Song of Solomon 4:1

Now this morning, I invite you to turn with me to the Song of Solomon chapter 4. I’m going to read the first seven verses. The song of Solomon in chapter 4, reading verses 1 to 7. Behold, thou art fair, my love. Behold thou art fair. Ask dove’s eyes within my locks. thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing, whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet. and thy speech is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of palm granite within thy locks. Thy neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. Thy two breasts. are like two young rows that are twins which feed among the lilies. Until the day break and the shadow flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense, frankincense. Thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot in thee. May God. blessed to us his holy and sacred word this morning. This chapter contains a large commendation of the bride, Christ’s bride, the church, and its beauty by Christ himself, who is the brideroom. First, there’s a general commendation, and then a particular commendation. And then a particular, one, considering various aspects of the bride’s body. It praises her eyes and her hair and her teeth and her lips, temples, neck, and breath. Now, the bodily members here need to be understood in a spiritual sense, as is fitting an allegory. We said that this. book is an allegory. An allegory is a story in which people and things and happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning to them. We have to, you know, realize we have an inner man as believers, as well as an outer man. The outward parts of the body here are used to relate the spiritual graces, which are used to relate to the spiritual graces, which are beautify the soul. We’ll do our best to explain these bodily members in a spiritual sense, appealing to the scriptures for guidance. May the Lord grant us a spiritual mindset. We might clearly appreciate the meaning here of our text. So first of all, we see in verse one that Christ declared, the general beauty of his bride. There are several things that stand out here. You are the object of Christ’s love. Calls you my love here. You as part of the bride are the sole object of Christ’s delight and devotion. We read in Isaiah 625. As the bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride, shall thy God rejoice over thee. So Christ rejoices over us and delights in us. Christ love the church, Ephesians 5 tells us. My friends, no one else holds such a place of affection and Christ’s heart as His church. Bible says thou hateest all workers of iniquity Psalm 5 5. Him that loveeth violence and his soul, his soul hateeth. Psalm 115. Psalm 146-8 says, The Lord loveth the righteous. The worldling has no place in Christ’s heart. The Lord’s wrath and hatred rests upon the ungodly. And is directed toward him. But you who have been declared righteous by the imputed righteousness of Christ, we find are loved by the Lord. That’s what we see very clearly laid out for us in Scripture. You are the people Christ loves. You are the people he lay down his life for. You are the people he has washed from your sins. you are Christ’s sweetheart, if you would. The people given to him as a bride by his father. Christ is dedicated to you. He declares, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, in loving kindness, have I drawn thee. And we saw in chapter one of the song of Solomon. how we see a prayer here about being drawn by the Lord to himself. Have you been drawn by Christ to himself? You know, nothing in heaven and on earth can separate you from the love of Jesus Christ. Look with me at the book of Romans, if you would. In chapter 8, verses 38 and 39, Romans chapter 8 and verse 38 and 39, read this, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, Jesus, our love. Lord. Nothing can separate us from the love that Christ has for us as His people, and that is a wonderful blessing to think upon and to meditate upon. So you are an object of Christ’s love. That’s what he tells us here. And he says this also, you have been made beautiful by Christ. Now art fair. how art fair he says it in verse one and he says it again in verse seven now being fully aware of your own sinfulness and depravity you may wonder you know what there is to admire about you in fact you’re honest you would agree with job behold i’m vile and vile and you would agree with with Paul, who said this, he said, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells no good thing. And we look at ourselves and we see the corruption within us. By nature, we are a massive corruption. Everything you do is tainted even when you’re serving Christ, even when you’re doing what God command you to do. Sin is still present and still a fact us and spoils our effort. From the soul of the foot, even under the head, there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores according to Isaiah 1-6, such is the believer by nature. Thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot in thee. Such are you as a believer by grace. searching herself and all her features and all her members is to the Lord Jesus Christ an object of the highest esteem. Christ has intense admiration for your beauty according to this passage of scripture. An ardent love for your exceeding loveliness according to this passage of of scripture. She was guilty. She was vile. She was useless as such. It was cast out into the open field of the day that she was born. According to Ezekiel 165, we were her object of loathing and scorn. But Christ changed all that as we read this morning. And I again will invite you to turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5. In verses 25 to 27, here’s what Christ says about us. In 5, 25 to 27. