Chapter 4. I'd like to look at
verses 1 to 7. How beautiful, as we've said
before, is the speech of the Lord Jesus Christ as He speaks
to His Bride. These words of love that He gives
to her. are such words that are just
too high for us to fully understand. But these words are sure. These words are comforting. Because as the Lord Jesus Christ
says that we are His people, His elect, His bride, as He says
we are in Him, we are. I pray that the Lord tonight
might truly give us a heart to see that, enter into that. The Spirit of God might bless
it and teach us something. In verses 1 to 7, and I'll read
them as I consider them, but three times in this passage,
and we'll see it in a moment, the bride is declared to be Fair. Fair. That's what he says in
verse 1 of Song of Solomon 4. Behold, thou art fair, my love. Behold, thou art fair. Thou hast
dove's eyes within thy locks, and thy hair is as a flock of
goats that appear from Mount Gilead. Now, this is not a false
pretense, but it is a fact based on the imputed righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I am, and I know that you
are too, you that believe, that the bride, because of the presence
of sin, she realizes not the fullness of her beauty described
by the Lord Jesus Christ. But I tell you, she rejoices
in the truth of His Word. As He says she is, she beholds,
she hears, and the Spirit of God teaches her this is the truth. heard many say upon being complimented,
oh, well, you're just saying that. You know, someone would
say, oh, you look so nice today. Oh, you're just saying that.
Well, He's not just saying that. This is true. I know that by
nature, there's no beauty in us. There's nothing within us
to recommend us to God. I know that. In fact, turn with
me to Ephesians 2. Let's look at verses 1 to 3,
and let's just be reminded of our state by nature. Ephesians 2. As we were born
in Adam, Paul writing here says in verse 1 of Ephesians 2, "...and
you hath he quickened." Made alive. brought to life, gave
eyes to see and ears to hear, faith to believe. You at the
Quicken who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past
you walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others." The bride knows something. Though she does not know the
depth of what she is by nature, we know something of it. We can
say and we echo and agree with Paul, O wretched man that I am,
but I tell you, we don't know the depth of what we are by nature.
We don't know the depth. And the more we see of him and
his beauty, the more we see of ourselves, with the presence
of sin, we detest the presence of that sin of unbelief that
doth so easily beset us. We are hideous in our own eyes
and therefore stand amazed at the fact of being seen to be
fair by Him. He said, You are fair. You are
beautiful. You are beautiful. Colossians
2.10 reveals to us to be in Him that is complete, filled with
all that lacked, filled in Christ Jesus. Jude declares us in verse
24 to be in Him faultless, unblameable, unreprovable, unblameable, unblameable. I could stop just a minute and
try to contemplate that. only as being found in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Unblameable. 1 John 3.3 says that He has implanted
a new nature. Let's look at that. 1 John. 1
John 3.3 says that Almighty God has done
something. Let's look at verse 1 to get
to verse 3. 1 John 3, 1, Behold, what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth thus
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall
be like Him. For we shall see him as he is,
and every man, here it is, that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself, even as he is pure." John declares that there is imparted,
implanted to us that new nature. The Lord alone is able to give
his church, his bride, her commendation, because he only knows, all men,
and needeth not that any man should testify of man, for he
knoweth what is in man." He knows. In me dwells no good thing, but
in him. Unblameable. Unreprovable. Now, the Lord, in these seven
verses, And I will look at them and just, I will admit to you
right now, I will just touch the tip of the iceberg of the
depth of these seven verses of which he speaks of his bride,
the church. These characteristics of the
bride's beauty are spiritual terms and describe actual manifestations
that she truly experiences. He tells her, you have doves'
