The Sacred Journey E-Book

Brian Simmons

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: The Passion Translation Devotional Commentaries
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 392

Beschreibung

To some, the Song of Songs is a simple love story of a man and a maiden. But for those with enlightened hearts, it becomes the key that unlocks the treasure chest of God's divine love. No other portion of Scripture has such power to reveal the journey of those longing to know Jesus like the Song of Songs, Solomon's great prophetic epic that Jesus himself sings over you. The Holy Spirit has hidden within the Song of Songs an amazing journey. Unlock this mystery as you read The Sacred Journey, a verse-by-verse commentary on the Song of Songs that will lead every hungry soul to discover God's fiery heart of love.

Leseprobe

THE SACREDJourney

God’s Relentless Pursuit of Our Affection

By Brian & Candice Simmons

Published by BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLCRacine, Wisconsin, USAwww.broadstreetpublishing.com

Copyright © 2015 Brian & Candice Simmons

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5080-7 (paperback)ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5081-4 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

For permission requests, go to www.broadstreetpublishing.com/permissions.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from Song of Songs: Divine Romance, John: Eternal Love, Proverbs: Wisdom from Above, Hebrews and James: Faith Works, Letters from Heaven: By the Apostle Paul, Pslams: Poetry on Fire, and the passage from Zephaniah, The Passion Translation®, copyright © 2014, 2015. Used by permission of BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC, Racine, Wisconsin, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible, which is in the public domain.

Cover and interior design by Chris Garborg at www.garborgdesign.comInterior typesetting by Katherine Lloyd at www.TheDESKonline.com

Printed in the United States of America

15/9–1

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Kiss of God

Chapter 2: Your Life Vision

Chapter 3: He Calls Us Lovely

Chapter 4: God’s Illogical Love

Chapter 5: The Radiant One

Chapter 6: We Will Enhance Your Beauty

Chapter 7: Like a Bundle of Myrrh

Chapter 8: His Divine Affection

Chapter 9: The Rose of Sharon

Chapter 10: The House of Wine

Chapter 11: Time to Arise

Chapter 12: Love Calls Her Higher

Chapter 13: Embraced in Her Weakness

Chapter 14: Your Voice Is Sweet

Chapter 15: Her Painful Refusal

Chapter 16: Lessons from the Night Season

Chapter 17: The Chariot of Love

Chapter 18: A Sacrifice Ready to Be offered

Chapter 19: I Will Go with You

Chapter 20: The Ravished Heart of Jesus

Chapter 21: His Private Paradise

Chapter 22: A Cry for More

Chapter 23: The Splendor of the Bridegroom

Chapter 24: The Door of Your Heart

Chapter 25: A Dream

Chapter 26: Holy Desire

Chapter 27: Fully His

Chapter 28: Jesus Overwhelmed

Chapter 29: His Cherished Companion

Chapter 30: Delighted with Her Beauty

Chapter 31: Pleasing to the Son of God

Chapter 32: Her Deep Feelings of Love

Chapter 33: Come Away

Chapter 34: Her Love Grows Bold

Chapter 35: The Fiery Seal of Love

Chapter 36: The Bride Intercedes

Chapter 37: The Happiest of Endings

INTRODUCTION

Come with us on the sacred journey—a wonderful, mysterious journey into the passionate heart of Jesus Christ. Incomprehensible in its fullness, we will walk together through a devotional study of the Song of all Songs. You are about to be touched by the greatest prophetic song ever composed. It is not simply the greatest song of Solomon’s, but it is the greatest song of all songs. Solomon wrote 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32), but nothing can compare to this masterpiece of divine love.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the lyrics of this song are written to change and transform your very being. Jesus Christ will be revealed as the heavenly Bridegroom, the love of God made Man. You will see Jesus as the refiner and His love as the flame—making us into pure gold that reflects His glory and His passions.

We discover in this song the power of affirming words that are spoken into our destiny. Many will tell you what is wrong with your life, but only Jesus brings you words of love when you feel you are at your worst. Your guilty accusations are drowned out by His words of endearment. Every chapter will overflow with truths that make you wonder if they’re simply too good to be true.

But first, it is important to grasp the story line of the Song of Songs. It is much more than a book of erotica, as so many have limited its meaning, reducing it to a manual for sexual pleasure in the context of marriage. However, the greatest pleasure of all is walking in intimacy and tenderness with Jesus Christ. He brings a sweeter song with greater pleasures than anything we can ever experience in this life. His pleasures delight the human spirit and fill our hearts with bliss.

