The following manuscript was used for sermon on this day, but note there is a final quote and two additional applications that I did not cover, so please read if you also listened to the sermon if you like. Please pray for the ministry at Catherine Lake and this online extension of gettting the Word out. Like, share, and comment where you may.

There is a temporary grace that only counts Christ to be good WITH something else, but the true grace of God is one that finds Christ’s presence enough WITHOUT something else. Thomas Brooks says,

True grace will enable a soul to sit down satisfied and contented with the naked enjoyments of Christ. The enjoyment of Christ without honor will satisfy the soul; the enjoyment of Christ without riches, the enjoyment of Christ without pleasures, and without the smiles of creatures, will content and satisfy the soul. 'It is enough; Joseph is alive' (Gen. 45:28). So says a gracious soul, though honor is not, and riches are not, and health is not, and friends are not—it is enough that Christ is, that he reigns, conquers, and triumphs. Christ is the pot of manna, the cruse of oil, a bottomless ocean of all comfort, contentment, and satisfaction. He who has him lacks nothing: he who lacks him enjoys nothing. 'Having nothing,' says Paul, 'and yet possessing all things' (2 Cor. 6:10). A contented man cannot be a poor man.

Oh! but a man who has but temporary grace—who has but restraining grace, cannot sit down satisfied and contented, under the lack of outward comforts. Christ is good with honors, says such a soul; and Christ is good with riches, and Christ is good with pleasures, and he is good with such and such outward contents. I must have Christ and the world, or else with the young man in the Gospel, in spite of my soul, I shall forsake Christ to follow the world. Ah! how many shining professors are there in the world, who cannot sit down satisfied and contented, under the lack of this or that outward comfort and convenience—but are like bedlams, fretting and vexing, raging and angry—as if there were no God, no heaven, no hell, nor no Christ—to make up all such outward comforts.

Thus, in the the Song of songs 1:2–2:7 the bride captive in the chambers of king Solomon and with all riches would rather have her beloved Shepherd without all these things. Her Shepherd’s presence to her is worth running after. So, the Christian who has experienced true grace desires Christ’s presence above all. To be outside with Christ is better to be inside with the  world—This the Christian’s initial and growing experience with the Lord.

The initial Christian experience involves desire, doubts, but ultimate delight that says to be outside with Christ is better than to be inside with the world! And this last thing is where she is most sustained in life.

Discouraged by the context[or pain] of her world, the Church is a bride who is desires Christ’s presence and who finds security, sustenance, and joy by delighting her soul in communion[or prayer] with Him.

I. She is Discouraged by the Pain of the World

Is the bride discouraged by God? Not at all. She despairs that he will not have her in the state she is in.

First, she looks at her circumstances. What does she see? She has been brought into the chambers of the king. This means she was brought into the bedroom of Solomon and she would be expected to be intimate with him and likely she was based off of what she says in v.6 “my own vineyard I have not kept!” and based off of the patriarchal world that existed at the time of this Song of songs. It was a man’s world. This Song is aimed at taking the bride back to God’s world in Genesis 1–2 where the Garden was to be kept and Revelation 21–22 where it is kept by God. The way that God encourages the believer here is first by the fact that he is the keeper of the covenant. So, while you are offered Vanity Fair world like in Pilgrim’s Progress, expect the world to be offended that you don’t want her goods. This is what is in v.4 as the daughters of Jerusalem say that they will rejoice in Solomon. It is clear that is who they are from v.5’s reference to them.

Second, she looks at her siblings. She says that however lovely she was, she was ruined by the scorching of the sun (v.5). She could only describe herself like the dark surroundings she found herself in. This may all sound like simply a continuation of her circumstances, but it is more specific. In v.6 she gives the reason for her circumstances—her mother’s sons were angry with her; as a result they made her a keeper of the vineyards! She was like a daughter among brothers being cast out into a place of little protection. Thus every child of God can feel this pain as their own countrymen in this world treat them with scorn. The church is often abused like she has no father to protect her, and is but a rejected sibling by her own and by the world who rejects her like a bitter woman. It is if you will a telescopic view, each part leading into the next section. So…

