Song of Solomon 3:5

Now, since we’re going to have the Lord’s suffer today, I’ll direct your attention to the Song of Solomon briefly. I want to speak just briefly here on verse 5 of chapter 3, as we can continue to think about what the Lord has for us here. Let me read the first five verses of chapter 3. Like night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now and go about the city in the streets, in the broadways. I will seek him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me, to whom I said, saw ye him whom I so loveeth. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom I so loved him. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her that conceived me. I charge you, O’E, daughters of Jerusalem, by the rows, by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up, nor awaken my love, till he please. The bride has been troubled by the loss of intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, she goes about seeking him. She uses all the private and public means available to her, and eventually she is rewarded, we’re told. And she brought Christ to her mother’s house, which we said implied the church assembly, that other Christians may be benefited and enlivened as well. Our tax reflects the bride’s fear of losing the intimate fellowship with Christ again here in verse 5. So she warns the daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb Christ and have him withdraw. We see the preciousness of an intimate fellowship with Christ. Stir not up nor awake my love till he please. We have the idea of Christ sleeping or resting with the bride. She is in the midst of the full enjoyment of her beloved’s presence. And this is something that’s precious to her. Now, while Christ sovereignly controls the intimate fellowship we have of his people, it says, till he pleas here. That means when he desires to depart, then let him depart. But you want to prolong. it. I want to prolong it as long as I can. And there is a heightened sense of joy and happiness in your relationship with Christ that you don’t want to stir. So the preciousness of an intimate fellowship with Christ. We see, secondly, an earnest concern about maintaining that intimate fellowship with Christ. I charge you, oh, you daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up nor awaken my love. Christ may be disturbed. He may be aroused by the various sins of his people and be provoked to withdraw. It’s not that Christ doesn’t dearly love his people, but sin disrupts intimate fellowship with him. And sometimes God hides his face from us, so to speak. Through your carnality, your lukewarmness, your ingratitude, your lack of trust, and so forth, Christ Christ arises and is gone. So that when the least sinful thought arises, you should immediately suppress it lest you awaken your beloved and lose intimate fellowship. He may be disturbed and aroused by the sins of his people and be provoked to depart. Notice here that young converts are in the greatest need of this warning. The disciples are the the daughters of Jerusalem. Daughters of Jerusalem here are individual professing Christians within the whole church. And they usually look upon as young converts or perhaps more babes in Christ, if you would. And like the Corinthian believers, they’re not very mature and are likely likely to fall into all sorts of foolish sins and disturb the peace of the church. Petty divisions. Mistreatment of others, being puffed up with pride, jealousy, carnality, worldliness, all these things could be a problem. Young believers are commonly in danger of marring their own spiritual fellowship with Christ and the readiness to disturb Christ. Thus, that’s earnest warning here, that the rest between Christ and his whole church be not disturbed. My third point is this, how easily Christ may be disturbed an intimate fellowship lost by the rows and by the hinds of the field. You must act just as cautiously as you would a hunter who was sneaking up on a deer to shoot it or to capture it in some fashion. These small agile, graceful deer or hinds or female deer, which are well known to startle, quickly. Be extremely careful less Christ be quickly grieved and break off his intimate fellowship with the church. Be of a tender conscience. Be careful is what he’s saying to these people. So how easily Christ may be disturbed intimate fellowship laws. Well, let me say this in conclusion. As every believer should endeavor to retain fellowship with Christ, so should the congregation as a whole. As Christ may be withdrawn if provoked from you personally, so he may indeed from the church if it walks not according to the truth. Believers that know the danger of provoking Christ should interpose with unexperienced believers to warn them about the whole church being affected by their poor behavior, as we see here. True love for your brother in Christ will move you not only to pray for him, but intercede for and mightily, lest the whole assembly suffer the loss of Christ’s intimate fellowship. May God bless to us this thought as we looked at this verse this morning. Now, if you would I would have Mark come forward and we will observe the Lord’s Supper. I remind you that you should first speak with the elders of the church before participating in the Lord’s Supper. But it is for all believers and we pray that the Lord will indeed bless us this morning as we come to the table. Let us. Let’s have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, I pray that you would prosper us as we come to the table, bless us, encourage us in the things of Christ. We pray, Lord, that we may appreciate this opportunity to fellowship with you. In Jesus’ name. Christ tells us this broken bread that represents his broken body for us. Let’s partake of it. Afterwards, they took of the cup which represents the new covenant in Christ’s life. Heavenly Father, we would ask that you would use this time of communion to draw us closer to yourself to help us to reflect on our relationship with you in more detail. That we might ponder, Father, our walk, and walk worthy of the calling you’ve given us. Bless us as your people, Father, and encourage us, and that things of Christ. In Jesus’ Let’s stand for the benediction, if you would. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost. Be with you all. Amen.