Let's take our Bibles and turn
to Song of Solomon chapter 3. Song of Solomon 3. I would like to consider verses
6, 7, and 8. have a subject or title, The
Bride's Safety. This passage of scripture is
concerning the bride as she is being brought through, brought
out, carried through this world She is being carried along in
the bed, the chariot, of the Lord Jesus Christ,
her husband. And in bringing honor to Himself,
He Himself is giving her honor and speaking respectfully of
her And while he does that, he glorifies himself in that which
he has made her to be. Who is this? Verse 6 says, "...that
cometh out of the wilderness." Now this line, that statement right there,
is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking, and I know it is because turn
over to chapter 8 and verse 5. He says again, and it is made
more clear, chapter 8 verse 5, "...who is this that cometh up
from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?" So he is speaking
of the bride herself. What He's doing is He's saying
this, look at her, look upon her. That's an amazing statement
to me. If anyone else was saying that
but the Lord Jesus Christ, I would say surely, surely that can't
be. No one would say, look at the
bride. Now I know that the general tenor of weddings today is such
that the bride is the one that gets all the focus. But truly, between the Lord Jesus
Christ and His bride, He is worthy of the honor. But in bringing
honor to her, He brings honor to Himself. And that's where
we behold. Because believers hear what He
says and knows that it is only by the imputed righteousness
of Christ that there's anything about her that has any beauty. We behold Him as He brings the
bride safely and powerfully through the shadow of this life. He by a word from His lips brings
honor to Himself and says, Who is this that comes up out of
the wilderness? He is ravished with her beauty
and comeliness because it is His righteousness that covers
her, that makes her to be beautiful. Turn with me to Ezekiel. Ezekiel
16. This is that passage of Scripture.
You remember when the Lord says He walked by and He saw. The Scripture says, the baby,
the day I passed by, Ezekiel 16, verse 6 says, I passed by
thee, I saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto
thee, when thou wast in thy blood lived, Yea, I said unto thee,
when thou wouldst in thy blood..." Look over in verse 9 of that
chapter. Look how He has taken and how
He has treated the bride. He said, "...then washed I thee
with water. Yea, throughly washed away thy
blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil, I clothed thee
also with broidered work, and shod thee with badger skin, and
I girded thee with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk,
and I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy
hands, and a chain upon thy neck, and I put a jewel in thy forehead,
and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine
head. Oh, how He has clothed and decked
and anointed the bride and made her to be beautiful by Himself,
by the imputed righteousness of Himself. He says back in Psalm
3, who is this? He saw her not as she was in
her nature, but what she was in Himself by His grace. She cometh, the Scripture says.
Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness? Like Israel that
came out of Egypt. That is to say, the wilderness
of this world. We are truly strangers and pilgrims
in this world in a foreign land. John 17 and 14 says that we are
hated by the world because we are not of the world. We are
in it, but not of it. The world by nature does not
love the Lord Jesus Christ that we know and love and preach. They say they do. They say they
believe Him. But you preach a sovereign God
and find out what man really believes. The bride coming through
this world, Scripture says, is like pillars of smoke. Smoke. I thought about that as
I read that. You know, we are. Number one,
we're as smoke because of just a vapor. Like a vapor, just here
for a while and gone. Some longer than others, I agree. Three score and ten, the Scripture
says, about that much time. And if it's a little bit longer,
it's about a few years. Life is passing, soon dissipating. But the Scripture says that this
one that cometh out of the wilderness is like pillars of smoke. That
is, ascending upward. Smoke speaks of her heart which
is aflame with the affection for Him. She loves Him because
He first loved her. She's like pillars of smoke.
But the pillars of smoke here, the Scripture says, is perfumed
with myrrh frankincense and all the powders of the merchant. Who is this? It's like a pillar
of smoke. Oh, she's here but a little while.
