Verse 14 says, "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." Formerly, the maiden was only described as having the eyes of a dove. Now she is described as a dove itself. The Lord calls her according to the position she is about to attain. If she hides in the clefts of the rock and in the secret places of the stairs, she will truly live a life in the Spirit. This is why the Lord calls her this way.
Everyone agrees that "the clefts of the rock" signifies the cross. The line of thought here indicates that the seeker has not understood the cross deeply enough. The Lord is speaking to her again in a poetic way. He is saying that the power and riches of resurrection that have been described must be lived out through a pattern. First there is the power of resurrection, then there is the conformation to His death. Philippians 3:10 matches Song of Songs 2:8-14. The cross that is described here is subjective and experiential.
The Lord says, "Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice." Our countenance and voice cannot be found anywhere else; they can only be found here. This is the result of the work of conformation by the cross.
This very matter of the cross gives satisfaction to the Lord. In the first section there is consecration, and there is the willingness to follow the Lord and bear the cross. Now He wants to go on to put the seal of the cross upon the seeker. The countenance is what man sees, and the voice is what man hears. Both the countenance and voice should only be found in the clefts of the rock and the secret places of the stairs. The emphasis here is on oneness (union) with the cross. Now the cross of Christ has become her cross.
A very important truth is revealed here—we should live out the life of the cross in our experience. We should pass through the cross so that the Lord's cross will become our cross. But in order for the cross of Christ to be all that others see and hear from us, there is a need for us to first know the resurrection of Christ. Only that which passes through the cross constitutes resurrection.
The Lord says that everything with the seeker is good, but that it is superficial. She still does not realize the weight of the cross, the extent of consecration, and the meaning of promise. Therefore, she must still go to the clefts of the rock and the secret places of the stairs.
"For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." The voice denotes prayer as well as praise (cf. Mal. 3:16). In the first section, most of the descriptions concern the maiden's desires and pursuit. She desired the King. This is why the King only mentioned her eyes as being the eyes of a dove. Many praises were directed toward the King, but the entire first section reveals how much the King was to the maiden. But we must realize that the King is the center, and she should live for the King. Just as the maiden was the center in the first section, the King is the center in the second section. The maiden is attached to the King; she is there to satisfy the King. She has gained the King already, and she is satisfied. This is not the time for the maiden to desire the King or appreciate him, but the time for the King to appreciate the maiden, to look upon her, and to desire her. Formerly it was Christ for me; now it is me for Christ.