Desiring Communion with Christ

Introduction:

Connection:

Welcome/Introduction/greeting!

Do you want to be drawn deeper into the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, to be captivated by our Shepherd-King and his unsearchable riches, to be delighted by the heart of Jesus? Then my proposal for you tonight is that you need to get familiar with the most neglected of books today: The Song of Songs.

Robert Murray McCheyne says: “No book furnishes a better test than does the Song of the depth of a man’s Christianity. If his religion have a hold on his heart, this will be a favourite portion of the Word of God”

Theme:

Introduction to the Song of Songs

Seeking and Desiring Communion with Christ

Need:

We need to be spiritually-captivated with the beauty and glory of Christ, to long for Him, to enjoy Him, to hope in Him with greater depth and sweetness, with greater love and joy, with greater peace and assurance. And I believe that God has given us the Song of Songs for this very purpose!

Purpose:

To stir the bride of Christ to a deeper, richer, sweeter, and more fervent longing for her Beloved—because of who He is and what He has done.

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

Intro: Who, What, When, Where, Why? - v.1

Song of Solomon 1:1 ESV

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

Intro: Who, What, When, Where, Why? - v.1

The Song of Songs, or the Song of Solomon, or Canticles—whatever you call it—it can be a difficult book for us 21st century Christians to read, treasure, understand, and apply. It can be daunting. It can be scary. It can be abused. But this never excuses us from searching the Scriptures, digging for their silver and gold, calling out for insight in the fear of the Lord, so we can be hearers and doers of the Word of God. “All Scripture is breathed-out by God and is profitable for reproof, for teaching, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God would be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16).

In my humble analysis, especially after diving into the Puritans and comparing their piety to today, we have lost the centrality of union and communion with Christ in our theology and practice. We have lost the purpose of theology—which is to enjoy God. We have lost the delight of our theology—which is to walk with God. We have lost the joy of our theology—which is to glorify God.

Too often, we fill our intellect but are men and women of little prayer. Too often, we love to read and devour our Christian books, but we fail to meditate with warmth on the Scriptures. Too often, we love to fill our minds to the neglect of the filling of our hearts with the soul-warming love of Jesus, of union with Christ—which should—lead us into an experiential communion with Christ, a tangible fellowship with our King, a real enjoyment of our Saviour, joyous visitations from our Beloved, and a hearty embrace of of our Shepherd. Too often, Paul’s rebuke stings us deeply and rightly: 1 Cor. 8:1-3

1 Corinthians 8:1–3 (ESV)

“all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Oh that all of our knowledge would saturate our hearts into true love and affection. That we would not just know about God, but truly know Him through Christ, and by known by Him. Even though the Corinthian church was struggling in these areas—how did Paul open his letter? By reminding them of their union and communion with Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

What does this mean? This means that the purpose of theology, the purpose of knowledge, the purpose of doctrine, the purpose of study, the purpose of reading, the purpose of hearing sermons, the purpose of partaking of the Sacraments, the purpose of singing, the purpose of Christian fellowship, the purpose of the entire Christian life is communion with Jesus Christ. An experiential walk with, and enjoyment of, the Lord Jesus Christ—By the perfect and sufficient Word of God, and in the life-giving power of the Spirit of God—we have all that we need for our walk with our Triune God.

Because of our union to Christ, we can enjoy communion with Christ. Because of our relationship to Christ, we can enjoy fellowship with Christ.

This is why I have chosen the Song of Songs—to draw us into a deeper enjoyment of Jesus—and a sweeter fellowship with Him.

You are probably aware of the challenging of interpreting this book of the Bible. Some abuse it as if it were purely an R-rated manual for marriage. Some think it is a more modest song about human love. Some think it is a song about human love that points forward to Jesus. Some think it is an allegorical song that is primarily about the relationship of mutual love between Christ and the Church.

