He is Beautifying You 1The Song of Songs, which is Solomon s. Intro: NC-30 book. We are in for a pleasant surprise. This was the favorite book of Hudson Taylor, D.L. Moody, and Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon penned 3,600 sermons and this what he said about this book: I would prefer some books of the Bible for doctrine, some for experience, some for example, and some for teaching, but let me prefer this book above others for fellowship and communion. When the Christian is nearest to heaven, this is the book he takes with him... While the book of Romans may be great for getting foundational Christian doctrine, the Song of Songs is the greatest book to get you into the presence of God and leading you into a vibrant love relationship with Jesus. It will transform your prayer life. While other books of the Bible may help you stay on course (in the truth), this book will keep adding wood to your passion for Jesus. As we mature in our walk with God, this book becomes essential to going deeper. I believe that studying doctrine alone (as important as it is) will still cause you to hit a wall in your relationship with Him. Yet, the Song of Songs is the book that can cut a hole through that wall, and break into new levels of closeness in your relationship with Jesus. // While other books of the Bible reveal to us Who Jesus is... This book really shares with us What Jesus is like... All the Old Testament Scriptures point to Jesus (Luke 24:44, John 5:39), whether in prophecy or in types and shadows.
In quick summary of the storyline that I find to be the strongest, the Song of Solomon is about a king, Solomon- the son of David, who humbles himself to take care of some sheep in the countryside. There he finds a peasant girl and falls in love with her. It s mysterious as to why a rich, powerful ruler, would fall in love with a lower-class girl with a broken soul and a burned body. But, grace is never easily explained. Solomon is a type of another son of David, Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself to enter into our world (Philippians 2:8) as the good shepherd (John 10:11), in order to win a bride for Himself. // This bride is far from His equal, she is far from perfect, stained and scared, yet the Bridegroom insists that she is lovely and desirable! This book is really about Jesus relationship with His church (Ephesians 5:32). - The Apostle Paul talked about the relationship between Jesus and His Bride as a great mystery (Ephesians 5:32). This is a mystery that is hidden for us to enjoy. This is the greatest song because it is speaking of the greatest lover. - Solomon was not the greatest lover- he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. No human being should try that. Imagine all those in-laws. (I found it sometimes impossible to even please one woman. They are very complicated creatures.) - Jesus is the greatest lover and the greatest love we can ever know is the love He has for His bride- the Church. - Some argue that this book is all about a husband and wife. I do believe there are some good principles we can apply to our marriages. We can all compliment our spouses more. (But you may not want to quote this book to your spouse, you may get in trouble.)
I m not sure if that is the sole purpose of this book- because I have not found a husband or a wife that is all-together lovely which means that everything about that person is desirable. - As beautiful as marriage can be, marriage is so limited. The best marriage still can t fulfill the human heart. - Our spouse can never love us like Jesus can, desire us like Jesus, affirm us as Jesus can, and satisfy us like Jesus. - Many come into marriage too high expectations- expecting their spouse to be for them what only Jesus can be- which results in frustration and failure. - I think the key to a blessed marriage is both husband and wife not trying to get from each other what they can only get from Jesus, but get from Jesus what they can only get from Jesus, and let that love and joy overflow into their marriage! God created us primarily for Himself: 1. That is why He made us creatures of passion and pleasure. (Not because He wants us to be promiscuous and hooked on drugs and thrills.) But, He wanted us to hunger for Him- who is the most passionate and pleasurable being we can ever know. 2. That is why He created us with a want to be wanted. (Not because He wants us to be needy people who are desperate social butterflies and who will lose an arm and a leg for popularity.) That is because He wanted us to be overjoyed as we experience His desire for us. Because He wanted to fill that need over and over again by revealing to us how desirable we are to Him. 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine;
