Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 27. Proverbs 27. I'd like to look at verse 18,
Proverbs 27, 18. Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall
eat the fruit thereof. So he that waiteth on his master
shall be honored. The heart, the subject, the comfort
of any passage of scripture was established by the Lord Jesus
when he spoke to two on the road to Emmaus. The scripture says,
he told them expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself. That truth right there, what
a help, what direction when the pastor, the preacher, begins
to seek the mind of the Lord and the message of comfort to
God's people. He's looking for Christ. Whenever I've told you this before,
when we open these pages, when we start looking, we know we're
looking to honor Him. That's the only word of comfort
to God's people. So today, as we look at this
passage of Scripture, Know this. Let's see the lamb. Show me the
lamb and God's people are fed. Verse 18 again. Whoso keepeth
the fig tree. Now, whoso observes, guards,
watches over, and preserves the fig tree shall eat the fruit
thereof. He who continually watches and
preserves the fig tree is going to dine or eat the fruit or the
reward of his labor. That's what the passage is saying. Now, with this truth, we would
do well to consider the significance of the fig tree. I went through
and I looked every place in the scripture. I was going down the
verses with fig tree. plugged in fig tree, and I went
down, fig tree, fig tree, and of all the instances of the fig
tree that were set forth, there was none that so beautifully
and clearly set forth the meaning or the significance of the fig
tree as it pertains to the Lord Jesus Christ as was found in
Song of Solomon chapter 2. Hold your place there or mark
it. We'll go back to it in just a moment. Song of Solomon chapter
2, verses 10 to 13. I want us to look at what the
Spirit of God moved upon Solomon to write concerning this fig
tree. Song of Solomon chapter 2, verse
10. It says, my beloved spake and
said unto me, rise up, my love, my fair one. And come away, for
lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers
appear on the earth, the time of the singing of the birds has
come, the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The fig
tree, put it forth her green figs, and the vines with the
tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away. This word, she says, beloved,
the bride says, my beloved spake and said unto me, now let me
ask you this. He who speaks and his word is
sure is not gonna pass away. And everything that we just read,
and I'm gonna touch on those verses for just a few minutes.
And I want us to see how the bride is speaking to the Lord
Jesus Christ. And what he says to her for her
comfort, for her preservation, for her keeping, rise up. This is what he spake to me,
verse 10. My beloved spake and said unto me, rise up, my love. You who were crippled in the
fall, in the fall of the first Adam, you rise up, obviously
not in her own strength, not in our own power, but rise up
at my call, the call of the Lord. Rise up, you who have been everlastingly
loved, you who are my fair one, rise up, my love, my fair one,
my beautiful one, made so, made to be comely in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and come away. He's calling her unto
himself. He's the good shepherd. And the
good shepherd speaks. And he said, the sheep hear my
voice. And she obeys. She follows. Come and be separated unto me. Now listen to these beautiful
words. When he beckons, we can rest assured she's coming. She's
coming. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. And listen as he gives her assurance
for the reason to come. You come to me. Come unto me. Listen to verse 11. For lo, the
winter is past. The winter's past. I look that
word winter up, the dark season. That's what it means, the dark
season. That season when God's sheep were still, turn over while
I'm saying this, turn over to Ephesians 5, that dark season
while they were still in the darkness of sin, unbelief, embarrassment,
no fit righteousness before God, totally destitute, spiritual
fruitfulness. Ephesians chapter five, I read
that passage in Scripture, Song of Solomon, then turned over
to Ephesians and I thought, what a beautiful reminder of what
the Lord brought us out of. Ephesians five, verse eight,
look at it. Spirit of God moved on Paul to
say, for ye were sometimes darkness, but now your light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. So the Lord says to Shulamite
back in Song of Solomon chapter two, the winter's past. I've given you light. You come, rise up, follow me. I've given you light. I do know
we walk in this world as seeing through a glass darkly, but I'm
telling you, we do know this, we see. God's people see. They see assured that the Lord's
with them. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you. We don't know what's going on.
We don't know. I told you what Brother Don Fortner told me one
time. He said, rest assured, we never know what God's doing.
We never know. We don't know. We don't know. We see providentially, but we
see through a glass darkly. So rise up, my love, my fair
one, and come away. For lo, the winter's past. The
rain is over and gone. Now, you know, When the Lord
destroyed this earth in a flood, the scripture says, Genesis chapter
6, I'll just read this for you. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5,
God saw something. Genesis 6, 5, God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that
he had made man on the earth. and it grieved him at his heart. So when God destroyed this world,
he destroyed this world justly. He saw, he knew, every thought,
every imagination of man was evil, continually evil. But, verse 8, Genesis 6, 8, But
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. There was a man
named Noah. Now every thought, every imagination
of all men, as I've said before, you mean Noah too? Every imagination
of man, every one of them, was evil continually. But God, for
Christ's sake, looked upon a man named Noah. And God, when he
told Moses, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll
have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord, and almighty God pleased to deliver
Noah and his family from certain judgment. And God had Noah build
an ark, a fit and beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the reign of God's judgment fell upon Noah. That reign was a picture
of judgment. Noah was in the ark. His family
was in the ark. What bore the brunt of the reign?
