All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon, turning
to chapter 5. Now while you're turning to chapter
5, let me just remind you of this. I've done this all throughout
this series. Remember the literary backdrop. It is just the literary
backdrop. The literary backdrop is Solomon,
a Shulamite and many places and flora and fauna of that day. But this book is not about the
flora and the fauna and the places of that day. And it's not about
Shulamon, Solomon and some Shulamite. This book is about the person
and work of Jesus Christ and his church. If you approach it trying to
figure out the relationship between Solomon and a Shulamite, you
will be confounded for the rest of your life. So far we've looked
at this. The church loves Christ's perfections. We don't speak much of our love
because we all feel, who are true believers, there's probably
not much to speak of. Yet I think we underestimate
that. because our love for God is not
based upon our ability. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. And let
us remember Christ is worthy of love. Christ deserves love. Christ is due love. Secondly, we looked at this.
Christ sovereignly draws his four ordained church the little
sister. And remember this, if you get
nothing else from that, each and every one of us at one time
was the little sister. Having no ability to embrace
Christ. Thirdly, we looked at this, the
church sees Christ as he is. Religion does not. The church
sees Christ as he is. But on top of that, a higher
order than even that, Christ sees the church as He has made
her to be in Himself. Christ loves the church and gave
Himself for her. Christ adores the church and
has honored the church in Himself. Now, this week, let's consider
this passage. Are you in chapter 5? Song of
Solomon chapter five, I will begin in verse eight and read
to the end of the chapter. I charge you. You know what a
charge is, don't you? Similar to a command. It's likened
to a command. It's to impress upon someone
something. Some of the old writers used
to put it this way, to press upon men the claims of Christ.
Here the Shulamite, literarily speaking, says this. I charge
you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye
tell him that I am sick of love. Tell him that I'm lovesick for
him. And then listen at what the daughters
of Jerusalem reply. What is thy beloved more than
another beloved? Do you see that? Oh, there's
so much right there. The daughters of Jerusalem, because
that's who she spoke to. That's right. What is thy beloved
more than another beloved? That's the title of my message
this morning. What is thy beloved more than another beloved? All
thou fairest among women. Think about that one now. They
don't know Christ, but they sure think they know us. That's exactly
right. Think about that. You're right.
Who's your beloved? Look, how do I know that they're
patronizing here? Look, what is thy beloved more
than another beloved that thou dost so charge us? You see it? And then the church answers,
my beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine
gold, his locks are bushy and black as a raven. His eyes are
as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and
fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices,
as sweet flowers, his lips like lilies dropping sweet-smelling
myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set
with the barrel. His belly is as bright ivory
overlaid with sapphires. His legs as pillars of marble
set upon sockets of fine gold. His countenance is as Lebanon
excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet." And
I'm thinking, they're probably saying, I wish she'd just shut
up. Oh, yeah. Oh, you're right. Now, let me read on. His mouth
is most sweet, yea, he's altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and
this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. Now, as Joe has said, I don't
want to be negative. I've been there before. I've
preached sometimes more out of anger than out of love for Christ.
And I say that with shame-facedness. But listen to me, even the elect,
you know what the elect are. You know who the elect are. Simply
stated, the elect are those that God chose to save before the
foundation of the world. That's who the elect are. Even
the elect by nature, they do not see the exaltation of Jesus
Christ. or daughters of Jerusalem. Who's
that? That's the elect. But by nature,
we, you and I, we do not know the exaltation of Jesus Christ. Joe said here improperly and
adequately spoke to us of false religion. But remember, all of
us were born with false religion reigning upon the seats of our
hearts. When we point a finger at them,
we must also point a finger at ourselves. By nature, I would
have been one of those Christ's that would drive out of the temple. I'm not preaching down to anyone,
though many think we are. Even the elect by nature, they
do not see the exaltation of Christ. Religion doesn't understand
that at all because they think God chose whoever would be this
great believing faithful person. No, God Almighty chose sinners.
