SONG OF SONGS ‘98 – MIKE BICKLE
SESSION 6: Her Journey Begins With Spiritual Crisis (1:5-11)
SONG 1:5-11
5. I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of
Solomon.
6. Do not look upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me. My mother's
sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I
have not kept.
7. Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock, where you make it rest at noon. For
why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions?
8. If you do not know, O fairest among women, follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed
your little goats beside the shepherds' tents.
9. I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh's chariots.
10. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold.
11. We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.
I. OVERVIEW OF SONG 1:5-11
We have studied the theme of the song, which reveals the Bride’s resolutions, commitments and
confessions. The testimony of her actual journey now begins (1:5). The “paradox of grace” is
her first experience. She sees the reality of her sinful desires, but she also sees that she is lovely
to God in her God-given passion for Jesus and in her position in the grace of God. Her first
revelation of Jesus is “the counseling Shepherd” who compassionately teaches her the way
forward in her weakness.
II. AN ILLUSTRATION FROM PETER’S LIFE
A. Let us first consider an illustration of failure in Peters’ life in order to draw
analogies from his struggle.
B. During the Last Supper, Jesus warned Peter that Satan was going to test him in
such a way that Peter would deny the Lord. He explains that Peter would
stumble, but that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-34).
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C. Several hours later in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave Peter a significant 2-
fold description of how the redeemed heart operates. Peter did not understand
these things about his heart. We will use this 2-fold description throughout this
session.
"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mt. 26:41)
1. Peter had weak flesh, but he also possessed a willing spirit. Peter
stumbles because of his weak flesh yet longs for Jesus because of his
willing spirit.
2. The NIV translated the phrase “the flesh is weak” as your body is weak.
Jesus was referring to the principle of sin operating in us. Peter was
physically tired because it was late at night however, Jesus was speaking
of more than fatigue. Most Bible translations use the phrase “the flesh is
weak.”
3. There is a greater capacity for sin in our hearts than we comprehend. No
one fully grasps the depth of the wickedness of the human heart. We have
many unperceived areas of sin that lie undetected below the surface like
hidden fault lines related to an earthquake. The grace of God has helped
us in ways that we do not fully understand.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who
can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
4. Paul, as a mature apostle, grasped a greater measure of his sinfulness.
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
(1 Tim. 1:15)
5. Knowledge of our weak flesh is an important aspect of the truth about who
we are, although it is not the whole truth of who we are. Our flesh is
weaker than we know. We are sometimes surprised when we commit a
sin. At such times, we are overwhelmed with grief. We think that
because we are surprised by our sin then surely God must also be
surprised. Such misunderstanding often results in fear of being rejected by
God.
6. What is God thinking when we discover the weakness of our own flesh?
It is important that we perceive what God is thinking about us in our
weakness.
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D. Peter decided to go fishing after his sin of denying Jesus three times.
Peter said to them, "I am going fishing"…that night they caught nothing.
(John 21:3)
1. The important question is "why did Peter go fishing"? Peter was not
fishing because the apostolic team needed money. They had enough
money in their collection, so much that Judas could steal it undetected.
They fished all night, revealing that Peter was not simply fishing for
recreation. Peter was giving up on what God had called him to do.
a. In the crisis of discovering our sinful flesh, we often reason within
ourselves that it is too painful to reach for the highest things in God if
we believe that we will constantly fail in them. It seems easier to
settle for living with a second class relationship with Jesus rather than
to face the pain of failure.
b. I believe Peter was resigning from his leadership role in God’s
purpose. Peter felt he would rather resign than fail over and over. He
didn’t feel qualified to be an apostle because his heart was so wounded
by his failure in denying Jesus 3 times. Peter felt tha t he had
disappointed the Lord’s heart. He could not face the Lord because of
his failure. When this occurs we want to run from Him instead of to
Him.
c. I believe that Peter intended to return to the fishing business, an
occupation that he had been successful at before Jesus had called him
to apostolic leadership. Peter was changing his occupations by
returning to the business of be a fisherman. He was saying, “I can be
faithful to God as a fisherman. Failing as a fisherman is not as bad as
failing as an apostle. His failure as an apostle would be too great and
he couldn’t face God under such failure.