Third, she looks at her sin. She says that her own vineyard she has not kept. Thus, her circumstances, and siblings, and her sin pile up upon her, but this cannot stop what God has put in her that longs for her Christ! And is there anything that can stop such desire? The Bible describes those who love the world and the things of the world as those who have not seen God and as those who do not have the love of the Father in them. But this bride has the love of the Father in her and does not love the world! She is among those who do the will of God and live forever! (1 John 2:15–17). She is a conqueror of the world by her faith! (1 John 5:4–5). This is because what God has put in her in spite of what the world has done to her and in substitute for what she has done herself to merit his disfavor. Who is there to condemn her? Christ Jesus died for her sins and was raised for her justification! Who is there to accuse? Nothing can separate her from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Cf. Romans 8).

II. She Desires the Presence of Her Shepherd

vv.2–4, 7–8

She speaks in terms of his kisses, his love, his anointing oils, leading up to his name. These are what Beeke calls kisses of betrothal. His glory is all her life. She desires his drawing power (vv.2–4a). While in this world, she seeks where he is present (v.7). She doesn’t desire to be as a prostitute in this world; which is what it meant to be veiled besides the flocks (E.g. Judah and Tamar). It becomes clear that the Shepherd-lover (not Solomon) is near the flocks. She is told in v.8 that he is to be found by the “shepherd’s tents.” The believer desires to be where Christ is present, and where does Christ promise his special presence. The Holy Spirit directs us to the church where the saints are gathered on the Lord’s Day to be together with him (E.g. Psalms 16, 18, 23, etc. Perhaps David read Psalms in her presence in 1 Kings 1:1–4? Or they were being sung in her presence, and she asks who is this that you are singing about. Perhaps she came to know this Shepherd historically at that point in time.)

III. She is a Danger to the Power of Satan

vv.9–11

With her lovely cheeks and neck which have natural beauty the world will seek to speak of her as deficient and needing more. But this bride will not buy the world’s goods here. She is an absolute danger to the power of Satan in this world. she is described as “a mare among Pharoah’s chariots.” Provan writes:

“In common with chariots throughout the ancient Near East, Pharaoh’s chariots were typically drawn by stallions hitched in pairs; a mare placed among them would have caused great disruption and distraction, as her scent or mere presence was detected.”

The Apostle Paul concurs saying,

2 Corinthians 2:14–17 ESV “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”

There is a communion between God and the Church through Jesus Christ that is expressed in prayer where we are not merely talking to God, but hearing from God the Holy Spirit as we wrestle in prayer. We long for him and we hear where we may find him (v.8) and what danger we are upon our knees to Satan’s domain (v.9) and our natural beauty (v.9b) that needs no improvement. This sort of thing is not contemplative prayer, but just prayer. It is not some Eastern mysticism, it is just prayer. It is realizing that it is not a one way conversation, but communion with God through Jesus Christ. We may test the things we think the Spirit is telling us by God’s Word, but we should not forbid the type of talk we read in vv.8–9, it is the stuff that communion is made of! Here is a really important aspect. If the children of Israel in the wilderness had understood it, they would not have been characterized with complaining, but with communion. With this, we look at the largest section describing communing prayer…

IV. She Delights Her Soul in Prayer to God

1:12–2:7

While she may be in the king’s house and the king on his couch, her expensive perfume (or nard) is like that of the woman with the alabaster flask in Mark 14:3–9. Note the only one’s who complain of such fragrance poured out are Pharisees and Judas’s (John 12:1–8). They are only jealous that it was not poured out on them as supposedly powerful people. So, the bride’s fragrance is not sent for Solomon, but her beloved who is closer to her than the physical proximity of Solomon’s couch. The contrasts between the indoor and outdoor scenery here is key. Solomon is pictured inside, but her heart is outside with her shepherd-lover. The Church would rather be outside with Christ than inside with the world!