The ark. People were in that ark. And
here was Noah and his family. It was a type. It was a picture
of all of God's sheep found in Christ. Christ bearing their
blame, bearing the guilt, bearing the justice of what they were
by nature. So likewise, all chosen before
the foundation of the world in the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, God's ark, they're going to be saved too. They're going
to be delivered. He suffered at Calvary, bearing
their guilt, satisfying their debt to the law, robed in his
righteousness. And so back in Song of Solomon
2, rise up, my love, fair one, come away. The winter's past.
Rain's over for you. Rain's over. It's gone. Rain
is gone. And then in verse 12, it says,
the flowers appear on the earth. The flowers, in Matthew chapter
6, if you want to turn there, Matthew 6. Our Lord gave a beautiful
illustration. He's going to teach his people
something. Matthew chapter 6, verse 27 to 30. And he's talking, I know he's
talking in our preservation in this world. Taking care of us,
providing for us, he's going to feed us, he's going to clothe
us. Don't give us a place to stay. I'm not going to leave
you. But oh, spiritually, listen to this verse of scripture. Which
of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Immediately, I can't help. I'm
going to think of righteousness imputed. I do know he provides
clothing. I'm so thankful that we're all
able to be clothed Why take your thought, though, for raiment
spiritually? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow. They toil not, neither do they
spin. And yet I say unto you that even
Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed
the grass of the field, which today is, tomorrow is cast in
the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Again, I know, I know the Lord's going to take care of us. in
a temporary sense. I understand that. But which
of us, by taking thought, could clothe ourselves before God?
What he's saying, the God that clothes the fields, the flowers,
those flowers that are more beautiful than Solomon ever thought about
being, shall he not clothe you also? He who clothes even the
flowers is the one that robes his people. in the precious righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he says, back in Song
of Solomon 2, he said, the flowers appear on the earth. Oh, the beautiful pictures of
God's people, they appear. You come away with me. He said,
the winter's past, rain's over, flowers appear on the earth.
The time of the singing of birds has come. That, if you're looking
at Song of Solomon 2, it says, the time of the singing of birds
is in italics. So it was added. But it's something
that really I can understand. But if I look at it and take
that word out, the time of singing is come. The time of singing
what? Well, again, I'm going to look
at Isaiah 52. Isaiah 52 verses 7 and 8, the
time of singing. Come to me, winter's over. Isaiah 58. If I said 58, I meant
52. Isaiah 52, verse 7 and 8. How
beautiful upon the mountains or the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings, that publish peace, that bringeth good tidings of
good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, thy God
reigneth. Thy watchmen shall lift up the
voice. With the voice together shall
they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall
bring again Zion. So the time of singing has come. Singing of what? The gospel. That beautiful melody that's
set forth by men called of God. Come away. Come away with me,
my love. The flowers appear on the earth. The winter's past. Rain's over. The time of singing has come. And the voice of the turtle is
heard in our land. It's actually turtle dove. It's
the time of the turtle symbolizing the Holy Spirit. In Luke chapter
3, Luke chapter 3, the Spirit of God moved upon Luke to pen
these beautiful words concerning our Lord. Luke chapter 3, verses
21, 22. The scripture says, And when all the people were
baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and
praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Ghost descended
in a bodily shape like a dove upon him. And a voice came from
heaven which said, thou art my beloved son in whom I'm well
pleased. The voice of the turtle is heard
in our land, the voice of the comforter. John chapter 14, our
Lord gave his disciples a precious promise that we can truly rejoice
in. John 14, verses 15 to 17, he
says, if you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray
the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he
may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not. Neither knoweth
him, but ye know him. For he dwelleth with you and
shall be in you. So come away. The winter's passed. Rain's over. Flowers appear on
the earth. Time of singing has come and
the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. Are we not thankful
for that which the Lord has given? That the Lord would send his
spirit and teach us and open these scriptures unto us. Verse
13. The fig tree putteth forth her
green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good
smell. Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away. Here's the blessed evidence of
being taught, kept by the Lord. The church, we are the fig tree. We're the fig tree. The fig tree
putteth forth her green figs. Green figs, early figs is what
it means. Early fig, tender grapes, blossoms
are being put forth. Right now, we're being brought,
we're being ripened, we're being matured as we grow in grace and
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. The scripture says the
fig tree put it forth for green figs and the vines with tender
grape give a good smell. A good smell. this smell that's being spoken
of. I can only just think in my mind
of the smell. He's talking about the fruit
of God's spirit that has a blessed, blessed, precious savor. It's a savor to God's people
when we behold the miracle of God's grace that would manifest
the Spirit, the fruit of love and joy and peace and long-suffering
and gentleness and meekness, goodness, faith, temperance,
