Well, let us turn again to the
portion we were reading in the song, the Song of Solomon, in
the second chapter and that eighth verse where we began the reading. The voice of my beloved beholds,
he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. And in particular, the first
part of the verse, the voice of my Beloved, Behold, he cometh. Here then in the Song of Solomon,
chapter 2 and verse 8, I trust that we might find some profit
as we for a little while consider these few words. Remember how
we're told in the book of 1 Kings that Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs
and 1,003 songs. 1,003 songs. But of course, there is really
only one song, and it's this one, as we see in the opening
words of the chapter, the opening words of the book, The Song of
Songs, which is Solomon's. This is the one that was divinely
inspired, not so much the words or the song of Solomon, but that
that is the words of God by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But it is not only the song of
songs because it's an inspired book, it's also the song of songs
because it speaks to us of the Lord Jesus Christ. under the
imagery of the love between Solomon and his bride. And we know how
that imagery is taken up repeatedly in the Scriptures with regards
to God. God in the Old Testament marries
himself to his ancient covenant people, the children of Israel.
He enters into covenant with them. He takes them to himself
for his wife. And how often are they an adulterous
wife as they go after their idol gods. But then when we come to
the New Testament we see the Lord Jesus Christ. We see him
as that one of course who is the bridegroom and the church
is his bride. But in particular of the language
that we have in the book of Isaiah. which is really such a wonderful
gospel book that was found in the Old Testament Scriptures.
And the words that we have there in Isaiah 61 saying, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
hath covered me with the robe of righteousness. The bridegroom has dressed his
own bride and has dressed that bride in his own righteousnesses.
And then we read, as a bridegroom, decketh himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Christ himself
then is the bridegroom, the church is his bride, and we see it so
much when we come to the New Testament scriptures. The Lord
tells the parable of the ten virgins going forth to meet the
bridegroom and five of those ten were wise virgins and five
were foolish virgins there in Matthew 25 and then of course
when Paul writes to the church at Ephesus in the fifth chapter
of that epistle he speaks of the relative duties of husbands
and of wives but then at the end he says this is a great mystery
but I speak concerning Christ and his church. And so at the
end there, almost the end of the Bible really, in Revelation
19, we have the great marriage supper of the Lamb. And so coming
back to this book, the Song of Songs, it speaks to us principally
then of the love between Christ and his church. As we look at
these words at the beginning of this eighth verse in the second
chapter, the voice of my Beloved, behold He cometh. I want to consider
just two things, Christ's voice and Christ's visitation. The voice of Christ and the visitation
of Christ. He is the one who is spoken of
clearly because He is the Beloved. Isn't that His name? when in
Matthew chapter 12 and there at verse 18 the evangelist
is referring to the Old Testament Scriptures he's quoting really
the words of Isaiah 42.1 but it's interesting because it's
somewhat different he's referring to that passage but he's not
quoting it exactly as it is in the Old Testament He writes by
inspiration, does Matthew, and he interprets. And so we have
a slightly different reading when we compare Isaiah 42.1 and
Matthew 12.18, because in the latter it says, Behold my servant,
whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. Somewhat different to the way
it's worded in Isaiah 42. There we see Christ, not simply
as the Lord's servant, but the Lord's beloved. And He is that,
of course. Doesn't the Father Himself declare
the same from heaven in the Mount of Transfiguration? This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. all we are to hear
the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when John begins his first
epistle, that first general epistle, the opening words he says, that
which was from the beginning, which we have heard. It's interesting,
he goes on of course to speak of what he has seen and what
he has handled. but he begins by speaking of
what he has heard because Christ is the Word of God in the beginning
was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God and
never man spake like this man they said or the voice of the
Lord Jesus is that voice that we are to hear and I want us
to consider some some three aspects really Where is Christ's voice
heard? When is Christ's voice heard? And who are those who are hearing
the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ? The voice of Christ, and where
is His voice heard? Well, it is heard here in Holy
Scripture. He says to the Jews in John 5,
certain scriptures, in them you think that you have eternal life
and these are they that testify of me the scripture testifies
of christ the scriptures and the lord bear one tremendous
name the written and incarnate words in all things are the same
that's remarkable isn't it we have God's words here, inspired
scriptures, it's the word of God, but then in the New Testament
we have that full and final revelation of God in the person of his only
begotten son, the incarnate words. When Christ says, heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words My word shall never pass
away." We are to reverence then the Holy Scriptures because it
is here that we have the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. But
more than that, Christ's voice is also heard in preaching, the
importance of the ministry of the Word of God, the opening
up of the Scriptures, the expounding of the Scriptures of truth. We
have the language again of the Apostle there in Romans 10 and
verse 13 following Paul says, "...whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher?" And how shall they preach, except
they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring
glad tidings of good things. Yes, there'll be the preaching
of the word. And as I've said before there in that 14th verse,
the middle clause more literally would read, How shall they believe
in him whom they have not heard? Not so much of whom, it's not
so much hearing about him. But is that actual hearing of
His voice? The Lord comes in the preaching
of the Scriptures. As Paul reminds those Ephesians,
you have not so learned Christ if you have been taught by Him. Oh, He taught them. How did He
teach them? He taught them in and by and through the ministry
of the Apostle himself. It is the Lord Jesus Christ then
who comes and speaks. His sheep, they hear His voice
and He knows them and they follow Him and He gives them eternal
life. He promises to come repeatedly
even though when He's about to depart from the disciples there
in those familiar chapters in John 14, 15 and 16 He's speaking of going, that
the Spirit might come, if I go not away, if I depart not, He
will not come, but if I go, I will send Him. But then the Lord also
promises to come. He says, I will come again. I
will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. And how the
Lord comes, He comes in the ministry of the words, the preaching of
the Gospel, Christ's voice is heard then.