eyes within thy locks. That little phrase there, within
thy locks, means behind your veil. Now here's a picture. This
is a bride. He's the bridegroom and a bride
has a veil. Brides have that veil and then
right, you know, at the end of the ceremony when the The presiding
preacher says, ìYou may now kiss the bride.î You know, the veil
is lifted. And there, for the first time,
that husband looks upon and sees the eyes of her that he now is
married to. I cannot begin to enter into
the depth of this marriage that is being described in Song of
Solomon. God Almighty that chose a people
from the foundation of the world betrothed a bride to His Son
eternally. Came into this world and He loved
her even when she was in sin and rebellion, He died for her. Preserved her in time. Predestinated her. to the adoption
of children by the Lord Jesus Christ to Himself, loved her,
watched her, cared for her, graced her, guided her, directed her,
ordered her steps. And now the Scripture says that
the veil, behind her veil, and this is what He says about her,
oh, you have dove's eyes. Her veil removed. And the Lord surveys her. And
He sees her. And He, by His omniscience, looks
into the eyes of her that looks into His eyes. And He loves her
and she loves Him because He first loved her. This is what
He says, first thing. You have Dove's eyes. And the
eyes of his bride describes the state of her soul. Turn with
me to Acts 26. Acts 26.18. Describing her dove's
eyes. Acts 26.18. The scripture says
concerning him to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness
to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which
are sanctified by faith that is in me." Dove's eyes. She has eyes to see Him. She
sees Him by faith. She knows Him now by sight. We just read that in 1 John.
It says, "...doth not His peers what shall be, but we know this.
We're going to see Him as He is and be like Him. He looks upon her. He tells her
that her eyes are as doves' eyes, tender and loving for Him. Doves' eyes distinguish her.
They have eyes of affection for only Him. Faithful, faithful,
faithful has He been to her. Here she is. By His grace to
her, imputation of His righteousness, she's the faithful bride. Faithful. And she sees Him to be her Lord,
her Husband, her surety, her salvation. You have dove's eyes
what He says. You're not blind. And she looks on Him. She looks
upon Him who has looked upon her everlastingly in love. Dove's eyes say that she's meek,
submissive, lowly in heart because as He is, so are we in this world. He said, I'm meek and lowly in
heart. And here she is. She looks upon
Him. Behind her veil, her eyes, Eyes
that were given to her by the Lord Jesus Christ. Eyes to see
and hearing ears. They're of the Lord. Dove's eyes. And He looks and He sees the
eyes that she has for Him. And He says, your hair is as
a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead. She's not
a goat. That's not what He said. He describes
her hair, and the hair of this flock of goats depicts the number
which no man can number. Your hair is as a flock of goats. The hair of these goats that
were being spoken of was beautiful, flowing, comely. Proverbs spoke
of the comeliness of the goats, but here also, the flock, the
hair of a flock of goats, the number which no man can number."
That's His bride. No man can number, but He can. "...Elect out of every kindred
and tongue and people and nation, redeemed to God by His blood,
hair that draws its strength from the head of the Lord Jesus
Christ." He said, your hair says a flock of goats. This hair that
we have. comes from the head, grounded,
rooted in the head, protected. Luke 21, 18 says, Not one hair
of your head shall perish your hair, he said. But also, 1 Corinthians
11, 15 speaks of a woman's hair as a glory to her, given to her
for a covering and a veil, symbolically here of her beauty in her comeliness
and her worth, a covering, speaking of her hair, actually speaks
of Him who is her covering, who is her righteousness. In Him
she is clothed with holiness and majesty and beauty. And she appears, the Scripture
says, that hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount
Gilead. You may notice in your margin
there that the phrase, that appear, means to eat. Your hair is as
a flock of goats that eats of Mount Gilead, which was known.