2. Some of us feel that we cannot face the future, because we may fail again.
Such people become accustomed to a second rate relationship with the
Lord. Settling for a second rate relationship with Jesus is not because they
don’t love the Lord any longer, it is because they have so much shame.
They cannot face relating to God like with shame. This is the crisis that
Peter was going through.
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3. We also sometimes decide to “GO FISHING.” We give up on our vision
to be extravagant lovers of God which is the highest calling in our
relationship with the Lord. We painfully make the decision to settle down
and have a second-class relationship with the Lord. To reach for these
high things and fail seems too painful. To fall short causes so much pain,
because we imagine the Lord is grieved, angry, and exasperated with us.
We think God is upset with us. We are filled with shame and
condemnation.
E. The Lord asks Peter the same question 3 times.
Jesus said…"Simon… do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him,
"Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."…
He said to him again a second time, "Simon…do you love Me?" He said to
Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I l ove You."…
He said to him the third time, "Simon…do you love Me?" Peter…said to Him,
"Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." (Jn.21:15-17)
1. In Jn. 21:15, Jesus repeatedly asks a question that pierces Simon Peter’s
heart. He says, “Simon, do you love Me?” Peter says, “Lord, You know I
love You.” The Lord asked him the question a second and third time. He
was calling Peter back into the same quality of relationship with Him that
Peter had before he denied Jesus. The Lord was revealing to Peter how
much Peter loved Jesus and how much affection He had for him even in
his weakness.
2. When God asks us a question, it is not because God needs information.
Why was God asking Peter this question? He wants Peter to discover
information about himself. The Lord already knows that Peter loves Him.
But He wants Peter to have confidence in his sincere love for Jesus.
a. This is similar to the question that the Lord asked Adam, after he
sinned in the Garden of Eden.
The LORD God called to Adam…"Where are you?" (Gen. 3:9)
b. God knew exactly where Adam was. He was not saying, “Which tree
are you hiding behind?” He was asking the question so that Adam
would know where Adam was. God means for Adam to understand
morally and spiritually where he is, not which tree he is hiding behind.
God wanted Adam to discover the truth about himself.
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3. I imagine Jesus said something like, “Peter, I know how you feel.” I know
that you love Me.” Peter probably began to weep. Jesus might have
added, “Peter, do you remember when we were in the garden 8 days ago?
I told you something very important about your heart. You didn’t believe
Me when I said that your flesh was weak. I want to remind you of
something else that I told you that night that you also have a willing
spirit.”
4. I imagine Jesus saying, “You DO have a willing spirit, Peter! When I look
at you, I don’t only see weak flesh; I also see a sincere desire in you to
love Me. I see a cry in your heart for Me that you don’t fully see.”
5. I imagine Jesus saying, “Peter, I saw your willing spirit when I first called
you and I still see it in you right now even in your despair and failure.”
F. The Lord sees our willing spirits more than we see it
G. The Lord is breaking shame off of Peter s’ heart.
1. Peter sinned 3 times and the Lord asked him the same question 3 times in
Jn. 21.
2. In John 21:17, The Lord asks the third time, “Peter, do you love Me?” I
see the Lord saying, “Peter let Me explain your heart to you “You do love
Me, you have a willing spirit. Peter answers the third time saying, “Lord,
YOU KNOW ALL THINGS, You know that I love You.” Notice a key
phrase that Peter added the third time “You know all things...”
3. In other words, Peter was saying, “Jesus, You know my heart and You
keep insisting that I love You, Yes! You know I love You, Yes! I have a
willing spirit!” Lord, You know that I have weak flesh, but You also
know that I have a willing spirit. You don’t just see my sinful struggles,
You see my sincere heart.”
