Turn with me to Song of Solomon
chapter 5. Song of Solomon chapter 5. This evening I'd like to look
at the conclusion of this 5th chapter, the 16th verse. I've
entitled this message, The Bride's Lovely Friend. In the beginning
of this fifth chapter, we begin to consider the bride's speaking
concerning her beloved. In the ninth verse, she was asked
a question by those who are referred to as the daughters of Jerusalem. I believe the daughters of Jerusalem
are professors within the body of knowing Him, but don't evidence
the possession of His loveliness within her spirit, meaning those
that are there but not there. Every time that I have found
the bride, as I have said just before, speaking to the daughters
of Jerusalem, it always becomes very evident to me if the bride
is speaking to someone else, then they are not the bride.
She is saying something to somebody else, but it is those that are
there and seem to be in the presence of. But the bride speaks to her,
so she asks, these daughters of Jerusalem ask, the bride in
verse 9, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? O
thou fairest among women. What is thy beloved more than
another beloved that thou dost so charge us? The daughters of
Jerusalem asked the bride, Who is your beloved to you? Why do
you consider him as you do? We went through all of those
descriptions in that fifth chapter there starting in the tenth verse. And she comes down now to the
last part, the last time we looked at Song of Solomon, we looked
at that portion of the 16th verse that says, His mouth is most
sweet. She had described all of His
characteristics before. But she comes down to this conclusion,
as if to say, after thinking through, trying to set forth,
Who is He? She said, He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is
my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." Now, the only thing that the
bride can say concerning the bridegroom is what the Spirit
of God has taught her concerning Him. And even in her conversation,
as you that believe, You that know Him. The only thing that
you can say concerning Him is what the Spirit of God has revealed
to you. And if we're honest about it,
we say that which we know is so, but still we say, oh, that
I could enter into what I just said. He's altogether lovely. When she speaks of Him, She speaks
of assuredness of Him. She said in that line there,
yea, He's altogether lovely. Here's the first thing that the
bride says concerning His loveliness. She said, yea, yes, yea. He is altogether lovely. 2 Corinthians
1.20 says this, For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in
Him, amen, unto the glory of God by us. They're yea. They're yes. To the bride or
beloved is not one who is maybe, based on possibilities, man's
so-called free will, but this is what she says about Him. This
is my description of Him. Yea. God Almighty said, I will
have mercy. I will have compassion. You know what that is? Yea. I
will. I certainly will. There's absolutely
no possibility that He's not going to have compassion. He
is not going to have mercy on whomsoever He will. The Lord
Jesus Christ said in His high priestly prayer in John 17, I
have glorified Thee on the earth. There is no possibility, Bob,
that He hasn't. He said, I have. I have glorified
You the fullest. There is no possibility that
there is anything left undone concerning God Almighty being
glorified, the Father being glorified by the Son. I have glorified
you. How much? I have. Yay! I have manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest me out of the world. For those that believe, here
is the truth. I've manifested God's name. I've
manifested Him unto you through the preaching of the Gospel.
2 Corinthians. Turn with me. Let's just look
at this passage of Scripture. 2 Corinthians 1, 17-19. 2 Corinthians
chapter 1, verse 17, "...when I therefore was thus minded. Paul said, Did
I use likeness, or the things that I purpose? Do I purpose
according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea,
yea, and nay, nay? But as God is true, our word
toward you was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and
Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea. Paul was saying there is no yea
and nay with the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning this, there is no contradiction. Not in Him. There is no doubt
in His trustworthiness, no loopholes in the gospel of Christ. Not
yea and nay, it is yea. It is amen. It is so. Let me tell you what I mean here. The false message of preaching
that a man has the ability to exercise his free will, or the
false teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ died for everybody
and put away all the penalty of sin. And all you have to do
is exercise your free will and then it will become effectual. Well, then let me ask you this.
Does that not come to the conclusion that then your work or your decision
or your righteousness makes what the Lord said effectual? Then
that means that salvation is by works, your work. Well, then that's a contradiction.
