HIS HEART SONG…Part 4
“Arise and Come…out of your comfort zone”
- When we left our bride last week, she was lavishing praise back on her Beloved about their house and how incredible it was…how strong and rot-resistant and how safe and secure she felt….let’s pick up I Chapter 2, where the Bride continues on by saying…
Song of Solomon 2:1 “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.”
- Now hang on here a minute….at first glance this may sound like the Bride is saying something good about herself….but if you do a little research…you find that she is reverting back to her old way of thinking….
- A ROSE OF SHARON and a LILY OF THE VALLEY are both very, very COMMON flowers. Thousands of these flowers bloomed in the valleys….Sharon is a “plain”. These types of flowers are actually not looked upon as much at all in Judea…very ordinary and common
- She is questioning His love for her because she is seeing herself as just a common, ordinary girl…why in the world would He love her so much?
- Paul even felt this same way….1 Corinthians 9-10 “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am…!”
- SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo many believers see themselves as common, worthless….not able to really accomplish much for God…but this is crazy talk….HE LOVES US with ALL-CONSUMING LOVE!!!!
- But our Bridegroom continues to pour out love on her…
Song of Solomon 2:2 “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.”
- We are His lily in the midst of this cursed earth…in the midst of the thorns…the thorn represents the “curse” brought on by Adam and Eve
- He has transformed us from the lilies of the field a thorn to a lily and HE LOVES THAT ABOUT US!...it’s like He is saying…”Don’t ever think of yourself as common again!...no more doubts or discouragement…! I love you, I love you, I love you!”
- Look what he even said about the lilies of the valley back on the Sermon on the Mount…Matthew 6:28-29 ”Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”………………….isn’t that soooooooo cool……………….we think we are pathetic….and here is the Creator Himself saying that we are INCREDIBLE!!!!
- We are JOINT-HEIRS with Jesus! We are the bride of Christ! We are a holy, royal priesthood! We have been given authority to rule!....We are SOMEBODY….IN HIM!
- Yes, I know that Romans 12:3 says that we are “…not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.”….that verse means for us not to think that we are “all that” own our OWN……it’s not talking about what we are IN CHRIST!
- Don’t let the enemy crush your spirit with DISCOURAGEMENT!!!!! Get your eyes back on HIM…remember ..DOVES EYES…focuses on Him and Him alone…..all that other mess that people are saying doesn’t matter….FOCUS on HIM!!!
- THORNS have the potential to choke the life out of you….but if you keep your focus on Him…they will have NO EFFECT on YOU!
- We are HIS LILIES…LILIES symbolize purity, chastity and fertility….the most incredible thing about a LILY is its FRAGRANCE!!! LILIES multiply readily…as we should as HIS lily
- The Bride replies….
- Song of Solomon 2:3 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.”
- This is the Bride comparing her King to all the others….
- She said He is like an APPLE TREE…in the original Hebrew language “apple” is “bergamot orange”…it is an EVERGREEN plant that does not shed its leaves in winter….it kinda looks like a pomegranate but it tastes like an orange and lemon smushed together
- He is like an “APPLE TREE among the trees of the forest”…Her Beloved can BEAR FRUIT to feed her and…He is an EVERGREEN meaning He provides shade all the time…He is soooooooooooooooooooooo WAY better than all else! He stands out above all the other trees in the forest…they do not compare!
- What makes her DELIGHT to sit in His shade???....It’s shelter…it’s protection…
- Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will REST in the shadow of the Almighty.”
- There is REST and PEACE sitting in His shade….and then there is HIS FRUITS!!!! WOO! WOO!
- Those fruits that He provides are everything we need…fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
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- SO….she has followed Him…she has found His shelter/shade/shadow….she feels secure and safe and she is being fed…His shade is protecting her from the noontime heat…which is when Satan would try to wear you down…but you are at rest under the Apple Tree….just as we are when we SIT under His shade…when we READ HIS Word….SIT and READ and PRAISE and PRAY and that’s where the power you need will come from!
- He protects and nurtures us!
- In the shade…is our time of intimacy with Him…just US and Him….no one else…but now its time for Him to show the world how He feels about us…
Song of Solomon 2:4 “He brought me to the banqueting table, and his banner over me is love.”
- A BANQUET means that there are others involved….other lilies!...He wants to show you off to everyone!
