Song of Solomon 1:3 (KJV) Grace, Love, and the Local Church

Song of Solomon 1:3 (KJV)

Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

It was not until more recent years, I think a foreshadowing of the worldliness of modern Christianity, that the Song of Solomon began to be used to teach the love relationship between a husband and wife. Believers of past generations viewed it, as I think is most appropriate, the relationship of Christ for His bride, the local church. It is appropriate to see the church’s love and affection for Christ as well. 

Note that it is Christ’s affection, not for the individual, but the corporate – the body which is a church.[a] The same is true for the body’s love for Christ. Not many Christians ever profess such a love for Christ. While we ought to grow in grace individually, it is impossible to truly love Jesus unless we do so as a member of a local New Testament church.

• It is the grace of God that brings us to love Him
• It is His Son, Jesus, that gives us a name for Him

It is a person of character who knows to appreciate and love His name and His graciousness.

#ChristAndChurchLove #BiblicalPerspectiveOnLove #CorporateLoveForChrist #GraceInLovingGod #ChurchFamilyAffection
Grace, Love, and the Local Church: The Spiritual Essence of the Song of Solomon

[a] Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)... even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

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Song of Solomon 1:3 (KJV) Grace, Love, and the Local Church

Song of Solomon 5:6 (KJV) Pursue Jesus

 

Song of Solomon 5:6 (KJV)

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

Though many these days interpret the Song of Solomon as a lesson in the marriage relationship, I see it more like the preachers of days gone by did, as a prophetic description of the growing relationship of the believer with Jesus. In this case, our text is apropos. In our robe of flesh, just about the time we believe we are growing close to the Lord, we find that we haven’t grown nearly as close to Him as we had hoped. 

The Christian life is one of pursuing Jesus. We will not apprehend until we reach the other side. Our greatest trouble happens whenever we grow satisfied with thinking Jesus is just outside the door. Even if opening the door reveals we aren’t as near as we believed we were, that’s still a step in the right direction. We are moving toward Jesus, but we are not there yet.

Pursue Jesus. Seek to know Him. Strive to be close to Him. One day, as you continue this walk, you will discover you have walked straight into your Father’s house. 

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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Song of Solomon 5:6 (KJV) Pursue Jesus

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Song of Solomon 1:7 (KJV) Where Jesus Feeds His Flocks

Song of Solomon 1:7 (KJV)
Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

One of the most necessary things a child of God can learn is where Jesus feeds His flocks. Oh, sure, there are plenty of pastures in the world and there are a lot of companion flocks, places that look like, sound like, and act like they are the flocks of God. 

The wise Christian does not want a near pasture or a comparable substitute. The wise Christian can’t be content with something close to the Lord’s pasture. He or she longs to feed among the Lord’s flock. He or she seeks to lie down where Jesus leads His own. 

John 10:27 (KJV)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
My author spotlight at Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marvinmckenzie

My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

Song of Solomon 1:7 (KJV) Where Jesus Feeds His Flocks

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The Purpose of the Song of Songs

Song of Solomon 6:1 KJV

Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

It may be that this verse is the purpose of the entire book of the Song of Solomon. Better students than I disagree as to whether this book contains an historical record or if it is written as an metaphor. The metaphor seems wisest in my opinion. Solomon's real life relationships with women are hardly the stuff from which come prize making examples of marriage and romance. It is reasonable to me to see him reflecting rather in his mistakes than successes with his many wives and composing what an ideal relationship should have been.

Modern writers have pointed to this book as a Biblical resource for godly marriages. This however appears to be a more modern application as the majority of earlier writers saw it as referring to Christ and the church. They seldom see anything sensual in the book even referencing those verses which speak of the anatomy to things other than sexual experience.

I am going with these earlier writers. I see the Song of Solomon as a picture of the love relationship between Christ and His church. It is intended to demonstrate how the believer's affection for the Saviour, in harmony with his church, can lead others to desire to know and love the Saviour too. The love implied

• Is pure and holy, not at all smutty and distasteful
• It is beautiful to watch and in no way illicit
• It inspires others to godliness and not to immorality

Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon 6:1 KJV
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

Scofield has some interesting perspectives and insight in the passage. I completely see that the song is a pre-description of Christ and His church. In chapter five then,

The bride is consumed with her gifts and position next to the groom
Vs 1
She certainly could not be deserving of such favor with the groom, the king, but here she is.

She has had her feet washed, and cannot be bothered to go out and risk becoming soiled in the world
Vs 3
And in her disposition of self exalting;

She soon finds herself separated from the groom
Vs 6
Who has others He is also interested in.

Now
The bride finds herself in a search for her lost love
Vs 6
Note that Christ found us and saved us (justification), but then the bride begins her own search for Christ (sanctification.) And note that

Once the bride's heart was removed from the love of the gifts of salvation
Vs 9-16
to a love for the Saviour Himself

Others began to desire to seek Him too
Ch 6:1

Our rightful devotion as Christians in not in what Christianity does for us, but in Christ Himself.

What We Should Speak Of

Song of Solomon 6:1 KJV
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

There is a change in heart toward the bridegroom among the daughters of Jerusalem. As soon as the bride begins to give witness to the character and beautify of the bridegroom those daughters of Jerusalem also ask to seek Him.

Prior to this they persecuted the bride and despised the groom.

Our place as Christians is not to speak about
How well we have it as believers
How wonderful it is to be chosen
How great are the Lord's promises to us

Our place is to speak of the glory and honor and majesty and beauty of the Lord. When we do that others will be interested in seeking His with us.

Make Haste

Song of Solomon 8:14 KJV
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
Once again I am using this book of the Bible in the context that is most accepted among the believers; that it is a metaphor for Christ and His church.

In that context it is the bride, the church, that cries out this last plea, "Make haste, my beloved...."

And that is the prayer and cry of my heart today; that Jesus Christ would make haste

Make haste that the companions hearken to thy voice
Make haste that I hear of it and
Make haste to come again

The hope of the Christian is not that we will have a world revival and not that our governments will become better. The hope of the Christian is not for the right man to be elected this fall. The hope of the Christian is for Jesus Christ to come again.

Until that day we are to work for the Lord and
Until that day we are to watch for the Lord

But that day is the day of hope for the saint of God.

Make haste, my beloved Jesus. Make haste and come for us. Make haste and take us to Your heaven. Make haste and come quickly.

Him Whom My Soul Loveth

Song of Solomon 3:1 KJV
By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The phrase "him whom my soul loveth" is found several times within this chapter. The story is believed to be concerning Solomon and his bride but it has long been taken as a metaphor of Jesus and the church. In that setting, the speaker here is the bride, the church and "him whom my soul loveth" in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Two things....

I wonder how dearly and deeply we love the Lord Jesus Christ?
My heart's desire is that I would love Him that deeply and that I would be able to both communicate and pass on that type of love to those I am blessed to pastor.

The phrase "I sought Him" is found two times in this verse.
If we love the Lord we will seek Him. Though there will be times when as we seek we feel as if we have not found Him if we love Him we will continue to seek.

We will seek Him at all hours of the day or night
We will seek Him about the city, in the streets and in the broad ways.
We will seek Him among the watchmen (I think this could be a reference to church)

We will seek Him without fail and
We will seek Him without fainting and
We will seek Him until we find Him
She sought Him and did find Him. So will we.