I would fall in the last category. This is the predominant view in the early church, in the medieval church, in the reformation, in the Puritans, and in historic reformed baptists like John Gill and Charles Spurgeon. Here are my 6 brief reasons why I believe that the Song is allegorical, using the beautiful nature of human marriage to depict the spiritual marriage between God and his People, between Christ and his Church:

(1) The title of the book is the Song of Songs. Solomon, according to Scripture, wrote 1005 songs. This is the supreme song. This is the best song. This is the preeminent song. This is the Song of Songs—just like the Holy of Holies—and the King of kings. It gets no better than this. This Song is greater than all the Psalms combined, than the song of Moses and of the Lamb—this is the Song of Songs! It doesn’t make sense to me for the greatest song ever, to be purely about human marriage. Surely the Song of Songs is the greatest of all because of the Supreme Love of Jesus Christ to his Church, his Bride (Song 1:1)

(2) The fact that this book is in the Canon of Scripture. This book was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is a part of the books of the Bible that are the very Words of God. This is his redemptive-revelation. Jesus taught us to read all of Scripture in light of Him and the Gospel. Jesus is the center of the Song of songs, and the reason why the church historically accepted this book into the Canon was because they read it as an allegory of Christ and the Church (Lk. 24:27; 44-47).

(3) The Song’s author is Solomon, whose name means the Prince of Peace, who is the Son of David, the Covenant King who is married to the Covenant Queen—who does that sound like? Solomon here is the shadow of Christ the true Prince, King, and Groom of the Church (Isa. 9:3). Not only this, but the Bride is called the Shulammite—which is the feminine name of Solomon. This is the Prince of Peace and his Bride who has been Lavished with Peace in the covenant of grace, in the covenant of eternal marriage (Rom. 5:1; 6:5; 7:4; 8:1).

(4) The Song itself presents the Groom as a Shepherd-King, who is described as Yahweh leading his people in the Exodus to the promised land, with temple-like imagery, and Garden of Eden-like imagery. His love is the flame of Yahweh. This is a Divine King, this is a Divine Groom(Song 1:4; 1:7; 3:6-11; 8:6-7). And the Bride herself is called Jerusalem, the people of God who is leaning on her beloved through the wilderness on the way to Canaan. This is a Redeemed Queen, this is a Redeemed Bride (Song. 6:4; 8:5). This song sings the Song of Christ and his Church (Rev. 21:9-14)—of redemption and salvation.

(5) Other parts of Scripture clearly speak about the nature of the relationship between God and his people, between Christ and his church as covenant marriage. Christ as the bridegroom, and the church as his beloved bride—an everlasting marriage by grace alone. All of history is a love story between the Lord Jesus Christ who defeats the dragon of Satan, wins his bride, builds a house for her, and prepares a place for her. All of history is pointing forward to the wedding feast of King Jesus and his Queen Church in the New Zion. (Hosea; Eph. 5:22-23; Rev. 20-22).

(6) Other parts of Scripture give the key that unlocks the meaning of the Song of Songs. In Rev. 3 Jesus quotes from Song. 5 about the Groom knocking on the door of the Bride’s house and applies it to himself and the church. And Psalm 45, which is another love song between the covenant king and his bride is quoted in Hebrews 1 and applied to Jesus as the Divine Messiah-King who is married to his Beloved-Bride. Scripture interprets Scripture—and in so doing reveals that the Song of Songs is primarily about Christ and the Church, whose love is stronger than death—whose love is stronger than resurrection from the dead (Song. 8:6).

If you don’t take it from me, hear from some of my favourite reformed authors on the nature and purpose of the Song of Songs:

Jonathan Edwards wrote that the Song of Solomon “treats of the divine love, union, and communion of the most glorious lovers, Christ and his spiritual spouse, of which marriage union and conjugal love is but a shadow”

John Gill on the Song: The whole is figurative and allegorical; expressing, in a variety of lively metaphors, the love, union, and communion, between Christ and his church.

