Closer Intimacy with the one you Love!
Solomon’s Song of Songs is a love poem set in a courtship and marriage context. We learn about love mainly from the brides perspective for she speaks in the first person quite often.
The engaged bride in Solomon’s Song of Songs 2:16-17 is very wise and her love is on fire immediately after her beloved gave himself to her says says,
“My beloved is mine and I am his. He browses among the lilies. Turn my beloved and be like a gazelle on the mountain tops.”
Her love to God and husband is unquenchable and stronger than sin and death therefore the couple who are one will most certainly grow closer and closer to each other forever.
It was striking for me to notice that immediately after Israel’s Messiah proposes and gets engaged to his bride she feels as though the distance between the two must be bridged by his love and skill to overcome anything that comes between them.
Israel’s Messiah and king had just given himself to the bride and she reciprocates his love. Knowing they are engaged she says,
“My beloved is mine and I am his.” Song 2:16 She know’s the one she loves is hers. She owns him and he owns her, the love is mutual.
Imagine dating and then the man of your dreams proposes and gives himself to you and you give yourself to him in engagement and immediately she feels that the distance of their souls is to far and says,
“Until the day breaks and the shadows flee,
Turn my beloved and be like a gazelle on the mountain tops” separating you from me.
Behold the love and wisdom of the bride. She leans on him. The newly engaged bride to be is so wise, the flame of love in her heart enlightens her eyes to the truth that even though they are both in close physical proximity to each other, spiritually they are miles apart separated by mountains of sin due to unredeemed remnants of pride, selfishness and unbelief.
Clearly she see’s him as having the skill to overcome the great distance due to his wisdom and love. Israel’s Messiah and king of peace had unmeasurable wisdom which is here illustrated in the idea of a gazelle on the mountain tops. Imagine a husband with unmeasurable wisdom 1 Kings 4:29! He also had a love for her that burned hotter and hotter like a “flame” from Yahweh, “inextinguishable“, couldn’t be bought, “strong as the grave and its jealousy is a severe as the grave“. 8:6-7
Until the darkness is gone and the light is shining draw nearer to me and overcome the powers of sin and death by your matchless wisdom and love to God and me. Be like a gazelle on the mountain tops.
Now not very many women can say this of their husbands for most men are stupid and not wise, praise the LORD He gave us the Song so we can see how its done. Most men don’t have the skill to continuously draw nearer to their spouses by overcoming the great and many difficulties in a marriage context that could easily separate the two. There are ups and downs and if the downs can be Biblically overcome then the ups or sweetness of the union becomes greater and more delightful.
This woman is absolutely beautiful because of her wisdom and knowledge of the truth. She knew by the light and power of her love that their still was a great many foxes that needed being caught in the relationship, even though they were just engaged.
Humility is a right view of yourself in relation to God and others with a proper heart response. Her humility is beautiful. Their is a sweet harmony in their relationship. He is the wise and skilled gazelle and she is leaning on him to do his part in the relationship. Its a perfect match and they are in sweet harmony with each other due to their love.
She was beautifully humble in her view of herself and right and high view of her beloved finance and king. She had a right view of him and his relationship to her, for she says, “My beloved is mine...” plus she also had a right view of his wisdom for she see’s him like a skilled gazelle on the mountain tops.
She was also humble because she had a right view of the relationship in terms of closeness or degree of oneness. They were positionally one yet there was a great deal of learning and repenting yet to come in order for the two to be one, heart to heart and thus having the same love she could finally say “Set me as a seal upon your heart, like a seal on your arm for love is strong as death.” 8:6
You know how two couples could be right next to each other but be worlds apart. Generally due to sin in their lives. Sin not only “separates us from God” but also from those we love. Is. 59:2
So the wisdom and knowledge of the bride reveals itself in respect to the knowledge of her own sin. She knows she is close to him in one sense and at a great distance in another and until brighter times prevail her hearts desire and sweet words to him are,
“Until the day breaks and the shadows flee. Turn my beloved and be like a gazelle on the mountain tops” 2:17 and come nearer and nearer to me as I learn to lean on you continuously. Plus she trust him due to his wisdom to be able to accomplish such a great feat. His name was like perfume poured out and was the chief husband above ten thousand others, he was lacking nothing and was altogether lovely both inside and out!
They are not separated physically unit 3:1 when she is on her bed looking for him but can’t find him. But in 2:16 they are engaged and then in 2:17 she knows there is still a lot of work to be done in the relationship for love desires the strictest union with the object of its affection as soon as possible and she is running closer to him fast and fearless like a wise powerful mare in battle.