You are the one who is loved by Jesus in this story. Be careful not to miss that and assume the lyrics of this love song are for someone else, somehow excluding you. You are the Shulamite, while Jesus is the King. The Hebrew root word for Solomon and the Hebrew root word for Shulamite is one and the same word—one is masculine while the other is feminine. When you believe and follow Jesus, you are one with Him, for the one who joins himself to Jesus is one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17).

Within the pages of The Sacred Journey lies the heartbeat of Jesus Christ. His passion, His jealous love, His longing to make you completely His—these are the noble themes of this story. Embrace it as your own today. Jesus wants to share His life and His throne with you. But the preparation to make you fit for a King is surprisingly unique. He prepares His bride by convincing her of His love for her, even in her weakness. You will find no angry exhortation here, and no exasperation at her failures. He doesn’t shame you into maturity, but loves you into the fullness of your destiny. He puts a crown upon your head and watches you grow up to fit it.

HOW TO INTERPRET THE SONG OF SONGS

There are at least three basic schools of thought for interpreting the meaning of Solomon’s greatest song. God is so complex and fascinating that He has embedded in this divine allegory multiple meanings. Perhaps each could be considered as valid and helpful for our lives. But I believe the greatest way to interpret it lies in our relationship with the heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, let’s take a brief look at each of these three schools of thought.

1. The Natural Interpretation (Validating Human Sexuality)

Those who adhere to this approach view the Song of Songs as God’s endorsement of our sexuality, especially as it relates to a husband and wife in the context of marriage. Although it is possible to glean some help through the metaphors and symbols of this interpretive model, it comes far short of reflecting the fullness of God’s beauty within the Song of Songs.

Keep in mind that Solomon had multiple wives and concubines, affairs with women who were not his wife. To make Solomon’s greatest song simply one of his many polygamous affairs is not a perfect model in which to interpret the Song of Songs. Indeed, if that is the true way to view his book, making human sexuality the highest song, the greatest song ever composed by the wisest man on earth, we are left wanting more.

The earliest records of church history reveal that the fathers of our faith wholeheartedly believed that the Song of Songs is in the middle of our Bible as a literary “Holy of Holies,” with the highest theme found in all of God’s Word. That highest theme is the story of divine romance, the sacred journey into the fiery passions of the love of God. Of course, God has created man and woman with sexual needs and desires, but He has also made us living spirits who are able to commune intimately with Him. That union and communion is a more fitting approach to viewing this parabolic masterpiece.

2. Jewish Historical Interpretation(Validating God’s Love for Israel)

This school of thought interprets the Song of Songs as a powerful description of God as the Bridegroom and Israel as the one chosen and loved (Jer. 2:2; Hos. 2:16–20). To understand the layers of Solomon’s greatest song requires that we pause and look deeply into God’s heart for the people He has chosen—the people of Israel. However valid this model of interpretation is, it is limiting in scope to only Israel, thus missing the entire unfolding of revelation in the New Testament to the people of God. The God who “so loved the world” has given us treasures in every Old Testament book that are meant for every believer today—God’s all-encompassing love of Jew and Gentile has been expressed by the life, work, and Spirit of Christ.

3. The Allegorical Interpretation(Validating Jesus’s Love for His Bride)

This figurative approach to interpreting the lyrics of Solomon’s song requires the unveiling of our hearts and the unveiling of God’s wisdom. To see in the symbols a higher reality, a glory tucked inside of metaphors and allegorical terms, will reveal the heart of Jesus Christ to us in ways never seen before.

Solomon was a king, but Jesus is a King greater than Solomon. The Shulamite fell in love with this King, not merely the earthly king who was named Solomon. Let the symbols and emblems disappear as you watch the reality of Christ’s love for us manifest. Each phrase is a picture for us, full of color, vibrant truth, and poetic nuance. It is important that the story of our sacred journey unfold before us, to know and love the King of the universe in this way. This is the approach we have taken in unfolding the truths of divine romance in this book. We pray you will find the substance of Christ’s unending love for you in each verse and on every page.

THE STORY HIDDEN IN THE SONG OF SONGS

So what is the story line and how does it impact our life? There is a story embedded within the story. It is a parable hidden inside a parable. It causes us to peer and ponder with a holy curiosity before it will yield its meaning.