She wants to feel His affections for her. A kiss is an experience, something you can feel. It s not mental, but experiential. When I was 13 years old, I experienced God s love for me. It was not mental gymnastics. It was an encounter, an ambush, it was more real than the clothe on my back- at the moment. I wept tears of joy for 3 hours. Think about when you first experienced the love of God in such an emotional way. That was a kiss from the Lord. But, we need to be asking for not just ONE KISS, but KISSES. Maybe we have been led to believe that only when we are baby Christians do we feel His love like that- than now that we are more mature, sophisticated, and educated, we don t need to feel His love in a way that overwhelms our emotions and exhilarates our souls. (That s like saying to your spouse, Well, we don t need to kiss anymore- since we did that already- now our relationship has matured... ) God is saying, There is plenty more where that came from...what I gave you when you just got saved...that s the beginners stuff (appetizers), I got some stronger stuff for you...but you have to want it. Becoming a mature Christian doesn t mean you become dry and dead in the name of I walk by faith and not by feelings anymore. I think we need to keep asking God, I want to feel your love...i want to feel your affections for me...i need another kiss...reveal to me how much you love Me...I need passion, pleasure, and the sense of desirability. His love is compared to wine, but is better. Just like there is stronger wine- He has stronger love to share with you! What you experienced as a young Christian is nothing. He never runs out of stronger substance of His love...that is why heaven will be an interesting place. When He fills us with His love (the weakest wine) and we say, God I can t take any more! He looks at you and says, You are so weak.
This is what our relationship with Jesus is to look like. // He gives us a drink of His love and we are so overwhelmed- we feel like we are being raptured. It leaves us wanting more- and He has more. The more of His love we experience, we graduate to a higher dosage. (1 Thessalonians 3:12)- we need to experience a higher dosage if we are going to love at another level. That is what the Song of Songs is inviting you into. You need to keep experiencing His love by the Holy Spirit, keep asking for it. Only then, would you be able to forget the inferior passions and the lesser pleasures. Our cat and our baby. This woman enjoyed wine. Yet, she experienced something greater. She gladly exchanged the counterfeit source of pleasure for the eternal source of pleasure- that which she was born for (since God created us for Him...and no hang-overs either.) What brings you pleasure? We need to pray that we would experience His love in such a way that we will be able to say, Your love is better than In-N-Out double-doubles. Your love is better than ice-cream sundaes. You love is better than my sexual immorality. Your love is better than my pride... Someone might argue, Well if I feel His love like that...then I m not living by faith anymore. You are already living by faith, because you can t see Jesus with our physical eyes. // Your Faith should not follow your Feelings, but often Feelings follow Faith. - The Bible does say that we are blessed if we believe in Jesus without seeing Him, yet, nowhere does the Bible say that we can feel the joy of His love for us. In fact, it suggests the opposite:
- Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8) - I may not see Him, but I believe Him, and I get to feel Him. I m praying that I would experience His affections for me in such a way, that I will find it easy to say no to the pleasures of this world. 3 your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. The anointing oils speak of His position and power. But, His name speaks of His personality. You want it all. To know Him is to love Him. He s the shepherd-king in this story. Shepherd is His personality. King is His anointed position. Caring, compassionate, patient is His personality. 4Draw me after you; let us run. Me is singular- us is plural. Hunger is contagious. When one hungry person is in the room, they create a vortex and others can potentially get sucked into an encounter. Maria Woodworth Etter. Lord give me the gift of hunger for you. // Let me not squander that gift in running after other things, once I feel empty inside. Yet, let me use it to run after you. Raise up a company of people who are running after Jesus. To know Him more and love Him more. What are we running after? A big church or Jesus. Our own name and fame or Jesus. Money or Jesus. What is our primary pursuit. I want to get around those who are running after Jesus. I must be hungry for Him.