And I know that as a pillar of smoke, I realize that if you've
ever been somewhere and it has a smoke, it's smoky, kind of
irritating, you know, kind of an irritant. It doesn't smell
too good. She's like a pillar of smoke,
but she's perfumed with myrrh frankincense by the high priest
that ever liveth to intercede for her, like a burnt offering. I can just imagine, here was
the priest out there, and they would take this burnt offering
and kill this animal that Bullock killed before the Lord. blood
was sprinkled upon the altar, and the priest laid the parts,
the head and the fat and the inwards and the legs, and all
of it was burnt on the altar. Natural man would smell that
and say, you know, I don't like that smell. That doesn't smell. I don't like the smell of burnt
flesh. Just irritating to me. I don't like that. The Lord said
to him as a sweet saver, it smelled of Christ. Who is this? It comes out of the wilderness.
She's like a pillar of smoke. And to an unbeliever, there's
a stench about her. I don't like what you believe. I don't like that God you preach.
It's kind of an irritant to me. But the Scripture says right
here, she's perfumed with myrrh and frankincense and all the
powders of the merchant. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
great merchant. that traveled that great distance
from the throne of glory and laid upon Himself the likeness,
a body that was prepared for Him, a body that was likeness
of sinful flesh. He was without sin. He came into
this world, made Himself of no reputation, just a stem out of
dry ground, Walked on this earth 33 years. Oh, the great merchant.
This bride right here, one that comes out of the wilderness like
pillars of smoke. She smells of myrrh and frankincense,
has a sweet savor to the Lord Jesus Christ. He beholds her,
sees her. She was chosen from the foundation
of the world, given to Him by His Father. He's everlastingly
loved her and she smells of myrrh and frankincense and the powders
of the merchant. Now that word right there, I
looked it up and it meant powders. I looked up the word powders.
That's what it meant, powders. I found one place though that
the key word on it was crushed. Powders. Crushed. Loves and perfumes the bride
is the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself was crushed under the
wrath of God Almighty, paid her debt, put away her guilt, paid
for her what she couldn't pay for herself. Her guilt imputed
to Him. Who is this that cometh out of
the wilderness like pillars of smoke? irritating to everybody
else, but oh, she's perfumed. Myrrh and frankincense and all
of the powders that which He Himself has provided by His suffering,
by His death, by His obedience. One who is acquainted with grief. He hath borne our griefs, the
Scripture said, and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem Him
stricken and smitten of God and afflicted, wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him. With His stripes we are healed."
Who is this? I'll tell you who this is. She's
like pillars of smoke. That's perfumed with myrrh and
frankincense and the powders, the crushings of the merchant. That's who this is. He who paid
her debt, God, who was manifest in the flesh. Verse 7 says, Behold
His bed. He said, look at her. Who is
this coming out? I'll tell you who she is. She's
the one that's robed in His righteousness. That's who she is. She's the
one that smells of His obedience because He charged it to her.
That's who that is. Behold His bed, which is Solomon's. threescore valiant men are about
it, of the valiant of Israel. Behold his bed, his chariot,
his carriage. Behold how he brings her. Here
we behold the rest of the bride, the rest from her labors. Here is what she rides in. She rides in Him who is her Sabbath. Behold, the Scripture says, His
bed. How does He carry her? He carries
her in Himself. His bed. Now you know there is
a sense in which that word bed right there speaks of the church
itself. I found in Psalm 132, verse 13
and 14, it says, For the Lord hath chosen Zion, the bride,
the church, he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my
rest forever. Here will I dwell, for I have
desired it. Behold her, the Lord Jesus Christ
says, in whom I dwell. He lies all night, we looked
at a few weeks ago, betwixt her breast. That means within her
heart. That's where He stays. But His
bed specifically speaks here of His righteousness, His gospel,
His everlasting covenant. This is His bed. Let me show
you that. Isaiah chapter 28. Isaiah 28, verse 16. Now man, before I read this,
let me say this, man by nature tries to provide himself a bed. Now when I said that this Scripture
right here speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness,
His covenant, His gospel, Himself. I'll show you what I mean. Isaiah
28 and verse 16, Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I
lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make
haste. Judgment also will I lay to the
line and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep
away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the
hiding place." Now, before I read any farther, what the Lord has
said is this, there's coming a time when everything is going
to be laid to the plummet. Plumbob. You guys at work, you
grab a string and it's got a plumbob on it, drop it, and I can tell
you this, that's straight down. This is the line. That's perpendicular
right there. That's what we're going to measure
up to. How's that wall look? Well, let me drop a line on it.