Mount Gilead was a famous mountain known for the richness of the
grass, the pasturage. and its health. And the sheep,
the bride, feast, and they eat of him, the bread of life. Your eyes are as doves' eyes,
and your hair is as the flock of goats that appear, that eat
from Mount Gilead. Then he said in verse 2, Thy
teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came
up from the washing whereof every one that bear twins, and none
is barren among thee." The teeth of the bride are like groomed
sheep, is what they're talking about. You're like a flock of
sheep that's even shorn, not gapped up and just hit and miss. I was watching a little documentary
one time on some people, Shearing sheep. I mean, they were getting
it done. And they did a pretty good job, but they were doing
it fast. He said, that's not this. You're
like a flock of sheep that are even shown tender. Tenderly taken
care of. Groomed. Like, came up from the
washing. Freshly washed. Clean. You don't have a desire to feed
on filthy things that honor not the Lord Jesus Christ. Teeth. Teeth is what we eat with. And your teeth, you're not like
a lion or something that's ravenous or a vulture that eats on something
filth or something a roadkill or something like that. Sheep
eat the tender grass from Mount Gilead. The fresh, the goodly
part. And they are led by the great
shepherd of the sheep. And her teeth are her desire
to eat. She eats profitable food. Your teeth are like a flock of
sheep. Even Sean came up. They lie down
in these green pastures of the Scripture. They see him. And
the Scripture says concerning her teeth, they are all bearing
twins, whereof every one bear twins. Now that doesn't mean
that The teeth bear twins, but it means that they are all the
same. They all look the same. They
all bear twins. They are all the same. Made in
Him, created in Him, bought by Him, washed by Him, secured by
Him, redeemed by Him. They all bear twins, the teeth. You know, they are even shorn.
They all eat the same thing. One tooth doesn't like to eat
this and another tooth likes to eat this. They all eat of
Christ. They all bear twins. They eat
the same thing. They all desire the same thing. And they all look for that which
they desire to eat. Show me Christ. I would see Him. I would look for Him. Let me
hear of Him. Paul says, I am persuaded. not
to preach anything, but the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
That's what the sheep want to hear. Tell me what He has done
for me. Tell me one more time how He's
put away my guilt. Tell me how God justifies a sinner. That's what I want to hear. That's
the comfort. They all want the same food. And the Scripture
says in that last part of verse 2, "...and none is barren among
them." The sheep, the bride is not incomplete. She's not barren. There's none missing. They feast
upon Him who is to them life. I must eat of Him. Just turn
a couple of pages over to Isaiah 55. Well, more than a couple.
Isaiah 55, verse 2. Isaiah 55, verse 2. Do you spend money for that which
is not bread? And your labor for that which
satisfies not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and
eat ye that which is good. And let your soul delight itself
in fatness, in the richness of the Lord Jesus Christ." That's
the sheep. The sheep's teeth are like a flock of sheep, even
shorn, cleansed by His grace to eat of Him. White, pure, not
desiring the filthiness of their own self-righteousness or free
will, tell me of Him. And then, verse 3, thy lips are
like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely, and thy
temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. Here we are
reminded of another scarlet thread that was spoken of in the book
of Joshua. It was the story of Rahab the
harlot. You remember that story that
the messengers went in and they were going to spy out Jericho. And they came to this house of
Rahab the harlot. found out that which they needed
to know from this woman. And the messengers told her,
she said, we're going to come in. She asked them, she said,
when you come in, she said, would you show mercy to me and to my
family? And there was a sign that was
to be placed in her house, by her house, a scarlet thread. And the messengers told her,
they said, That scarlet thread is to be hanging there. Whoever
is in your house will be spared. But if they're outside that house,
that scarlet thread, if there's not a remembrance of the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's what that scarlet thread, God's
grace and mercy to you. If you're not behind that scarlet
thread, just like in the nation of Egypt, if you're not behind
the blood, If I don't see the blood, I'm not going to pass
over you. If I see the blood, I will. But
you get behind the blood. And the Scripture says that her
lips are like a thread of scarlet, reminded of that which was displayed,
a symbol of God's grace by Rahab to her and her family. She believed
