Sitting With the King at His Table

While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. camphire...: or, cypress Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. my love...: or, my companion Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. rafters...: or, galleries - Song of Solomon 1:12-17

    “While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.”

    Do you know this King? Is Jesus Christ your Lord, your Savior, your King? Do you know the sweet taste of his saving grace? Have you experienced the blessedness of sins forgiven? Do you trust Christ? Are you washed in his blood, robed in his righteousness, and born of his Spirit? If you are, if you are a sinner saved by the grace of God, saved through the blood of Christ, saved by the power of his Spirit, I am certain that your very soul longs, thirsts, pants, and hungers for him, like a love sick young bride longs, thirsts, pants, and hungers for her husband. You want nothing like you want the embrace of his arms and the kisses of his mouth. That which we need and, I trust, desire above all things is communion with our all-glorious Christ.

    The object of public worship

    The object of public worship is that we may meet with and worship the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may sit with him at his table, have communion with him, and be fed by him. It is the presence of Christ which gives life and meaning to our worship. Our gatherings for worship without the fellowship of Christ are dreary business. It is like a brook without water, a cloud without rain, a sky without a sun, a night without a star. We need Christ! Without him all is vain! The doctrine of Christ without the presence of Christ is a lifeless corpse. The ordinances of Christ without the presence of Christ are meaningless rituals. Our songs of praise without the presence of Christ are but sorrowful groans. The Word of God without the presence of Christ is a sealed Book. The preaching of the gospel without the presence of Christ is only an exercise in futility.

    We must have Christ, or we have nothing! We cannot live without him. Without him we have no light. Without him we have no comfort. Without him we have no strength. Without him we are nothing. Without him we can do nothing.

    We have before us a picture of King Jesus sitting at his table, a table spread with the rich morsels of the gospel, manifesting himself to his people. We have here a picture of communion and fellowship with Christ himself.

    Nothing so precious

    There is nothing so precious to the true believer as Christ himself (vv. 12-14). Here, the bride speaks about her Beloved. — “While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.”

    What a picture this is! The King is sitting at his table in his palace with his beloved Bride. She is so overcome by his beauty and goodness that her heart must speak. In tender affection she tells him how precious he is to her. The picture, of course, is of our Lord Jesus Christ, sitting in the midst of his church in precious fellowship. Truly, our meetings are blessed when he meets with us. The gospel is truly a feast for our souls when he spreads the table. Christ is precious to believing hearts; and he is never more precious than at those times when he reveals and manifests himself in sweet, intimate, and real fellowship with his people (1 Pet. 2:7).

    Here is the Lord Jesus Christ, the King (Our King!), revealing himself in the blessedness of fellowship with his people (v. 12). – “While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.” This is the thing we most greatly desire at all times when we come together for worship. If Christ meets with us, all is well. It matters not where we meet, or even how many of us there are. If Christ is present, we have all that our hearts can desire.

    All true believers reverence Christ as their sovereign King, bowing to him with willing, loving hearts. What bride would object to her loving and beloved husband being her king? Christ the King has his royal table spread in the gospel. The gospel of the grace of God is a feast of fat things prepared for all nations. It is a table furnished, by which the souls of men are fed. Our Lord has promised to be present with two or three who gather in his name. He comes, by his Spirit through the ministry of his Word, to sup with us, and he allows us to sup with him.

    When Christ himself meets with us, our meetings are truly blessed, because his presence draws out the grace he has created in our hearts. That is what is meant by the words, “My spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.” As Mary broke open the box of precious spikenard and the sweet fragrance of it filled the room, so when the Lord Jesus meets with his people in the house of God, as the preacher breaks open the Word, the sweet fragrance of Christ crucified fills the room (John 12:1-3). When he withdraws and hides himself from us our spirits languish like tender plants in the hot sun. But when our Lord reveals himself our souls are renewed and made fruitful.

    Nothing gives believing souls so much joy and satisfaction as fellowship with Christ. The children of God are not morbid people. We know how to enjoy the good things of life. But the greatest joys known to men in this world are mixed with a measure of bitterness and sorrow. The blessed fellowship of Christ is pure joy. There are no bitter dregs in this sweet wine.

    A bundle of myrrh

    The Lord Jesus Christ is unutterably precious to every believer (vv. 13-14). — “A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.”

    Here we have a picture of our Lord’s beauty, his value, and his love to a believing soul. The language is the language of intimate love. It is altogether spiritual. Christ is well beloved, the choice object of our hearts’ affections. He is not merely beloved, but “well-beloved.” He is chosen and preferred above all others. In our innermost souls his is uppermost. None can rival him. None can be compared with him.

    The Lord Jesus is like a bundle of myrrh to us. Myrrh was a very costly and rare plant, greatly valued in ancient times for many reasons. It serves very well as a picture of Christ in this passage. Here are five ways in which myrrh fitly represents our Savior…

    First, Christ may be compared to myrrh, because of its preciousness. It was a very expensive thing. It is always represented in Scripture as being rare and costly. Jacob sent some myrrh down into Egypt as a choice gift. But no myrrh could ever compare with our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the precious gift of God to us. When God gave us his Son, he gave us his all. What a precious gift Christ is to us! “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”

    Second, Christ may be compared to myrrh, because it was a very pleasant perfume. It was sweet to the smell. In the Old Testament, myrrh was mingled with the sacrifices, so that when the fat of the kidneys of rams and beasts were burned, the smoke that ascended up to heaven had the sweet fragrance of myrrh. Do you see the picture? That which makes us acceptable to God is the sweet perfume of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). We are “accepted in the Beloved.” (2 Cor. 2:15-16; Phil. 4:18; Mal. 1:11).