He chose the ungodly. He chose the corrupt. How do
I know that? Because God's not ignorant. He
knew what we would fall into in Adam. And I believe it's even
more than he just knew. I believe he sovereignly ordained
it all to the praise of the glory of his grace. unregenerate men
and women, and that includes the elect and the reprobate.
Because we, the elect, those who believe today, we were born
just as unregenerate, just as corrupt, just as vile, just as
sinful as the most reprobate among the sons and daughters
of Adam. unregenerate men and women question
the veracity of Christ's superior beauties and perfections, even
while patronizing believers. See it again? What is thy beloved
more than another beloved? O thou fairest among women. We know you're probably a really
decent person deep down inside. No, you don't know me and you
don't know him either one. That's just the way it is. By
nature, men build up men while they tear down Christ. Who is
your beloved more than another beloved? What is he above anybody
else? Oh, thou what? Fairest among
women. Oh, how patronizing we are in
our unregenerate state. And God help me to remember that,
to not always be talking about they, they, they, though there
is a proper time and place for that, but to be talking about
we, we, we. Because by nature, this was exactly
the way I was. whenever one of God's called
out, regenerated ones said, I'm lovesick for Jesus Christ. I
said, what's your Jesus any better than any other Jesus? That's
basically what I was saying. You're a pretty good person down
inside. Oh, thou fairest among women.
Oh, how patronizing we are by nature. We build up men and we
tear down Jesus Christ. We will put the wheel, our own
wheel, we call it free wheel. Free wheel is a lie. Free wheel
does not exist. But we will put our wheel on
the throne and we will reject Christ and his wheel on the throne. This is what we do by nature
in so-called Christianity. I'm not talking about the Muslims.
I'm not talking about the Buddhists. I'm not talking about those who
practice Shintoism. I'm talking about men and women
who named the name of Jesus Christ, which at one time even I was
a part of. And I don't care if you were born and raised under
a free grace assembly, you're still the same way by nature.
Even if you was convinced of these things academically all
your life, in all that you can remember, you are still by nature
an enemy of God and an enemy of his Christ and of his people. And you'll build up God's people.
tried to patronize them. Who is your beloved? Oh thou
fairest among women. By nature we exalt man and even
deify him. That's one of the things that
most people don't mind to hear, this man was created in God's
image. And they convinced themselves
that we're still that way. They ignore, even willingly at
times, I ignored, even willingly at times, the fall that we experienced
in our daddy Adam. By his fall, we weren't, listen
to me, we weren't imputed Adam's sin, we were made sinners. And I tell ya, It's an old myth
taught by many of the three great imputations. It's just not so. Imputation can be done and doesn't
affect you at all. But what happened to me and what
happened to you and Adam truly, literally, personally affected
each and every one of us. And in his death, spiritually
speaking, we were made sinners. I wasn't imputed Adam's sin,
I was conceived and born in iniquity. I came forth speaking lies as
soon as I was born. We exalt man and even deify man,
and then we belittle God as weak and needy. I just heard it the
other day, the old man upstairs. Yet they were talking about wanting
to praise him. Do you understand how it's not just disrespectful,
it's blasphemous. Claiming to praise God, but calling
the old man upstairs Well, let me tell you something Jesus Christ
God manifest in the flesh is the same age Now as he was when
he arose from that tomb 2,000 years ago You know what that
age is the eternal God The eternal God manifest in the flesh. That's how bad we are. Oh, daughters
of Jerusalem, tell my love if you know where he's at. If you
find him, tell him I'm lovesick for him. Well, who's he? Who's
he? We know what you are. But who's
he? What's he any more than another
beloved? Oh, but let me tell you, the
church knows what to say. The church knows what to say.