those messengers. And that scarlet thread, I said,
a picture. of the shed blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. She was, and the bride is too,
all the bride, a sinner by birth and practice. And Almighty God
had distinguishingly bestowed His mercy upon her, and that
scarlet thread spoke of her belief in Christ, in His blood, in His
mercy and grace, to her, she hung that up, she believed God. She believed those messengers,
but she believed God Almighty. And the bride's lips speak as
that scarlet thread, and that she speaks of Him who is her
hope. And her speech is comely and
meek, submissive. And it's beautiful to Almighty
God, for her trust is not in herself. But in Christ, your
lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely, beautiful,
because it speaks of Him. Out of the abundance of her heart,
her mouth speaks. And He says your temples, thy
temples, are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks
or behind your veil. The temple there, the word temple,
means the tender place. And you know the temple right
here where it's just a tender place. It's a skin that covers
over a very tender area and you can feel the heartbeat of a person
by placing your fingers. It's a tender area and it's between
the eye and the ear where the heartbeat is easily perceived. Now, the seeing eye, we said
a moment ago, and the hearing ear, and that new heart have
been given by the Spirit of God to the bride. He said, your temples,
that tender place where the heartbeat is perceived, there in that area
where the eye sees and the ear hears, is what He said. Your
temples are like a piece of a pomegranate. That piece of a pomegranate there,
red meant pomegranate that had ripened to the point of just
bursting. It just bursted. You know, pomegranate
is a very juicy, fruity fruit. And this piece of a pomegranate,
it means the bursting, flowing out. And that piece of a pomegranate
is described as her temples. within her locks and behind her
veil, that modesty and humiliation for Christ that burst with the
ripeness of the fruit of the knowledge of Himself because
of His revelation that He has given to her. The fruit of that
pomegranate, it speaks and sets forth the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ which is sweet to the taste of that enlightened soul
in all ways upon her heart. He said, your temples, right
there, your tender place, it's like a piece of a pomegranate
behind, bursting with knowledge, the heart that beats for Him. Then thy neck, verse 4, is like
the tower of David, builded for an armory, whereon there hang
a thousand bucklers, all shields, of mighty men. The neck here,
or that word is the place of burden. The place of burden is
like the tower of David for an armory. Now this, I had to just
kind of look the words up and find out what do they mean and
what is he saying here? He's looking at her and he's
describing her. in telling her the attributes
that she possesses that He gave her. She is what she is by the
grace of God. And He said, this is where your
neck is. It's a tower built for an armory. The word armory there
means a place of teaching. Whereon, He says, hang a thousand
bucklers, all shields of mighty men. Weapons of warfare, shields
of mighty men, offensive and defensive, hang upon her neck,
which is described as being like a tower built for an armory. There was a big tower there and
it was an armory. Weapons were all in it, shields
hanging all over it, and her neck was described as being like
that. This armory was a tower of instruction. It says that armory, it means
teaching. So this armory, this fortress,
this place of security that had all of the shields hanging on
it, that which instructs the bride in warfare is the Word
of God, the Scriptures. So this neck, he said, this is
your beauty. You have a knowledge of who He
is in the Scriptures. Because we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and
rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. Her neck sets forth the bride's
security. that is set forth in the Word
of God, the place of instruction, by which the head, the Lord Jesus
Christ, conveys the food of Himself to the body. This neck, from
the head to the body, comes the food. This head tells this body
what to do. This body doesn't tell this head
what to do. And that neck, He said, your neck, It's like a
fortress grounded in the Scriptures, grounded in the Word of God.
And on that hangs the weapons of your warfare, the sword of
the Word of God, the shield of faith, the breastplate of Christ's
righteousness, girt about with His truth. How do we know that?
What sayeth the Scriptures? What does the Word of God say?
He said, You are beautiful. Your neck is like the power of
David that is built for instruction. And there hangs a thousand bucklers,
all shields of mighty men. That neck is that binding connection
between the head and the body, and the Scriptures communicate
to the bride of Him. For the Scriptures speak of Him.