    Third, Christ may be compared to myrrh, because it was a preservative. The Egyptians used myrrh to embalm the dead. Nicodemus and those holy women who came to bury the Savior brought myrrh and aloes to wrap his body. Myrrh was used to prevent decay and corruption. Even so, Christ, like a bundle of myrrh, preserves us.

    Fourth, Christ may be compared to myrrh, because it was used for purification. In ancient times people thought that myrrh had certain medicinal qualities. In times of pestilence and plague they would carry a little bag of myrrh around their necks, hanging between their breasts, to serve as a disinfectant. They were not correct in their ideas. But this is certain: — The Lord Jesus Christ has infinitely great medicinal value for our souls. His name is “Jehovah-rophi..” He declares, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” He heals the hearts of chosen sinners of the deadly plague of sin. He makes every believer pure and perfect before God.

    Fifth, Christ may be compared to myrrh, because women in ancient times used it as a beautifier. Before Esther was presented to Ahasuerus she prepared herself with myrrh. Oriental women thought that myrrh would remove wrinkles and soften the skin. I have no knowledge about such things. But I do know that nothing makes a believer beautiful except Christ. He removes every spot and blemish and wrinkle from all his people (Eph. 5:25-27).

    Women in ancient times would very carefully take precious, costly, rare sprigs of myrrh, tie them together, and hang them in a bag between their breasts for all of these reasons. And for all of these reasons, we will cling to Christ. His presence, his fellowship is like a bundle of myrrh between our breasts. When we have him all is well. Child of God, cling to Christ. Keep him near you. Bind him to your heart.

    “He shall lie all night between my breasts.” This is an expression of intense desire. These are the words of confident faith. He said he would! This is a firm resolve. Throughout the long night of my pilgrimage through this world, I want his fellowship. If Christ will be with me, I want no more! “He shall lie all night between my breasts.”

    A cluster of camphire

    Christ is our only acceptance before God (v. 14). — “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.” The word translated “camphire” is most commonly translated “atonement,” “covering,” or “propitiation.” The Lord Jesus Christ is a cluster of merit and righteousness to all believers. He is precious to us, because he is our propitiation before God.

    I do not suggest that Christ is so fully precious to all people. He is not. Multitudes see nothing in him. But, no matter what he is or is not to another, every heaven born soul speaks like this about Christ. — “My Beloved is unto me all that is needful, all that is lovely, all that is precious. He loved me and gave himself for me. He is my Lord and my God.”—“Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious!”

    Nothing so precious to Christ

    As there is nothing in all the world so precious to the believer as Christ, so nothing in all the world is so precious to the Lord Jesus Christ as his church (v. 15). Here the Lord Jesus speaks to us about us. — “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.” So precious are the chosen to the Lord God that he will sacrifice nations for them (Isa. 43:4).

    It is one thing for us to speak of Christ with great delight and satisfaction. But here is something that would be utterly unbelievable, were it not written in the Book of God. — The Son of God, our all-glorious Christ, speaks of all who are united to him by faith, with delight and satisfaction! Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ has great delight in his church. Every true believer is beautiful in his eyes! — “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair: thou hast dove’s eyes.”

    In his eyes we are perfectly beautiful! There is no cause for pride, or for arrogance on our part. We have no beauty of our own. But his beauty is upon us, and he delights in that which he has made us to be in himself. The beauty Christ beholds in us is the real beauty of all true believers. Yet, the only beauty Christ looks upon with delight is the beauty he has created. We must never cease to be humbled by our own blackness, and never cease to rejoice in the beauty which Christ has given us. The Son of God looks upon us as we really are in him (1 Cor. 1:30; 6:11). And he looks upon us as we shall one day be (Eph. 5:27).

    Our Lord also here assures us of his special, peculiar love for us — “My love.” The Lord Jesus Christ holds his own elect near to his heart as the objects of his special love and favor. He speaks not to the world, but to his own chosen and beloved companion, his bride, his church, when he says, “My love.” The love of Christ for our souls truly is special. It is a sovereign, selective, sacrificial, saving, and satisfying love, and more. Christ’s love for his own is an immutable, indestructible, everlasting love!

    The one aspect of beauty, which our Lord mentions is that his people have the eyes of a dove. They have eyes that are enlightened and guided by the Dove of heaven, God the Holy Spirit. They have eyes that are loyal and faithful — Eyes for Christ alone. They have weeping eyes that mourn as a dove (Ezek. 7:16).

    Blessed pleasantness

    When the Lord Jesus makes himself known to us and reveals his love to our hearts, all is pleasant (vv. 16-17). — “Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.”

    It is really impossible for me to say who is speaking here, Christ or the bride; but it really makes no difference. The message is the same whether coming from the bride or the Bridegroom. Yet, recognizing his beauty, and recognizing that whatever beauty we may have he has given us, we would turn all attention and praise to our beloved Lord. He is fair in himself. We are fair only in him.

    Our marriage to Christ is a blessed, happy, fruitful union (Rom. 7:4). “Our bed is green.” Our union with Christ is a firm and lasting union. “The beams of our house are cedar.” It is both an ancient and durable union, a union which shall never be broken. And our fellowship with Christ is most delightful - “Our rafters of fir.”

    The word “rafters” literally means “galleries” or “balconies,” the porches that extend out from the bedroom, where the bride and groom sit and walk together in intimate fellowship. These galleries were made of fir, a fragrant and durable wood. Perhaps, these galleries have reference to the Word of God and the ordinances of divine worship in the assembly of the saints. Perhaps, they refer to our times of private prayer, worship, and meditation. Perhaps, they refer to all the blessed doctrines of the gospel and all the blessings the grace of God revealed in it. The galleries, wherein we walk with our Savior in sweet, intimate communion, include all these and more. They are all those things wherein the Son of God makes himself known to our hearts, all those things which cause our hearts to say with Peter, “He is precious!”