VINDICATION OF THE PERSUCUTED BRIDE.
(6:11-7:9)
6:11; I went down to the garden of nuts, to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded. And the pomegranates had bloomed.
Nuts: Some say it represents a wall nut tree. An image of the seed of life. A wall nut tree provided shade. It was used for cleansing, soap, and medicine. It could only be used after it had died.
Verdure: Fresh. Vibrant and flourishing.
Vine: The work of God (John 15).
* Jesus is the seed of life. He provides shade for us to rest under. He is the cleanser and the restorer of broken down walls in our life. Healing is in His right hand. His mercy endures forever.
* Jesus had to die. His sacrifice is the only thing that makes it possible for our restoration and free gift of eternal life. John chapter 15, she is embracing the truth of the Gospel of Christ. His desire is that we would be with Him where He is. He is saying, "ABIDE IN ME". Jesus is the true vine. The only Savior of fallen men, the only way to the Father of Glory.
* Out of this she is compelled to serve Him and to serve church wholeheartedly. Because God has re-written her heart she embraces the immature believers with open arms. In my own personal testimony, before and after I was saved( I say after because it took some time of letting God in to restore me to the point of where I am now.) anger fueled me. My relations to people were rooted in deceit. I could not possibly say I love you to anyone and mean it. Even a girl that I dated for 2 years, when I said that I loved her it was rooted in pure lust and deceit. My point here is to give an example of what it takes some of the bride of Christ to purge through just to have a remote understanding in their hearts for real love. And out of this love, and only this love, given to us by our redeemer Christ Jesus, can we ever really with a pure heart have pure motives to serve God or the church. She has entered a season of maturity that is causing her to walk into the fullness of what God is calling her into.
6:12; Before I was even aware my soul had made me as the chariots of my noble people.
Before I was even aware: The suddenly of God. Without warning the work of God struck her to the core of her being.
Chariots: Swift
* 2 Corinthians 3:7-18; For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, how much more exceedingly glorious is the glory of the ministry of righteousness? Romans 8:1; There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. And if we are abiding in the love of Christ, than nothing can separate us from the love of Christ( Romans 8:35). So therefore, respond to the yearning cry of your heart ( Romans 8:23 ) the Spirit of God that is with in us groans for the righteousness of God to be made manifest in the lives of weak broken human beings. Through this revelation she is filled with deep love and compassion for the body of Christ. She is deeply filled with love for others. And because of her ability to love Him and others He raises her capacity for love in a way that takes her by total surprise. Pray for the suddenly of God over your life. I pray that the works of God would come in rapid fire mode over us all, life altering revelations that pierce the heart and ignite the groan for God to awaken.
6:13 A; Return, return O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you.
Return: Crying out for sincere urgency for the knowledge of God.
* A true response from the body of Christ. There is persecution from all corners; Government, Religious leaders and structures, friends and family. I believe very firmly that only by means of intense persecution will the church ever become globally united. By her standing in the gap and pressing forward through persecution she inspires the immature believers to stand by her side. Through her example they long for the affections of God to be made manifest in their lives. They express their deep desire for the deep things of God to become a reality in their own lives.
6:13 B; What would you see in the Shulamite- As it were, the dance of the two camps.
What would you see in the Shulamite: Could be taken as sarcastic! I think it is a declaration, I pledge allegiance to the Lamb of God! Who’s side are you on? Jesus, or corrupt men of the earth who will have their portion as children of wrath in the age to come.
The dance of the two camps: God or satan? Holy Spirit or spirit of this age? You cannot serve two masters!
* Jonathan Edwards: In his sermon called, "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God", states some really intense statements. Here are an example:
" That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost.
The observation from the words that I would now insist upon is this. -- "There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God." -- By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, any more than if nothing else but God's mere will had in the least degree, or in any respect whatsoever, any hand in the preservation of wicked men one moment". Jonathan Edwards. Deuteronomy 32:35 End Quote.