It is upon Christ as He is set forth in the Word that the weapons
of our warfare are hung and found. And then in verse 5 it says,
Thy two breasts are like two young roses that are twins which
feed among the lilies. The breast of the bride speaks
first of her beauty. He never gets away from the beauty
of the bride, the comeliness of the bride, because of the
imputed righteousness. And that by the beauty of His
giving, charged to her account. And the nourishment also is what
the breasts speak of. The nourishment of the body,
the gospel of the Word of God, the gospel of Christ. Here we
behold symbolically the sincere milk of the Word, the refreshment
of the saints. It is within her and shown as
heartfully possessed. Her breasts, the Scripture says,
are like two young roses that are twins. out of proportion. That's what it means. Not ill
proportioned. A balanced truth that always
exalts the Lord Jesus Christ. And these young rose, these gazelles,
they feed among the lilies. Here is the church's consolation. Turn with me. Let's just look
at this. Isaiah 66. Isaiah 66, verse 10 and 11. Isaiah 66, verse 10 and 11. Rejoice ye with
Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her. Rejoice
for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her, that ye may suck
and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations, that ye
may milk out," or suck is what that means, "...and be delighted
with the abundance of her glory." Here is her consolation or her
compassion and her comfort. The Lord speaks of her and He
says, "...thy two breasts are like two young roses that are
twins, which feed among the lilies." And then in verse 6, He says,
until the day break and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the
mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. This is
what He is saying. He said, I will never leave you. I am your faithful husband. The mountain of myrrh, He says,
until the day break and the shadows flee, I will get me to the mountain
of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. The mountain of myrrh and the
hill of frankincense. Speak of the bride. Who? Just look back in chapter 3 and
verse 6 where it says, Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness
like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?
He's speaking of her in chapter 4 and verse 6. Until the daybreak
and the shadows flee away, oh, I'll get me to the mountain of
myrrh and the hill of frankincense. The Lord says concerning His
presence, with her until that eternal day. When this life is
no more, I will get me to that mountain and that hill." Turn
over just a couple of pages into Isaiah 2.2. Look at this. He says, Isaiah 2.2, "...it shall
come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's
house shall be established in the top of the mountains shall
be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it."
Here He promises to never leave her, to never forsake her. Lo, He said, I am with thee always,
even to the end of the world. I am with you. I am with you.
John saw Him on the Isle of Patmos as one in the midst of the seven
candlesticks, the churches. He said, I saw one. hair was
white, eyes of flame, feet as fine brass. Standing in the midst
of seven candlesticks had seven stars in his hand." And the Lord
Himself gave the interpretation of that. He said seven stars
that were in the hands of the seven angels, or the pastors
is what it was. The pastors of the churches in
the candlesticks were the churches themselves. where two or three
are gathered in My name, I am in the midst of you." I'm there. This is what He says, until the
day break, until the shadows flee. Bride, listen, He will
not forsake. He will not leave. And then lastly,
in verse 7, He sums it all up, speaking of her beauty and tells
her again, Thou art all fair, My love. There is no spot in
thee." Now, I'll tell you something that's comforting to me. To realize
that in Him, I cannot look within myself and come to this conclusion. But I can look to Him, and by
faith, hear the Lord speak of Her beauty, Fair, beautiful,
she is His love everlastingly. And He says there is no spot
in you. The bride has been justified
by His imputed righteousness. His righteousness speaks for
her. His righteousness justifies her
before all. Justified. She has been washed
white in His blood. She has been sanctified, set
apart by His Spirit. And here is her perfect comeliness
through His comeliness. Here is her description. She
is without spot. He said you are without spot.
You are without spot. Because He is without spot. And she is in Him. Let's pray. Our Father, this evening, we
thank You, Lord, for the comfort of the description of who You
say we are in You. It is to Your praise and to Your
honor and Your glory we say thank You. We ask You, Lord, remind
us of these things. Oh, that our consciences might
be cleansed again afresh tonight. That we might rejoice in Christ,
who He is. Oh, that which He has done for
us. Thank You for Christ's sake.
Amen.