Hudson Taylor said: “Well may this book be called the Song of Songs! There is no song like it. Read aright, it brings a gladness to the heart which is as far beyond the joy of earthly things as heaven is higher than the earth. It has well been said that this is a song which grace alone can teach, and experience alone can learn”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones says: “This book is a mine of spiritual treasure and as one of the most exquisite expositions of the relationship between the believer and his Lord to be found anywhere in the Bible”

Christ and the Church are the center of the Scriptures. He is the sum and substance of every book of the Bible (Lk. 24:27). He is pre-eminent, He is the Lord of lords, the King of kings, and His is the Song of songs (Col. 1:18). Is there application here to human marriages? I think so. But I don’t think it is the primary purpose of the Song. Marriage is the shadow—Christ and the Church is the Substance (Col. 2:17). And what is growing old is ready to vanish away, becoming obsolete (Heb. 8:13). But the Lamb and his Bride shall abide forever and ever (Rev. 21:9). Divine Marriage is the goal of history—Gospel Marriage between Jesus and his bride has been the song of eternity (Prov. 8:30-31). So, in light of all of this:

Who wrote the book? Solomon, the Son of David, the Covenant King of Israel.

What is the book? A poetic-and-allegorical Song of Christ and his Church, the King and his Bride, with their union and communion of mutual love and joy.

When was the book written? Sometime around 970-931 BC, during the reign of King Solomon, the Son of David—the shadow of Christ.

Where was the book written? In the land of promise, the shadow of Eden, the foretaste of the heavenly Jerusalem, with the King and his Bride.

Why was the book written? To stir up the affections of believers to seek experiential communion with Christ our Shepherd-King, by the power of the Word and Spirit.

This is not just any Song—this is the Song of Songs. And this Book is the poetry of the Holy Spirit, purposed to draw us nearer to the heart of our Beloved Redeemer, in the love of our God and Father.

Are you dry? Are you cold? Are you numb? Are you downcast? Are you feeling far from the Lord? Is your joy in God minimal? Is you walk with Christ sluggish? Is your filling of the Spirit empty? Does your heart ache with a desire to know Jesus better? Does your soul thirst to be closer to Christ. Does your spirit cry out for nearness to your beloved Saviour? Do you want to mine more of the unsearchable riches of Christ? Do you wish for Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith? Do you aspire to open to the knockings of Christ’s love for experiential fellowship and communion? Then you’ve come to the right place, and to the right book. As we unpack a few sections from the Song in the coming weeks—I trust the Lord will use this for your spiritual benefit: (a) to save you and unite you to Jesus Christ if you are an unbeliever here this weekend, and (b) to sanctify and delight our hearts in Jesus as we foster communion and fellowship with Him who loved us and gave himself for us. I’m going to do my best, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, to keep this simple, practical, and powerful as we behold our King in all his beauty.

Charles Spurgeon: “When the Christian is nearest to heaven, this is the book he takes with him … this is Jesus speaking to his Church”

I hope this introduction to the Song of Songs has wet your appetite for future teaching and meditation on our King who is altogether lovely. As we come to the Lord’s Supper, let us remember that his love is better than wine, his saving love that led him to lay his life down for his friends, to win his bride, to secure our relationship with God, and to give us the hope of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

Okay! Well let’s dive in to verses 2-4 together:

(1) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh the Love of Christ - v. 2

Song of Solomon 1:2 ESV

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine;

(1) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh the Love of Christ - v. 2

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

Hands up: *Who’s uncomfortable already? Don’t worry, by the end of this session you will see the reason for the affectionate language! Pray that your heart would share in the longing of the Bride in this Song.

The first verse of the Song opens up with the affectionate desire of the Bride of Christ crying out to experience the sweetness of the love of Christ—to be satisfied by the words of Christ—to be renewed in the presence of Christ.

She cries out for Christ to kiss her with the kisses of his mouth. She cries out to her Groom, that He would draw near to her in love and grace.