The craziness of this verse; Stating both the severity and the goodness of the Lord. In one moment all degenerate children of wrath shall be swallowed into an eternal separation from God. Hell fire and destruction for an eternity. If it were not for the free gift of the mercies of God even over the unbelievers, that His hand is literally holding the weight of our iniquity so that we don’t fall through the molded and decaying path that we as sinners walk out. We shall surly reap what we have sown on this earth.
* So if the world hates us, as they hated Jesus. If they revile our every actions, as they reviled every action of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If the ultimate result of our beliefs cause pain and struggle and have the notions to lead to our brutal death, as did Jesus. Than why is this worth it. Outside the fact that eternal destruction waits for the children of wrath. What is it that is so enticing that we would give ourselves to the pursuit of the Holiness of God?
1. They see the work of God over our lives. The transformation of the old man to the new man.
2. They long to feel the love of God over their lives. They cannot live without it.
* The dance of the two camps. You cannot serve both God and satan. Matthew 6:24; "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. SO MAKE YOUR STAND!!! there is no room for half-heartedness. Sitting idle over this issue will get you nowhere, except to an eternity of hell fire. MAKE YOUR STAND!!! Are you for God or against God. If you are for God than seek 1st the kingdom of God; Matthew 6:33; But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. We need to embrace Joel 2:12-17 FOR REAL. Go after God and get filled with the knowledge of His truth, and what that means for those of us whom believe. DO NOT HESITATE. YOU WILL ONLY FIND RESTORATION THROUGH THE SEEKING OF GOD. God is looking for people in whom He can boldly pour out His powers upon, people in whom He can trust with that power. I don’t believe that we can boldly walk with the power and authority of God with out some major heart transplanting, deep restoration of the soul. So than take your stand, declare the cross over your life, you are a child of the most High God. Declare the truths of Romans 8 over your life. The time has come and is indeed now, that not only or our own sake but for the sake of others to take a stand for the righteousness of God.
7:1; How beautiful are your feet in sandals. O princes daughter. The curves of your thighs are like jewels. The work of the hands of a skillful workman.
Beautiful: Affirmation.
Your feet in sandals: Evangelism. You walk straight paths.
O princes daughter: Royalty; New blood line. New creation through the blood of the Lamb.
The curves of your thighs: Her walk is adorned with the grace of God.
Thighs: Strength.
* The words of Jesus are always affirming. He may rebuke, but He is quick to let us know how much He is ravished by our attempt in seeking Him. Voices that are full of condemnation are not of God. His words are sweet and pure like lilies, His words contain myrrh and frankincense; which refers to His exhortations to embrace self death as He did for us on the Cross. He is always reassuring us for the righteousness we display.
* We are no longer of the old man, we are now a new creation of Christ. Putting off the old ways of death, destruction and chaos for newness of life. Our hope is in the resurrection of the dead at His appearing.
* Ephesians 2:10; "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them". When the Lord describes us, He starts at the head and finishes with our feet to show us that He is looking own from heaven upon us. Humans; The church, we look at each other from the feet up. The work of God is rare and precious, not like the works and the praises of man that fade away.
7:2; Your navel is a round goblet. It lacks no blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat. Set about with lilies.
Navel: Inner life with God; Early foundational nourishment in the mothers womb.
Rounded goblet: Healthy
It lacks no blended beverage: Full range of nourishment and maturity.
Waist: Womb
Lilies: Harvest
* We need an inner life that is sustainable in God. Corey Russell has said, "The prayer room is a birthing center". So in that context, we sit night and day in a room and study and pray. Many have said this is pointless and is a waste to the kingdom of God. I get emails all the time from believers and unbelievers telling me what a waste of time, energy and money it is to sit in a room for hours on end and pray and study. This only fuels me to pursue this calling even more. Every Christian must have seasons in the womb. We all must set apart time for prayer and study to the Lord. This causes our affections to truly turn toward Him and away from our own selfish desires and wasteful motives. A 5 year old does not pick up a sword and go to wield it in battle. He must first grow and become strong. He must learn to wield the sword and have the strength to carry his shield.
