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SOLOMON.S11
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Study No. 11.
SONG OF SOLOMON
RESTORING TRUE LOVE cont. - Chapter 4:8 - 5:1
4:8 - "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from
Lebanon; look from the top of Amana, from the top of
Senir, and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the
mountains of the leopards."
"Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse". This constitutes the
Second Call .
a) This verse is the key to the whole book and reveals both the
reason for the King's dealings with the Bride, and her own
reason for being. The King's recent endorsements of her were
not meant to be an end in themselves, but a means to an end.
His expressions of faith in the Bride and appreciation of her
beauty were designed to enable her to progress into her real
destiny.
b) The Lord may postpone His intention for a time because of the
inability of His Church to progress, but He never lowers His
standard or surrenders His purpose. He never gives up. In
chapter 2:8-17 she had not been able to accept the challenge
to "come with me". Now the same call reaches out to her
again (3:8). The Church can never escape the call of God to
fulfill its ministry. We may waste time and opportunity, but
He will persist until we face it.
c) This is the first time in the book that the King has called
the Bride "my spouse". In the Hebrew language this is the
word for Bride, but it comes from a root which means to make
perfect or complete. The dealings of God are designed to
achieve perfection or "maturity" in His Church and the King
has been bringing the Bride to this place of maturity so that
she will be qualified to face the challenge of her real
ministry. She has not been called to the King to be blessed
and favoured above others, but so that she will be prepared
to be an instrument in His hand to subdue His enemies.
The King never calls her "my spouse" until she is
able to say "I will go all the way with you and will
not settle where I choose while you go further". The
emphasis is not so much on mountains as the Bride's
total unity with the King - not only in nature but in
purpose. The emphasis is "come with me".
d) This new position with the King brings a totally new
perspective of the world to the Bride. Previously she
had looked at the mountains as an impossible task, or an
unnecessary interruption to her comfortable state.
i) The Lord's desire for His Church is to be seated
with Him in heavenly places, and to "look down"
upon the problems and challenges of this life with a
perspective of victory. Eph. 2:6, cp 1:20-22. It is
true that the view depends upon the vantage point.
ii) There are two basic philosophies of the Christian
life which are diametrically opposed to each other.
They are "working for the Lord" and "working with the
Lord". The first is works based and seeks to earn
God's favour by human effort. The second seeks to
find God's will and co-operate with Him, and it is
this alone which will bring success in spiritual
things. We are crucified "with Him", buried "with
Him", raised "with Him", seated "with Him", and shall
reign "with Him". It was God working "with them"
(Mark 16:20) which brought confirmation of the word
by signs following.
e) Mount Hermon is a triple peaked mountain in the Anti-Lebanon
range and it appears that the three names, Amana, Shenir and
Hermon were applied to the peaks which are about equal
distance apart and of equal height.
i) Lebanon, where these mountain peaks are, was never
possessed by Israel, although it was part of its promised
inheritance. Its occurrence in the Song of Solomon as a
spiritual truth written by Solomon who as King did not
possess that territory shows us that the Church must not
settle for less than its full inheritance in Christ.
ii) The names of these mountain peaks are significant in the
Bride's victory:
1) Amana means "confirmation" or "permanent". The word
also carries the thought of "covenant", and is related
to the word "Amen". Jesus is called "The Amen - the
faithful and true witness" - Rev. 3:14. "In Him all
the promises of God are yea and Amen" - 2 Cor. 1:20.
In the heavenly places with the King the Bride receives
not only a world view and increased vision, but a
greater understanding of her relationship with the
King, and the resulting change in her nature. There is
a confirmation of truth to her that only came about
through her obedience to ascend the mountain with the
King.
2) Shenir (Note Deut. 3:9) means "covering" and indicates
an "armour of protection" provided for the Bride in
this high place with the King. She will soon face
conflict and opposition as a result of this new state
of faith, but is prepared for it by the King before it
comes. This is the Church's spiritual armour of Eph.
6:11-18.
3) Hermon means "devoted to destruction", and in the
context of the other names, infers the overthrow of the
Satanic Kingdom through the work of Christ on the Cross
- Col. 2:14-15.