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? You see, when you tell someone,
here's how grand and glorious Jesus Christ is, and they realize
they don't see him as that grand and glorious, they know they
don't have what you got. By default, they might not know
it spiritually, they at least know it physically. I don't see
Christ like that person sees Christ. And they know that. I'm
not lovesick for him like that person's lovesick for him. They
recognize that. And let me tell you something,
they will patronize you, they will patronize me, they will
patronize anyone who truly believes God, and then at the same time,
belittle the very one that we're lovesick for. This is me by nature, not just
them out there. This is you and you by nature,
not just them out there. We do not reject a Jesus. We
reject the Jesus who fulfilled His namesake. Thou shalt call
His name Jesus. Why? for he shall save his people
from their sins. And by nature, we hate that.
By nature, we hate that. We do not reject a Christ. Christ said there're gonna come
many false Christ. And people will follow after
them. Paul said, there are those who
preach another gospel, which indeed is not another gospel,
but it'd be a very perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And these people, May it be that God just sends them on to hell.
That's what he said. He said, let them be accursed. From our standpoint, take your
hands off of them. Now Mason, God can save even
somebody like that. And I will say this, God will
save even somebody like that if they're one of his elect.
But it ain't for you and I to try to fellowship them. It ain't
for you and I to try to bring them in. It ain't for you and
I to try to cozy up with them. You think you could have cozied
up the Saul of Tarsus? He'd have had you bound in fetters
and heading down to the jail. Oh, but think about it. God saved that old Pharisee. But you know what? He didn't
save too many of them, Neil. Did he? He didn't save too many
of them. No, we by nature, we reject God's
Christ. We reject God's Jesus and we
reject God's gospel. What is your beloved more than
another beloved? Let me tell you something. Our
God manifests in the person of his son far exceeds the so-called
Jesus of most so-called Christianity in this day. Thank God He graciously
gives some the eye of faith to see. To see what? Christ's perfections
head to toe. Isn't that what she says there?
Christ's perfections head to toe. Hmm, his head, his eyes,
his cheeks, his hands, his belly, his legs, his countenance, his
mouth. In other words, what's that mean?
And I know us preachers, I'd like to be able to explain each
and every one of those. Don't try to see all the little
detail. You're not gonna see it all at
one time, and I'm not gonna see it all at one time. But think
of it this way. What is your beloved that's more than another
beloved? Well, let me just tell you about him from head to toe.
Isn't that what she does? Let me tell you about it from
head to toe. What is she saying overall, Joe, if you boil it
all down? He has no lack. He has no flaw. Head to toe. She goes up, starts
at the top, Joe, works her way down, and comes right back up
again to the mouth. In other words, everything about
him is glorious to me. Everything about him is perfect
to me, even when he casts some people out of the temple. Even
if he says to me that my enemies will be those of my own household,
and he means it that way. All of his glories are perfect
and beautiful unto the believer. That's how you know if you're
really a believer or not. That's how you know. Think about it.
He is what? Most fine. Most fine. He ain't just fine. Bless God, he ain't just fine.
The Jesus of religion is fine if you do what you're supposed
to do. Ain't he? He's fine if you meet the standard. No, our Lord is most fine. Our Lord is fitly set. These are the words she uses
to describe him, does she not? Our Lord is sweet smelling, think
of it. Just picture in your mind's eye
that one thing you love, whether it's a bouquet of flowers or
whether it's a perfume or a cologne or whatever it might be or that
walk through the woods and you can smell whatever. Just think
of the most fine thing you could think of and he far exceeds that. And you know, we like to talk about
being Calvinists. No, we're botanists. we see the
smell of Jesus Christ and it's what most fine, fitly set, sweet
smelling, it's bright, it's excellent, it's most sweet, and it's all
together lovely. Now, I'm not saying to do this,
and I don't do it often, but I do read some commentaries and
they're trying to, boy, Solomon must have been a sight. This
ain't talking about Solomon. This is talking about Jesus Christ. This is talking about he who
is God manifest in the flesh. Think about it, the true believer,
that person that's been born of the Spirit of God, converted
by the Gospel of God, they even prefer that Christ's crescendo
actually be a prelude. Now you know what a crescendo
is, don't you? It's when you build to the end.