Her love is so pure and lovely it boggles my mind. The wisest and soon to be richest king who ever lived has just given himself to her and she is not thinking of the kingdom she just inherited or how rich she is in him. She is thinking about him, the skill he has and feels the distance spiritually between the two of them is to far and the gap must be bridged. And the distance is to far. She cares about the strictness of their union more than riches. She cares for wisdom and closeness more than rubies.
Doctrine= Wives are to leave father and mother and cleave to their husbands. The words of our text “Turn my beloved and be like a gazelle on the mountain tops” is a poetic expression of her love to her husband and dependence upon him to do his part in overcoming the great difficulties that separate them. She is obeying the command to leave and cleave. Or leave and lean.
Here is a good example of how wise and loving a husband ought to be. The husband in the Song is the example for all other husbands. The wife ought to see the husband skilled to do his part in the relationship so that she doesn’t fear leaning on him. Solomon loved God and His people therefore he asked for wisdom. He had a great responsibility as a king and husband and saw his own lack of wisdom, knowledge and discernment to do his part in a way that honored God. So when God asked for in a dream for anything he wanted the young Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave it to him beyond measure. Husbands ought to be humble like Solomon and ask for wisdom and God will give it without reproach. Face it guys we are idiots and thank God that He gave us the Song of Songs so we can see someone doing it right.
Application for the believer
Here we see a wise and humble bride/Bride desiring for her husband/Husband who loves her to use his skill to make her happier by drawing nearer to her in a way that the things that separate them from enjoying fellowship with each other are overcome.
In order for us to draw closer to Jesus we must be able to see His skill in crushing Satans head, thus displaying His love to us. Us knowing this love and seeing His wisdom will truth Him to do His part in drawing near to us as we draw near to him by denying ourselves and giving ourselves to Him because He is ours and we are His.
With a right view of Jesus and a right view of yourself in relation to Him and a view of the unwanted distance between the two of you ask Jesus to, “Shine the light of His beauty into the eyes of your heart and destroy the darkness that is keeping you from the strictest union with Him.”
God is everywhere and God is in your heart dwelling there by the power of His Spirit, yet the distance between the two of you is great and you must see the great power of sin and the even more powerful Gazelle that can overcome the pride, selfishness and unbelief in your heart as you behold the glory and beauty of the LORD in the face of Christ, therefore He will reveal Himself to you more and more, greater and greater. You will have clearer revelations of the glory and beauty of Christ and His Love for you because He is yours and you are His. He is your Sanctifier by giving more fuel to the flame of your love by opening your eyes to seeing excellent things about Him and His Love and Grace to you before the world began, at the cross and everywhere else in your life.
It is sad to see some who call themselves Christians give themselves to Christ because He gave Himself to them and then they rest satisfied with just being saved and have little to no desire for a closer more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Closer intimacy with our Heavenly Bridegroom comes by way of faith in Christ or leaning on Him in everyday and self denial. The bride is leaning on her skilled husband to overcome anything that separates them. How much more skilled is Jesus Christ to overcome the power of Satan, sin and death in your heart for these things separate you from experiencing a closer more intimate relationship with Him and your spouse.
You want to follow Christ and be near Him, then pick up your cross, deny yourself and follow Christ. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Go to Him all you who are weary and heavy laden with the guilt of sin. Go to Him for He is infinitely more skilled than the gazelle on the mountain top.
Greater is He that is in you than Satan who is in the world. Trust in The Higher Power that dwells in you to overcome the temptation, sin and death that separate you from the one you love. Together with Christ you have power to overcome the greatest difficulties separating you from Him.
Categories
mostsublimesong View All
Saved in 2000 at age 27. Nearly immediately I fell in love with the Song and grew very fast the first two years memorizing large portions of scripture purifying my mind the started chewing on meat to soon and struggled for 12 years and Christ has me on track like always but I just took the long way around and now I love leading others closer to Christ by seeing His love reflected in Solomons love for an enemy slave girl.
I have experienced God's love to me in the Song in ways that words can't express. There are many portion of the Word where she experiences extra ordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God. If you have a burning desire for a close intimate relationship with God by experiencing His Love to you over and over again at greater and greater heights, depths, lengths and breaths then The Song of Songs is where you need to be.
I can help you with this process of Growing in the experience of God's love. As of 7-23-16 I have experienced everything prior to chapter 8. The Song of Song is progressive in experience. Meaning that if you are mature then you can experience the joys and extraordinary outpourings of God's Love shed abroad in your heart.