The Holy Spirit wants to unfold this book to you as an allegory of Solomon and the Shulamite—how a king takes a “nobody” and makes her into the princess bride. Using deeply symbolic language, Solomon has composed this sacred journey to help every tenderhearted reader see the love of a greater king than Solomon, the love of God as seen in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love meets us at each step of the journey. We are tested, yet affirmed. Trials surround us, but so does His strong arms of love and compassion. The Shulamite fails Him, and so do we at times, but nothing can diminish the love of our Bridegroom for us—the love that keeps us and sustains us. It is the story of the ages—the greatest love story ever told and put into music with lyrics—that will change your concepts of God and His love for you. It is the story of the Shulamite and the King.

Jesus is the King of Glory who is first seen in the book as a kind Shepherd. You are the Shulamite, beloved follower of Jesus Christ, for you are the one He sings His song over each and every day. This may in fact be the song of the Lamb that will be heard in heaven, which is sung by a multitude of those who have conquered the “beast” of our old life (Rev. 15:3).

Along the way of the sacred journey, you will see the Shulamite surrounded by friends, known as the daughters of Zion. These are the brides-to-be, those not yet ready to enter into their own experience of flaming passion for Jesus, but they will one day. These ladies-in-waiting will, at the end of the Shulamite’s journey, cry out for the “kiss” for themselves. This begins another cycle of loving devotees of Jesus.

The book ends where it begins, with another company of lovers who cry out for the “kiss” of His divine love. As they watch the tender love of the King for His beloved, they want it too.

We will also see in the plot of this divine drama the emergence of the “watchmen,” or caretakers, which point to the spiritual overseers who have guided us, helped us in our personal journey, and led us deeper into God’s ways. Sadly, there is an episode where the watchmen hurt the bride, wound her, and take away their covering from her. Spiritual jealousy always turns one against another.

So we encourage you to read The Sacred Journey as though you were overhearing a duet sung by you and your Lord Jesus right there in your home. These words will free your heart to live with tender first-love devotion to Him. Whether you are a man or a woman, young or old, you can see in this story a beautiful example of how your love will mature with bridal affection for the Son of God until one day its flames consume you.

We believe that a study of the Song of Songs has the potential to light a divine fire within your soul. The Holy Spirit is giving us glimpses of a higher realm for us to live in—the realm of divine romance. May you enter in and experience this sacred journey for yourself.

Brian and Candice Simmons

CHAPTER 1

THE KISS OF GOD

The Lord your God has arrived.

He’s inside of you even now.

What wealth and mighty power he brings you—saving you and giving you victory.

He will take such delight in you that it will make him leap for joy, twirl and spin, even shout with great gladness!

You will be his feast of joyful pleasure!

Yes, he will renew you with his love.

(Zephaniah 3:17)

Open your heart today as the Holy Spirit calls you to take a bold step into the sacred journey of His love and passion. This is the journey into the flaming heart of Jesus Christ, and it will lead you into the pathway of the Shulamite bride. Along the way you will be blessed and broken, familiar with failure, cherished and challenged. Yet in the end you will be consumed with Him—His love and compassion and tender affection toward you.

The Lord is calling His people into the flames of divine romance. We are His bride, not just His worker bees. Our hearts must be stirred by every new glimpse we see of the love of Jesus. Are you ready to come along on the journey of discovery of the flaming heart of God?

The most amazing song of all, by King Solomon. (1:1)

The Song of Songs is a divine opera, the most powerful piece of music ever written. It is a song written by King Solomon almost three thousand years ago—a song that tells an incredible story of love. It is incredible because it’s yours. It has been included in the Bible to lead you into the flaming heart of Jesus Christ. Once you’ve heard the music, nothing else can make you dance. So the sacred journey begins with a cry from a passionate heart:

Smother me with kisses—your Spirit-kiss divine. (1:2)

This is what every heart cries out for—the divine kiss to consume their soul. The “Spirit-kiss” is a metaphor that speaks of sacred intimacy with Jesus Christ. The most powerful gift God can give to the human spirit is His kiss. Kisses from God impart the deepest longings that could ever be given to the human spirit. His divine kiss is the only answer of why we are here on the earth. It is what made Adam, the man of clay, into a living expression who was created in the image of God. Dust and deity mingled when the Maker kissed His Spirit-breath into Adam.

Your Creator knows that true transformation comes by a relationship—a powerful relationship with Christ where love’s torrent covers your sin and makes you lovely in His sight. Jesus never comes to scare us into submission, but He woos us into intimate friendship with Him. God delivered His transforming truth and the grace for change in a relational package—the person of His Son. Grace has a face, and His face is smiling toward us each and every day.

