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Thursday, May 8, 2014

The Song of Songs Describes The Excellences Of CHRIST





Song of Songs 1:1-17 NIV






1Solomon’s Song of Songs.


She

2Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His Mouth—
for YOUR Love Is More Delightful Than wine.
3Pleasing Is the Fragrance of YOUR perfumes;
YOUR Name Is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love YOU!
4Take me away with YOU—Let us hurry!
Let the King Bring me into His Chambers.


Friends

We rejoice and delight in YOU;
we will praise YOUR Love more than wine.


She

How right they are to adore YOU!
5Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.c
6Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
7Tell me, YOU Whom I love,
where YOU Graze YOUR Flock
and where YOU Rest YOUR Sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of YOUR Friends?


Friends
8If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.


He

9I Liken you, My darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
10Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.


She

12While The King Was at His Table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.
13My Beloved Is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
14My Beloved Is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.


He

15How beautiful you are, My darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.


She

16How Handsome YOU Are, my Beloved!
Oh, how Charming!
And our bed is verdant.


He

17The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are firs.







The Song of Songs Describes The Excellences Of CHRIST




1:1 This is the Song of songs, excellent above any others, for it is wholly taken up with describing the Excellences of CHRIST, and the love between Him and His redeemed people.



1:2-6 The church, or rather the believer, speaks here in the character of the spouse of The King, The MESSIAH. The kisses of His Mouth mean those assurances of pardon with which believers are favored, filling them with peace and joy in believing, and causing them to abound in hope by the power of The HOLY SPIRIT.


Gracious souls take most pleasure in loving CHRIST, and being loved of Him. CHRIST's Love Is more valuable and desirable than the best this world can give. The Name of CHRIST Is Not now like ointment sealed up, but like ointment poured forth; which denotes the freeness and fullness of the setting forth of His Grace by the Gospel.  Those whom he has redeemed and sanctified, are here the virgins that love JESUS CHRIST, and follow Him wherever HE Goes, Revelation 14:4. 





They entreat him to draw them by the quickening influences of His SPIRIT. The more clearly we discern CHRIST's Glory, the more sensible shall we be that we are unable to follow Him suitably, and at the same time be more desirous of doing it. Observe the speedy answer given to this prayer. Those who wait at Wisdom's gate shall be led into truth and comfort. And being brought into this chamber, our grief will vanish. We have no joy but in CHRIST, and for this we are indebted to Him. We will remember to give thanks for His Love; it shall make more lasting impressions upon us than anything in this world. Nor is any love acceptable to CHRIST but love in sincerity, Ephesians 6:24.


The daughters of Jerusalem may mean professors not yet established in the faith. The spouse was black as the tents of the wandering Arabs, but comely as the magnificent curtains in the palaces of Solomon. The believer is black, as being defiled and sinful by nature, but comely, as renewed by Divine Grace to the Holy Image of GOD. He is still deformed with remains of sin, but comely as accepted in CHRIST. He is often base and contemptible in the esteem of men, but excellent in the Sight of GOD. The blackness was owing to the hard usage that had been suffered.


The children of the church, her mother, but not of GOD, her FATHER, were angry with her. They had made her suffer hardships, which caused her to neglect the care of her soul. Thus, under the emblem of a poor female, made the chosen partner of a prince, we are led to consider the circumstances in which the Love of CHRIST is accustomed to find its objects. They were wretched slaves of sin, in toil, or in sorrow, weary and heavy laden, but how great the change when the Love of CHRIST is manifested to their souls!


1:7-8 Observe the title given to CHRIST, O YOU Whom my soul loves. Those who do so, may come to Him boldly, and may humbly plead with Him. CHRIST has rest for them. Those whose souls love JESUS CHRIST, earnestly desire to share in the privileges of His Flock. Turning aside from CHRIST is what gracious souls should fear more than anything else. GOD Is Ready to answer prayer. Follow the track, ask for the good old way, observe the footsteps of the flock, look what has been the practice of godly people. Sit under the direction of good teachers; beside the tents of the under shepherds.


It will be the earnest desire and prayer of the Christian that GOD would so direct him in his worldly business, and so he may have his LORD and SAVIOR always before him.


1:9-17 The Bridegroom gives high praises of His spouse. In the Sight of CHRIST believers are the excellent of the earth, fitted to be instruments for promoting His Glory. The spiritual gifts and graces which CHRIST Bestows On every true believer, are described by the ornaments then in use, verses 10,11.



The graces of the saints are many, but there is dependence upon each other. HE Who Is the Author Will Be the Finisher of the good work. The grace received from CHRIST's Fullness, springs forth into lively exercises of faith, affection, and gratitude. Yet CHRIST, not His Gifts, Is most precious to them. The word translated “henna, camphire (Hebrew, "kopher" כֹּפֶר noun masculine the price of a life, ransom or  name of a plant: Arabic "ḥinna," whence English "henna" ) signifies  atonement or propitiation.

 

CHRIST Is Dear to all believers, because HE Is the Propitiation for their sins. No pretender must have His Place in the soul. They resolved to lodge Him in their hearts all the night; during the continuance of the troubles of life. CHRIST Takes Delight in the good work which His Grace Has Wrought On the souls of believers. This should engage all who are made holy, to be very thankful for that grace which has made those fair, who by nature were deformed. The spouse (the believer) has a humble, modest eye, discovering simplicity and godly sincerity; eyes enlightened and guided by The HOLY SPIRIT, The Blessed DOVE.



The church expresses her value for CHRIST. YOU Are the Great Original, but I am but a faint and imperfect copy. Many are fair to look at, yet their temper renders them unpleasant: but CHRIST Is fair, yet pleasant. The believer, verse 16, speaks with praise of those holy ordinances in which true believers have fellowship with CHRIST. Whether the believer is in the courts of The Lord, or in retirement; whether following his daily labors, or confined on the bed of sickness, or even in a dungeon, a sense of the Divine Presence will turn the place into a paradise.


Thus the soul, daily having fellowship with The FATHER, The SON, and The HOLY SPIRIT, enjoys a lively hope of an incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance above.









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