In this hour, Jesus is not looking for just another local church. Jesus is looking for a bride- that is madly in love with His Son Jesus. He may start closing down churches that are not a bride at heart (Read Revelation 2 about the church in Ephesus). Yes, we want to see revival- yet revival is not our idol. We do expect church growth- yet that is not our primary pursuit. We pursue Jesus. I believe that if we have that as our primary pursuit, and we are just running after Jesus together (Tuesday nights/prayer meetings/when we meet on Sundays/discipleship groups/ and soon home groups) - revival breaks out when people just go after Jesus. There are human ways to achieve unity. Ice-breakers, name-tags, socials. God s away is that we be shoulder to shoulder- running after Jesus. His presence comes like fire, and melts our hearts together. We would run alone- yet it so fun running together towards Him- to know Him - with a hunger for His presence- with a longing to know His heart. No time for politics/ no time for power struggles/ it s not about positions and paychecks/ we are just going after Him. This next part of the verse is revival breaking out as we go after Jesus. The king has brought me into his chambers. You get to know HIs heart. Revival breaks out. Others We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you. She
5I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Some Bible translators and commentaries have translated this with the bride saying, I am dark, but the Bridegroom interjecting But lovely. The Bride insisting Like the tents of Kedar, but the Bridegroom interjecting Like the curtains of Solomon! When we confess our sin to the Lord, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). When the Lord convicts us of our sin- it is a major surgical operation, so we need the anastasia of His love. Nothing will separate me from His love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:17)(Romans 8:38-39). We are imperfect, but perfectly loved. We are people of the unredeemed flesh (Kedar were descendants of Ishmael- a picture of the flesh (Galatians 4:29), yet God sees us as wrapped in the very righteousness of Jesus (commentators say it was white curtains)- if we are truly His. (1 Corinthians 1:30) 6Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. She is feeling shame because she lost her confidence due to something she is under every day. Some are under bondage to the same sins everyday. They are feeling shameful because of their damaged soul. They are allowing their souls to be continually damaged by coming under the same besetting sins. Yet, there is good news: You can be free, and find higher pleasures (our cat). You soul can be healed, just like her skin could be healed if she would just stop visiting that which burns, pains, and shames her.
St. Bernard of Clairvou- a bright light in the dark ages. He dove into Song of Songs, preached 86 sermons from the first two chapters alone. He said that angelic visitors became boring to him...jesus outshines them all. If angelic visitations got boring, how much more boring did his sins get. My mother s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept! Her own vineyard is drying up- no fruit- no wine- no Spirit-produced joy (Ephesians 5:18). Five reasons a person s joy dries up: 1. Unhealed rejection issues. Her mother s sons were angry with herthey rejected her. She is trying to win their approval. When we are working just to please people and prove ourselves to people- our joy will dry up. She thinks her value is wrapped up in how people treat her and think about her- rather than in how priceless she is to the Bridegroom. Finding her identity in her success, not in the Lover. // a. She was doing humbling work, reserved for the poor of the land (Jeremiah 52:16), yet that doesn t mean she not valuable and desirable to the King. God will purposefully allow you to be in humbling times circumstantially, so we would find our value and identity in His love for us- and that only. Not how much money we make or how respected we are. We need to experience Jesus in the Song of Songs. b. When you are free, there is no more performance-based stress killing your joy. Everything folds tomorrow, it doesn't change your value. 2. Influence of False Teaching. The mother s sons are those who are false brothers, same mothers (go to church), different father (not true
Christians). In the Bible false brethren spread two deceptions: Legalism and Licentiousness. a. Legalism will kill your joy. i. They will tell you that God doesn t love you unless you jump through a thousand hoops. (Yet, we know that even when we are dark, we are lovely!) ii. They will tell you that you are saved by your works only, so you better get to work (We are saved by grace, and having faith in Jesus). iii.they will tell you that you are just a no good sinner- and the best you can be is a slave of Jesus Christ (We are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus and we more than a slave of Jesus- we are the bride of Christ.). iv. Slave-mentality vs. Bride-mentality. 1. When we see ourselves as just slaves- we serve Him, read our Bibles and pray, because have to. 2. If we see ourselves as lovers, we serve Him and seek Him because we want to. SERVE WITH JOY! b. Licentiousness- you can continue in sin, grace has you covered. Since you are covered in the righteousness of Jesus- you can do anything and God doesn t see- He already pushed the cosmic delete button. These false brothers get her to act like a foreigner- without a covenant with God and without standards. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord
(ministry to the Lord), you will be named ministers of our God (ministry to others). - (Isaiah 61:5-6a) 3. Neglecting Ministry to the Lord. She was selling herself short, living far below her privileges. Working in the vineyard was not a job for the children of Israel. God didn t want His people working vineyards, but rather ministering unto Him as priests. When we neglect time of just ministering to Him, we will lose our joy. (Also if we are not ministering to others and just living for yourself, you will lose your joy.) 7Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? When we are burned out and our joy is gone and our heart is dry, we can either distract ourselves with everything and anything (usually media) or we can devote our selves to seeking Jesus. Tell Him, Please feed me...help me to find rest for my soul as I come to you... The bride is longing to be with the bridegroom, she is wanting to know where he feeds and rests his flock. She wants to be with Him. When you are in His presence, you find your soul fed and rested. He can fill you with His presence and revelation, until you say, I don t think I can handle anymore! After a good meal you end up falling asleep. He wants to feed your soul- until you can t help but rest in Him. The noon day sun is brutal. Yet, if she is with her groom, she will be able to stand the pressures of the sun. All of us face pressure and stress, life-related or work-related. Yet, when you have spent quality time with Jesus, you can handle the pressures with supernatural peace. What would
burn you, blind you, and torment you (like the hot noon day sun), will not be able to affect you that way. You will be able to enjoy perfect peace. She is saying, Why should I be a wanderer or a prostitute... In other words, if you don t satisfy me Jesus with your goodness...i m going to have to go elsewhere looking for it...i was made to be fascinated, to be passionate, for pleasure, and to be desired. If I don t get it from you-- I ll start looking in other places. I don t want to go to other places. I don t want to go join a cult or in other religions - people who say they are your friends but aren t. I don t want to be just a conference hopper or a preacher chaser- who goes to special meetings and watches Christian T.V. yet my soul is still empty. I ve totally been there. I don t want your friends (fake ones or real ones), I want you! There is no such-thing as second handed intimacy- and I don t care for it. I need you. If I don t have you, I ll be like a prostitute. If my soul is empty, I ll be attracting the wrong people - perverts, selfish, fake friends- who don t even love me. I ll be attracted to the wrong people- those who can t satisfy me. I ll be like a prostitute - working only for a pay-check. Doing things just for money, instead of living out of your heart. When we are not full of God and our hearts are dried up- we just go to work for the money- we are no longer doing it for the Kingdom. We are no longer motivated by the love of God, but just by money. That s the world s fuel - the wrong fuel. We don t minister to people out of love anymore, we just do thing out of duty. We become disillusioned. Maybe we don t need to change our job, but our attitudes- get full of God s love- and you will feel God s love compel you. 8If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds tents.
The bridegroom tells her that if she wants to get into His presence, to have her soul fed (so it s not empty anymore) and rested (so it s not striving aimlessly anymore), she needed to do two things: 1. Follow in the tracks of the flock. This speaks of getting into fellowship. When you are in need of spiritual recovery- to enjoy God s presence- yes get into your prayer closet, but also get around the flock of God- around brothers and sisters in Christ. Fellowship more often. We are part of the body of Christ. I found that when a part is separated from the body, it dries up. a. When you are connected, the blood cells can reach you and replenish you. When I worship with the church family, I feel those blood cells (with white blood cells- that kill infections) coming into me and healing me in God s presence. We can t overly depend on fellowship, but we can go without it either. b. I heard a minister who had ministered for 70 years, say at the end of his life, after having even face to face visitations from Jesus- that s how he got healed from an incurable blood disease. He said that greatest presence of God he has ever experienced was always when He was with the body- in corporate meetings. c. That s the difference between dependence, independence, and interdependence. God s blessing rests upon a company of people who are in unity. d. We also want to get around people who have been with the shepherd, and hang around them. Look for people who have been with Jesus, and it s obvious- then go hang out with them. 2. Pasture the young goats by the shepherd s tents. This speaks of discipling others. First be discipled by someone who knows the Lordlearn what you can- be inspired by their relationship with the Lord- but then follow in their footsteps. Get a prayer life.