What do you think about that door? That door's square. Let
me drop a line on it. I'll tell you in just a second
if that door's square. That line's square. That line
is perpendicular, right there. The Lord says, I'm going to lay
in Zion for a foundation of stone. I'm going to lay a tried stone,
a precious cornerstone. I'm going to judge every man
by Him. That's what He said. Every man is going to be judged
by, according to, the Lord Jesus Christ. Judgment, verse 17, I'm
going to lay to the line. And your covenant, verse 18,
with death. shall be disannulled." What he's
saying here is this. You've made an agreement. You
say, I'm with agreement in hell as far as hell is concerned.
I've made my peace with God. I walked down the aisle. I gave
the Lord my heart. I joined the church. I've been
baptized. I'm there. He said, your covenant
with death is going to be disannulled. Your agreement with hell is not
going to stand. When the overflowing scourge
shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it.
From the time that it goeth forth, it shall take you. For morning
by morning shall it pass over, day by day and by night, and
it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. Now look
at this, for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself
on. and the covering narrower, and he can wrap himself in it.
It's coming a time, Scripture says, the Lord said, I'm going
to lay the plummet. I'm going to take the tried stone.
I've laid in Zion a cornerstone, true stone, Christ Himself. And I'll judge every man by Him.
And in that day, whenever that line is laid, and you're judged
by it, If you don't measure up, if you're not in Him, if you're
not found in Him, the bed, you're not in Him. He said, your refuge
lies going to be swept away. And in that day, He said, a man
that's made himself a bed. My dad used to tell me this.
He said, well, you made your bed, you're going to sleep in
it. You ever heard that? That's what he's saying. Man,
he said that to me a lot. I'm telling you, Scripture says
that in that day, if they be not in Him who is the bed, in
that day, He said, your bed is going to be shorter than you
can lay yourself on. Can you stretch yourself? And
the cover, there won't be enough cover to cover you. There won't
be enough covering. Behold His bed. Look at Him. That's Christ. the
bed, the surety, the rest, the peace, the safety of the bride
herself. This bed, Christ Himself, is
one in whom she rests because she rests from her works and
rests in His work. Bed speaks of rest. I lay down,
you know, I get tired. Lay down. Boy, nothing feels
better than that bed. You know, I'm going to lay down
and I'm going to rest. He's the bed of the bride. David said, He hath made with
me an everlasting covenant, order in all things, ensure this is
all my salvation. Lord willing, that's why I'm
going to preach on this, that verse right there. Sunday morning,
the everlasting covenant. David said, this is all my salvation.
This is all my salvation. He made with me an everlasting
covenant. Behold, His birth, that new covenant,
that better covenant established upon better promises. The Scripture
says concerning His birth, which is Solomon's, not man's. It's
not the Lord Jesus Christ plus man's best efforts. Christ plus
anything. It's Solomon's. It's His. It's
the Lord Jesus. Behold His bed which is Solomon's. Three score valiant men are about
it of the valiant men of Israel. That says this, that the Lord
protects the rest of His bride. He protects her. That bed is
Solomon's. The devices of the enemy shall
not annul, disturb the rest of the bride." Now that's comforting
to me. That bride's bed is protected. I know that this terminology
is symbolic. Three score valiant men. I know that it's symbolic. But
what it's saying is that bed is secure. Three score. Sixty men! Now, you know, you
think about it. If you could imagine a carriage
coming through a city and there's sixty valiant men around that,
you know, you might think twice before you tried to get in there
and cause harm to whoever. That's symbolism, but that's
saying that the bride is secure. I know that though we're compassed
about with dangers, the Lord Himself protects These people,
these three-score men are not protecting the bride in themselves. Psalm 34, verse 7 says, "...the
angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and
delivereth them." It's the Lord. The angel of the everlasting
covenant who is our strength. But He has ordained means by
which He protects. The Lord has posted guards and
watchmen who watch for the souls of God's elect. That's what Hebrews
13, 17 says. God protects His people. The Lord has committed unto men,
unto pastors, the ministry of preaching the gospel, and those