If you are not so mature then the delights in the first chapter of the Song will satisfy your thirst for experiencing the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Many Christian are living in sin because they do not know how to experience God's love and get hooked on Loving Him. It feels good to be loved and to love Him. His burden is not heavy and His yoke is light, Jesus said in Matt. 10:28
I believe God wants to use me to help beautify His Bride through the Song of Solomon.
If you see the book literally you will not understand nor grasp the Love God has for you. If you see the book and the verses in it relating to Christ's love to you then I would love to show you how to experience this Love to the fullest. I will pray for you daily and guide you every step of the way.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
I grew up going to church but was a hypocrite. I lived my life how I chose but went to church on Sunday because my family went.
Mom and Dad divorced when I was about 5.
About this time I was sexually abused by "Bob" a made up name. This incident changed my life for the worst. I had no clue how to deal with it.
As I got older I grew in my hatred for Bob. I didn't blame anyone of my family because I was to young to know any better. Some of what happened during the abuse was in a bathroom. So overtime I would use the bathroom and look at my private parts that night would replay in my mind. My hatred for Bob would continue to grow each time.
Now I know this only happened to me one night. I can't image the pain other's go through who have had this happen to them over and over. Even as I write this now I cry with many tears for those hurting. God love you even though you may not know it or feel it. Go to Him in your time of need.
I was a really bad teenager. I only cared about myself and not even my family. I always came first in my mind. Even at the expense of hurting others. I was growing in my hatred for God by now.
I was going to church and was learned that God was in control. I thought well, if God was in control then He must have let me be sexually abused. I didn't understand this, How could a good and loving God allow this. I hated Him for it. My hatred for Bob grew as well. I was still using the bathroom and memories kept coming back. My heart grew even harder for Bob and God. As far as I was concerned God would have nothing to do with my life so I lived even worse. I thought I would be in jail or dead and I really didn't care, I thought it could be much worse than reliving your painful past over and over again. Little did I know that God's plan later would be to use these events to give me a burning passion for the closest most intimate love relationship with Himself through Christ mainly through the love poem in the Song of Songs in the Bible.
I remember hating Bob so much that the only thing that would relieve my pain was actually thinking he would suffer forever for what he did. I grew so much in my hatred for him that I had to continue to think that he would get even worse than what I imaged before. After some time I would only be relieved of hatred for him unless I thought he would burn in a hotter and hotter hell for all the suffering he put me through.
I never told my mom or family what happened, although I think some of them knew something had happened.
I grew up quite rebellious and even went to jail at the age of 20. I was living the fast life pursuing all my sinful desires and wanting more. It never seemed to be enough. I was quite happy in my sin but I just wanted more of it.
I lived life thinking I would die at a young age, riding motorcycle and living on the edge put me in the hospital many times and I should have been dead.
California at age 26.
I moved to California for a job opportunity at the age of 27. While trying to figure out what radio stations to program in my car, I ran across a RC Sproul talking about "people who have the faith that saves and people who only say that have faith" only the people who have the faith that saves will go to heaven. I thought "I don't think I have the faith that saves because my life was so bad." I searched the scriptures to try to get this faith. I found a church and thought people there could help me get this faith that saves. All along God kept showing me how sinful I was and that I deserved punishment from Him for living my life hating Him.
One weekend I read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John desperately trying to find out how to get this faith that saves. By now I knew that if you had the faith that saves that Jesus would be saving you from a life of sin. I still liked my sin and Jesus sure wasn't saving me from a life of sin, so I rightly concluded that I didn't have the faith that saves.
By the time I got to John, I saw "believe" everywhere. John 3:16 and other verses and wow the whole book was written so that you may believe. John 20:31 "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." So at night I would pray "I believe Jesus died for me, I believe, I believe. This was just an intellectual belief. I knew that in history and the Bible that Jesus died for everyone, so I believed it. But this belief did not change my life.
I would go on night after night saying the same prayer only to wake up the next day wanting to fulfill my sinful desires. The prayer wasn't working so I started to word it different each time hoping some prayer would work. After about 2 weeks of this I was fed up with it all, nothing was happening. I still was living in my sin and wanted more of it. A Christian hates their sin and does something about it, and certainly they don't continue to make plans to sin. The prayers weren't working so I gave up. I thought to myself "God, I tried with all my might, I searched the Scriptures, went to church, read the Bible and prayed all to no avail. If Im going to be saved your going to have to do it because I tried."