* Do not buy into the lie that says there is a way around your devotional life with God. No matter how much knowledge you attain, spiritual fruitfulness only comes laboring in prayer and fasting, toiling through sleepless nights. Realizing its not about you or the normal functions that you desire to attain or follow.
* 1 million souls came into the kingdom of heaven between 1820-1840. Not because of Charles Finney’s ability to give a good lecture. But because of hours of prayer and devotion that were spent from the beginning. And not just by Finney, others would actually go ahead of Finney and spend seasons in a town and fast and pray for that town and region. A few were well known to lock themselves in hotel rooms and not come out for days or weeks. Before Finney had ever even arrived to the town the spiritual atmosphere was changing. Strongholds removed and hardened hearts being softened with out a single lecture. It is even said that when a certain man passed on, Finney’s revivals come to a close and he went on to teaching at a school. The end time harvest will come out of a generation of those who have labored in the place of pray. Revival does not come without a contending-ship for God to pour out revival.
7:3; Your two breast are like fawns. Twins of a gazelle.
Two breast: Maturity.
Fawn: Youthful.
Twins of a gazelle: Double portion in the area of maturity.
* Because of her intense victory over the trials and pains through crisis. The Lord’s heart is ravished and full of delight toward her. He is affirming her again, this time He is assuring her of her maturity before God so that she might continue to press forward in confidence. Through this confidence she has the ability to help mature and edify other believers.
7:4; Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes like the pools in Heshbom. By the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which looks towards Damascus.
Neck: Free will; Psalm 27:4.
Ivory: Rare and costly; solid, full of strength.
Eyes: Her understanding. Revelation from God ( Ephesians 1:17-19 ).
The pools of Heshbom: Clean; Abundant.
Bath Ribbim: A resort area; abundance of clean and pure water.
Nose: Spiritual discernment.
* Psalm 27:4 is a rare quality for a person to attain in this fast food theology of life, especially in this generation. God see’s those ones in whom their hearts cry out for the will of God and not for the will of man. Ephesians 1:17-19. Lord open the eyes of our understanding, reveal the deep things of Your heart toward us. Cause our hearts to burn for the will of the Son of God.
* Having a true hearts cry and desire to live for God will lead us to a clean and pure heart. Over time the Lord gives us a desire for the righteous and pure things of His heart and a pure hatred for the things of the flesh and the spirit of this age. The nature of our heart and mind is set on the dark things of this age, but when we seek the Lord, He re-writes the format of our heart and mind toward the attributes of the character of God. We need spiritual depths, we need spiritual discernment for the cleansing and restoration of our souls to made Christ like. WE MUST GO DEEP!!!
7:5; Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple. A king is held captive by your tresses.
Head: Wisdom.
Mount Carmel: Strength; The ability to overcome.
Hair: Dedication; Consecration.
Purple: Royalty.
Held captive by: John 15:12-13; This is my commandment. That you love one another as I loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends. Therefore, seek the King of all righteousness in all His glory. He has displayed His affections to you through the Cross.
Tresses: Locks of hair. Devotion; Dedication.
* I think again the brilliance of the Lord is that anything we attain; Spiritual authority, knowledge, love and blessing…ETC.. It is all freely given to us by the Lord. Than by walking out what He has given us, He rewards us. Our dedication and to devotion to serve and live for Him is a thing that surpasses our understanding. We do not really realize that with one look, one act of affection toward this man Christ Jesus, we move His very heart. Our weak cries really do hasten the day of the Lord. His heart is yearning with deep jealousy for His bride.
* He will come and redeem us. Psalm 138:8; Philippians 1:6 is on His agenda. He will perfect that which concerns Him(you and I). He will complete the good work that He alone has started in us. Crucified to set us free. He takes no partiality. He does not wish that any man spend eternity in hell. The lake of fire was intended for satan and the other back stabbing angels. It is not His will for our life, but know that all who enter the lake of fire are deserving of it in its fullness. Man in his arrogance says, "I can avoid hell fire by some other means than the Cross". Man is mistaken in his pride, the wisdom of this age will not help in the day of His vengeance. Only embracing the free gift of the Cross, only the blood of the Lamb that is certainly sufficient will save us from hell fire.