Walls that keep us from intimacy must come down. We can no longer hide behind a wall of our ugly and demeaning feelings about ourselves. Jesus sees in us a suitable companion that will flood His heart with joy for all eternity. We need to fill our mind with the truth of how God sees us. Others will always judge us by our greatest weakness, but God sees the glory of His Son shining in us. Our hearts tell us we’re not worthy: “I am a bad person in so many ways.” But we need to remember this: the love of our King has stepped out of eternity. It is not a momentary thought or simply a mood God has at moments throughout history—it is eternally ours in Christ Jesus. Since His love is an eternal love, it will not end the first time we fail either. Since His love endures forever (Ps. 118:1), then we can enjoy all of it we can.

Smother me with kisses—your Spirit-kiss divine. (1:2)

There are places in your heart that will only be healed by divine romance. So run into Abba’s arms today and abandon yourself completely to Him. If you could ask for anything in prayer today, this is what you should ask for: “Smother me with kisses—your Spirit-kiss divine.” Notice the Shulamite doesn’t ask for a sermon or for success or for Him to tell her how great she is. She doesn’t ask for a reward or for information; and she doesn’t even ask for a miracle. She simply wants to be kissed by the King.

Don’t think of Jesus actually kissing you on the mouth when you read this; rather, think of God awakening your heart with His power and love. Think of God’s Spirit falling on you with a fresh passion to know your Bridegroom-King. This kiss from the King is a metaphor of intimacy with Jesus, a heavenly kiss that awakens the human Spirit to His affections toward us. A Spirit-kiss comes to us each time we open our hearts to the Word of God and draw close to Jesus.

God does not wait until you are perfect before He enjoys you. In fact, He loves the weak, the immature, and those who feel incomplete. Think of Jesus placing a crown on your head and then watching you grow up until you fit into it. He calls you a hero before you ever act nobly. Today, Jesus smiles at the thought of you. He is the Lover of your soul. You really are His personality type, for He made you in His image. A kiss is one of the tenderest expressions of love known to humanity. Every person in the world can understand its meaning, regardless of gender, race, or culture. A kiss is the first thing we give to our newborn as he or she enters the world and the last thing we do with a loved one who is leaving this life. The longing for a kiss is deep in the heart of every human being. We all want the tender show of affection from others, but would Jesus love us that much? The words of His mouth are the superior pleasures of life. His heavenly kiss is not the joining of mouth to mouth, but the joining of God with humanity.

With God’s friend Moses, God spoke “face-to-face” (Num. 12:8). But in the Hebrew language, it actually says that God spoke “mouth to mouth.” God spoke to Moses “mouth-to-mouth.” This is the kiss of His Word to our spirits. It is the longing of the soul to be united to the Word of God, to be touched by the heavenly.

The bondage of the church is about to be broken by a kiss of divine love. Divine romance will melt away the distance and fear that has hindered His bride for so long. We cry out to Abba and say, “Let Your Son, the Son of Your splendor, let Him kiss me with the kisses of His Word. Let Him kiss me with His kisses of affection, with His kisses of mercy, and with His kisses of forgiveness.

In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), we find a father who ran to his wayward son when he returned, hugging his neck and kissing him. In the Greek text it is in a verb tense that suggests that he kept on kissing him, not just kissed him once. Aren’t you glad that our Father loves the one who stayed and loves the one who strayed? Let the Lord kiss you over and over again until you can’t take any more.

“Let Him kiss me”—not just His prophets. It must be the impartation of His words flowing from His mouth into mine (Ps. 119:131). I don’t need a messenger or an angel, but Him. Not interpretations from His teachers, but the Word that comes from His mouth. “Let Him kiss me”—the one beloved of His Father, kissed by His Father. When the Father kisses the Son, it imparts the depths of infinite love, transcending anything known on earth. When the Son kisses me, His complete love fills me with a knowledge and depth of revelation that can’t be fathomed. When the Son of God kisses me with the Word of God, I am changed forever, never to be the same again.

Furthermore, “let Him kiss me.” I have watched the wonderful way He loves others, but would He bring His kisses to me? I don’t want others to tell me about His love, I want to experience it for myself.

So kind are your caresses, I drink them in like the sweetest wine! (1:2)

The Shulamite’s cry for kisses brought Him near. She prayed to the Father that the King would come with kisses. He appears before her and now she speaks to him directly: “So kind are your caresses, I drink them in like the sweetest wine!” The love of Jesus is the most pleasurable thing to the human heart. Nothing is more delightful. Nothing can compare to the caresses of His love.