You know a great musical piece, and they have this thing, and
I don't know much about music, so I can't probably explain it
to you the way ought to be explained as an example, but you just build
to a crescendo. Well, she doesn't start out that
way. Her prelude to Christ is the crescendo. What does she
say? Well, let's look at it. Let me
find it here. Look at verse 10. When they say,
what is thy beloved, in verse nine, more than another beloved
that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy.
The chiefest. The chiefest. There's the, the
chiefest. of 10,000. You see it? She starts out with the crescenta.
Her prelude to the perfections and the glories of Christ is
this. He's everything. He's above everything. He's the
chiefest of 10,000. What a glory. Hear God's book
about Jesus Christ. Turn to Colossians chapter 1.
Now here's when I leave off speaking and we're just going to I'll
make a couple statements and read a few passages and make
a couple statements as I read them and we'll just have God's
word say what it says. What is my beloved more than
another beloved? If you're a believer here this
morning, if you're hearing this TV broadcast and you say, what
is my beloved more than another beloved? Christ is king. Christ
is redeemer and forgiver and always in that order. He never
forgives anyone who hasn't first redeemed. That's right. And He did not redeem everyone.
He is King. He is Redeemer and Forgiver.
He is deity made visible in human flesh. Deity made visible. God is said to be a spirit. He
said to be the invisible God, but Christ is deity made visible
in human flesh. He is creator. He is sustainer. He is head. He is preeminent. He is all fullness. Kind of sounds
like It's all in Solomon chapter five, don't it? Look at what
he says here, look what Paul says. Colossians chapter one,
speaking to these Colossians, in verse 12, we'll just begin
there for the sake of time. Giving thanks unto the Father
which hath made us meet. Oh, thank God he made me that
way. He didn't leave it up to me, Mason. He made me, he made
me meet. And again I say, that pitiful
poor preacher who said, God is a gentleman, he doesn't make
anyone do anything. If he doesn't make you do what
you need to do, you will perish forever. And I put it in those
very words. Because this man Paul says he
works in his people both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So if he don't make you do that,
you'll never do it and you'll perish. which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, now look at it, here's
the king, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
son. Why is it called the kingdom
of his dear son? Because he's the king of this
kingdom. And countless thousands are waiting for him to reign
one day for a thousand years. He reigns right now! Men and
women are being delivered from the power of darkness and translated
into the kingdom of God's dear son right now, and he is our
king. He is our king. He's not going
to be our king one day. He is our king. But he's also
what? Redeemer and forgiver, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, translated us into
the kingdom of his dear son, in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Let me tell you, there
is no forgiveness of sins even in Jesus Christ apart from Him
redeeming you. What Paul is saying is here,
God doesn't forgive one sin that He first didn't punish in the
person of His Son. If your sin, if even one of your
sins or my sins were not punished in the Son of God, I shall perish
for that sin. We have in whom we have redemption
through his what? Blood. His blood was shed one
time forever. That's when my redemption took
place. And that's when forgiveness was secured. In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins,
but he's also what? Deity made visible, who is the
image of the invisible God. Is it? He is the image. Now think
of that like an idol. And you take and you, Joe, you
chisel that thing and you work it out. And here it is. Here's
what this man had in his mind of who God is. And you'll chisel
that thing out and you got what? An image. Right? That's the literal meaning, a
literal illustration of the word image. Jesus Christ is a man
who is God visible in human flesh. He's not just a man that had
a little bit of God in him, he's God Almighty. Manifest in human
flesh. And he's not just God that had
just a body to live in. He was a true bonafide man. Who is, is, that means he was,
Joe, and still continue to be. Who is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn of every creature. But he's also what? He's the
creator. Four, by him were all things created that are in heaven,
that are in earth, whether you can see them or you can't see
them, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, that means everything from the
good to the evil. That's what it means. Everything from the righteous
to the unrighteous. God Almighty created all this. God said, I
am God. I create good, I create evil.