men in themselves There is no strength in those men themselves. Who is sufficient for these things? These frail creatures are just
dust. But it is by and through the
message that these men preach. Those men are men. But the Scripture says here,
Behold His bed, which is Solomon. Threescore valiant men are of
the valiant. of Israel. Three score. You know what that means? There's
enough. There's enough. Psalm 68, 11
says, The Lord gave the Word, and great was the company of
those that published it. God calls men. There's enough. I know that some say, I heard
someone say that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm paraphrasing
this. It couldn't have been a believer. Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
on perilous grounds today. Boy, things keep going. Let me
tell you something. The church is secure. Don't you
ever think that it's not. The church of the Lord Jesus
Christ, He has loved this church before the foundation of the
world. The Father chose Him in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Sent His only begotten Son to come into this world and
pay her debt. And He did it. Earned a righteousness
for her. Called her out of darkness. Charged
her. Gave her righteousness that will
stand before Him. Keeps her by His power. Do you think she's going to fail? These that surround this bed. It says, these valiant men, they
all hold swords. Well, you know what that means.
That's the Word of God. That's what the Scripture says.
The Word of the Lord. Hebrews 4.12 says, for the Word
of God is quick. That means alive and powerful. That means effectual. and sharper
than any two-edged sword. These men are valiant men." You
remember in Judges when Gideon was standing over by a tree and
an angel came up to him and says, O thou mighty man of valor. Gideon paraphrasing it said,
Me? Are you talking to me? What was
it that made Gideon valiant. God made him valiant. God gave
him a word. God made him what he was. These
men are valiant men. They all hold swords. They know what their weapon is. The Word of Almighty God. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
it. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel. It's the power of God unto salvation. If Almighty God is going to call
out anybody, man, woman, boy, girl, call them out of darkness,
He'll do it with the Gospel. You send a preacher, the Spirit
of God will take that Word and bless it to their heart. He'll
give them a heart to believe it, and they'll believe it. They'll
say, Lord, I come. Have mercy on me. Give them a
heart willing in the day of His power. That's what will happen.
These men right here, 63 score, valiant men, all hold swords,
and they're expert, Scripture says, expert in war. They're not novices. They're
not a novice. They're taught by God. They're
grounded in truth. Man, that God has given a heart
to the Lord Jesus Christ and a heart for His people. They
love His people because He loves His people. I believe Almighty God has got
a people. He sends a pastor for those people
and He has a heart for them and they have a heart for Him. That's
the way it is. That's what Jeremiah 3 said. I'll give
you pastors. according to my heart, and He
will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And these
valiant men are there, the Scripture says, in the last part of that
verse 8. Every man hath his sword upon
his thigh because of the fear in the night. We wrestle not,
Paul said in Ephesians 6 verse 12, against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers of the darkness of this world. We are
traveling through this world. And you get up, and you go to
work, and you go to your respective places, and we're in this world.
We're not of this world. We're wrestling. You wrestle. You wrestle within. You wrestle
without. You wrestle. And it's the most
comforting thing to come and to sit. And this is where God
Almighty has been pleased to feed His people and wash them. with the hearing of the Word
and Spirit of God, takes it and blesses it to them, feeds them,
and they hear and they rejoice in it. And He protects them.
You come and you hear. You hear of Him who is her bed,
her rest, His. And He's men that God's raised
up. And then the Scripture says that
He has taken these men and guarded her. As I said a while ago, these
men are but dust. And they themselves will say,
who is sufficient for these things? But He who has called us will
provide for us. Psalm 28, verse 7 says, The Lord
is my strength and He is my shield. That means this, He is my strength
in salvation. He is my strength in providence.
My heart trusteth in Him. and I am helped. Therefore, my
heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise Him."
Amen. Well, let's just take our hymnals. Let's have a word, I mean a closing
hymn. 296. 296.