Song of Solomon 4:3b-6

This morning I invite you to turn with you the book of Somas Solomon chapter four. I want to read verses one to seven. I appreciate your prayers as I haven’t been feeling great this week. And I certainly need strength to do this work. Behold, thou art fair. My love, behold, thou art fair. The house doth’s eyes. within thy 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, where of every one bear twins. none is barren among them. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and my speech is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of palm granite within my locks. My neck is like the Tower of David, built it for an armory, whereupon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of them. mighty men. Like two breasts are like two young rows that are twins which feed among the lilies. Until the daybreak and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. Thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot in the May God bless to us. This sacred and holy word this morning. We talked about the interpretation of this book, and we’ve tried to point out that for years, it’s always been looked at as an allegory between Christ and his people until recently. But we tried to show why we believe that it is supposed to be between Christ and His people. here and we explained the attributes here that are being praised the beauty of the bride in a spiritual sense since I’m not really talking about the physical aspects of the church but the spiritual aspects of the church. We mentioned that the bride’s eyes spoke about spiritual enlightenment. and understanding. We said that the bride’s hair speaks about consecration to God, like a Nazarite or like Samson. And like Samson throughout one’s life, in other words, from spiritual birth till death, you were to be consecrated to God. We talked about the bride’s teeth. We said this speaks about the bride’s teeth. We said this speaks about the faith of the believer, except you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the son of man, ye have no life in you. Faith focuses upon Christ, who has washed us from our sins. Faith is never alone. All the other graces are built upon it. We talked about the bride’s lips, and we said this refers to the speech of the believer. As Isaiah was a man of unclean lips who had his lips purified, so is the case with all of us who are God’s people. They are scarlet lips being touched and cleansed by Christ’s blood. We are now ready to look at the last three. We are not ready to look at the last three spiritual traits of the church and also the access that we have to Christ as our. So let’s look at the specific aspects of the bride’s beauty and we’ll pick up with the bride’s temples. The second part of verse through. The temples that we’re talking about are part of the face between the ears and the temples that we’re talking about are part of the face between the ears. eyes normally, but in scripture, sometimes it takes in a larger proportion of the face, including the cheeks, which it seems to be taking in in this passage. They are a special part in which the beauty of the face resides, and they are the seat. They are the seat, the seat, of shamefacedness and modesty where blushing occurs. They are likened here to a piece of fruit. Now, I don’t know if you eat palm granite, but a piece of palm granite, which is broken open, and the red and the white spots of the fruit, resemble the blushing, on the pleasant face of a woman. Within her locks, this blushing is not fully discernible, it’s somewhat hidden, but it’s still observable. And so we see this is the thinking here. And the meaning seems to be this. It speaks of the tenderness, the shamefacedness. The shamefacedness. the modesty in spiritual things and blushing before God. Christ’s bride, if we can put it this way, has a sensitivity with regard to personal sin or for any wrongs that are done under her husband, Jesus Christ. You easily resent them, though you seek to hide at the blushing, is discernible. Christ delights in such sensitivity in his pride. Sin and any dishonor shown for her husband brings this blushing. This is the main part of her beauty, and highly commendable by the Savior. It’s a precious attribute that were sensitive to sin. Without this, the bride would not be so lovely. This is not a natural attribute, but it’s a saving grace that’s been given to us. With regard to the ungodly, you find that they were, were they ashamed when they committed abomination? They were not at all ashamed. Neither could they blush. Jeremiah 615. Bible says that thou hast a horse forehead. They refuse to be ashamed. But with regard to the righteous, it’s just the opposite. If you look with me to the Book of Ezra a moment, you take several examples, I’ll just look at the one in chapter 9 of Ezra. It says, you know, when these things were done, the princess came to me saying, the people of Israel and the priest and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the land, due in according to their abominations, even of the Kenyanites. the Hittites, the Parasites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. They have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of the lands. Yea, the hand of the princes and rulers have been chief in this dress bath. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment in my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, sat down and astonished. Then were assembled unto me every one that tremblet at the words of God of Israel because of the transgression of those that had been carried away, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice, I arose up up from my heaviness, having rent my garment, my mantle, fell upon my knees, spread out my hands, I grew up the Lord God, and said, oh, my God, I am ashamed, and blush, lift up my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up under the heavens. I’ll stop there, but you can see how upset he is, these people who have been brought back from captivity, have gone right back to the things that caused them to go into captivity in the first place. And he’s ashamed. He struggles here, and, uh, he blushes, and, uh, he blushes. Cause of it. It troubles himself. And then if you would look at, uh, second chronicles chapter 30, there’s another example. We read one to three and then, if you would look at, uh, second chronicles chapter 30. He’s another example, and 15 17. Nesekiah sent to all Israel in Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manassah. They should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem and keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. The king had taken counsel and his princes and all the congregation in Jerusalem. keep the Passover in the second month. They could not keep it at that time because the priest had not sanctified themselves sufficiently. Neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And dropped down to verse 15, if you would. Then they killed the Passover on the 14th day of the second month. And the priest and the Levites were ashamed and sanctify themselves and brought in the burnt offerings unto the house of the Lord. And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priest sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified. Therefore, the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passover. For everyone that was not clean, sanctified them under the Lord. They were ashamed. They failed to prepare themselves as well as they should have. And on and on we could go. We could talk about other passages as well. We could think about even the publican at the temple who couldn’t lift his eyes to heaven because of his corruption. So what we find here is this. Your conscience soon challenges you. For anything that looks like sin, any spiritual infirmities, you have trouble and shame in you because of it as things that are disgraceful and you know they’re disgraceful and you know they’re disgraceful and it bothers you. You will not tenaciously claim to your sin. Nor dispute with Christ over any of them. But if you feel shame, you blush because they’re there. You find there is ever something to bring shame. There’s constant reason for blushing where it is a daily occurrence. These things are commendable things in the believer and certainly endear you to Christ. So the bride’s temples here. Then we read in for about the bride’s neck. Now the tower of David was evidently, we’re not told a whole lot about it, distinguished for its stateliness and strength, it was a stronghold that was built by David. It held stores of arms of war and perhaps trophies that were commemorable of previous victories. The next The neck of the bride here is erect, tower is stately in this manner, stated in this manner, where upon hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. In other words, it was well furnished with what we might call defensive arms, or the believer is really in more of a defensive in protecting themselves. The neck then holds forth the vigorous exercise of the grace of faith by which the body, church, is connected to Christ, who is the head. The armory of faith provides a shield whereby the believer is protected by Christ. Thus, in the armor of God, we read about the shield of faith as part of that armor. In fact, above all things, he says, take up the shield of faith. This is the believer’s security against temptation, discouragement, and all the attacks of Satan. The shield of faith being highly commended above the rest of the Christian armor. So the book, the book of faith being highly commended above the rest of the Christian armor. believer’s great defense is this. The faith exercised provides many kinds of shields to guard the believer. Now basically, your exercise is in God. Fear not, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward, Genesis 151. And when we think about it, every perfection of God is a shield. Whether we think about God’s love, his grace, his power, his faithfulness, or even just as various promises. There are like a thousand ways in which God is a shield to us. Faith in exercise is a noble defense to a believer against all souls. and temptations. Faith exercise is exceeding well-pleasing to Jesus Christ. Faith will never lack a buckler. This armory is carefully laid up for the believer. We should make use of it. The more you exercise faith, the more valiant you will be, the more valiant you will be. holds out and demonstrates for us. We see here the bride’s neck. And then we have the bride’s breast in verse 5. Now we think about the bride’s breast in general breast. Are part of a woman’s figure to add to the beauty of her body. We read in scripture like breast or fashion. My hair is grown. whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now, when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love. And I spread my skirt my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness and entered into a covenant with thee, said the Lord God. And thou became as mine. 7 and 8. A woman’s breasts are used to feed young children. We know that breastfeeding is part of the purpose of breasts, as well as the beauty of the wife. In a woman’s breasts signify the warmness and affection and loveliness that she has. Rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her breast sat. be at all times and be thou ravished always with their love. Perverse 5, 17 and 18. So we have these usual purposes. Now the spiritual significance of breath. First, we might say that the breasts are speaking about your ability to feed others. In other words, to edify those around. you with scripture and the truth of scripture. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace under the ears. To encourage fellow believers with a scriptural promise, or to explain to other what the Lord has revealed to you is edifying. It’s beneficial. It is a feeding of others. Your gifts and ability to edify others makes you all the more beautiful or attractive as a believer. Because you have something about you that’s beneficial. Spirit. We read about Joseph’s, who by the apostles, was called Barnabas, which is being interpreted, the son of consolation. As Acts 4 tells us, the son of encouragement is what we read. And he’s highly commended in scripture. Look at Acts 11, beginning with a word. verse 20, if you would. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake under the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned under the Lord. And tidings of these things came under the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem. They sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave on the Lord. For he was a good man. full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people were added under the Lord. See, the commending of him because he was able to edify and help others spiritually. This makes him in the eyes of others and useful. So you’re warm and intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ also could be looked at as a bride in the same vein. Or if you look at Song of Solomon chapter 1 and verse 13, we read this. A bundle of my well-beloved unto me. He shall lie all night. It will fix my breath. So this speaks about the intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ as well. We also see here there’s a commendation of the breast. They’re like two young rows. It speaks of the loveliness and liveliness that you have as a Christian. And these rows to which the breast are compared, are said to be twins. This shows their equality and there’s a proper proportionateness in their love to God and to their neighbor. In the words, it’s balanced. You have a proper love toward God. You have a proper love toward your neighbor, fulfilling both tables of the law. So you You know, you’ll commend some people, you’ll rebuke others, but you have a proper connection here. Which feed among the lilies. Rose would not maintain their pleasantness long if they didn’t have something useful to eat, something beneficial. They don’t feed in the wilderness. They feed in pleasant pastures. The believer fit and furnish themselves that they might be useful to others. They feed that they might be useful. You feed in good pastures to nourish spiritually. You may be useful to the end upfying of others. This implies feeding in Christ’s company. So we read in Song of Solomon 216 that he also feeds among the lilies. So we’re feeding with Christ. Christ in his word is the great main food upon which we feed. So here Christ declares specific aspects of the bride’s beauty, the temples. the neck and the breast finally in verse six your access to christ is there’s a promise that i will get me up to the mountain of murr and to the hill of frankincense there will be no utter withdrawing of christ from his people he talked about sometimes he would draw us temporarily uh his intimate fellowship from child of God, but he will not utterly forsake his church. He will not shut himself up in heaven from his bride and have no dealings with her on this earth. He is so affected by her beauty that he cannot but haunt her company and answer her prayers. The place of access, a mountain is often understood the church. which is upon Mount Zion, we’re called. Isaiah and Micah both speak about the church as a mountain because of its endurance and because of its stability. The temple was built on Mount Moriah, you recall. This is a type of the New Testament church. The mountain of Mur and the hill of Frankenstein shows that the mountain is unlike the mountains of this world. Myrr and frankincense were spices much used in the ceremonial worship of the Old Testament and from the law of Moses. They signified the preciousness and pleasantness of the graces of the people of God and of their prayers. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, Psalm 141, 2. The place of access, of course, is the church where the graces of God are developed and prayers are acceptable sacrifices. Christ delights to meet with his people. Even when there’s only two or three gathered together, he promises he will meet with us. Now the permanence of this access is taken up in the first part of verse six. He promises. to be with his assembled people till the day of eternity dawns and the darkness and shadow of this corrupt world passes away. There will never be an age when he isn’t present with his worshipping people. He will always be present. That’s what he’s saying. And you have access to Christ through the church in particular. you want to meet with Christ? That’s the best place to focus. So let me close this morning with a couple of thoughts. Be assured that Christ loves his people. We might think, well, there’s not much loveliness in me. Christ loves you. He purchased you. And so you can be assured of that. Be assured that Christ loves to see His graces developed in his people. He tells us here with these attributes and the beauty of his bride that I think it’s the indication is when these graces are developed, they are very pleasing to the Lord. Finally, be assured Christ loves to be with his people. He loves to meet with his people. He loves to be around his people. So we can be assured of that as well. Well, let’s close with prayers. we bow before you this morning. We thank you for your word, the preciousness of it. We pray you prepare our hearts now to come before you and take the Lord’s supper. We pray, Lord, that we have prepared our hearts for this occasion. You would especially meet with us spiritually in this gathering that we might be edified. We might be strengthened. We might be strengthened. and in the faith. Please be merciful to us, Father. And help us, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.