If the Lord Jesus Christ died for every man's guilt and put
away all men's guilt by His blood, Gary, that means that God's unjust
because Christ died for it. You see what I'm saying? That
message is yea and nay. It is contradictory. The Gospel
is yea. The Gospel of Christ is yea. For the believer to have this
hope within, and to be able with confidence to say, yea, He is
altogether lovely. That's a blessed state. No contradictions
in the Gospel. You look and you go through and
you listen. You that listen to that message
of Christ, you listen for the consistency of that message of
the glory of Almighty God and His blessed Son in anything you
hear. If it contradicts something,
there's a red flag that just goes up and says, wait a minute,
now wait a minute. It's yay. Don't say anything. I don't want
to hear anything that contradicts the glory of Almighty God in
the purse of His Son. I don't want to hear that. I
don't want to hear anything that gives me any kind of goodness
bestowed upon me that I know in myself, I'm not worthy of
that. David said, although my house
be not so with God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and sure. This is all my salvation and
all my desire, although He make it not to grow, meaning this,
Although my house be not so with God." Although God, there were
some in David's family that just the Lord was not pleased to set
His affection and mercy upon. David said, Although my house
be not so with God. Although my house, He make it
not to grow, He made with me an everlasting covenant. It's
all my salvation. It's sure. It's founded. Although,
here is the impression of me and my house and myself, yet,
he said, here is the unchanging and unalterable love and affection
shown me by the covenant God. Yea, that's what the bride says. Yea. Then she says, he. Yea,
he. He. No name of the bridegroom. such as the Lord Jesus Christ,
Jehovah, or Emmanuel is found in the book of Song of Solomon.
Him. He. She said, Let Him kiss me
with the kisses of His mouth. Here is the intimate expression
of the regenerate heart. A believer talks to another believer
and they talk about Him. And you know exactly who you
are talking about. Who is it? Him. The bride knows of whom
she speaks when she speaks of Him. When she speaks of Him,
she speaks of Jehovah. Psalm 35, 10 says, All my bones,
that is, of His mystical body, shall say, Lord, she speaks of
Him as Jehovah God. Who is like unto Thee that delivers
the poor from Him that is too strong for Him? Who? When the
bride speaks of Him, she speaks of Emmanuel. God with us. All those chosen in Christ, redeemed
by His blood and regenerated by His Spirit, that's what they
say. Who is it? Him. Let Him. Let Him kiss me kisses of His
mouth. He. Yea, He. Who? God. Man. Man that died, God
that atoned. One who thirsted, but who also
gave living water. That's what He told the woman
at the well. If you knew who it was you're talking to, you'd
ask of Him. He'd give you living water. He
who labored and fell asleep in a ship, but who stood up and
spoke to the elements, the waves and the wind, and quieted them,
and they obeyed. The disciples said, What manner
of man is this that even the wind obeys him? He who hung voluntarily on the
tree at Calvary, laid down his life, suffering for his own. He who gave himself. No man takes my life. I give
my life. I laid my life down. The one
who laid himself to the hands of those that nailed him to a
tree, hanging on a cross, said to a thief that was beside Him,
Today wilt Thou be with me in paradise. Who is this? He. That's
who He is. Him. Him. The prophet, the communicator
of the Father's mind, the priest who atones and intercedes and
blesses His people, the King who reigns till all His enemies
be made His footstool. He. That's who He is. my surety,
my representative, my substitute, my high priest. That's who He
is. I don't know how to speak of Him in words like I should. I wish I did. I say it. I hear my words. I hear He. And still, they seem in my own
mind concerning myself seem to pale into the worthiness that
they should be to me. He is. All together. Lovely. He is. Yea, He is. Moses said, Who shall I say sent
me? And the Lord told him to go into
Egypt and he'd go to Pharaoh. And He said, You tell him that
I am. I am that I am. I am sent to you. He is. He's all together. That word,
all together, means all gathered. He's all gathered. all-gathered
holiness, all-gathered meekness, all-gathered strength, all-gathered
majesty. He is all together. She's just
brought to a point to where she says, He's all together. Lovely. Delightful. That's what it means. He's all
together delightful. There is nothing in His being
that is anything other than lovely. Lovely. He's altogether lovely. Think of anything that can cross
the mind of the bride about Him. This is what she could say, yeah,
I lost for words. He's altogether lovely. How much? Altogether. I know nothing else
to say. If I knew what else to say, I'd
say it. I'm just saying what the bride
said of Him. He's all together. Lovely. He's the fine flour mingled
with oil, fine flour with oil poured upon it, the meat offering.