So I quit praying but still the Bible kept calling me so I read more. 3 Days later I was laying in a tanning bed and God convicted me really hard that I had offended Him by the life I was living. I was so scared of God, where could I run. You can't hide from God. It seemed like forever that I was under these terrors of being punished by a Holy Angry God. This lasted about 10 minutes then this is how I understood it. God let me understand that all that anger that He had for me for all my sin should come my way but He had poured that anger out on Jesus 2,000 years ago. I immediately started weeping an couldn't stop for about 20 minutes. All the sins that I could think of I confessed for that 20 minutes one after another after another, I was so sorrowful and grieved it physically hurt inside.
After I stopped crying I thought that was the weirdest thing that ever happened. I walked out of the tanning salon and stood outside and everything seemed so beautiful, the tree's, the birds, even the air seemed pleasant. Now I was really wondering what was going on.
I pondered all of this as I drove to work that day. I brought my Bible to work and was thinking what am I doing, I want to take my Bible to work so I can read it. As soon as I got to work I started reading my Bible. I couldn't believe what I was reading!! It all was so wonderful. It felt so good to just read my Bible. My client showed up and as I was training them the only thing I could think about was getting back to my Bible. I read all night and slept about 2 hours and was reading again.
I had sinful things in my apartment and I rounded everything evil up and threw it in the garbage. It was weird I was thinking but it felt good so I left it all in the garbage. I called my girlfriend to break it up and she thought I had another girl, I said no, I just think this is wrong we shouldn't be sleeping together. She didn't understand so I told her I was a Christian now and she still thought I had another girlfriend. She said "Im glad your a Christian, so am I" I thought to myself, "I have a strong conviction that sleeping together is wrong and she thought it was okay" I wondered how she could think that. Anyway we broke up.
I kept reading my bible and repenting, there was so much to repent of and I had lived a very sinful life. I was a thief for some part of my life and all the people I stole from kept coming to mind. I owed so much money. I was instantly in debt about $80,000. As I could I paid them back. As of 7-18-2016 I still owe about $25,000 but it sure is a joy to be paying them back.
The first week of being saved a car just about ran me over, they hit me but I wasn't hurt at all. The guy in the car felt so bad. I just looked at him and said "God bless you and have a great day, I am okay" smiled at him and moved on. Now I was really wondering what was going on because I normally would have cussed him out left and right and instead of cussing I blessed him. That was so weird. But again it felt good. I learned to do good by what my conscience told me was good and that it felt good. I got hooked on this feeling good by doing good and did it more often.
About two weeks after being saved I thought of Bob. I immediately prayed for him, something like "Lord help him.." then I stopped praying and said out loud "What am I doing?" I'm praying for a man that I hated my whole life, but it feels good and right, so I did it again. I stopped again midway in the prayer and started pacing around. I was trying to make sense of what was going on and couldn't figure it out. But again it made me happy to pray for him so I did. Bob would often come to mind when I went to the bathroom and each time I would pray for Him. The more I did this the less weird it got. And the greater my love grew for him.
I started memorizing large portions of scripture and this was wonderful because it felt like the words were cleaning my mind and as Proverbs 2:10 "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." I wanted more and more of this pleasantness. So I memorized even more and the joy got more and more.
Then this life changing advice came:
A friend from church told me to find a book of the Bible and really understand it. Read through the Bible and pick one and read it over and over and study it and really get it. So I started in Genesis and read through. When I got to Proverbs I really liked it so I thought that would be the book. I started by memorizing all of Proverbs chapter 3. After that I thought maybe there is a better book than Proverbs. So I read on. Then I came to Song of Solomon. I read it with quite some confusion. It wasn't as good as the other books, I didn't know why. So I bought a commentary on it. George Burrowes commentary on the Song of Solomon.
In the commentary I found that George and other saw the book as illustrating God's love to the Church. And not only illustrating it but displaying the Love of Christ better than any other book. This caught my attention big time, because I was having a burning desire for a closer relationship with God and desperately learning about His Love so that I could Love God. You see I had hated Him for so long that God used that old hard heart to spur me on in loving Him. I so much did not want to hate God anymore that I was on fire to learn to Love Him as much and as fast as possible. So here was a book that would help me do that. So I landed on the Song of Solomon. I committed to learning as much of this book as possible.