Notice that this is a cry of someone who has already tasted the sweetness of the love of her bridegroom. This is not love at first sight—this is someone who has already enjoyed the presence of her Groom, she has already enjoyed the kisses of her Beloved, she has already tasted and seen that the Lord is good (1 Peter. 2:3). This happens at conversion. When we repent of our sins, when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ—we rest in Him, we receive Him, and we are saved by Him (Jn. 1:12-13). We forsake our sin, and we trust in Jesus to wash our sins away (Mark. 1:15). We run to Him for peace with God. We run to Him for reconciliation with God. We run to Him for adoption into the family of God (Rom. 5-8). Once we were children of wrath, dead in our sins and trespasses—but God made us alive together with Christ, by grace through faith we have been saved (Eph. 2:8-10)! Not of works, not of our efforts, not of our striving—but by His life, death, and resurrection—by the Gospel, the good news of salvation (Isa. 53). Not only is this good news, but it’s good news of great joy for all the people s(Luke 2:10)! Great joy comes by embracing the Good news of our Beautiful Saviour (Ps. 45).

As Psalm 2 describes faith as kissing the Son, taking refuge in Him—here Song 1 reminds us that the only reason why we can kiss the Son in faith, is because He has kissed us with his saving grace. Only at the cross do righteousness and peace kiss each other (Ps. 85:10). Only at the Cross can God be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:26). It is only because we have been saved by his precious blood and because we have enjoyed His saving grace (Ps. 36:7-9)—it is only because of this that we cry out for a deeper experience of his presence, a renewed enjoyment of his love, of the kisses of his mouth, of hearing Him through his Word and Spirit (Jam. 4:8). And if you are a Christian here this morning, you can undoubtedly agree with what the Bride says next:

For your love is better than wine.

It is because “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 5:5), when we were given the fresh joy of our first love (Rev. 3)—We love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). He has loved us, his precious elect, with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). He has delighted in us from the beginning of the world (Prov. 8:31). He has rejoiced in us, even while we were sinners (Rom. 5:8). His saving love has led to our redemption—by the Cross of Calvary—where he satisfied the wrath of God for our sins—when he rose from the dead as our Righteous One—when he ascended into heaven to intercede for us—and when he sent the Holy Spirit to draw us by the cords of his love into union with Himself, into salvation by grace, through faith (Jn. 6:63; Titus 3:5-7). Oh how the love of Christ satisfied our weary hearts—it was what we were made for. Only this saving love is strong enough to be the subject of our meditation for all eternity, for this love is infinite and steadfast.

Burrowes: The love of Christ is reviving, and counteracts the effects of sin, felt so painfully throughout body and soul. It changes the parched ground of the selfish soul into a pool and spring of holy affections. It is as satisfying as it is pure.

We who have received and enjoyed the love of Christ, oh how we can cry out that his love is better than wine! It is more pure, it is more valuable, it is more rich, it is more intoxicating, it is more enlivening, it is more gladdening, it is more precious in our sight. And it leaves us hungry for more of it! Oh to “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:18-19). Oh how the words of our Saviour ravish our hearts: “As the Father has loved me so have I loved you, abide in my love” (Jn. 15:9).

To know this love, is to feel this love. This is an experiential rejoicing in his love, that leaves us crying out to know it in a fuller and deeper way. What does Paul say? “For the love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14). It is the chief of loves, from the King of kings, which is why this book is called the Song of Songs. It is a Song about the greatest love—the love flowing from the heart of Jesus, and the love that is enjoyed by the Bride of Jesus. Do you know the splendour of this love? Only by seeing the gravity of our sinfulness will be ever begin to taste the glories of his unconditional love for those repent and believe! We are dark in our sins, but lovely by his grace (Song. 1:5). Precious love! Precious Saviour!

(1) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh the Love of Christ - v. 2.

This brings us to our second point:

(2) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh the Spirit of Christ - v. 3

Song of Solomon 1:3 ESV

your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you.

(2) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh the Spirit of Christ - v. 3

Your anointing oils are fragrant;

Who is this Groom but the Christ—the anointed one? The one who has been set apart by the Spirit of God, who has been filled with the Spirit of God, and who has been anointed by the Spirit of God without measure! Jesus himself said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Lk. 4:18). Who is this Groom with annointing oils other than the King of Psalm 45 who has been “anointed with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia” (Ps. 45:7). Think of the sweet flowers that bloom in the spring and summer—smelling them fills us with happiness—and all the beautiful flowers in the world combined don’t even begin to do justice to the fragrance of the glory of Christ, full of grace upon grace (John 1:16).