- In fact…in Revelation 19:7-9 …it’s all about a MASSIVE BANQUET…”Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready…..blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”
- DO YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO HIM!!!!! ALL THIS TO-DO is ABOUT YOU!!!!
- The Hebrew word translated “banquet” is literally the word for “wine”……which is JOY…..He brings us into the House of Wine in order to give us JOY
- HIS BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE….love, love, love…everything relates to love…everything He does is based on love
- The flying of a banner symbolizes POSSESSION
Song of Solomon 2:5 “Strengthen (Uphold/Stay) me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.”
- There is a measure as to what our earthly bodies can handle!....We have to ask God to give us STRENGTH so that we can enjoy even more of Him!
- Just like in 1 Kings 8:10-11 “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests COULD NOT STAND to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.”
- The bride is LOVESICK….she asks to be strengthened with raisin cakes that are called flagons and apples that would, of course, remind her of Him….
- BUT…this lovesickness can’t be cured by those things!.....our thirst for Him can never be satisfied…not even by His gifts….We long for HIM and HIM ALONE!!!!
- Have you ever noticed how exhausted you are after a SPIRITUAL HIGH? Sunday morning church just totally wears Pastor Donny out….he is in much need of food and a good, long nap after church…as he sleeps…he is resting in the arms of his Bridegroom….it’s a peaceful rest…just like our bride in this story…
- Sometimes when we go on retreats…or to church camp…things like that…we are on “spiritual highs”….then we return back to the reality of daily living…in the “midst of a crooked and perverse generation”…where maybe our spouses haven’t experienced the same “high” that we did…and they are not nearly as excited…our our friends…etc…
- We end up feeling LOVESICK and in MUCH NEED of God His care…that’s why the bride called out for sustenance…for the spiritual foods that she called raisins and apples!
- She is weak…but He is strong….and that is just what He provides for her…STRONG ARMS…
Song of Solomon 2:6 “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand does embrace me.”
- Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory, and your RIGHT HAND sustains ,me…”
- Jesus represents the right hand of God…everything in Jesus right hand is OURS!
- Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
- So………………I looked up some verses that deal with His RIGHT HAND…and the LEFT one too….
- PLEASURES…Psalm 16:11 “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with ETERNAL PLEASURES at your RIGHT hand.”
- SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE… Psalm 17:7 “Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your RIGHT hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.”
- LONG LIFE… Proverbs 3:13-16 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. LENGTH OF DAYS is in her RIGHT hand…”
- SUPPORT … Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory, and your RIGHT hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
- SHOUTS OF JOY AND VICTORY AND MIGHTY THINGS…Psalm 118:15-16 “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's RIGHT hand has done mighty things!”
- The Left Hand…RICHES and HONOR Proverbs 3:16 “Long life is in her right hand; in her LEFT hand are riches and honor.”
- All we have to do is to ask for what already belongs to you….you ask in love and faith….don’t rob Him of the JOY of giving to you!!!!
- He has His LEFT hand under head so she can look at Him and He at her…then it is only natural for your RIGHT arm to embrace…to protect and shield….it’s a pose of intimacy….He is wrapping her in His REST!
- Check out who is around her while she is in this deep rest….it’s the daughters of Jerusalem…..but the Bridegroom wants to make sure that she is not disturbed and that she gets plenty of spiritual rest…
- Hebrews 4:10 “For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.”
- God’s rest is not only for the next life…but for THIS life too!...
- Matthew 11:28-30…”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you REST. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
- Do you see how awesome what He is doing for His bride is…same thing for us…IF we will let Him….if we have FAITH and we TRUST in Him…He is giving her rest from the burden of simply LIVING in this broken world by our OWN RESOURCES…..He can handle our load because He is STRONG…He wants to give us REST…Rest from the weight of sin, from care and worry, from the load of daily anxiety…. The rest that arrives from handing over all worries to Christ and receiving from Christ all we need.
- He says…
Song of Solomon 2:7 “I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that you do not arouse or awaken love until it(she) so desires.”
- HINDS (DEER) and ROES ( GAZELLES)…are swift-footed animals…..they are animals that are easily stirred up
- It is not a nice thing at all to wake someone up when they are peacefully sleeping!...we are to REST IN HIM….the daughters of Jerusalem kinda like to meddle in things…they love excitement….so the Beloved is using the IMPERATIVE COMMAND for them to leave her alone…
- Stirring up love…using coercion or even “scare tactics” like some people use in their “witnessing techniques” are not good things at all!.....you can always tell who has come to Christ because they have TRULY had an ENCOUNTER with Him…from those who feel “pressured” to come…cause when trials come…and they will….those people seem to IMMEDIATELY turn their back on God because they never had a REAL love for Him anyway….
