Song of Songs 5:1

Read 4:16-5:1.

Last week our Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ, came right through His planted garden and He enjoyed some of its choicest fruits.

He enjoyed humility

He collected tears into His bottle

Conviction of sin

Rejoicing and Resting in Christ

He came and walked through that garden and delighted Himself in the praises of His people!

This is a picture of our text today in chapter 5.

The Lord hasn’t deserted this church, we’ve not been left with broken hedges that allows the wild beasts to destroy this garden.

But the Lord has sent a gracious rain.

He has quickened His seed and watered the plants of His garden and has made glad our hearts in His presence!

BIG IDEA. Here we have Christ Answering the prayers of His Church, Delighting in them and Inviting them to partake and commune with Him!

A. Christ RESPONDING to His Church

"I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride.” ()

Eat, friends! Drink, be intoxicated with caresses!” ()

Do you recall Jesus’s promise to those who love Him?

Remember in 4:16, the church refers to Christ as “my love” and rightly so, we love Jesus!

Here’s Jesus’s promise: "The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”” ()

So last week the Bride says, Awake and come wind of God’s Spirit and breath upon us and in v1 here is His answer!

What Christ does is He makes His church lovely! He plants good things in it,

and then stirs up in her good desires:

He both fits her to pray from an inward gracious disposition, and holy desires;

after which, Christ hearing the voice of His own Spirit in her, and

regarding His own preparations, He answers them graciously.

We glean from this and observe how ready God is to hear prayer!

How ready Christ is to accept the invitations that His people cry out to Him about.

And also how backwards we are in hearing His calls and accepting His invitations.

He freely condescends to our requests, but we’re so hesitant (at times) to ascend to Him! (slow)

Also notice He calls her ‘my sister, my bride’.

Christ comes to his garden—indeed, He says ‘I have come’, the sense being, ‘I am here already’, ‘I am come’.

He was present in His garden anyway, even though his presence was not felt.

He loves to answer such a request without delay, for it is not annoying to the Lord Jesus Christ to come to his own.

The church is His church.

Her graces are His graces.

Her life is His life.

In an expression of deep affection,

He combines once again the terms ‘sister’ and ‘bride’ of the one He loves.

He owns His people in the nearest and dearest relationships.

Look again at v1. “I have come to My garden”.

It would be awesome if He said I’ll send My angel to you guys!

But what an unspeakable blessing are the words: “I have come...”?

As His Word goes forth, Christ presence is in the midst of His people.

Christ hears His church for a couple reasons.

1. Our union with Christ.

Would to God that every one of us who knows the Lord Jesus would learn to live in the reality of our union with Him.

If only we would realize that regardless of our

personal failures,

imperfections, and

sins,

the merit of Jesus Christ encompasses and contains all of our service to Him.

What we do personally cannot increase or decrease God’s acceptance of us.

What we do as believers is pleasing and acceptable to God because

He always sees us together with His Son, His dearly Beloved.

Representatively, we’re in union with Christ.

You see God set it up so that what Adam did would effect the entire human race.

In the loins of that first man was the entire human race and when Adam sinned he earned something!

He earned death both for himself personally and for the entire human race corporately united to him.

The Scripture is emphatically clear: “In Adam all die” ().

God’s matchless, infinite grace is why there is a gospel.

Man needed a new representative who could and would fulfill the requirements for life.

God appointed His Son to that position.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One divinely chosen and qualified to be the Savior of sinners.

As the Scripture declares: “In Christ shall all be made alive” ().

Whereas by nature, all men in Adam are under the sentence of death,

by grace, all believers in Christ are alive.

The representative to whom we are united determines our eternal destiny.

And it’s our being in union with our representative, the Lord Jesus Christ, is why God delights to hear our prayers!

In John’s gospel, Jesus gives this extended metaphor about the vine and it’s branches.

It’s a comparison that centers on a Vine, which is Jesus and how the Vine produces fruit from its branches (which are believers).

Jesus makes this connection of being in Him, our prayers and our fruitfulness like this:

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.” ()

This is why the Word of God is the center piece of our gatherings!

The union together is us remaining in Him by His words remaining in us.

Where the word of Christ dwells richly there Christ dwells.

The word is to be our constant guide as Christ oversees His flock through the word, if it be in us as at hom, then truly we remain in Him.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.” ()

Our relationship with Christ didn’t originate with us but with Christ that chose us!

