Christ is the Greatest Portion of a Christian’s Life

Introduction

Opening Illustration - Redeeming Love: There is an old classic Christian fiction book titled Redeeming Love. And its the story of a woman with a very broken past. And she ends up marrying this husband who relentlessly pursued this unworthy woman. At every turn this husband is found forgiving her, loving her, pursuing her, and redeeming her story. At all of her failings, he meets her with love. When she runs away, he finds her. When she cheat, he forgives her. Well some years ago, this book was given to a friend of mine who is not a Christian, and she began to read it. She became obsessed with this book. Her husband who was also not a Christian was hearing about this book that his wife was reading, and the love of this husband towards his wife, and the husband actually began to get upset saying “Who is this man who would love a woman like that. You have to stop reading that because I could never live up to that.”

Personal: For men and women alike, can you imagine what it would be like to be loved like this? To have someone that no matter how bad you screw up, will still be there loving you, no matter how much you fail, will never fail you. What would this do to a life? What insecurities would be removed from your life if you knew you were loved like this?

Video: Today we begin a new sermon series studying the Old Testament book the Song of Solomon. Earlier this week I sent out a short video walking through my approach to this book. I suggest if you have not seen that yet, that you take a moment this week and watch it, as in there I explain and defend biblically why I approach this book the way I do.

Allegory: This book is one great love song between two lovers. And I believe that the proper way to interpret this book is primarily as allegory. In the gospels we discover that human marriage is among the most significant images God uses to explain and describe the relationship of Christ to his church. And so what better way to illustrate and showcase the Gospel of Jesus Christ, than an entire book that is a love song between a husband and a wife.

Big Idea: And so in today’s first sermon we get our opening taste of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the main idea I will try to drive home and display from this text is simply this. Christ, and his love, is the greatest portion of our life. Let us read our entire text in order to get a sense for the poetry of it.

Song of Solomon 1:1–2:7 “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. 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. I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept! Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds’…”

Textual

What Is It About?: This love song begins with this introduction in verse 1.

Song of Solomon 1:1 “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.”

Solomon: We notice two details in this first verse. First, this entire book, was written by Solomon. Solomon is the son of King David in the Old Testament. A little context on Solomon is important. Solomon, while he began his kingship in a wonderful way, had significant moral failings in his life. Specifically, he was a womanizer. In fact, the end of Solomon’s story in Scripture is that he married many foreign women, and ended adopting their pagan practices into his own. Women were nearly his downfall. The thing about Solomon is that we have to beleive that Solomon later in life had a bit of a personal reformation. Because he ultimately penned three books of the Bible. Many of our Proverbs are from Solomon. He wrote Ecclesiastes which speaks about the folly the various idols in life. And then he wrote this book, Song of Solomon, an allegory whose primary characters are a passionately in love husband and wife.

Song of Songs: Secondly, we note that this is “the Song of Songs.” This entire book is a song, which does well in keeping with the idea that it is an allegory. It is not intended to be a linear history of some relationship. But it is not just any song; it is the Song of Songs. In other words, this is the most significant, the most important, the chief song ever written. Every other song finds its ultimate truth, it’s “true north” in the shadow of this song. Indeed we must ask what earthly song could be so great as to be considered the song of songs. Certainly, it is the song that tells the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of his great love of his church, of his pursuit of her, his saving of her, his sealing of her for the day of redemption.

Kisses: The song begins with this overwhelming expression of the bride’s love for her husband. She speaks of his kisses, and how his love is better than wine. Remember, this is primarily allegory, and so we begin even with this first verse to ponder what can this be communicating about our relationship to Christ. What is a kiss, but a phsyical way of expressing and communicating love. The kisses of Christ are the extravagent ways that Christ has bestowed his love upon his. Notice, the “kisses” are plural, for indeed Christ does not just bestow his love on us in one way, but they are ongoing, like the kisses of a husband towards his precious bride. Do you not know the kisses of our Lord, how he has shown you his love over and over.

When he opens your mind to understand the word of God and you stand back and rejoice at Christ’s goodness, is this not his kiss upon you.

Is the great gospel of Jesus Christ, his death in our place, his love for us chasing us down dying on the cross, is this not one extravagent kiss offered to us. One display of his overwhelming love of our soul.

Yes, the Christian can eagerly join the bride in saying “Your love is better than wine.” Yes, wine is known to cheer’s men souls, but the love of Christ is better than wine. The Christian prizes the love of Christ above every other thing in their life that makes them happy.

Your name Like Oil: She goes on to boast of her King.

Song of Solomon 1:3 “… your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you.”

Who is this King whose name is like “oil poured out.” Here, the oil is like a perfume or a cologne. It is a fragrance that fills a room and and marks it with a particular presence, a lasting effect. Whose name is such grace that when it is poured it in a room it can lift everybody up? Whose name is powerful to bring joy to the downcast, and hope to the abandoned. It is the name that is above every name. This is none other than a direct reference to Christ, that name, that is so precious, it is like oil poured out into a room. The very name of Jesus Christ, when understood, ravishes the soul. The more a person inquires of Christ, the more the name itself becomes fragrant to them.

