVE for the entire world. In that declaration He would make powerfully clear that He gave His only begotten Son, His beloved Son, to save us all. But what does the word “beloved” mean to the Father? Can we even begin to fathom its depth of meaning, grasping something of the effect it should have in our lives?
Again, as in all biblical study, concerning every great theme and principle revealed in Scripture, we are shut up to the Lord Jesus for understanding. Since Christ is the Alpha and Omega, we need to begin with the matter of eternity, before time and the foundation of the world, when there was the perfect life and love of God, undiminished by the perspective of sinful man. The relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was one where a perfect unity reigned unchanged and everlasting. The essential thing is that the love of God filled the entirety of the Godhead perfectly, everlastingly, and unchangingly. The Father’s love that was “set” upon His Son was not less than perfect, powerful, and undiminished by the creation that was to come. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, the Father’s love that He had for the Son from eternity was never less than it was before. His love for the Son on the cross, was never diminished, or altered by the offering of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Indeed, the revelation of this “Lamb of God,” who had before the foundation of the world accepted the cross as the sole manner by which sinful men could be saved, was to declare to the whole of mankind that there was a JUST God in Heaven, a Righteous God who was perfect and holy in all of His ways. His holiness was revealed by the giving of that which was most precious to Him, which was not of this world or earth. God was distinct, separate from all of creation, and therefore, was able to provide for man a singular way by which his sins could be forgiven, and eternal life and love received by him.
The Beloved Son belonged to the Father in every aspect of His being. Every believer in Christ belongs to the Beloved Son of the Father. By virtue of the shed blood of Christ, and Christ by the Holy Spirit, every believer has become a new creation IN CHRIST. To belong to Christ, and Christ to him, means forever being beloved of the Father.
Dear Father, Reveal Christ in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.