It was the favor of Christ and His sweet grace, not their own wisdom and goodness in choosing their Master.

They were appointed (not to sit in a church pew or to beat the air), but to “go and produce fruit”!

Those in union with Christ are fruitful!

But it’s the amazing last part I draw your attention to.

“whatever you ask the Father in My Name, He will give you.”

Praise the Lord we have a God to go to that we call Father!

And we go to Him in a good name, specifically “in Jesus Name”.

We’re able to come boldly to God’s throne according to God’s will

and there we plead that we’re related to Him!

We’re one with Christ!

So go back to the Song.

It’s the offering up of prayer in His delectable name is what burns the incense, which sweetens its odors.

This is what allows Christ to say what He says in chapter 2:14.

"My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”

A dove. It’s a sign of beauty, "... the wings of a dove are covered with silver, and its feathers with glistening gold.” ()

Because the believer is washed in Christ’s blood, clothed with Christ’s righteousness,

sanctified by His grace and His Holy Spirit,

adorned with the beauty of holiness,

having Christ’s own beauty put upon us, being united to Him by faith.

2. Our Election in Christ.

Our Election in Christ.

Our prayers are heard because we are chosen in Christ.

Because we’re the choice of God the Father, who has given us to the Son ().

The desires of the church in union with Christ, chosen in Christ, desires in which the indwelling Spirit stirs up inside us are delightful to Christ.

Praying for one another is always accepted because they are prayers for His beloved people.

___________________________________

Just a couple more thoughts concerning God hearing our prayer from our text.

Notice in 5:1 that we find the personal presence of Christ, “I have come”.

It’s personal and certain, “Truly I am,” says Christ, “in your midst beloved Church!”

Consider now, that Jesus is come into the church,

that He is now going His rounds among you, and marking your feelings towards Him;

He knows to-day who is in fellowship with Him, and who is not;

he discerns between the precious and the vile.

He never comes without the winnowing fan when He visits His threshing floor;

beware if you be as the chaff!

Note also, He says, “I have come to My garden”

A church that is not Christ’s church shall have none of his presence,

and a soul that is not Christ’s has no fellowship with Him.

If he reveal Himself at all, it is unto His own people,

His blood-bought people, the people that are

His by purchase and by power, and

by the surrender of themselves to Him as Lord.

Brothers and sisters, we’ve seen many come and profess Christ and walk away.

Let us not be so downcast if certain portions of the labor in the garden don’t seem to succeed.

He will tend to it! “by Christ’s hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.” ().

Let us be hopeful and confident, in that the Master will surely come and smile upon His garden!

B. Christ DELIGHTING in His Church

I gather my myrrh with my spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk.” ()

It was not altogether unusual for wine and milk to be mixed and drunk together

(and it cannot be forgotten that the two are mentioned side by side in the glorious gospel invitation of

to ‘come, buy wine and milk without money and without price’).

The gathering, eating and drinking indicate that the picture is of a celebration, a feast, a banquet.

Evidently such gatherings are often held in gardens in the east,

so the figure is a very natural one given the Song’s background.

There is also a strong savour of the words of Christ to the church at Laodicea:"...If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ()

The point of the verse so far is clear.

The Lord Jesus more than delights to answer prayer (of the nature) that has been expressed, and

takes pleasure (wonder of wonders) in coming to hearts that desire him and have been made ready to receive Him.

That pleasure

(see how he accommodates himself to his people by explaining his delights in being with his own)

by explaining his delights in being with his own)

This pleasure He likens to the delights of a man

dwelling in a beautiful garden,

walking amid its delicious perfumes and fragrances, and

tasting its sweet and healthful fruits.

What is such a pleasure to Christ should also provoke great delight and enjoyment to His own.

The ‘myrrh with My spices.’ these are the sweet perfumes, offered by way of incense to God.

What if I say that prayer is like sweet-smelling myrrh, and that the Beloved has been gathering

the myrrh of holy prayer,

the Beloved has been gathering the myrrh of holy prayer,

and the bitter myrrh of repenting sighs and cries,

and the bitter myrrh of repenting sighs and cries,

in the midst of this church the last year or so?

Perhaps you thought that wordless prayer, which was not heard by anyone, but Jesus gathered it and called it spice.

When some sister was praying for the salvation of her husband and in silence your tear fell hard for that perishing man!