Draw Me After You: She goes on with these beautiful words,

Song of Solomon 1:4 “Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers.

Here we see the hidden of work of God in Christ. The bride already knows about the love of the King. But she desires the King to come and draw her into deeper and more intimate spaces. She wants to run with the king, in other words to move in a synchronized manner, of a marriage union, through life. But she cannot do it on her own. He must draw her. And she cries out, in love, “draw me after you. Let us run.” This is the heart of a Christian each and every day. We know we do not have in and of ourselves the capacity to follow Jesus and enjoy him to the degree that we were made for, and so each morning we cry out “Draw me after; let us run…” We don’t want a day without running alongside Christ, without cherishing Christ, without communing with Christ. But he must draw us, or we can have none of him.

I am Dark But Lovely (5-7): Now, if you jump with me to verse 5, we find the bride gives a description of herself. This is a very important section in this song, and it tells us something about the relationship of this bride and this groom.

Tents of Kedar: She says that she is “dark but lovely.”

Song of Solomon 1:5 “…like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.”

Kedar was the second son of Ishmael in the Old Testament. If you recall that history, the sons of Ishmael were destined to be a desert people inhabiting the lands of Arabia. The tents of Kedar were the tents of traveling bedouines. They were typically a dark brown color, made of goat’s hair, and somewhat rudely stretched out on four poles. You might think of something akin to a tepee in Native American history.

Song of Solomon 1:6 “Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!”

Then she immediately shows her shame over how she looks. This is not so much a commentary on the color of her skin, but it is a commentary on the fact that she is weather worn, like the outside of a tent. She spent the better portion of her life thus far working in the fields. She has calloused hands rougher skin. She’s expressing her unworthiness to be loved by the King.

Curtains of Solomon: But then she immediately contrasts this with Solomon’s curtains. Solomon was among the wealthiest of people on the planet during his life. His palace was magnificent. Leaders of nations would travel the world to see the wonders of Jerusalem underneath his rule. The curtains of solomon were kings curtains, no expense was spared. The colors were vibrant. The rings would have been made of silver. The curtains themselves would have been something to behold.

Groom’s Response: This is precisely what the Groom says next.

Song of Solomon 1:8–10 “… O most beautiful among women… I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.”

Most Beautiful Among Women: He doesn’t look at her weather-wornness for a moment. “Oh most beautiful among women.” In the eyes of this groom, she is not part unworthy and part worthy. He just sees beauty. He doesn’t bring up the fact that she has not “kept her vineyard in order.” No, he just sees beauty.

Pharaoh’s Chariots: He compares her to a “mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.” He corrects her. You are not like a tent of Kedar. You are like a mighty and stately mare among the horses of the king. The image of a horse brings about ideas of strength, stateliness, and courage. The Egyptian horses were known around the world as the greatest of horses. The groom looks at the bride and says “All I see when I look at you is beauty and courage and strength.”

Cheeks & Neck: Again, he looks at her and he sees how she is adorned with beauty and jewels to make her stand out. Here the groom is noticing not just her natural beauty, but her adorning. These are jewels that have been laid upon her, that make her dazzle among others.

Again we seet he groom’s similar language down in verse 15,

Song of Solomon 1:15 “Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.”

Doctrinal

The doctrinal idea I want to develop from this text is simple. “Christ is the greatest portion of a Christian life.” Whatever else we may achieve or gain in this life, pales in comparison to Christ and his love. From our text today, I think we can discover three reasons why.

1) Because Christ draws us when we are unable to draw ourselves. Recall verse 4, “Draw me after you; let us run. The King has brought me into his chambers.” Christ’s love is a drawing love. It is a magnetic love that pulls us out of our condition, and draws us towards him. The story of a Christian is the story of a person who was was cut off from God by their sin. Separated from God by a chasm that no man could cross. Ephesians 2 tells us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. But Christ came from us. He cross the chasm and pulled us from our condition.

Illustration - Sin as Quicksand: Sin in this regard may be thought of as quicksand. Our condition was that we were stuck up to our knees in quicksand. The harder we squirmed the deeper we sunk in the mire and clay. But when we had no hope, Christ came to us. He didn’t just stand on the side and reach over with a stick to pull us out. He dove into the quicksand himself, and gave his life in order to set us on firm ground.

There is no other love like this, it is a drawing love.

2) Because it overwhelms our weakness with adorning grace. In the wife’s words she understands her sin. She says in 6 that she is dark and the sun has looked upon her. She sees herself as unworthy to receive such unwavering love. Yes, this is our story. Our sin is deeper than we care to imagine. Our sin includes our actions, our emotions, our thoughts, our sense of identity, our worship, our relationships. Every facet of our life was stained by the mark of sin.

But Christ’s is an adorning love. He does not just declare his love for us but he adorns us with divine jewels. As in verse 10 the woman’s cheeks are draped with ornaments and her neck with strings of pearls. So does Christ adorn us. He showers us with marks of our new identity.

He grants us the Holy Spirit which is like a golden crown upon our head declaring us royalty.

He showers us with spiritual gifts which are like great rings upon our fingers, gifts from on high.