There is a wordplay in the Hebrew here, similar to a pun. The word for “kisses” and the word for “take a drink (of wine)” is nearly the same word. The implication, as seen by ancient expositors, is that God’s lovers will be inebriated with His love, by the intoxicating kisses of His mouth. Wine is a symbol of the pleasures of this world (Ps. 104:15). His better-than-wine love is more pleasurable than any blessing known on earth. The wine of this world cannot touch me like His love. The pleasures of His love are pure and clean. The joys of a thousand worlds cannot compare to the joy of being with Christ. If only people knew there was a sweeter, cooler fountain to drink from. It is far more refreshing than anything this world has to offer—this intoxicating love of Christ. Haven’t you found His love delightful to the depths of your soul?

Drink in this love, drink deeply of the passions of His heart. Receive this mystery deep in your heart: God loves you in the same way that God loves His Son. The measure of the Father’s love and affection for Jesus is the measure of Jesus’s love for us: “I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. Let my love nourish your hearts” (John 15:9).

The love of the Father for His Son in all its intensity is the same love the Father has for you. This is the ultimate statement of your worth. Jesus left everything to make you His own. Can you drink in the sweetness of that thought? Unmerited love! He has loved you freely, without requiring anything in you to attract such love. He sought you, He bought you, and He brought you back to Himself. You can say to your Friend, “So kind are your caresses, I drink them in like the sweetest wine.”

The Shulamite is seeing the absolute truth of this in her life. All is empty apart from Him. Eternal love has gripped her heart. She will no longer be led astray by the pleasures of an empty world. The divine kiss has caused her to forget all that is in the world. Fullness has overwhelmed her. She must know this love that is better than the wine of love that He pours out for her. Do you want to know this better-than-wine love?

Your presence releases a fragrance so pleasing—over and over poured out.

For your lovely name is “Flowing Oil.”

No wonder the brides-to-be adore you. (1:3)

When you truly understand the personality of Jesus Christ, then you will find Him to be like the most pleasing fragrance. The cologne of His compassion—what can compare to it? Can you smell His fragrance, sweeter than the rose? The fragrance of His presence is so pleasing, so winsome and inviting. It speaks of who He is, what He thinks, and what He feels. This is the fragrance of His beautiful personality—His internal qualities of love and gentleness will capture you, just like the Shulamite. She is swept off her feet, lost in the fragrance of God. She is beginning to understand the emotions of His heart.

Jesus’s lovely personality is filled with passion for His people. How pleasing He is to the troubled and tested ones. His personality is filled with loving desire. He evaluates our lives with such kindness. Because of who Jesus is, how He feels, and how He processes life, He sees loveliness in us.

The Shulamite says that His presence releases

a fragrance so pleasing—over and over poured out. (1:3)

To smell His fragrance, you must be close to Him. The Shulamite has drawn near and is touched by His sweetness. She can tell by His countenance, by the look in His eyes, how much He enjoys her and longs to be with her. She has never seen such love expressed before. His smile beams with love. His thoughts of her are powerful yet kind. His invisible sweetness has touched her (Luke 7:47). Who would not want to sit at His feet and pour out on Him the adoration of worship?

The loving ways of Jesus are like the most pleasing perfume. We must no longer hold thoughts about God in our hearts that are not true. The key that unlocks the heart is to understand this wonderful and fragrant personality of Jesus. Can you feel the pleasure of His kiss? Can you taste His sweet wine? Can you smell the fragrance that is poured out from His presence?

Just saying His name is like opening the finest flask of costly oil. Jesus. His name touches us deeply. His character is revealed in that name. His name speaks of His works, His deeds, His character, and His leadership. Just to think of Him opens our hearts to the sweetness of true love. Jesus’s deeds are lovely and wise, appearing as fragrant oils. The Shulamite is now realizing how wise and good He is with those who love Him. She cannot be offended with the one who is perfect in all His ways. He knows what is best, He does what is best, and He always works in wisdom. He is truly more desirable than any other.

For your lovely name is “Flowing Oil.” (1:3)

The name of Jesus is oil in the Father’s hand, and that oil is poured out over us. His is the only name the Father has poured forth. Poured out at Calvary. Poured out at Pentecost. Poured out on me and poured out on you.

When His name is poured out like oil or perfume, the lost become passionate lovers of God. The anointing for ministry is found in the poured out name of our Beloved. Mary of Bethany poured out the perfume of love on Jesus’s feet until the fragrance filled the house. Healing is in His perfume, His lovely name. Our love covenant with Him gives us the right to use the power of His name to bless the nations. Say to your Beloved: “Let Your lovely name be poured out upon me, Lord Jesus!”