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having a God, spot or wrinkle for any such thing that it should be holy and without blemish. That is what we are by Christ’s grace. And so we are encouraged because Christ has changed all the past and the way we were. Christ looked on the unlovely with inconceivable pity. in commiseration, according to the great love, wherein he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, according to Ephesians 2, 4 and 5. He loved us so as to secure with his own blood that the church should forever be distinguished as his beloved. Now, in the final state of your redemption, you’ll be really, and forever, both in body and soul, what was said of the handsome Absalon temporarily and physically, we read about him. From the soul of his foot, even in the crowned his head, there was no blemish in him. My friends, that’s the way you. will be spiritually and physically as well. The church’s beauty, while defective, and more, is to be made perfect because Christ’s beauty has been put upon it, and her sin is covered. Thus, she is always accepted in the beloved, and there is no iniquity in Israel, or transgression in Jesus. as the scripture says. Now, I want you to notice verse 7 of Song of Solomon for chapter 4. And I want you to compare it now with that passage we just read in Ephesians 527. It appears to me that Paul is drawing the idea of without spot from the Song of Psalm. chapter 4 and verse 7. He is commenting on Psalm 4.7, interpreting the book as an allegory between Christ and the church, which indicates to us that we are on the right track in the way we are interpreting this book. And we’re using the inspired and scriptural guide provided by the New Testament. So you have been made. Beautiful by Christ. Notice thirdly, you are encouraged to believe you are beautiful. Behold, thou art fair. Christ has a desire to make you believe what he said, remove any hesitation or doubt that you may have. In these few verses, he has told you three times that you have, are fair, that you are beautiful. So there’s a sense in which what God has cleansed, we are not to call unclean. The beauty Christ has given you is real. It’s not imaginary. It’s not illusionary. Or illusionary. It’s true. It’s real. It’s easy to, you know, fix your eyes on your own blackness, on your own sinfulness, because you see it every day. Everything we touch, everything we do, how much we fail. It plagues you as a child of God. It fills you with sorrow. And you say with Paul, for the good that I would, I do not, and the evil that I would not, that I do. Romans 719. You see that word, behold? Did it be amazed at this? wonder at this. Give it your careful attention, yet believe it to be true. It is a wonder to value and count precious that Christ has imputed to you a perfect righteousness. By faith, believe what Christ has said with all your heart. He has done what seems to be impossible. Christ, you without spot, and therefore beautiful in his eyes. And one day, at the end of our final redemption, we will be with outspot completely. So Christ declares the general beauty of his bride. You’re the object of Christ’s love. You’ve been made beautiful by Christ. And you are encouraged to believe that you are viewed. Now secondly, Christ declares specific aspects of the bride’s beauty. The first thing he talks about here in the latter part of verse one is the bride’s eyes. Thou hast dove’s eyes within thy locks. Eyes are the organ of seeing in the natural body, whereby we’re able to discern the things that are visible. People, plants, animals, houses, lands, and so forth. In scripture, the eyes are often used with reference to your understanding to set forth the understanding of a person. And thus Paul writes that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling. Ephesians 218. Now, doves are famous for their keen eyes like, and their ability to see things far off. In like manner, the illuminated believer is able to discern spiritual things, and with the eye of faith to see the substance of things hope for, the evidence of sins not seen. That’s what we’re told. in scripture. The world is in the dark. People are blind to the things of God. Unless we read in 1 Corinthians 2.14, the natural man, receiveeth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. Jesus came as the light of the world. Jesus came as the light of the world, he tells us. And he provides spiritual illumination. Here’s what he tells us in John 939. I am coming to the world that they which see not might see. I give thee for a covenant to the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes, Isaiah 42, six and seven. But of Adam, the human family has blindness of heart. And the Bible says your understanding is darkened. Such were you, even as one of God’s elect people. But Jesus has anointed your blind eyes with clay, so to speak, which makes you aware of your blindness, and has told you to wash you in the pool of Salome. And you have received your sight, so to be it’s to speak. And you can return seeing. So what Christ admires in his bride here is that her eyes are enlightened. To discern spiritual things and appreciate the wonderful grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are commended for your single-hearted devotion to Christ. Thou hast dove’s eyes within thy locks. The eagle and the hawk have sharp and penetrating eyes. They’re always searching for prey to attack and to kill their fears and threatening. This is not what the bridegroom desires in his people. He has produced the gentle eyes of the innocent dove, which he admires. The dove’s eyes speak of a holy simplicity. The bride has separated the bride separates herself from the ways of the world. You know, part of the purity of the dove is seen in the fact that it’s used for sacrifice in the law of God. There’s not too many birds that are used in that way, but the dove is. There’s a holiness about it. Dove’s eyes are known to be devoted to their mates. And so the church is devoted to Jesus Christ. Now, it