It's heard, as we know, in the scriptures, the reading of the
word, but also the preaching of the sign. And when? When is Christ's voice
heard? Well, we have it here, don't
we? In verse 4, He brought me to the banqueting house. His
banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort
me with apples, for I am sick of love. His left hand is under
my head. His right hand does embrace me. There are those times when the
Lord does come in a very real sense. There are those times
of communion. Should we not expect Him to come
at times when we meet together around the table of the Lord?
not just the preaching of the word but Christ has also granted
to us that holy ordinance and is there not some reference to
it in the language of verse 9 and especially the end of that verse
my beloved is like a row or a young heart behold he standeth behind
our wall he looketh forth at the window showing himself through
the lattice or revealing himself through the lattice of that holy
ordinance of the Lord's supper. Then his voice is heard, then
there is that time of communion and we feel something of his
presence. He comes and he ministers to
us, he communes with us, he makes us feel that gracious closeness. But then we know also that there
is ever that possibility of that time of desertion. And the charge that's given here
at verse 7, I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the
rose and by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up,
nor awake, my beloved, till he please or there is ever that
possibility of desertion but then the Lord appears to his
people and then he's gone you remember the two on the road
to Emmaus when their eyes were opened and then he vanishes out
of their sights how often those favoured seasons are few and
far between But the Lord does come, and He comes to commune
with His people. And He comes in a special way,
maybe when they least expect His coming. We read how the Lord's
voice crieth unto the sitter. And the man of wisdom says, Micah
shall see thy name, hear you the wrath, and do hast appointed
it. Or the Lord makes Himself very real in the midst of trials
and troubles. Maybe when we feel so bereft
in our own souls, that's when He comes. And it's interesting,
isn't it, the voice is heard before the Lord is seen. Before He comes, there is a voice.
The voice of my Beloved. Behold, He cometh. His voice,
in a sense, is the harbinger that He's drawing near. And it's
interesting when we consider the experience of the Apostle
John there in Revelation chapter 1 on the Isle of Patmos, obviously
exiled, cut off from all communion with the people of God. It's
the Lord's Day, he's in the Spirit. And what is the first thing he
hears? A voice. He heard a voice, he says. And
he turned to see the voice that spoke to him. and then as he
turned he sees the seven golden candlesticks representing the
seven churches Christ is there in the midst of the church in
the midst of the seven golden candlesticks but it's a voice
first he heard a voice and he turns to hear the voice that
spoke to him oh the voice he's heard this is how the Lord comes
to us the voice of my beloved behold he cometh and when the
voice is heard and we recognize that voice and his sheep of course
they they do know his voice and they follow him he gives
to them eternal life as we've said who then are those who who hear
this voice the voice of the beloved the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ
You see, we may hear the Word of God, in a sense, but we are
not hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know there
is that general call in the Gospel. Many are called, but few are
chosen. The voice of God, or the Word
of God is there, we can read it, and we can hear the preaching
of it. but it becomes the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ only by that gracious ministry of the Spirit. Remember how in those seven letters
to the churches in Asia Minor recorded in Revelation 2 and
3 after each or at the end of each of the seven letters we
have that repetition, hear that and hear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches all Christ must come by his spirit
and as he comes by his spirit he will come surely then in his
word and it will be to us the the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I've already referred to
the language that we have there in that 10th chapter of John
where we see Christ as the Good Shepherd the one who goes before
the sheep we refer to those words in verse 27 following the sheep
hear his voice and know him and follow him and he gives them
eternal life but remember what the Lord says previously there
at the beginning of that 10th chapter he put forth his own sheep and
goeth before them and the sheep follow him it says verse 4 they
know his voice a stranger will they not follow but will flee
from him for they know not the voice of strangers or they are
a discerning people and they are people who are listening
for the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ how he comes to them again
and again and how they must experience of course that efficacious work
of the Holy Spirit in their souls they must experience something
of that irresistible call of the gospel and it came to those Thessalonians
not in word only but in power it says and in the Holy Ghost
and in much assurance why the kingdom of God is not in word
it is in power And this is how the Lord comes. His voice is
heard. And is recognized by those who
are of the election of grace. The voice of My Beloved. It's a language, isn't it, of
appropriation. It's not just The Beloved. It is My Beloved. Behold, He
cometh. So let us turn in the second
place to this gracious visitation. It is a sure and certain coming. How significant is that word
behold? You know the force of that word.