First, notice that her beloved is close to her heart in vv.13–14. The sachet and henna blossoms were natural fragrances kept near the body akin to antiperspirant. Second, in v.15 notice that her eyes have no veil to hide them from this lover. Solomon will later speak of her eyes but include the veil in 4:1. (It is important that the church discerns between good and bad, even when similar words are put in the world’s mouth) Third, notice her description of her outdoor house contrasted with Solomon’s indoor one in v.16–17 “Our couch is green; the beams of our house are cedar; our rafters are pine. Fourth, she speaks of herself as a rose of Sharon and lily of the valleys. This is a description of a plentifully blooming flower in the land. The “rose” is likely the crocus referenced in Isaiah 35:1 and the lily makes it clear that this is the meaning, she is one of a million in her own sight. But then her beloved describes her as a lily among the brambles, meaning she is one in a million. Among the world with its daughters of Jerusalem/Babylon, she is different from them all! Fifth (if you are keeping count) is her description of her beloved in terms of sustenance and security and joy (vv.3–6). An apple tree and fruit speak of sustenance. Jesus says he is the bread of life! The security is demonstrated in the words shadow, and banner. The word “banner” is a military term. Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep! The idea of a banqueting house is a drinking house. Normally the idea would be a sign that would read wine here! But the banner that was raised over her was not wine, but something better—love! Jesus invites us to come to him and drink freely of the water of life! This naturally takes us to the third aspect of delight in prayer of her Shepherd-lover, joy! This is signified in the great delight in v.3 and the sweetness of fruit in the same verse. Jesus says he is the true vine! We see words like sustain and refresh in v.5 and then the overwhelming security of being held by him in v.6. It begins to run together—for sustenance and security and joy are found in this intimate communion with God in prayer through Jesus Christ.

Over and against the forced tyrannical love in a time of patriarchy, the Lord is taking us back to the garden and forward to the garden completed where the covenant is kept by him. He is giving us a picture of us however worthless we feel due to our circumstances, our worldly siblings, our sin—of his love that exceeds these things in his keeping the covenant. We are pointed here to where to find our desire for his presence in this world, namely in communion or prayer with God through Jesus Christ. We are meant to experience the overwhelming and overpowering love of God in Christ until the consummation. Unlike the forced tyrannical lust of Solomon, the bride is not taken into a harem, but is led by an inward desire of the soul that gets away with God through communion in Jesus Christ. The bride longs for the presence of her Shepherd and finds him in communing prayer. So, you can see she is indeed a dangerous thing to Satan’s power. She will conquer in the similitude that Israel was to conquer the promised land of old; the earth is the possession of the meek.

Conclusion

Thomas Brooks writes,

Let me have Jesus—and let the men of this world take the world, and divide it among themselves! I prize my Christ above all, I would enjoy my Christ above all other things in the world. His presence will make up the absence of all other comforts. His absence will darken and embitter all my comforts—so that my comforts will neither taste like comforts, nor look like comforts, nor warm like comforts—when he who should comfort my soul stands afar off (Lam. 1:16). Christ is all and in all to souls truly gracious (Col. 3:11). We have all things in Christ. Christ is all things to a Christian. If we are sick, Jesus is a physician. If we thirst, Jesus is a fountain. If our sins trouble us, Jesus is our righteousness. If we stand in need of help, Jesus is mighty to save. If we fear death, Jesus is life. If we are in darkness, Jesus is light. If we are weak, Jesus is strength. If we are in poverty, Jesus is plenty. If we desire heaven, Jesus is the way. The soul cannot say, 'this I would have, and that I would have.' But having Jesus, he has all he needs—eminently, perfectly, eternally.

Luther said, he had rather be in hell with Christ than in heaven without him.

'None but Christ! none but Christ!' said Lambert the martyr, lifting up his hands and his flaming fingers!

How does this sort of message impact the lost? In a similar way as in 1 Corinthians 14:24–25, where when the church has such desire for the presence of the Shepherd it can be similarly,

1 Corinthians 14:24–25 ESV “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”

For the believer, we are hearing here the initial experience of salvation, where the soul of a sinner begins to desire God’s presence more than anything or anyone else! The Church is full of people who have discovered this and are discovering it. It is like the Alabaster flask broken and the fragrance fills the room and unbelievers also come to Jesus and find the songs we sing and the sermons we preach and the fellowship we partake of—beautiful (Mark 14:6).