Jesus Christ is the one who will save his people from their sins, because he is the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the God-man, the only Mediator between God and man—and the glory of his Person and Work is fragrant, because He is anointed with the Spirit of God beyond measure. Because of this, as Psalm 45 says: Jesus is “the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever!” (Ps. 45:2). The Spirit beautifies the Son of God in his radiant humanity—and the Spirit leaves the aroma of the Son of God in his eternal divinity. The union of God and Man in Jesus is the sweetest fragrance, the infinite becoming finite, the eternal becoming temporal, the unchangeable becoming a changeable babe. Oh what love is this? And it all comes from the Spirit—who overshadowed the Virgin Mary—when Jesus the Creator became Jesus the Infant. All for us, and for our salvation (Lk. 2). The Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism, and remained on Him for all his days—as the everlasting Christ!

The annointing oils of Christ are fragrant, the aroma of Christ is sweet to us, the fullness of the Spirit of Christ is delightful to us, the filling of the Spirit is joyful and pleasant (Ps. 16:11). The risen Lord poured out His Holy Spirit upon his church at Pentecost—it is because the Holy Spirit has caused us to be born again unto a living hope—it is because of the power of the Holy Spirit sanctifying our hearts—that we can say with the Bride: your annointing oils are fragrant (Jn. 1:33; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:3; Jn. 6:63; Jude 20-21). But not only is his Spirit sweet to us, so is his name!

Your name is oil poured out;

The name of Jesus is oil poured out! It is the very thing that the Spirit of God uses as he anoints and fills the Bride of Christ with holy love and desire (Eph. 5:18)! Jesus isn’t only filled with the Spirit beyond measure—he has also poured out the promised Holy Spirit so that we can be filled in Him (Gal. 2:14)! And the greatest filling of the Holy Spirit comes as we treasure the name of Jesus like the hidden treasure in the field, like the pearl of great price, like the royal diadem. “You shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (Lk. 1:31).

Burrowes: As thus poured forth, how precious is his name, in the hour of repentance, in trouble, in affliction, in temptation, in sickness, in death! As the Holy Spirit pours the healing oil of grace into the heart, how can these truths be felt sinking down through the soul. There is something peculiar in the sweetness of the name of Jesus to the saint, soothing, delightful, refreshing, life-giving; and when we begin to open up any one of his perfections, there seems to rise around the soul something richer than a steam of rich distilled perfumes.

What are the names of Jesus that fill us with the aroma of joy? Lamb of God—Lion of the tribe of Judah—Messiah—Christ—Holy One of Israel—Immanuel, God with us—Righteous One—The Lord our Righteousness—Son of God—Son of Man—Prophet, Priest, King—Mediator—Beloved—Friend—Master—Lord—Saviour—Redeemer—Covenant Head—Servant—Seed of the Woman—Suffering Servant—Head of the Church—Lord of all—First Love—Wonderful Counselor—Mighty God—Everlasting Father—Prince of Peace—King of Kings—Lord of lords—which makes this the Song of Songs. Oh how sweet the name of Jesus, that name that is above every name! And we who belong to Jesus—who have been baptized in his name—it is our greatest happiness to hallow, sanctify, and exult in his holy name! Blessed be the name of the Lord! The name above every name. Is his name the source of your peace and joy? It is the Rock that is higher than I—is is the the stronghold and city of refuge for our sin-stricken souls. Only in His precious name we do find peace and salvation!

Therefore virgins love you.

Paul says to the church of Corinth: “I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). John describes true disciples, the redeemed, as “those who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev. 14:4). Why are they virgins? Because of their natural purity? No—because they have been made pure, white as snow, by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 14:4). The church of Christ, all the pure virgins, all the people of God, young and old, great or small, mature or immature—if you belong to Jesus, you love Him as the supreme and preeminent one—for who He is and for what He has done—this is the sign of union with Christ. For when one is knit to Him, his heart beats for Him (Ezk. 36).