That's what God says. And let's quit apologizing for
God. When you say God created sin,
His very holy character determined sin would be sin before sin ever
existed. When only God existed, everything
contrary to His holy character by default had to be sin. Do you see that? It's not that
he had to create sin into some thing. Everything contrary to
who he is is sin by default. And it doesn't matter whether
it's a throne, a dominion, a principality, or a power. And a couple of those
words are always used of evil entities. Angelic corruption. Demonic forces. And look, all things were created
by him. and for him. And I've said this
before, I'll say even the devil can't spit unless God says so. And I don't know if the devil
really spits or not, Neil, but he does spew out a lot of feels.
He's a liar from the beginning. Wasn't he? Liar from the beginning. But let me tell you something,
even Satan, that arch enemy of God is still under God Almighty's
sovereign hand. Go look at Job. Go look at the
book of Job. Look, and he is before all things. What's that mean? That means
he is before all things. Not just in time, though that's
true, but in position. In power, in authority, in exaltation,
in glory, in perfection. And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist. That means they're held together.
We get so angry because this happens or that happens. Well,
who's the one holding that together? Our beloved. That's why he's
more than another beloved. Look, and he is the head of the
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead, that at all things, he might have the preeminence.
Why? Because that's the way God wanted it. Right? For it pleased the Father that
in him should all fullness dwell. That's almost Song of Solomon,
chapter five, verses eight through 16, summarized right there by
the Apostle Paul. Head to toe. Right? Head to toe. He's the chiefest among 10,000.
And you know what? I think that just barely even
scratches the surface of it. Christ is sovereign over all
and gives eternal life to some. Go back and read John 17, one
through three, his own words when he prayed to the Father.
He said to the Father, you've given me power over all flesh.
For what reason? For what reason that I should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given me? That's
why my beloved and your beloved is more than another beloved.
Their beloved, religion's beloved, false Christianity's beloved,
he can't do nothing unless men let him. But our beloved told
the father himself, you've given me authority over all flesh so
that I give eternal life to as many as you gave me. Now, if
you don't love him for that, then you're not, you're not lovesick
for him. I'm lovesick over that Jesus. I'm lovesick over that
one. He won my heart several years
ago, Mason, in experience, and I haven't got over it yet. Sometimes
I only see him through the lattice darkly. Oh, but bless God. He gave me eyes to see that Uh-huh. Oh, if you ever oh, I wished
I knew what that believer knows You're if you're able to seen
even through the lattice. Thank God for it Quit murmuring
and complaining about what God hasn't give you and thank him
for what he has give you Huh? Oh, what is your beloved more
than a beloved? Let me just give a good shot to try to tell you
what this is. Christ is highly exalted by God.
Isn't he? Look at his condescension. Think
of what it took for me to be able to stand here and call you
saints. Exactly. Yes, sir. A condescension. He came down. Go back and read
it sometimes. Philippians chapter two, verses
five through 11. But it's summed up this way,
that he was obedient unto death. even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name, what
above every name? What is my beloved more than
another beloved? He has a name given him by God that's exalted
above every other name. That at the name of Jesus, every
knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And I believe they all
will do that. to the salvation of some and
to the ultimate, final, just destruction of others. Christ is fine fragrance to God. He offered himself for us to
God as a sweet smelling savor. Think about that now. God is
delighted with his smell. God is delighted with his smell. What part of it? All of it. Head to toe. The whole thing. If God sees him. No, wait a minute, more. Smells
him as pleasant. Oh God forgive me when I don't. Oh thank God when I do, yes.
But oh God forgive me when I don't. Everything I smell about him,
Joe, ought to be pleasing to me. Yes, sir. He gave himself
for us to God for a sweet smelling savor. And Paul then basically
says this, because that's so, now start conducting yourself
in certain ways. Right. That's why you go read it. Ephesians
chapter 5, verse 1 through 2, and then read the rest of it.
Certain things we ought to avoid then. That's right. Why? Out
of honor for him. Exactly. Huh? Do you, I can tell
you, I don't think, if you got a really nice smell, do you wanna
go up by the septic system and sit down there and start smelling
on it? You got that cologne or perfume,
you really love, you gonna go out and sit by the sewer hole?