That is, there's no flaw in Him. No flaw. And I see through a
glass darkly. But one day, by the grace of
Almighty God, I'll see Him as He is. And I will recognize in
that day Him. I'll see Him. He's altogether
lovely. This is my Beloved, you see. Notice how personable that statement
is. I know that He is the mighty
God. I know that He's the Prince of
Peace. But the bride says, but He's my Beloved. Psalm 27, verse
1 says, The Lord is my life and my salvation. Psalm 23, verse
1 says, The Lord is my Shepherd. You know, there is a big difference
saying that He is the Shepherd. He is the Shepherd. He is the
Great Shepherd. But to say He is mine and to
believe it, that just settles my heart. I just relax. He is my Shepherd. Here is the
language of the Bride throughout all of this book. But how did
He become my Beloved? She says He is. This is my Beloved. This is my Beloved. But see,
I am in this life, I am a creature of time. I was born. I know in the eternal will and
purpose of Almighty God Concerning Him, He loved His people with
an everlasting love. In that covenant relationship
of His elect, the triune God before the foundation of the
world, everlastingly, never been a time that Almighty God didn't
love His sheep. I've loved you. I've always loved
you. Always. I was born in this world. Conceived in sin. Came forth from my mother's womb
speaking lies. There was a time in my life and
you that know Him in your life too when He wasn't altogether
lovely to you. But when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb to reveal Christ in me immediately then,
right then, The Spirit of God taught you something concerning
Him. And you knew Him. And as time has gone on, and
as by the grace of Almighty God He has allowed you the privilege,
the privilege, to be able to come and sit. And some of you
have sat here and you've heard for years and years and years,
and you've heard Brother Scott preach. and set forth Christ,
and set forth Christ. And as you sit there and you
listen, and the Spirit of God teaches you and teaches you and
teaches you, and the more you hear of Him, you know Him, you
grow in grace and in the knowledge of your Lord and Savior, and
He's beloved to you. He's altogether lovely, but He's
my beloved. And the bride says, and this
is my friend, He's my friend. You know, that's a precious thing.
A friend in this world is a precious thing. Now, I know that for all
of God's sheep, there's a relationship between them that is binding
in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is wrought
by the Spirit of God. I know that. in this building tonight. There's
some that's not able to be with us that are providentially hindered. I'm thinking about those, you
know, your mom and dad's out of town. And Carl and I believe,
and Daryl and George and Brother Scott and Martha and different
ones are just not able to be here. And we talk about these
and they're so. They're our friends. Believers. I tell you, there is a friend,
the Scripture says in Proverbs 17, 17, the description of a
true friend. A friend. This is a friend. Proverbs
17, 17 says, a friend loveth at all times. That is a friend. He loveth at all times. Now you
know, if I'd be real honest about it, I've had relationships, and
you have too, for years and years and years. And let me ask you
this, of your closest friend, the one you know, the closest
friend, humanly speaking, in this life, has there ever been
a time, ever, ever, was there ever a time when you ever felt
in your heart, whether you'd want to admit it to them or not,
that you ever deviated from what the Scripture says forth is love.
Love. I'm going to be honest with you.
I can't even give you a clear description of what it truly
means to love. I can sit down and tell you this,
a friend loveth at all times. The Lord Jesus Christ says this,
He says, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life He will give Himself up for His friends. And He said, He said, You are
My friends. As our surety, as assuming the
bride's nature and suffering for her, paying her debt, purchasing
her by His blood, He said, You are My friends. I am your friend. Proverbs 18, 24. Says this, now you may want to
check me out on this, that's okay. I encourage you to do so. 1824 says this, a man that has
friends must show himself friendly. There's a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. Now if you'd ask me exactly what
does that mean, my question would be, well what part of that did
you not understand? A man that has friends must show
himself friendly. You think, well, that's just
about as obvious as it can be. But that's not exactly what it
means. This is what it means. A literal
translation means a man of acquaintances, just acquaintances, may be broken
up. But there's a lover that sticks
closer than a brother. That is to say, everybody in
this life will disappoint you. But only Christ will never. When
I first read that, a man that has friends must show himself
friendly, I thought, well, if you're going to have friends,
then be friendly. And that's good advice. I'd take that if
it was me. I'd take that advice. But that's
not what it means. It means that a man in this life
that you call your friend will disappoint you because he can't
love you at all times. A friend, the Scripture says,
loveth at all times. Never deviates. Always for your
good. Always for your good. Never.
Only Christ is a friend of sinners. Only the Lord Jesus Christ. I
don't mean to, but I promise you, give it some time. If I
haven't done it already, I will. I'm sure I'll disappoint you.
And you'll think, I just didn't think Marvin would do that. I didn't mean to. But I'm telling
you, only Christ is a friend. And His friendship is manifest
in the gospel, the preaching of the gospel. A friend. No greater love hath any man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, and
he said, You are my friends. The Scripture says, He is altogether
lovely. This is my beloved, and this
is my friend. Oh, you daughters of Jerusalem,
only a friend. knows the wanderings of my heart,
Neil, only a friend, a friend, only a friend, one that knows,
only a true friend that loves at all times, knows the corruption
of my old nature and the deceitfulness of my flesh and loves me with
an everlasting love and never deviates. Never. Only a friend
loveth. This is my beloved, and this
is my friend. Oh, you daughters of Jerusalem,
who is he? That's who he is. He's altogether
lovely, and he's my beloved, and he's my friend.