It indicates here is something that we are to look into. He
has something to be examined, the eye must be fixed, there
must be a gazing, a proper consideration. It is that that is sure, that
that is certain. We know that Christ who came
and accomplished all the goodwill and pleasure of His Father when
He appeared in the fullness of the time, but he who came as
the Saviour is to return, is to come again. He is to come
again as the Great Judge. And when Jude there at the end
of the New Testament Scriptures, the last of all the epistles
of course, the epistle of Jude, look at the language that he
uses, that short epistle, verse 14, Behold, the Lord cometh,
It's the same language really as we have here in the song.
Behold he cometh. But what is Jude speaking of
there at verse 14? Behold the Lord cometh with ten
thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, to convince
all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which
They have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches
which ungodly sinners have spoken against him, he comes to judge. And he comes to be the judge
of all those who are the ungodly. Why, Christ himself says it,
doesn't he, there in the fifth chapter of John's Gospel? The
Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the
Son. Look at the language that the
Lord is using there in that chapter at verse 25. We have a double
verily. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself. And hath given him authority
to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
His voice, and they shall come forth, they that have done good,
unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation. All behold, He cometh. Verily,
verily, truly, Truly, there is an emphasis, there is a certainty
with regards to His coming. It is as sure and certain as
His work. But of course, in this day of
Christ, Christ's coming is a saving coming. That is the wonder of
it. I will not leave you comfortless, He says to those disciples. I
will come unto you. And as I said, He comes by His
Spirit. He comes by His Spirit. He comes
in His Word. This is that blessed dispensation
of the Holy Spirit. Though the Lord speaks of that
coming and the Spirit's ministry in the day of grace, He shall
testify of mercy. the gracious ministry of the
Spirit, we speak much of the grace of Christ. We must do that. He comes as the Father's servant. He comes to serve the will of
the Father, to accomplish all that work that the Father had
committed to Him in the eternal covenant. But as the Father sends
the Son, there's that sense in which the Son sends the Spirit. As Peter says
on the day of Pentecost, it is Christ who hath shed forth that
which they now see and behold, the gracious outpouring of the
Spirit. And though his ministry is always
so self-effacing, he shall not speak of himself, says Christ,
he shall glorify me. For he shall take of mine and
shall show it unto you. This is how the Lord comes now
in this day of grace and how glorious is that ministry of
the Spirit he is God and as God he is able to do all things every
obstacle is overcome by the Blessed Spirit
when he comes as the Spirit of Christ the voice of my beloved
it says he cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the
hills. Oh, every obstacle you see is
as nothing before Him. Even our hard hearts, even the
many doubts and fears that beset us, even that accursed unbelief
that seems to cleave and cling to our fallen nature. Even the
devil himself, he overcomes all things. And we have it there
at the end, don't we? He's like a row or a young heart
upon the mountains of Bitha, it says. And as the margin indicates,
that's the mountains of division. He can overcome everything that
stands as a division between him and his people. He is that
one who is mightier than the mighty man armed. And again,
the language that we have there in Isaiah's book. In Isaiah chapter 40 and verses
4 and 5. Every valley shall be exalted
and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall
be made straight and the rough places plain and the glory of
the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it the voice hath cried
and he said what shall I cry all flesh is as grass and all
the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field the grass
withereth the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth
upon it surely the people is grass the grass withereth the
flower fadeth but the word about God shall stand forever. How might God be pleased to bless
His word and cause us to see what the day is in which we're
so favoured to be living our poor mortal lives. Amen. Well, before we turn to the Lord
in prayers, let us sing our second praise. 968 is the hymn The tune St. B's, 494. Hark, my soul, it is the Lord,
it is thy Saviour, hear His word. Jesus speaks and speaks to thee. Say, poor sinner, lovest thou
me? 968 on the tune is 494.