Learn how they have grown in their relationship with the Lord. Allow the right people to lead you to the Lord. Never get dependent on a person- follow them as they follow Christand if they aren t following Jesus anymore- no longer follow them. Your main objective is not developing a relationship with them, but the Lord. They are just signs. Don t crash into the signs, let the signs lead you to the destination. Then, you must know the Lord for yourself. You must have a close walk with Him. You must be chasing after Him. You must have been someone that has a growing walk with the Lord, and then you can disciple someone else. But make sure you don t make them dependent on you- but inspire them to seek after God. If they aren t seeking after Him anymore, you may have to let them goso they can learn the hard way. Find the hungry ones. Those younger in their walk with God. If you are going hard after God ask them to run with you. Discipleship doesn t just look like facing each other, but running side by side and seeking God together. Some of the best discipleship will happen at a prayer meeting. Insecure people make people into their disciples and make people stuck to them. Help people become disciples of Jesus and stuck to Him. It will be so much better for you (less dependent and draining) and it will be so much better for them (you aren t Jesus). a. Sometimes we can be too constipated, that God won t give us more- since we aren t giving out. (Proverbs 11:25) b. You can teach what you know but you reproduce who you are - John Maxwell. 9I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh s chariots.
Don t try this one at home guys. A mare among Pharaoh s chariots was Solomon s choice. They were the most expensive (only Solomon could afford) and needed to be imported from Egypt. For our souls Jesus paid with his priceless blood and imported us from Egypt (a type of the world and sin, bringing us into His Kingdom). They were handpicked (2 Chronicles 1:16)- we too were chosen by Him. Some argue who chose who first - egg or the chicken- it doesn t matter- He still chose us- and delivered us to himself. He could have chosen anyone to be His, but He chose you. These mares were not stallions. Stallions were used for battle. Yet these mares would be used to cause the enemy horses to have a mental breakdown, but just showing up to battle. These were such sexy horses, they would put all the stallions in heat during a battle, causing them to break down and so the enemies armies would self-destruct. All the mare had to do was show up. When we become a real bride of Christ- someone who has been in His presence- you are so hungry for Him- you chose devotion over distraction- you seek him personally and corporately- all you have to do is show up and the enemy starts having a nervous breakdown. That s how Peter s shadow casted out demons and healed the sick. He just showed up! That s what I m going for. Kathryn Kuhlman shows up and fifty jump out of wheel chairs. These needed to be trained. We too need to be trained. This is called sanctification. We need to learn to become one with our master. We need to stop being rebellious and jumping ahead of His timing. When horses are trained, they are the perfect extension of the master. We need to become well trained if the Lord is going to entrust to us an anointing so great that when we show up- things happen. If you want to be utilized by the Lord, we need to be trained. God I want you to use me... God says, You are a wild horse...you are too emotional...you don t know how to move when I move...you are too rash...you bite at other horses too much...you are too slow...i m training you... We need to have a martyrs mindset- the mane
would go out to battle- and sometimes by killed. Many have laid down their lives for the Lord because they were being obedient to Him, refusing to deny Him. They were this trained horse. It is recorded in our history books that many martyrs quoted Song of Songs as they were dying for Jesus. 10Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. Others 11We will make for youb ornaments of gold, studded with silver. Both elements need purification. We are told to buy gold refined in the fire (Revelation 3:18). This speaks to us of how the Lord wants to beauty us- that speaks of us growing in holiness. This is the process of sanctification. Being sanctified is not turning ugly, nasty, and boring- it s become even more stunning. Yes, the world, the Kingdom of Darkness and the flesh is committed to you staying in sin. But, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are committed to your sanctification. I think we have the upper-hand! She 12While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance. This verse reminds us of when Jesus was on his couch at the table...and in walks a woman who anointed Jesus s feet with nard as an act of worship. When we are in fellowship with Jesus, and dining with Him, where He speaks to us and we have heart to heart conversations- that s when true worship goes forth. Worship becomes as incense when it is in response to