talks about the dove’s eyes within her locks. The locks are that part of hair. It hangs down about the face and it’s like a veil for the woman, according to 1st Corinthians is 11-7. In the Hebrew, the word for locks is different from the word for hair. So, there’s a little bit of difference here. It implies here, though, that the believer’s knowledge is not for prideful show. The eyes are hidden somewhat by the locks. They’re kept within it. The knowledge you have is kept within its proper bounds. There’s a certain modesty in the believer. He is wise. His knowledge is not at first obvious. It’s somewhat hidden. But it eventually expresses itself. It is made known in a reasonable manner which honors the Lord’s Christ. So we see something here about Christ, valuing the eyes that we have. The second thing he talks about here is the bride’s hair. The hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gileat. Now, a flock of goats with their long, silvery, shining hair, is pictured as covering the top of the mountain and then flowing down both sides. Goats are commonly seen grazing grazing on the steepest ridges as well as the mountain top. It reminds you of a woman whose hair covers the top of her head and hangs down on both sides of the head resting on the shoulders. That seems to be the picture. Now, what is the hair’s significance? Well, toward man, the long hair is a woman, and a woman is a symbol of subjection. If a woman have long hair. It is a glory to her. Her hair is given to her for a covering, 1. Corinthians 1115. And then the head of the woman is the man, we’re told, in 1 Corinthians 11.3. For God, the long hair of the Nazirite was an outward symbol of consecration to the Lord. The idea is there’s a subjection and dedication to an unseen head, God himself. The church is subject unto Christ. Christ is the head of the church, according to Ephesians’ father. Now, as we think about the Nazarite, think about Samson for a minute. His unshorn locks were assigned to himself, to Israel, and even to the Philistines, his unbroken vow of abiding dedication to God. In his locks lay the secret of his strength. He was separated under the Lord. As Judges 13 says, no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. So his great strength, lay in his covenant union with God, the symbol of which was open and visible to all the world, his hair, the seven locks, which adorned his head. Even so it is with the bride of Christ. From the day of your new birth to the day of your death, you were like a Nazareth. You are dedicated, consecrated to the Lord. Being brought with a price, you are to glorify God in your body and in your soul, openly before friends and foes alike. So the church presents herself unto God as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable, as her a reasonable as her a reasonable service. So the heir’s significance. And then we have this statement about Mount Gilead. What’s this about? Mount Gilead was the place of an ancient covenant. You recall between Jacob and Laban in Genesis 31. Gilead, where there was a heap of witness called Glead, a pile of stones were piled out there. It contained a two-fold promise. one, Jacob would take no other wives besides Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban, and neither Jacob or Laban would cross over this mountain to harm the other. Those are the two things in this covenant. This is a portrayal, of course, of Christ, never taking another bride. But the church is no rival to the people of God. And Christ promising to be perpetually in friendship with his church and do it no harm. And we should say also, it’s a promise by the church, not to take another husband here, but to stick with the Lord Jesus Christ and no rival to him. and also to do him no harm or to dishonor him in any way. So Christ declares here are two specific aspects about the bride’s beauty, the bride’s eyes and the bride’s hair. Lord willing, in the future we will look at some of the other features. Well, let me close with a few thoughts. One is this. A believer should be filled with spiritual. knowledge. One without spiritual knowledge or weak in spiritual knowledge is defective in his or her spiritual beauty, because this is what Christ calls beautiful. Notice something else. You will never have Christ’s commendation without lovely graces in your life. This whole section. It be about the graces that are given to us, which make us lovely in the Lord’s sight. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that he has, he was purged from his old sins, according to 2 Peter 1.9. If you’re not seeing grace added to grace, then you’re blind. There’s a defectiveness about your faith. Finally, when it comes to the Lord’s supper, Christ would have you persuaded of his love towards you. These graces are the fruits of his sacrifice. And they make you lovely in his sight. Behold, thou are fair. That’s the message that the Lord gives unto us. as his people and he would have us believe it and trust in it so that when we come to the Lord’s supper yes we come as sinners we also come as those cleansed by Christ love by Christ and given all the graces that come from the Lord Jesus Christ in his work may the Lord bless us as we pawn to be these truths this morning. Let’s have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we give you thanks. You’re a God of all grace. We thank you for your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for the comforting words that we read this morning. May we be encouraged by these things. May we be blessed by these things. May we believe what you’ve told us. And it’s badly, as we see our own flaws, help us to also see that Christ has made all things well. He doeth all things well. And therefore, we are acceptable in his sight. Encourage us farther this morning as we come to your table. In the name of Christ, we ask these things with Thanksgiving. Amen.