“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” –
Song of Songs /Shir HaShirim, 6:3.
Many phrases from The Song of Songs written by King Solomon, have been used in weddings for centuries.
What does it truly mean and why is this particular verse so popular when it comes to weddings?
While reading this think in terms not of an earthly wedding and marriage covenant but of the marriage covenant of the Lamb and wedding feast of the Coming King of Kings.
Solomons Song is a type and shadow of our future when we are finally together with the one whom our soul loves. He gave His life for His bride – US.
It’s a song of redemption, of selfless love that we are learning from Him as we walk along the WAY and we are no longer our own, we are His forever.
Ani Lo & Dodi Li
I am His & My Beloved is mine
Dodi Li V’Ani Lo – My beloved is mine and I am His
Ani Lo – I am His – it is the summary of all that is required of us.
1Cor.6:19-20 You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block.
The first thing God does is get us grounded on strong reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. O. Chambers.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
However the secret to fulfilling that, is, Dodi Li – that our beloved is truly ours.
In the Hebrew tradition of Israel during the wedding ceremony, the Bride must say Dodi Lo, prior to saying, Ani Lo.
This is because she must first have the apocalypse/revelation that her beloved belongs to her, then the easier it will be and the more she will be able to and want to give herself to her beloved and visa versa.
Here-in is the secret to living our life in Yeshua Messiah, our bridegroom. If we receive His love for us we will easily give our love to Him. The more understanding we gain of Dodi Lo, that He is ours, the more our lives will become, Ani Lo/His. The deeper the personal apocalypse/revealing, the easier it will be for us to yield our lives to Him completely. This in turn will bring spiritual intimacy to our relationship, changing our perspective and causing the desire to surrender to His Will, Plan and Purpose for our lives and not live for ourselves and our own future goals.
If he is hers, she will be his and if she is his, he will be hers. It’s reciprocal and complimentary at the same time.
Likewise, if He is ours we will be His and if we are His then He will be ours.
Many have pointed out that the initials of the words in this phrase spell out “Elul”…
Any new Jewish month (a lunar month) has special prayers such as Hallel, especially for weddings. Traditionally a bride and groom are to fast on their wedding day. However, there is an exception: Rosh Chodesh.
And this month’s new month of Elul, has a lot of meaningful significance in Judaism.
If it’s on Rosh Chodesh Elul, it means the bride and groom wouldn’t have to fast, as some couples customarily do.
So as already mentioned, many say that Elul אלול stands for “Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li” ״אני לדודי ודודי לי״ which means “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
This phrase is very popular within both Jewish and non-Jewish weddings.
When reading the entire poem, it is a beautiful love story between a man and a woman. Relationships are always based on give and take, and one of equality between both partners – a balance. So too, a husband and wife should always give and receive love and support.
Often this is read as a metaphor of the love between the Jewish people/grafted in believers and God.
There’s a Hebrew word that means soul mate.
also meaning – Meant to be.
Natural soul mates are only temporary on earth, God is our basheret, our true soul mate, He is the real lover of our souls.
In Messiah, our Dodi Li will manifest our Ani Lo. He belongs to us and the more we receive His love for us the more we will give of ourselves to Him.
As we open our hearts to fully understand Dodi Lo, our lives will become the reflection of Ani Lo, belonging completely to Him. Then, how we live and what we do, will no longer be a fleshly struggle of the soul; it will be easy, for it will flow out from His love.
An Ani Lo life, is the result of a Dodi Li heart, for the knowledge that He is ours creates that life of divine love.
As the bride of Yeshua we are to say and know, that as we fill our hearts with this Dodi Li understanding – our lives will soon become Ani Lo.
My beloved is to me and I am to Him –
My Beloved is Mine and I am His –
Simply Dodi Li V’Ani Lo
This is in a nutshell everything required of us in God.
It’s the foundation of everything we are to be and do in Him.
It encompasses our calling, consecration, dedication, works, sacrifices, ministry. As we are in covenant with Him we have to honor that covenant form our side too.
Just as when God called to Moses,
Moses reply was the correct covenant response. It was immediate and he did not hesitate. We are to be as quick to respond when He speaks to us – no hesitation – just simple obedience. He will never ask us to do anything that He has not equipped us to do.
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb.13:21 & Eph.4:22
Hineni expresses readiness to give ourselves in total availability. This answer will mark a turning point in the lives of those of us who respond to The Father with this word.
Moses wasn’t the only one to say Hineni:
Samuel said Hineni – I’m listening.
Isaiah said Hineni – Send me.
Hineni is the right WAY to respond to our Heavenly Father whenever He calls, it should always be our desire to fulfill His Commands in directing the path for our lives.
All that remains is for us to surrender all to our beloved and cry…
It is Complete Surrender – The Covenant Call to Action.
Here Am I
Your will be done in our lives.
I will go where you go lead me because
