Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: [Song of Solomon 1:6a AKJV]

Don’t look down on me, you city girls, just because my complexion is so dark, the sun has tanned me... [Song of Solomon 1:6a TLB]

"...I am black...the sun hath looked upon me"

Here is a man/woman who was once beautiful, whose face always shone, anybody who looked at him/her immediately saw a reflecting glory, an indescribable beauty that was worth craving for. She was a woman of the indoors, she spent her life in the closet where no harsh rays of the sun could reach, she dwelt in quietness and seclusion where the sun could not scorch her, she never came out while the hot sun shined, her glory and beauty was always fresh in her,

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand (Job 29:20)

The freshness she always came out with was so alarming, when she opened her mouth, she was all glorious within as the King's daughter, beautiful to look upon and fair in complexion.

The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is wrought gold (Psalm 45:13)

But all of a sudden, she began to desire the things of the outside, the closet life began to become burdensome and tasking, the divine sweetness she once enjoyed with her lover (Jesus) that made hours to pass like minutes in His presence soon becomes routines, what once excited her about Him now becomes ordinary, she began to take escapades, she began to come out at noon when she ought to be in the closet, the sun's rays did not respect her beauty, and the sun began to scorch her. Little by little and day after day, she began to lose her beauty, though men admired the beauty as she passed by, but the sun began to tan her by the day, her beauty began to wane until all the fairness gave way to blackness, the beauty faded and ugliness replaced it. The sun had looked upon her (tanned her) so much, she became an object of derision, neglected and a castaway...

It is not the food we eat that brings out the beauty in the life of a man, taking repeated showers in the bathroom to cool off and be refreshed can only cleanse the body from outward dirt, it cannot get to the heart for purging. There is a worldly emphasis these days about eating well, taking good fruits, exercising everyday and having a perfect timed rest, and that these will enhance the beauty of a man but all those carnal beauties are of no heavenly importance, they all end in this world. It is not the painting of the face and the setting of the hair that radiates divine beauty, the beauty in any life, is the Presence of God in that life. Where Christ is absent, be sure, there is ugliness. What makes a man's complexion to be shining, is the glory of God in the life, and this consistent glory is obtained by constant dwelling in the secret place, in the closet to pray and commune with Jesus for divine freshness.

Moses spent days in the presence of God, and he became beautiful the disciples had been with Jesus, dwelling daily in His presence, and the multitudes took note of that - it was radiant upon them Daniel did not partake of the Gentile king's delicacies, but became fairer than everyone else because he daily partook of the freshness of the divine presence. How beautiful a man's life will be because he had spent time to dwell at the bosom of the Father, where his heart has been drawn away from the cares of life, and become satisfied and filled with the sweetness of Jesus.

When a man begins to come out from the closet life, when the altar of prayer which once was a glorious attraction begins to appear like a sorry sight, when things outside the presence of God (legitimate things inclusive) are beginning to be of more interest to a man than the joy of spending hours in the bosom of the Saviour, when men start getting busy and busy everyday - busy to do the house chores, busy in the market, busy in the office, busy with pursuing academic degrees that you can't use to buy any position in heaven, busy with several activities in the church, busy with ecclesiastical duties and church administration and management, busy, busy, busy, and he begins to cut away from the source of grace and beauty - the closet - that man is exposed to the scorching of the sun's harsh rays, the sun will begin to look upon him, he will begin to lose the grace of God, his inner beauty will begin to fade, he will start getting tanned, his fairness will begin to give way to darkness and blackness, and very soon, he will become a black man, a byword and men who once honoured him will begin to disdain him, they will begin to "look upon him" as a man looks upon dung.

Look not upon me because I'm black, the sun has looked upon me... Oh what a pity! The sun does not pity the complexion of any man who has chosen to expose himself to its harsh rays, the sun does not respect the anointing upon your head. The sun is sharp and piercing, the sun of worldly radiance, the sun of worldly accumulation, the sun of worldly pursuits, the sun of bigness of status, the sun of pursuing big name and recognition, the sun of the pursuit of money, wealth and riches... This worldly sun appears to be very shining and very bright, it presents itself as if to make you see things clearly, it deceives a man and shows itself to be liberating him from every darkness and gloominess, it appears to bring liberation and happiness, when the sun of abundance of money and wealth suddenly shines, you feel that 'good, I'm free from poverty' because that sun suddenly licks up every want and lack..., but o thou man, beware of this worldly sun, it is deadly, even though it appears to brighten your way, yet, it scorches, it tans your glorious complexion, it is not friendly with the beauty you obtained in the closet, the more you are exposed to this sun, the darker your divine complexion becomes even though it appears you can see clearer, all the grace deposited into your life that makes you shine suddenly gets evaporated, the dark spots of sin and self that were once gone begin to return without invitation and consultation, the gentle sun of righteousness dims away, and the harsh sun of hypocrisy and godlessness replaces it.

Lord Jesus, help me to be content with your divine presence and forsake the glories of the world that is looking charming, whereas, it's effect is destructive and erodes every trace of divine beauty from my life...Selah