No wonder the brides-to-be adore you. (1:3)

This can also be translated as “how right they are to adore You!” Who are these “brides-to-be” who are following the Shulamite so closely? They are believers who have yet to be gripped with holy passion for the Son of God. They are sincere and true believers, but they are immature in their love. This entire story is the saga of how the brides-to-be, following the King from a distance and watching the way of a Man with a maiden, become Shulamites and begin their pursuit of the Bridegroom. The book will end where it begins…another Shulamite will arise and cry out for a kiss from the King.

No wonder we adore Him, for Jesus cherishes the immature and weak believers. We must have more songs to sing about His love. The world must know that Jesus is a friend to the sinful one. “Lord, no wonder our hearts swell at the mention of Your name! To see You is to love You. How worthy You are, Prince of Glory, to receive the love of all.” This divine song will awaken you to pursue your divine Friend. Plead with Him to reveal more of His endless love to your heart, so that you may give it all back to Him.

No wonder the brides-to-be adore you. (1:3)

Jesus is everything that righteousness stands for. He is the perfect example of manhood, perfection, grace, and uprightness. Those who are upright in heart will see in Him their perfect model and spouse. How right it is to abandon our lives to Him. Do you adore Him? Are you passionate about Him?

Pray this prayer today: “Lord Jesus, I see now that You are infinitely kind—kinder than I have ever imagined You to be. Your willingness to walk with me and love me has completely changed me. I thank You for the changes I’m beginning to see in me while on this sacred journey. I want to know the power of Your love until I can love others with the same love You have for me. Amen.”

CHAPTER 2

YOUR LIFE VISION

Draw me into your heart and lead me out.

We will run away together into your cloud-filled chamber. (1:4)

The call of God burning in your heart today is more than just a desire to “do something” for God. It is the uncontainable, unstoppable passionate longing to meet with the Lover of your soul and hear His heartbeat for your life. Here is the prayer of awakened desire: “Draw me into your heart and lead me out.” The Shulamite is asking to be drawn away in sacred intimacy with the King—drawn out of her comfort zone, drawn away from sin and self, into the loving arms of her Beloved.

Nothing else can satisfy the thirst she feels for her Lover. She is ready to make a break from everything else to follow Him alone. In spite of her weakness, she longs to be drawn to Him and to be taken away from all that is unclean and impure. She has tasted His Spirit-kiss and the fragrance of His anointing, but she longs to be drawn with even greater power and glory. Is this your cry today?

When we ask to be drawn after the Son of God, we are asking that He be exalted to the highest place in our hearts. The maiden recognizes that spiritual growth is a response to God’s drawing love as it tugs at her heart. None of us seek God apart from His tender influence on our spirits (John 6:44), first drawing us toward Him. His touch draws us to His heart, as He longs for us to know Him as He truly is.

Do you have a longing to be close to Jesus today? He will draw you so close that it breaks every chain that holds you back, every weight that holds you down. Even if He has drawn you a thousand times in the past, ask Him to draw you again. Cultivate a friendship with Him. See yourself as His partner, His companion, the one He wants to be with. He will be more to you than you can ever think or imagine.

Jesus draws us into His chamber to groom us for our eternal inheritance. He will “take us away” from our self and ambitions so that we will run together with Him. Running with Jesus with all your heart is the only proper response when He draws you with His tender mercy and compassionate love. It is an act of holy zeal. To run after Him will eventually bring us into His arms. We will become holy partners, touching others with this love that flows from His heart. We are drawn into intimacy so that we will be His partners in ministry.

Passion for Jesus always results in compassion for others. Jesus is on a mission, and He wants to include you in that mission. He is changing the hearts of people with the power of His love. The Son of God is longing for a bridal partner, not just a girlfriend. He is looking for one who will run with Him to do the Father’s business.

Running represents obedience in action. We must hurry to do His will—not with a striving heart, but resting at His side. We don’t stop “running” the first time we get hurt or discouraged. We don’t stop running when others fall at our side or when we are persecuted and misunderstood. This race we run is a destiny that is already sealed in our hearts. Nothing will stop us from running when we set our eyes on the Beloved and our hearts on pleasing Him.

Jesus will have a bridal partner at His side who will run with Him to touch the nations. As we sit at His feet long enough, we will be willing to get our feet “dirty” in serving this world. One day, if we will continue running with Jesus, our panting soul will find Him and He will bring us to His secret place, fully and ultimately.