I memorized the first chapter and would repeat it often throughout the day. I didn't know much of what I was repeating but it sure made me happier and on fire for God. I grew so fast repeating the first chapter over and over again all day, like a dozen times a day at least. It felt so good and I never found any other book that caused me to weep so much. I would often weep everyday just reading it. I was to immature to know what was going on. Even though it hurt to weep so much, I felt like my heart was being cleansed from the filth that was in it by repeating it over and over again so I did. As I read the commentary I understood more and more. What God was doing in me through the Song was greater and faster than any other portion of Scripture so I tended to stay there often. I was so excited about God that I thought it funny that other's in church weren't the same way. Some where happy but it seemed most of them didn't seem to care much about God. They would talk about work, football the weather. The only thing I wanted to talk about was Jesus and God and how can I grow closer to Him.
About this time there was a mission trip to Ireland.
I started to have convictions that I should try to find Bob and witness to him. I kept praying for him but how could he be saved if he hadn't heard the Gospel that has power unto salvation. So I asked family if they had any information. Like me before, my family hated him and thought he deserved hell. After some time I got his name but no location or phone number. Either they didn't know where he was or didn't want to tell me. I prayed some more and then started to get stronger convictions to do something about finding Bob.
So I went on the internet and typed in "his name and child molestation sex offender court" thinking that some court record would have some info leading to where I may find him" I even talked to a private eye and he couldn't help. So I googled some key words and spent hours each day looking through each page. I believed it was God's will for me to witness to Bob. I wanted him to be saved. Really bad. So much so that I thought God would save Bob if I were to witness to him. So I didn't stop searching for him. I kept my computer on each day and went page by page. It took two years to go through about 15,000 pages but I found someone who matched his name in a prison for molesting his grandchildren. I wrote the prison and he wrote back. All kinds of emotions went through my body when I saw his letter from the jail. I didn't open it right away but two hours later God gave me enough courage to face my fears again and I opened the letter. He admitted to being the one who molested me. We wrote back and forth I told him I was angry before but now I was saved and that I loved him and believed God wanted me to talk to him. He read my letters over and over again. I shared the gospel in each one.
I got mad at Bob 2x. Once he said that he love me. I got really angry with him. He didn't love me. That night it was hard to love Bob, I had to call a friend to pray for me to repent, after he prayed I felt greater love for Bob. Then I wrote him back saying "I'm sorry but you can't say that you loved me. You did not love me you lusted after me." He admitted he didn't love as he should have and admitted that it was lust and sinful. Finally some conviction. Yet I only thought he was saying that because I was being nice to him. All his family had left him and he said I was the only "friend" he had.
Wether or not it was true Bob said that he had cancer in his arm and that the help the prison gives was not enough and if he had money he could see a different doctor and get help. I sent him some money and since I was in jail before I knew what it was like to be in there without money, so I sent him money.
About 4-5 months in the economy went down, it was 2008. Work was hard. I still sent him money and I had to work harder. This was a really good lesson for me because I had to "work hard for the benefit of someone who did not deserve it." This was one of the greatest blessing ever because I realized with great certainty that Jesus was in me. This is what Jesus did. Jesus worked his whole life for me and I didn't deserve it!! Christ was in me! This was one of the best feelings ever and it put me in worship for months.
Then a mission trip to Croatia.
Each time I had to leave my business and amazing as it is I was completely okay each time. I am a self employed personal trainer and it is normally absurd to just leave and start over, but each time I had enough work within 2 weeks of coming back. This is a flat out miracle. I trusted God to provide and he did. How many people can start up a business in 2 weeks. Only with the help of God. God was teaching me early on in my walk that as long as I did what He wanted me to do then I had nothing to worry about.
About 3 years saved now.
I Taught the 4 year old's at church Sunday morning for 10 years.
Left my business 2x for mission trips and God miraculously provided when I came back.
I taught 5 x a week plus held a job.
Sunday morning to the kids.
Sunday night with the 5th graders
Friday afternoons at Good News Clubs. Sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship.
Friday Nights with the Kids teaching through Pilgrims Progress, I did this 2x
Teaching Monday afternoons at a nursing home. I taught through the Song of Songs once then John, then Romans then back to the Song again! I love the Song of Songs.
I grew up hating God for what happened to me, and now I love Him because He first loved me. My passion is for children to grow up loving God and not hating Him.
My other passion which has become ever greater is to help others see the Love of Christ to His Church in the Song of Songs!!
I would love to help you, just let me know and I will lead you and pray for you.
God demonstrates His love to us in sending His one and only Son to suffer in our place, taking our sins upon Himself so that whoever believes they get to heaven because of what He did for us will not perish but have everlasting life.
One thought on “Closer Intimacy with the one you Love!” Leave a comment ›