Before we ever face spiritual conflict the King not
only prepares our armour for us, but has already
overthrown our enemies.
f) While in this exalted place of obedience and revelation, the
Bride confronts the enemy - "the lions' dens, from the
mountains of the leopards". In the midst of her new status
with the King and the revelation of herself in Him calling
her "my spouse", spiritual warfare begins. In her maturity
she at least enters into the ministry of the King.
i) The enemy of our souls who goes about as a roaring lion
attacks the Bride at this point, and not before. She was
not a threat before.
ii) The uncovering of the enemy's tactics usually does not
occur until the Church ministers to God in heavenly places
and high praises. Note Ps. 149. Prayer and Praise
becomes a weapon of spiritual warfare and exposes the
Satanic strategy. It was when Daniel was seeking God that
a spiritual battle in the heavenly realm took place - Dan.
10:12-13. It was during Jesus' 40 day fast that He
entered into a battle with Satan. Paul's high revelation
resulted in Satanic opposition - 2 Cor. 12, and Jesus
transfiguration was immediately followed by a contest with
the powers of darkness in an epileptic boy - Matt. 17.
iii) The "dens" speak of the root of Satanic bondage. His work
may be seen in the valleys, but the source of it is with
the Prince of the Power of the Air. The leopards suggest
the swiftness of his attack and the unchangeable nature of
Satan - "can the leopard change his spots".
iv) The King says to the Bride "look from it". Her view is
not to be obsessed with the lions' dens or leopards, but
to have a wide and balanced perspective.
g) The King calls the Shulamite His "spouse" five times in the
next five verses, though He had never used it before.
Her ascent with Him into the "heavenly realm" and the place
of spiritual warfare causes the King to confirm her (Amana)
as spouse and this is not taken from her, despite her next
decline.
4:9 - "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou
hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one
chain of thy neck."
"You have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse".
This can also read, "You have given me courage". It is
incredible to realise that we, the Church, meet needs in our
Lord. However, it is only the sister/spouse who can ravish His
heart.
a) The sister speaks of the common origin of the King and His
Bride. There is both a birth and blood relationship between
Christ and His Church - we are bone of His bone and flesh of
His flesh - Eph. 5:30.
b) The Bride, or spouse relationship is one of choice and both
these levels of relationship are essential to fully satisfy
the King's need for our love.
c) "With one glance of your eyes".
She had doves' eyes which had now received a greater vision
because she has fixed her sight upon the King.
d) "With one chain of your neck".
Her submission to His will would not have been possible but
for the work of the Godhead begun in Chapter 1:10. It is God
who is at work in us both to will and do His good pleasure.
Note Proverbs 1:9. These qualities in her bring great
blessing to the King and she satisfied His heart in a way
that no angel or any other created being can.
4:10 - "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much
better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine
ointments than all spices!"
"How much better is your love than wine."
The King's response to her love for His is also both parallel to
and greater than the Bride's response to His in Chapter 1:2. She
had said "your love is better than wine". The King now declares
that the Bride's love is much better than wine. The joy she
causes in the King is unique. Nothing else can bless Him as she
does and her obedience and love stimulates the King greatly. She
had also commended Him on the "savour of His good ointments".
Now the King says of her, "The smell of your ointments (is
better) than all spices".
Ointment is the product of spices, but in a crushed form. The
dealings in her life to bring her to the fulness of the King's
will in her produced a fragrance which had not been present
before her time of total yieldedness to Him.
4:11 - "Thy lips, O my spouse, drop like the honeycomb; honey and
milk are under thy tongue, and the scent of thy garments
is like the fragrance of Lebanon."
a) Her lips are referred to before (4:3) as a thread of scarlet
which speaks of a good confession of faith of the redeeming
blood of Christ.
However, the King now indicates a further level of this
confession, He points out that her affirmation of His truth
is not mere glib talk. Just as honey is not made in a
moment, and is the end result of a lengthy process, so her
speech of faith is a result of the process the King has been
working in her life. She is expressing the belief and
commitment of her heart. Until the honey is capped in the
honeycomb by the wax, it will not properly develop. Her
speech is now rooted to things deep in her heart.
b) The King also says "honey and milk are under your tongue".
This speaks of a controlled tongue.
Two things necessary to be imputed to new believers are
symbolized by honey and milk, but these elements are only of
value to such people if the source of them is wise in speech
and has a right attitude - ie. from a self-controlled tongue.