No, you get as far away from that as you can. And then you,
huh? Well, you're talking about Walt
now. Bless God, you're exactly right. That's what I'm talking
about. That's exactly what I'm talking about. Here's the fifth
thing. Christ is supreme. I wanna read
this one to you. And we'll get ready to wind this
down. Turn to second, or I'm sorry, 1 Timothy chapter six.
Christ is supreme. Now, this is nothing new. I've
given you another. What is our beloved more than
another beloved? The same old, same old has been said for thousands
of years. It was being said back in Solomon's
day. It's still being said today, right? Now look at what it said.
First Timothy chapter six, Paul is talking to Timothy here and
he said in verse 13, I give thee what? Charge, see that? I give thee charge in the sight
of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who
before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession, that thou
keep this commandment without spot. In other words, run away
from the sewer hole. That's right. Right? Avoid it as much as you
can. That's what he says. Without spot, unrebukable, until
the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which in his times, you
see it? Who's he talking about here now?
Jesus Christ. Which in his times he shall show. He showed it to some people even
now, but he will show it to everybody one day in his times. Which in
his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only potentate. The king of kings, the Lord of
lords, who only hath immortality. If you ever get it, it's because
he will give it to you. You ever wake up in His likeness
and have Him put off the mortal and put on the immortal? You
know why? It's because He gives it to you.
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can
approach unto. Now think about that. In other
words, you don't just come to Jesus. He's got to bring you
to His self. He's not just out there and,
oh well, whoever will. If you could just muster up enough
will, He dwells in a light, Joe, which
no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen nor can see. This is all talking about human
nature. Man, it's impossible for man to know God as He is
in Christ by nature. Even in Christ by nature. He's talking about Christ here.
whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power
everlasting." And I can just see Paul now. He's still got
a few more words he knows he wants to say, but the Spirit
moves him to do what? So be it. Amen. Amen. Do you see it? I thought amen was just what
you said at the end of something. No. Amen is that crescendo. It's that Christ. Amen So be
it this is the way it is and I'm glad about it There's an
amen for you. This is the way he is and I'm
glad for it Let me sum it up Here's the first part of us.
I haven't even scratched the surface of what my beloved is
more than another beloved This book is plumb full of it. You
know it plumb full of it It describes him, Joe, from the top of his
head all the way down to the soles of his feet and everything
in between as glorious and perfect and beautiful. Wait a minute
now, remember that? Remember that smell? What is
our beloved more than another beloved? He is first the Father's
beloved. He's first the Father's beloved. Remember what was said of him
on the Mount of Transfiguration? Jesus stood there and it says
his clothes even shone as the noonday sun. His face was so
glorious. I'm sure that Peter, James, and
John was like, Mason? They was probably like, you know?
I mean, this was bright! Isn't that what Song of Solomon
says? Bright! And what's Peter say? Oh, this
is a good place to be. Let's build some tabernacle for
all three of us. Because Moses and Elias was there
too. And while he was yet running his pie hole, while he yet was
speaking about what they ought to do for God, What did God say? It says, a voice thundered from
heaven. This is my beloved son, in whom
I am well pleased. Paul May had said something last
Saturday. It was last Saturday. He said,
God hates all flesh. But God loves burnt. flesh. Now you just think about that.
This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased and what did
God, that's all God said. That was God's message, Joe.
It probably took about four or five seconds. This is my beloved
son in whom I'm well pleased and what's the end of that? Hear
ye him. What's my beloved more than another
beloved? All I have is human words to
try to describe it, and that don't even cut it. It don't even
cut it. It don't even cut it. Listen
to Him. Listen to Him. He can describe Himself far more
aptly than I can. Hear Him. Father, God be with
us as we continue, as we fellowship together. Lord, may it be sweet
and real. May it be done in forgiveness
and long-suffering, and Lord, just building one another up
and encouraging one another. Oh, God, we're so faulty and
corrupt, so sinful. But thank You for Your forgiveness
through that redemption that's in Christ Jesus. I pray in Christ's
name, Amen.