that blessedness that's set forth as the effect of what the Lord
has done for us by His Spirit. Come away. It's over. It's finished. Come unto me. The fig tree's putting forth
those green figs. They're real. They're true. They're
maturing. And that's none of us. None of
us would ever say, I'm as mature as I'll ever be. No. No, we're
not. We're growing. I think the more
we mature, the more we realize how immature we really are. We
realize, oh, me of little faith. Lord have mercy on me, rise and
come away. But as I looked at that green,
that fig tree putting forth her green figs, it's talking about
how the Lord is going to mature his people. You know what the
spirit of God has taught us that God's people want? Song of Solomon. Chapter four, verse 16, says
this, and here's the spirit, I mean the bride speaking, awake. And the Lord says this, the Lord
says, awake, O north wind, and come thou south. Blow upon my
garden that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved,
now here's the bride speaking. Let my beloved come into his
garden and eat, savor of what he's done in his people. Let
him savor that. Let him eat of that. Let him
rest of that. All right, now, I want you to
turn back to Proverbs 27. Let him come, and that's what
she said, let my beloved come into his garden and eat his dine
upon, feast upon, enjoy. Let him come and eat of his pleasant
fruits. Again, Proverbs 27, 18, whoso
keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof. Whoso keepeth,
who keeps the fig tree, he's going to consume, he's going
to dine as the bride desired the Lord Jesus Christ in Song
of Solomon 416 when she said, you know, Lord, fan me with your
blessed Holy Spirit and cause that which you've produced to
gush out unto your pleasure. Let it be to your glory. Every
believer knows that they are what they are by the grace of
God. I've been bought with a price.
He owns me. You've robed me in your righteousness.
You've blessed me with the fruit of your spirit. Whoso keepeth
the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof. So, or even so. He that waiteth on his master
shall be honored. And you've heard me say this
so many times, but it bears being said again. The Lord Jesus Christ
is God. That's God. He's God of very God. But he
who is the Word, God, was made flesh. and humbled himself as
the servant of Jehovah. The servant. Humbled himself. Made himself of no reputation. Made himself servant to Jehovah
for the finishing of the work of the redemption of his people.
And finished it. He declared that at Calvary. So he that waiteth on his master. You can turn to Psalm 40. I'll be there in just one second.
Psalm chapter 40, I'm gonna read verses one to eight. And whoever
waited like the submissive servant of Jehovah. Let's read Psalm
40, I'm sorry, verses one to eight, and then I'm gonna end
this for this morning. Psalm 40. Now here's the words. of the Lord
Jesus Christ, God's great high priest, who was delivered from
the horrible pit. I'm going to just tell you right
now what I'm getting ready to read. He was delivered from the horrible
pit of being made sin for his people at Calvary. And being
made sin and delivered out of that horrible pit The Lord himself
was honored, honored by the Father, raised from the dead, exalted
to sit at the right hand of God. And now let's listen as the great
high priest intercedes for God's people, intercedes on their behalf
as the servant of Jehovah. Psalm 40 verses 1 to 8, I waited
patiently for the Lord. And he inclined unto me, and
heard my cry. He brought me up also out of
a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a
rock, and established my goings. He hath put a new song in my
mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see and fear, and
shall trust in the Lord, trust in Jehovah. Blessed is that man
that maketh the Lord him his trust, and respecteth not the
proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Lord my God,
or thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts
which are to usward. They cannot be reckoned up in
order unto thee. If I would declare and speak
of them, there more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering
thou desirest not. Mine ears hast thou opened. Burnt offerings and sin offering
hast thou not required. And to know for a fact that this
is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking, And they said, well, that doesn't
sound like what the Lord, he's speaking on behalf of his people.
I don't know what to pray for. I don't know what to say. Spirit
of God helpeth us. groanings, it can't be uttered,
but I want you to listen to the Lord. This is the great high
priest speaking on our behalf. And I know it's him, verse seven.
Then said I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book it's
written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God. Yea, thy law is within my heart. Who could say those words but
him? Who could say that but the Lord? Who could pray like that
for me? I would desire to say that. I
would desire to say, I waited patiently for the Lord. He brought
me out of a horrible pit. The Lord himself prayed that.
The obedient servant who earned the right as a man to pray for
his people on their behalf, interceding to God. And whenever I think
back in Revelation that the prayers of the saints were given to that
great, mighty angel in the essence, in the incense of his merit.
It was presented up unto the Father, which are the prayers
of the saints. Oh, the thought of him taking
what we try to say, try to lift up, try to declare unto the Father. We're so inadequate. I can't
even keep my mind straight. It's wandering. It wanders, but
not his. Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall
eat the fruit thereof. So he that waiteth on his master, he shall be honored. Oh, is he
honored. Honored of the Father. Thankfully,
honored by his people. Lord, you're the Lord. You're
the Lord. Lord, have mercy on us. I pray
God bless this to our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. All
right.