- Our love for God has to be REAL….it has to be a BRIDAL type of love…
- It’s our job to LIVE like Jesus would…loving on others…our lives…our fragrance will cause them to start searching as GOD DRAWS THEM…
- So…here is our Bride…peacefully resting…
- Habakkuk 2:20 “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep SILENCE before him.”
- Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will QUIET you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
- SURELY….our little Bride….so full and satisfied….so peacefully asleep in the rest of her Beloved…SURELY she will respond ever so SWIFTLY to anything He could possibly ask of her…SURELY there is NOTHING that could INTERFERE or MESS up this blissful relationship….after all…..He has revealed the most GLORIOUS things about Himself to her….and it’s only the tip of what He wants to reveal to her…..SURELY………..SURELY she is going to respond to Him the right way
- SO FAR….she has seen that Christ is for her…..but she hasn’t been through any tests to see if she is REALLY for Christ….o right now…she SAYS she is…but as we all know…sometimes we say things that we don’t really, really mean (we may not REALIZE that we don’t mean them at this point…but when the “rubber hits the road”…we find that we didn’t mean what we said at all
- SO FAR….she still doesn’t really realize the importance of OBEDIENCE….this has been a time of FIRST REVELATION for her….it’s her first SPIRITUAL HIGH, so to speak…..it has all been so smooth and easy for her….BUT…we ALL know that things don’t stay that way….
- Will she REALLY stick to Him and hide under the shade of His Apple Tree…will she really continue to have DOVE’S EYES for Him…will she remember all the REVELATION He has given her…will she remember how she longed for the KISSES of His mouth…will she remember His BANQUETING TABLE or the HOUSE they share…….can she be really delivered from her UNSURRENDERED WILL…can she be delivered from her SELF???????
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- When we last left our fair maiden…she was peacefully sleeping after her “spiritual high”…she is about to find out just how much He really does love and desires her
- While she has been asleep…He has not just been sitting around…He has been out and about ministering, saving, healing, and delivering others….but He can’t WAIT to see her!!!! O how He wants for her to love what He loves and to go out ministering with Him….look how He arrives…
Song of Solomon 2:8 “The voice of my Beloved! Behold He comes LEAPING upon the mountains, SKIPPING upon the hills.”
- You’ve gotta get that picture in your head…He is SUPER EXCITED ABOUT SEEING HER!!!!!
- WOO! WOO! Time for ADVENTURE!!!! Time for life ABUNDANT!!!
- John 10:10 “…I have come to give life and to give life more ABUNDANT!”
- He is about to ask her to do something of major importance…He is about to ask her to MOVE OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE…….but….will she do it?????
- You know….when God starts asking us to change our habits and our lifestyle….do we do it QUICKLY….?
- MOUNTAINS and HILLS symbolize difficulties and barriers…..and OUR BRIDEGROOM comes leaping and skipping over them!!!!!.....
- 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”
- We TRIUMPH over irritation, tiredness, family issues, sickness, sin, poverty, disease, lack……..we ALWAYS triumph over these things!!!
- NOTHING is too big for Him to handle…everything that would try to come against us is UNDER HIS FEET!......
- EVEN DEATH is under His feet….he even triumphed over the HILL called CALVARY!!!!!! WOO! WOO!.....our Bridegroom is AMAZING!!!...HE LEAPED and SKIPPED OVER IT!!!!!....you’ve gotta GET THAT!!!!!!
- Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet.”
- But apparently, sometimes we just don’t seem to BELIVE this…otherwise, when He asked us to do something…or to change something…we would do it INSTANTLY…
- This is where we find our maiden…
- Song of Solomon 2:9 “My beloved is like a roe (gazelle) or a young hart (deer or stag)…”
- Check out what she REALIZES about her beloved…she knows He is pretty INTENSE when it comes to His love for her…
- Like a roe or young hart…..those animals are SWIFT and super fast!....She KNOWS these things about Him…..but it’s one thing to KNOW about Jesus…and a total other thing to ACT upon your knowledge…..
- James 2:19 “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.”
Song of Solomon 2:9 “…behold, he STANDS behind OUR wall, there he stands behind the wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.”