When praying for the lost, you cannot endure nor when Christ’s name should be blasphemed,

our Beloved, the Lord Jesus, gathers up those precious drops because they are of the sweetest aroma to Him!

Then there is the grace of brotherly love or Christian love, which sweetens all the other graces.

“I eat my honeycomb with my honey.”

Jesus finds great delight in the love of His people.

He delights in both the inward love which is like the honey, and

the outward manifestations of it, which is like the honeycomb!

Or think of it like this. The honey is good tasting and the honeycomb isn’t.

This is Christ taking the imperfections as well as that which is pleasing and eats them both!

“I eat my honeycomb with my honey.”

As he looks upon His people, and sees what He has done for them,

the heart of Christ rejoices in what His grace has accomplished.

When Jesus Christ, remembering what His people were,

and He sees in them

displays of grace,

desires after holiness,

self-denials,

communion with God, and the like,

this is to Him like honey.

He doesn’t just eat but He drinks wine with milk too!

“I drink my wine with my milk.”

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

I drink my wine with my milk.

Think of the grape as representing those actions resulting from meditating upon scripture,

with dedication and deep spiritual thought.

Grapes that come from the vine with labor and preserved with care, there must be skill, and work and forethought put upon it.

Milk is a natural production. It flows freely, plentifully, and spontaneously, it too is precious but it’s more ordinary.

This is the entire Christian life is delighted in by Christ.

Now let me get us to the root level as to why Christ delights in these things.

I refer to the little word, “My”.

8x’s in v1 we find “my”.

"I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride. I gather my myrrh with my spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk....” ()

Here is the reason for the delight which the bridegroom finds in his church.

Does he walk in the church as people do in a garden for pleasure?

Then he says, “I am come into my garden.”

Does he talk with his beloved?

It is because he calls her “my sister, my bride.”

Does He love her prayers and praises?

It is because they never would be prayed or praised if he had not created these fruits of the lips.

He doesn’t say, “I have gathered your myrrh with your spice.”

So if He finds any honey is you today, any true love in you, understand He first put it there.

"We love because he first loved us.” ()

Do you have repentance today?

That was His gift to you as well! "... they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life ...”” ()

DO you have faith today?

Yep, another precious gift as well! says that “it has been granted to you on Christ behalf…to believe...”.

But just to protect us from just sitting back on our high horses you’ll notice that our Lord feeds first.

“I have eaten” and “I drink” and then He turns to us and says, “Eat friends! Drink...”

If any of you seek to delight our Wellbeloved, you must commence by preparing Him a feast.

Remember our Lord’s own parable:

"“Which one of you having a servant tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? "Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’?” ()

Christ Hearing His Church

Christ Delighting in His Church and then we have...

C. Christ INVITING His Church

“Eat, friends! Drink, be intoxicated with caresses!” ()

The things that bring pleasure to Christ should also provoke great delight and enjoyment to us who belong to Him.

He desires all whom he has called his friends to share his joy (compare , especially verses 11 and 15).

He is never fully satisfied at his own feast until all his friends are feasted also.

Then secondly, referring once more to quoted above, the importance of the individual aspect of ‘if anyone’, thus serving as a reminder of the necessity of each individual believer being careful to maintain unbroken and unsullied communion with Christ, and not being able to hide behind ‘the church’ or blame others if all is not well with their souls in this respect.

While the Lord Jesus Christ has been anointed by God ‘with the oil of gladness more than (his) companions’ (),

He would have His companions (those, ‘he is not ashamed to call (his) brethren’, ) rejoice with Him.

There is no over-extravagance in the language in 5:1b, for there is never any danger of overdoing the communion between Christ and his church.

God’s provision of salvation in the gospel is itself described in terms of a feast, as some of Christ’s parables,

with their gracious offers and invitations.

Friends! When our Lord Jesus fed 5000 at once they did all eat and were filled.

Christ invites all His friends to the wine and milk which he himself drinks of: "“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost!” ()

Eat friends! Christ has plenty provisions for all our poor souls!

"For he has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” () There’s enough for all of us!

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” () "And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:” ()

Christ desires for rejoice and feast with Him!!

On the table of the Lord we find a rich abundance of His Holy Word, where we find

the Bread of Life— His body and blood, and

all the discoveries of redeeming love

revealing the deep humility and condescension

so that Christ might represent us, redeem us, and save us.

He has prepared and provided for His people"...a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine.” () "They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream.” () "How happy is the one you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.” ()

"They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream.” ()