“THOU WHOM MY SOUL LOVETH"- -SONG OF SOLOMON 1:1-7

“THOU WHOM MY SOUL LOVETH"

SONG OF SOLOMON 1:1-7

Key Verse: v. 7, “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?”

Introduction:

It is great to say without any “if” or “but” “Thou whom my soul loveth.” Many today can only say that they “hope” they love Him. It is a wonderful thing to know Jesus Christ as Savior and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your love is real and vibrant for Him.

One of the signs of the “last days” is that the love of many will wax or become cold toward the things of God. That must be a false love!

I. THE SAINTS OF OLD DID NOT SPEAK OF “IF” OR “BUT” BUT SPOKE POSITIVELY AND PLAINLY

A. The Apostle Paul spoke positively, 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

1. Paul knew Christ, Philippians 3:8,10 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 10- That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

2. Paul had joy and peace in believing that abounded in hope, Romans 15:12-13, “And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13- Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

B. Job spoke positively about his love for the Lord, Job 19:25, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;”

1. Job’s love for the Lord caused him to know that God would save his life, Job 33:23-24, If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: 24- Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.”

2. Job knew that he would see his Savior in his flesh, Job 19:26-27, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27- Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”

C. David knew who was his Shepherd, Psalms 23:1, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

D. The Saints in general of the New Testament, 1 Peter 1:8, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

II. TRUE LOVE TO CHRIST IS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK

A. Why do we love Jesus Christ? Because He loved us first, 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”

1. We love him even though we have never seem Him, 1 Peter 1:8, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

2. We love Him because He choose to save us of His own will, James 1:18, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

B. Why do we love Jesus? Because he "gave himself for us,” Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

1. To redeem us from our sins, Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

2. He has saved us that we might serve the God of Heaven, Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

C. Why do we love Jesus? Because of the Excellency of his person.

1. He has a more excellent name than the angels, Hebrews 1:4, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

2. His beauty is more excellent than anyone, Psalms 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

3. For His goodness to us, Psalms 31:19, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”

D. Jesus is altogether lovely in our lives, but there is a note of sadness, Ezekiel 33:32, “And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.”

1. Many gather to hear His words that are like a love song, but are not moved to trust Him, Luke 22:67, “Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

2. But they neglect to do His Word, James 1:22-25, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23- For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24- For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25- But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

CONCLUSION

We love Him because He first loved us. The old saints knew in whom they had believed. Nothing dissuaded them from their faith. They labored for the Lord looking for His soon return to take them to be with Him.

OUTLINE OF THE SONG OF SOLOMON

OUTLINE OF THE SONG OF SOLOMON

Introduction:

“Nowhere in Scripture does the unspiritual mind tread upon ground so mysterious and incomprehensible as in this book, while the saintliest men and women of the ages have found it a source of pure and exquisite delight. That the love of the divine Bridegroom should follow all the analogies of the marriage relation seems evil only to minds so ascetic that martial desire itself seems to them unholy.

The interpretation is twofold: Primarily, the book is the expression of pure marital love as ordained of God in creation, and the vindication of that love as against both asceticism and lust—the two profanations of the holiness of marriage. The secondary and larger interpretation is of Christ, the Son and His heavenly bride, the Church (2 Corinthians 11:1-4, refs).” --- Scofield.

This book “has always been received and esteemed by the ancient Jews as a valuable part of the sacred writings, calling it "the Holy of Holies"; forbidding their children to read it, because of the sublimity and mysteriousness of it, until they were at years to understand it.” --- John Gill’s Expository.

Author: Solomon.

A Brief Summary of the Book: The Bridegroom representing Christ, —the bride, the Church.

1) Spiritual communion between the Bride and the heavenly Bridegroom, Song of Solomon 1:1-2:7.

2) The Bride misses her companion and seeks him, Song of Solomon 2:8-3:5.

3) The ardent discourses of the Bride and the Bridegroom on their mutual love and the graces of each other, Song of Solomon 3:6-8:14.

Key Thought: “My Beloved,” the believer’s title for Christ, Song of Solomon 2:16.

Companion Passage: Psalms 45.

Side Lights:

The Heavenly Bridegroom:

1) His love covers all defects of the Bride, Song of Solomon 4:7.

2) He rejoices over her, Isaiah 62:5.

3) He gave his life for her, Ephesians 5:25.

4) He will come to claim her as his own, Matthew 25:6.

The Bride:

1) Loves the Bridegroom, Song of Solomon 2:16.

2) Feels her unworthiness, Song of Solomon 1:5.

3) Has been purified and dressed in spotless robes, Revelation 19:8.

4) Wears the jewels of Divine grace, Isaiah 61:10.

5) Issues the invitations to the wedding, Revelation 22:17.

The Marriage Supper:

1) Prepared by the Father for the Son, Matthew 22:2.

2) Costly preparations made, Matthew 22:4.

3) Invitations to, a great honor, Revelation 19:9.

4) Invitations scorned by many, Matthew 22:5.

5) Invitations include all classes, Matthew 22:10.

6) Neglect of wedding garment leads to exclusion from, Matthew 22:11-13.

THE CHURCH 3--"THOU ART ALL FAIR, MY LOVE." SONG OF SOLOMON 4:7

GREAT BIBLE WORDS

THE CHURCH 3
"Thou art all fair, my love."

Song of Solomon 4:7

Introduction:

The Lord’s admiration for his Church is very wonderful, and his description of her beauty is very glowing. She has a special place with the Lord because she is and has been faithful down through the ages preaching the whole counsel of God.

She is the Bride of Jesus Christ, the Lamb’s wife and as such she will be honored by the Lord.

I. CHRIST VIEWS HIS CHURCH IN LOVE

A. She is not merely fair, but “all fair,” Song of Solomon 4:1,  7, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. 7- Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.”

B. He considers her to be full of comeliness and beauty, a glorious church, Ephesians 5:27, “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

C. She is not simply pure, or well proportioned, she is positively lovely and fair! Song of Solomon 4:9, “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

D. She has actual merit! 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

1. Her deformities of sin are removed, Psalms 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

2. Believers have a positive righteousness given to them when they become “accepted in the beloved,” Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

II. CHRIST VIEWS HIS CHURCH IN HIMSELF

A. Washed in his sin atoning blood, Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

B. Clothed in his meritorious righteousness, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

1. Nor is the Church barely lovely, she is SUPERLATIVELY LOVELY, the Bride of Christ, vv. 2-5; Revelation 21:9, “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

2. Her Lord styles her “Thou fairest among women,” Song of Solomon 5:9, “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?”

C. The Church, the Lord’s Bride is seen in the Beauty of Holiness, 1 Chronicles 16:29, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

1. God’s glory is the beauty of His holiness, Psalms 29:2, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

2. The glory of the Lord’s church is His doing, 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

D. One day soon the Lord will call his Bride to Himself, Matthew 25:34, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

CONCLUSION