He marks us inwardly with a joy about our salvation and an eternal hope that is greater and bigger than all of our circumstances, and these things are like great and priceless pearls draped over us.

3) Because it is the love that flows from the most worthy of all subjects. In chapter 2 we read the following.

Song of Solomon 2:1 “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.”

While our translations have the heading “She” above those words, I’m not sure that is correct. I think these are the words of the King, King jesus. To know Christ is to know the greatest treasure in the world. Roses and Lilies are sweet smelling flowers, and Roses of Sharon were known as the best that were to be found. In other words, there is none comparable to Jesus.

Christ is not just a great king, He is the great king. His worth is more valuable than all the people and all the suns and all the stars put together. He is the Word made flesh, God incarnate. To be loved by Christ is to be loved by the maker of your soul.

4) Becuase it is an unfading love. Lastly, because it is an unfading love.

Song of Solomon 2:4 “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.”

“He brought me to the banqueting house.” The banqueting house is the place of the feast. It is the place of abundance. It is the place overflowing joy. When Christ pours his love upon you it is not in a small amount. It is a lavish overflowing banquet of love. No Christian is forced to drink of Christ’s love through a dripping faucet, we are placed under the Niagra falls and immersed in the furious waters of God.

“His banner of me was love.” This single line has caused me deep delight in the Lord. A banner is a symbol that describes a person. A banner is a physical symbol of the identity of a person. What is this person about. Who are they? In Christ, Jesus takes “his banner” and he places it over your life, and he declares you “loved.” Forever. This banner does not change. It is a declaration of whose you are. It is unfading. Forever secured.

“Christ is the greatest portion of a Christian life.

The Application

I would like to draw out one very clear application for us to take away. In chapter 2, the bride responds to the love of the King with these words

Song of Solomon 2:5 “Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.”

This bride is “sick with love.” She’s overwhelmed by the love of her King. She’s about to faint and needs raisins to keep her from passing out. There is an old quote that says,

“Where there has been a taste of God’s love, the soul cannot endure without it.”

Test Ourselves: Today, I want us examine ourselves. I want us to search our souls in this space together and ask if there is something of this kind of love of God in our own souls. We must be careful here, because as we will see throughout the rest of our study in Song of Solomon, the Christian life is not one ongoing continous season of overwhelming ecstasy in God. No, as sinful humans we often grow dull and are in need of sharpening once more. We often hold onto our idols and are in need of repentance. And yet, there is a sense as we read this chapter that we should seriously ask ourselves if we are marked as one totally enraptured by Christ. This is a question of desire in our heart. Do we desire the King, the way the bride in Song of Solomon desires her King. If Christ is our greatest portion, does our life reflect that reality?

Edwards’ Questions: Let me ask you some questions, that will help you discern whether or not Christ is your greatest portion.

Do you honestly delight in Christ? It is possible to come to church, serve in the kids ministry, and be known as a Christian without ever really delighting in Christ, without ever actually tasting of the overwhelming goodness of his love over you? Do you adore him? Has he captured your heart and mind? Do you find yourself ever sick with love?

What is the main reason in your heart that you desire to go to heaven after you die? An interesting question indeed. We all want to go to heaven. But ask yourself why. For the Christian who has tasted of the Love of Christ, the reason is because we want to be with him. We have tasted in part here, but we want to taste in full there. And were Christ in Hell, we would rather be in Hell with him, then in heaven without him.

If God appeared to you and said that no matter how you live or what you do you will go to heaven, would you choose to live the rest of your days in allegiance and reliance on Christ, or would you choose some other life? Once again, we probing our heart, to see if our love of God is significant as we claim it to be. How do we really want to walk in this life? Do we have such an overwhelming love of Christ that we would rather walk in the strictness of His counsel in order to walk with Him, then in the looseness of our own desires yet experience distance from him.

Those in Doubt: Now perhaps you hear these, and you are testing yourself, and doubts arise in your heart. And you say “I’m not confident those things are true of me.” I offer one more test. If you have believed in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sin, and as you heard those three questions to test yourself, there was some spark in you, that though you recognize your own weakness, you sense a spark of desire, a deep and perhaps even clouded longing to get to a place where you can say with confidence “Yes, Yes, Yes!” Then friend, that is a good sign that the God has begun a very powerful work in your life and that the seed of the gospel rests deeply in your soul. Your task before you now is to labor dilligently, by the power of the Holy Spirit to steadily and continually clear away the clutter. Like an explorer hacking his way through the jungle with a machete in order to get to the other side, we are to hack away at those idols and weeds that have sprouted up in our heart that hinder our walking with Christ.

Those Who Do Not Believe: And one final word, to those in this room that have not yet tasted of this love. I tell you today it is available to you. No matter your background, your story, your sins, God is holding out his hand to you, today. He is offering a surpassing love. It is a love that is not dependent on your performance, and how well you love back on any given day. The love God offers you today

Is a drawing love, pulling you towards himself.

It is an adorning love showering you in gifts.

It is a worthy love, flowing from the fountain of life itself.

It is an unfading love, that will never weaken or grow dim.

Closing

Indeed, Christ is the greatest portion of a Christian’s life.