We who have been freed from our sins by his precious blood say: YES! Therefore, we love you—fill us with your Holy Spirit that we might have all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope (Rom. 15:13). We love our Lord Jesus with incorruptible” (Eph. 6:24). Do you love Him? His love is better than life (Ps. 63:3). If you love Him then you must cry out for the filling of His Spirit, that we might enjoy the all-surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord (Phil. 3:8).Only as his annointing oils pour into our hearts, will our love pour forth unto Him! Love is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5). Let us never think that we have exhausted the depth of his love, for this shall be our study for all eternity, drinking deeply from the waters of life, from the everlasting love of God!

(2) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh the Spirit of Christ - v. 3

This brings us to our final point:

(3) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh her Walk with Christ - v. 4a

Song of Solomon 1:4 ESV

Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.

(3) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh her Walk with Christ - v. 4a

Draw me after you; let us run.

There is no nearness with Christ apart from the drawing of the Holy Spirit. We reformed baptists love the truths of the doctrines of grace—especially that of irresistible grace, effectual calling—which just simply means that by the power of the Holy Spirit God gives us a new heart that sees the glory of Jesus for who He is, and we are compelled to come to Him—being made willing in the day of his power (Ps. 110:3). What does Jesus say in John 6? “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (6:44). And how does the Father draw us? By the cords of lovingkindness in the Spirit (Hos. 2:14; 11:4). By giving us eyes to see the beauty of our King and Saviour (Isa. 33:17). By regenerating us, giving us a new heart of flesh that beats with life and love for Jesus, and giving us the power of the Spirit to run to Jesus (Rom. 9:13-16).

If we are ever going to draw near to Jesus afresh—if we are going to enjoy the closeness of his presence—if we are going to rejoice in communion with Christ—we must be men and women of prayer (Jn. 15:7). We must depend upon the Lord. We must plead for him to do what we cannot do in our flesh. We must cry out to Him and take hold of his power! We must draw near to the throne of grace, asking and receiving in his name, and in his will (Heb. 4:16).

My prayer in the morning is often: Lord draw me near to Jesus, for apart from Him I can do nothing! (Jn. 15:5). Only as He imparts strength—only then will we ever walk closely with God. Only as we bathe ourselves in the means of grace—will we find grace to be near our Lord (1 Peter. 2:1-3). Only as we are in the green pastures, do we find the peace of our Good Shepherd (Ps. 23:1-3). And what happens when we are drawn by Him? What happens when we seek Him? What happens when His face shines upon us? The Bride then says:

The king has brought me into his chambers.

As Jesus draws us by the Spirit, He brings us into the shadow of the Almighty, into the secret of his presence, into the holy of holies, into the temple of the Lord God Almighty! When he draws us we begin to “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Ps. 27:4)—when he draws us we are led in repentance and godly sorrow, joined with faith and godly joy (Ps. 51)—when he draws us we are met with His mercy which triumphs over judgment (Jam. 2:13)—when he draws us we come to abide in Jesus, resting in His presence, enjoying his loveliness, and feasting on the rivers of his delights (Ps. 36:8)—when he draws us we get to sit in the shadow of his wings and sing for joy (Ps. 63:7)—when he draws us we are filled with reverence in the presence of the thrice Holy God (Isa. 6:3)—when he draws us we are also drawn into the fellowship of the saints, in public worship on the Sabbath, calling the Lord’s Day a delight and finding our delight in the Lord of the Sabbath (Isa. 58)—when he draws us he causes us to cry out: “whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever … For me it is good to be near God” (Ps. 73:25-26; 28). Oh to be with our Shepherd-King, in his chambers, in his temple, in his arms—in private worship, in family worship, in public worship—and all through the day, walking humbly with our God like Enoch of old.