We will run away together into your cloud-filled chamber. (1:4)

The King’s chamber? Would Jesus really take me into the dwelling place of the King? This divine, celestial chamber room is where God carries us into special experiences of His grace. This is His secret, private chamber where He discloses Himself to the seeking heart; it is the treasure house of His heart. He does not bring us merely into the courtyard, but into His chamber, where we experience personal encounters with our King and fresh impartations of the Spirit in the secret place.

The Hebrew is actually “a chamber inside of a chamber,” referring to the innermost chamber. This is where the King dwells, and this is where the King draws us. The Holy of Holies was actually a chamber inside of a chamber. This Holy Place is where Jesus wants to take you and me. We run into His heart and enter into His cloud-filled chamber. Only Jesus our King can bring us into the chamber room where He alone dwells. We enter not by our striving or maneuvering; He must bring us in by redeeming grace. Jesus is the Shepherd who carries the lamb over His shoulders, into His chamber (Luke 15:5). Still, we must pray and ask Him to take us in and reveal His glory to us.

Divine fellowship in His sacred chamber awaits us. There will be a banqueting table prepared in that place, but for now we must be alone with Him in His chamber room of intimacy. In this place we receive the living bread, the manna of His presence that nourishes our spirits.

The chamber of His heart is open to us. What sacred mysteries He reveals in His chamber! Do you hear His invitation? Do you see the open door (Rev. 4:1)? Can you trust Him to bring you in? Surely, one so holy, one so beautiful as He, would have better friends than us. Yet it is to us that this invitation is issued.

No longer reluctant or preoccupied, the maiden wants to be where He is. “Take me into Your palace of glory; take me into Your chamber, Lord Jesus—where I can hear Your message of love.” In His chamber He will share His secrets with us. Happy are those who are brought into that wonderful place of revelation and impartation.

Imagine what this King could reveal to you if you spent time in His chamber, where only trusted friends were allowed to enter, exchanging friendship with a King. Wisdom, knowledge, and all the riches of Christ may be found in the beautiful gallery of the King’s chamber. The maiden cries out for kisses of intimacy and promises to run with Him. He responds by leading her into the chamber room experiences of deeper revelation.

Every one of us must have a secret history in God, a hidden life in His chamber. This is where the Lord develops us and matures us in preparation for running with Him. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and that place is His chamber room full of power, revelation, and love. It is the hiding place prepared for you.

The King’s chamber is open to every seeking heart, for it is in that place that He will share His secrets with you. You will taste the delights of sacred intimacy with the heavenly Bridegroom. Don’t think you must wait until heaven to be drawn into His chamber. Ask Him to bring you in today. Search for the chamber of the King and you will find Him within the veil.

We will remember your love as we laugh and rejoice in you, celebrating your every kiss as better than wine.

No wonder righteousness adores you! (1:4)

The daughters of Jerusalem overhear this outburst of passion and they too are drawn into the delight of this King. They are stirred by the passion of a seeking heart: “We will remember your love as we laugh and rejoice in you.” Every believer will one day be drawn into the spiritual realization of ecstasies that excel anything known on earth. It is called “inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8, NIV).

The one thing that will draw immature believers into pursuit of Jesus is a heart on fire. A “holy virus” is released when others see your undying love for the King. As you become His friend, others are excited about following Him in this way too. The daughters of Jerusalem are stirred to a new level of devotion and delight as they see the maiden drawn to the King. Rejoicing in God is the result of new levels of passion for Jesus (Phil. 3:3).

Celebrating your every kiss as better than wine. (1:4)

So many things could come between our Beloved and us—so many worldly sorrows and disappointments work to hinder us from rejoicing in His love. Our failures, our wandering hearts, our hard thoughts…yet we will celebrate “your every kiss as better than wine.”

The Hebrew actually states, “We will remember your love more than wine.” It is at the Lord’s table that we build a memorial of love to the Son of the Father. We cannot forget this love that is greater than any other. Through the participation of the bread and wine, we draw near and are taken into the realm where symbols become substance.

There is a love we can praise every day of our lives—the love of the King. As we drink the cup of communion, we remember the intoxicating sweetness of His kiss of love that is better than the wine. The Shulamite resolves to make her “theology of love” more important than the pleasures of this life.

The Song of Solomon begins with the cry of the bride and her companions saying, “We will celebrate your every kiss as better than wine.” She vows to remember His affections throughout her journey, and in her darkest nights she will remember to meditate on the kiss of His love He has revealed to her in times past. This is a beautiful and necessary vow she offers.