7:6; How fair and how pleasant you are. O love, with your delights!
Fair: Beautiful.
* Speaking of her devotion and obedience. Ephesians 2:8-9; For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:18; For through Him we both have access by one spirit to the Father.
* Again, God delights in our ability to use the gifts which are given freely by Him, and can only be used through Him. And for that He calls you and I beautiful, desire of My affections.
7:7; This stature of yours is like a palm tree. And your breast like its clusters.
Stature: Confidence in yourself.
Palm tree: Maturity in dry places.
Breast like its clusters: Abundance of nourishment and maturity.
* Again Jesus is affirming His bride through her victory. This builds up strong confidence in the Lord’s sovereignty, so that in dry seasons of our lives we can boldly stand firm in the affections of Jesus. We need a strong and deep foundational system in our God so that in dry barren seasons our hearts are still alive and burning for the things of God. Discerning truth for reality. When others see us press forward through crisis and pain with a fervent heart that nothing can separate us from the love of God, they being weary, broken, poor and devastated by the seasons of life can therefore find rest and hope for the restoration unto the resurrection for their souls.
7:8; I said, " I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches". Let now your breast be like clusters of the vine. The fragrance of your breath like apples.
I will go up to the palm tree: Jesus’ promise to come boldly with His manifest presence to the church.
Branches: Ministries that glorify God.
Let now your breast be like clusters of the vine: Let your maturity shine so that you can feed babes of the faith
Breath like apples: Refreshing; Inner life in God.
* John 14:12; Signs and wonders. I believe that the Lord wants to pour out His Spirit on anyone who will call upon His name( Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18). I am not saying that miracles don’t happen. But what I am saying is I don’t believe the Lord is going to pour out His Spirit on an immature people. I firmly believe the Lord is going to pour out His Spirit on a bunch of crazy nuts devoted to fastings, prayer and study of the word of God, those who have deep rooted foundations in God. Not saying that these people will be perfect in any way, but they will be devoted to God in at a mature level that sustains the heart to Jesus, because signs and wonders do not sustain the heart. Elijah called fire from heaven, and later he still had a pity party and tried to quit( 1 Kings 18:20-40).
* We need deep foundations in God that will sustain the heart through any crisis situation. Let God in to the deep parts of your heart, we need to be restored. I believe of the promised restoration of Joel 2:18-27 only comes through the fervent seeking of the calling of Joel 2:12-17. So out of maturity and a deep well system in God, God can use you for signs and wonders because with a mature heart you wont freak out and let it go to your head.
7:9; And the roof of your mouth like the best wine.
Mouth: Intimacy.
Best wine: Most refreshing.
* Purity changes everything. A sailors mouth becomes a righteous tool for the Gospel of Christ. Murderers, thieves and adulterers become clean and made pure through the blood of Christ Jesus. At Pentecost, 120 people, all formal people that partook of the spirit of that age were filled with the Holy Spirit. Made pure and Holy only through the Cross of Christ. Saul of Tarsus(Paul) went from slaughtering Christians to becoming a foundational tool of the first church and a large chunk of the Holy cannon is written by Him through the inspiration of the Holy God. God is Holy, when God comes righteous judgments take place. Acts 5:1-11; Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied to the Apostles and dropped dead before their eyes, the holiness of the Lord is not to be taken in vein. During the revivals of Charles Finney people would blaspheme God and the work of God in the revivals, for the most part a lot of the hardest of hearts that blasphemed the work of God were usually converted, but there were a few cases of ones who continually blasphemed the work of God and they just dropped dead before they could finish their blaspheming( young healthy people). When God comes He comes as Himself.
* We are refreshing to the Lord. In a world so cold and callous towards the name of Jesus. Regenerate, redeemed by the blood Christians are a sweet pleasant refreshment to the Lord.
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