Burrowes: In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; with him are durable riches and righteousness; he holds for us, in his right hand, a crown of glory that fadeth not away. No friendship is so intimate, reliable, honourable, and confidential, as that existing between Jesus and the soul of the saint.

This is the life of faith, this is the power of God, this is holy and happy communion with Jesus Christ, this is the leading of the Holy Spirit, this is when we come to enjoy the love of our God and Father (Ps. 1:1-3). Oh to experience the joys of the secret-place—to earnestly seek His face—to walk with the King who is reigning in our hearts by grace: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). This is the life of God in the soul of man. This is the foretaste of glory. “He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (Jn. 14:21). Oh to enjoy the manifestation of Jesus through the Word and by the Spirit—to stay near to Him whom our soul loves—with great delight, to sit in his shadow, and for his fruit to be sweet to our taste (Song. 2:3).

These verses then conclude with a summary of the people of God and their proper response to the love of Christ:

We will exult and rejoice in you; We will extol your love more than wine; Rightly do they love you.

But some of you don’t find any sweetness of Jesus—some of you don’t see anything attractive about our Lord and Saviour—some of you don’t love Jesus—some of you are blinded in your sins, hardened in heart, and enslaved to the vain and fleeting pleasures of this world. Until the Holy Spirit opens your mind and heart—you will never be able to taste the sweetness of Christ. Jesus himself said: “Truly , truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God … Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God … That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:3-6).

You who are devoid of the Spirit, dead in your sins, in rebellion against God, and in need of his mercy—you must cry out, you must plead with him, you must cast yourself upon the promises of the Gospel, you must repent of your sins, you must trust in the Lord Jesus Christ—you must experience the new-birth before you will ever be able to enjoy the new-delights of the bride of Christ. Only then will your heart overflow with rivers of living water by the Word and Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39). Only then will our hearts overflow with the pleasing them of the beauty and glory of our Redeemer-King (Psalm 45:1).

Do not give yourself rest, until you call upon the name of the Lord, are saved from your sins, and can agree with the Apostle Peter: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:8-9). Oh to be saved from hell, yes—but even greater to have God as our God, and to be his son or daughter—to have Christ as our Groom, and to be His Bride—come to Him, trust in Him, and find salvation this very day!

And for us who belong to Jesus already—some of you have been neglecting communion with Christ, and you are far from the joys of your first love. Oh that our God and Father would revive us, that we might rejoice in Him again! (Ps. 85:6)—don’t give yourself any rest until you too are keeping in step with the Spirit, and enjoying afresh the fullness of the Spirit as Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17)—fostering a sweet communion with God by the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life (2 Cor. 13:14). Let this weekend be a pivotal point in your walk with Jesus—“rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:12). Long for Him, return to Him, and rest your heart in Him.

(3) The Bride Longs and Desires to Enjoy Afresh her Walk with Christ - v. 4a

Now we come to our conclusion:

(C) Those who have Tasted the Sweetness of the Love of Christ cannot but Long to Enjoy more of the Presence of Christ.

As the old hymn sings:

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.

Dear name the Rock on which I build, my shield and hiding place, my never failing treasury filled, with boundless stores of grace.

Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend; my Prophet, Priest, and King; my Lord, my life, my way, my end; accept the praise I bring.

And so too do we cry out: draw us after you, Lord Jesus, by the irresistible grace of your Holy Spirit—cause us to walk in your statues—cause us to delight in your unsearchable riches—cause us to be filled with the aroma of Christ and his Gospel, for the advancement of your Kingdom, and the foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb.

(C) Those who have Tasted the Sweetness of the Love of Christ cannot but Long to Enjoy more of the Presence of Christ.

Amen, let’s pray.

Questions for Breakout Groups:

(1) Putting it in your own words, how do you think that the Song of Songs reveals the beauty of Jesus Christ to us?

(2) What makes the saving love of Christ so sweet to our souls? And how do we come to experience this love of Jesus?

(3) Why do we need the power of the Holy Spirit in order to truly see the glory of Jesus Christ?