Yet it is only an echo of a greater promise, the promise of the Lord Himself. He says to our fainting hearts as we come to Him time and time again with our sometimes feeble prayers: “I will remember your love, My beloved one, for all eternity. I will reveal the relevance of all the weak moments of faith that you have long forgotten, and My Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. I will remember your love.”

No wonder righteousness adores you! (1:4)

The Shulamite speaks this over her King while she is enthralled with His presence. He embodies all that is good and right: “No wonder righteousness adores you!” It is with good reason that every tender heart should adore Him.

Pray this prayer today as you take communion: “Jesus, I draw near to You in this moment with the bread and the cup. I feast on Your love and drink of Your tender mercies. You satisfy me as nothing else can. I celebrate the love You have for me that was seen as You bled on the cross to pay for my sins. No wonder You are loved for all eternity. I love You, Lord Jesus. Amen.”

CHAPTER 3

HE CALLS US LOVELY

The Shulamite speaks:

Jerusalem maidens, in this twilight darkness I know I am so unworthy—so in need. (1:5)

The Shepherd-King interrupts her and says:

Yet you are so lovely! (1:5)

Standing on the stage is the goat-keeping girl, the Shulamite. The blazing sun has beat down upon her for years. Her low self-esteem and the labors of life have taken their toll on her. But her cry for the chamber room has opened the door of her heart.

Brought into His chambers, the maiden discovers the darkness of her heart. She sees her sinful desires, even mixed motives hidden within. The deeper we go into the heart of Jesus, the more we confront our own weaknesses and shameful ways. It seems as though we get worse rather than better. This is God’s way of preparing us for the next step in our sacred journey.

Passion for Jesus is the pathway into the heart of God. To fall in love with Jesus and to abandon our heart to Him is the noble threshold we must all cross on our journey into the heart of God. But to love Him will cost us everything.

In the beginning, it seems like a fantasy that He would come and enjoy such sacred intimacy with one like me. But little do we know that loving Jesus will lead us not only into His heart, but also into a new revelation about our own condition. To know Jesus is to be emptied of self-confidence and selfish ambition. He will spare nothing to make us over again into that image of glory. But wait until you hear what He tells you in His chamber room.

In His chambers the maiden cries out, I’m “in this twilight darkness, I know I am so unworthy—so in need.” Her heart is corrupt and she knows it. The word for darkness means scorched or darkened by the sun. Solomon says that life “under the sun” is vanity and will “scorch” our soul.

This is the first crisis in the Shulamite bride’s journey—the revelation of her own sinfulness. Each one of us must face this truth: we have been marred as those of Adam’s race, fallen into disgrace. But as she bows her head in the presence of His splendor, she hears Him say,

Yet you are so lovely! (1:5)

Could it be? Did He really call her lovely even when she felt so dark and sinful? Would Jesus call me lovely too? But doesn’t He know my heart…my weak, weak heart? Yes, He knows all things, and still He calls us lovely, even in the midst of our weakness.

Place these two phrases together: “In this twilight darkness, I know I am so unworthy—so in need,” and, “Yet you are so lovely!” The cry of the awakened heart is: “I know I am so unworthy—so in need!” But when we are brought into the King’s chambers and stand in His presence, we hear Him say, “Yet you are so lovely!” His love conquers fear, unbelief, and the shame of failure. The strong current of love in His eyes drowns rejection out. It is right and good for everyone to worship and adore the Son of God. We have tasted of His love. A deeper passion to know Him has gripped our hearts. Are you ready for more?

So what is it that makes us lovely to God? It could never be our performance, for we have failed over and over again. Rather, our loveliness is found in the image of Jesus and a willing spirit that longs for Him. He loves us even when we are darkened by sin, with wrong desires and still consumed with immature ways. He calls us lovely, because deep down we sincerely want to obey Jesus and know Him in fullness.

Abba’s “anyway love” is here. He can say, “Yes, I know and you know that sin has brought shame, but I love you anyway. Your longings for Me make you lovely. With a willing spirit you will go on to a mature bridal love.”

God has infinite passion to see you through the growth process. He will not leave you half done. He is the God who finishes what He begins (Phil. 1:6). Throughout life, every new chamber room experience will bring an even deeper understanding of unworthiness. You will cry out each time, “O, Lord, I am darkened by my sin.” But if you listen carefully, you will also hear your King say, “Yet you are so lovely!”*