revelation. Years ago, I was speaking at a youth retreat. The band was quite good and the music was blaring. The youth were jumping up and down. They had nice lighting. High energy, but one there was one problem, God was not there. I asked the Lord, why aren t you here? He said, They don t know who I am...they don t know my heart...they just like the music and want to get excited for the sake of getting excited. Where there is no revelation and fellowship- your worship is just smoke (maybe it makes him cough in annoyance)...when it is in response to Me revealing myself to youit is a sweet smelling incense. I m only drawn to the latter. Worship is how we digest what the King is feed us. When the King reveals something to you, respond in worship- it helps you digest. We are only nourished by what we digest. The faster you digest, the more you can eat! That is how we enlarge our appetite for revelation. 13My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts. All the guys just woke up. Myrrh was used for burial. Myrrh speaks to us of the cross of Jesus Christ. When you are a bride- you treasure what Jesus did for you on the cross. Did you know that while Jesus was going to the cross (during passover time), Song of Songs was being read in the temple. I m sure Jesus knew that He was doing this for His bride. As the bride, we don t lose sight of the cross. It wasn t a backpack, but a necklace. It is on our hearts. We are continually thankful for the cross and the price He paid. The cross is called the passion! His passion for us is on our hearts continually. Myrrh was a deodorant. The more you mediate on the cross, the less you stink.
The greatest lovers of Jesus, keep coming back to the cross. When we go through difficult times (night), we still thank Him for the cross. 14My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi. Who is Jesus to you? The henna blossoms were a red-dye used to dye hair. They had to be crushed. Jesus was crushed (Isaiah 53:10), so that I can be covered in His blood- my sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. Henna also has the same root words for atonement (which means making peace with God). Jesus was crushed so that I could have peace with God. He was crushed...and that was the price for my soul to be bought from Egypt! Engedi was a reservoir- that is quite beautiful- full of life. Living water flowing. It s like heaven. Jesus came from heaven to earth be crushed. That is why He was giving myrrh even at his birth- he came to die. He came to suffer on the cross. He came to be crushed- so that we could be forgiven. Yet, what Jesus did for us ought to not be forgotten, yet go with us everywhere we go. His passion ought to be the meditation of our hearts. He 15Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. As we are getting kiss after kiss. The healing takes place from the Judas kisses. As we keep seeking after Jesus (playing hide-and-seek with Him). Being fed by Him and finding rest in His presence. Being discipled and discipling. Learning and worshipping. As we mediate on the cross. We become more and more beautiful. What beauties us is knowing His heart for us. Jesus nourishes and cherishes His bride by revealing His heart for her to her (Ephesians 5:29).
We will still be far from perfect...yet if we are in this process- the Lord sees it as precious and beautiful! The Lord is not only pleased with perfection...but the process. She Doves eyes: 1. Are faithful...when they lose their lover- they won t re-marry. They are not easily distracted. They are fixated on the one who died and rose again--- and they can t wait to see Him. The early Christians were like this...they lost Jesus in the flesh...and kept their eyes on Him...longing to see him again, not giving their soul to another. 2. Aren t hawkish, but Spirit-led...trying to devour others, but are focused on Jesus. Focus on one thing at a time. Some have the gift of criticism and think they are discerning. Just focus on Jesus...then the Holy Spirit will help you see things from His perspective. Dove is a type of the Holy Spirit. The more you love Jesus and see Him...the more you will love others. Focus on loving Him and loving others is the by product. Doves know how to find their way home. When you have doves eyes...you know how to get into your destiny. 16Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green; 17 the beams of our house are cedar; our rafters are pine. When you see how beautiful you are to Him, He becomes so beautiful to you. You enjoy your relationship with Him. The bed is green. Bed speaks of heart. We are one spirit with Jesus. He rests there by His Spirit and so do you...and green means it is alive! Your heart is alive. It s not dry, but alive!
Our house, speaks of the church. We are the spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). When our hearts are alive individually, they church will be strong and start smelling real good.