Honey is both a predigested food and a source of quick
energy. The things of the Lord which have already been
assimilated by the Bride will bring about rapid strength in
new believers when imparted to them.
Milk symbolises the Word of God fed to new believers, and
those immature in the faith - 1 Cor. 3:2, Heb. 5:13, and 1
Pet. 2:2.
4:12-15 - "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring
shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard
of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; henna, with
spikenard, Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with
all the chief spices; A fountain of gardens, a well of
living waters, and streams from Lebanon."
The Bride begins another period of decline. Her first decline in
chapter 1:5 was caused by reaction. Her headstrong period in 1:9
resulted from resistance, and last decline in chapter 2:9-17 was
caused by rebellion. Now she is recoiling from the awesome
challenges she has to confront on Lebanon. The dens of lions and
leopards represent a demand on her and an involvement in
spiritual warfare which is intimidating to her. She withdraws
from the conflict and seeks to retire to more pleasant pursuits.
She has faced and become afraid of spiritual manifestations, and
these demands on her in both time and effort. It is easier to
opt for a more routine and predictable area of spiritual life, so
once again she retreats behind a wall. She becomes a garden
enclosed. Her spring of living waters is shut up, instead of
flowing out to the needy land. She is becoming parochial in her
vision again, and as a result of her reaction to spiritual power
and conflict, she concentrates on the development of the fruit of
the Spirit instead of the Gifts of the Spirit. Both are
essential to a well-balanced life.
Nine specific fruits or spices are mentioned - pomegranates,
camphire, spikenard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon, frankincense,
myrrh and aloes; and there are 9 Fruit if the Spirit - Gal. 5:22.
4:16 - "Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south; blow upon my
garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come
into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits"
The King is now prepared to leave the Bride in this withdrawn
state but she calls for the cold and harsh north wind of
adversity to blow upon the garden, and then for the balmy south
wind to do the same so that between these two types of dealing
with her, some of the product of the garden may reach the world
around her.
Because the painful lessons she has learned in chapters 3 and 4
have left a permanent effect on her and her desire was only to
escape the challenges of such demanding spiritual ministry as she
had encountered on Lebanon. She does not want to be without the
King's presence and invites Him to come into the garden. She
also acknowledges that it is His garden. She does not lay claim
to His possessions as she had previously (3:1).
Notice - It is the brides response, she says that she sees the
potential too, and also sees the lock, - please remove it and
make "My garden breath out fragrance."
5:1 - "I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse. I have
gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb
with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O
friends. Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved."
The King has accepted the invitation of the Shulamite to come
where she is, and thus accommodates Himself to her weakness at
this point. However, in doing so He emphasizes a number of
important aspects of their relationship.
a) He insists that it is His garden - not hers. Note 4:16 - "my
garden".
b) He still emphasizes the fact of her status as both His Bride
and sister. Her choice of Him and their common origin are
not changed by this period of moving away. Through this
whole book the King's strategy has been to lift her vision by
describing her as He sees her in faith. He is not
condemnatory now.
c) "I have come into my garden" He has come in and eaten, and
walked around, drunk a little, ate a little then he says
friends, come drink abundantly.
Remember the second call was to go down to the valley of
human need. "Journey down" Chapter 4:8 N.A.S.B.
You did pray for the North wind.
How many of you know that Jesus knows how to walk in your
garden but all his dumb friends, they come with big
clodhoppers, football boots, skateboards, bicycles and they
bring their kids! Oh NO!! Open to them? NEVER!!!
When you open to people, they hurt. They don't know how to
walk in your garden.
Because when people come into your life they (1) Take
(2) Demand
(3) Drain
(4) Injure
They also (1) Supply
(2) Challenge
(3) Provide
(4) Heal
The King intends that by reminding the Bride of where she has
been she will be inspired to recover that area of her life
instead of running away further.
He has come where she is, but expects that she will now come
where He wants her to be.
Jesus said, "If any man thirst let him come to me and drink,
and out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of
living water." He does not intend to pour the life-giving
water of His Holy Spirit into us, but instead turns our wells
of salvation (Is. 12:3, John 4:14) into "rivers of living
waters" - John 7:37.
Section three ends with the Bride still in decline, but with
the King bringing to bear His forces of inspiration,
encouragement, adversity and blessing to produce a recovery
of her ministry.
END of STUDY ELEVEN