4. The shame is broken off of Peter’s life and he is restored back to his
confidence in God, which in this case, includes being restored to his
ministry again. His confidence is being restored to live in extravagant
love for God again.
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H. God puts a ‘yes’ in the spirit of everyone that is sincerely born-again
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and
he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)
1. A born again believer can never comfortably live in sin, once this ‘yes’
has been put in us. We can not easily deny that ‘yes.’ We can still do acts
of sin, but we cannot live a life of total disregard to God without great
anguish.
2. Born again believers, seeking to disregard the Lord, are the most
miserable people on earth. They have too much of God to enjoy sin and
too much of sin to enjoy God. They are in a difficult place because the
Holy Spirit is living within them saying, “You belong to God” hindering
their ability to continue to live in sin the way they use to.
III. THE PARADOX OF GRACE: “DARK, BUT LOVELY”
I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the
curtains of Solomon. Do not look upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has
tanned me (Song 1:5-6).
A. Her 2- fold confession of faith
“I am dark but lovely” (1:5a)
1. Her first spiritual crisis and her first confession of faith are described here.
God reveals to her the sinfulness of her heart but at the same time that she
is lovely in His sight. Another way to describe her condition is that she
possessed weak flesh but a willing spirit (Matt 26:41).
a. Dark of heart (sinful desires). Our weak flesh is dark to God
b. Lovely to God (sincere intentions to obey Jesus). Our willing spirit is
lovely to God.
2. This passage is not describing a person who is rebellious against God but a
sincere believer with weakness in their life.
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B. Her confession of faith in this struggle reveals a very important truth that enables
her to grow in holy passion. A person can not grow consistently without this
confession. Of course, we don’t have to use this language. To consistently grow
spiritually requires that we know that we are lovely to God while we are in the
process of discovering the darkness of our own heart.
C. The Bride’s journey begins with this principle that we have just considered in
Peter’s life. Her journey begins with a spiritual crisis common to every fervent
believer. It is a great paradox to a young believer to discover their sin, but at the
same time to discover God’s love for them and their beauty in God and to God.
This speaks of a major crisis in our lives, when we love the Lord, and yet we sin
grievously.
D. The real issue at hand is one of understanding divine affections and imparted
beauty in the midst of our spiritual weakness. The journey to holy passion starts
with this 2-fold revelation.
1. How is she going to relate to God when she discovers her own sinfulness?
What we do in this crisis is a very important part about our spiritual life.
2. Many people fail this early test in that they run from Him instead of to
Him, because they misunderstand the personality of God. They make the
same mistake that Peter initially made. They resign, they give up and they
fall into a mindset of shame. In other words, a stronghold of shame. A
life of shame leads to a life of sin. If you feel dirty then you will live as
one who is unclean. The Lord does not want us to resign ourselves to a
second class status.
E. King David’s view of Saul and Jonathan at their death gives us some insight into
how God views us in our spiritual struggle (II Samuel. 1: 19-27). David sang a
prophetic song after Saul has died. Saul was a wicked king, who God killed in
judgment. Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, David points out Saul’s good
attributes. He defined Saul as a man who slew the Lords enemies. David viewed
Saul from God's perspective. God sees the positive in our spirit even in the midst
of seeing the negative. He sees the good of what this sinful king did.
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F. God is committed to revealing the weakness of our flesh to us. God strategically
plans ways to reveal to us how weak we are. God does not make us sin.
1. At the end of the SONG, she is leaning on her beloved Jesus, coming up
out of the wilderness (8:5).
2. God’s goal for our life is to have a leaning and loving heart at the end of
our earthly journey. Nobody will be strutting in pride at the end of his or
her spiritual journey. Every time God reveals your sin, it is a judgment
against Satan. Satan’s victory is sin in your life.
G. There are 4 reasons why we are beautiful and lovely to God in the midst of our
spiritual immaturity.
1. The finished work of the Cross. She saw her loveliness comprised in
possessing the gift of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). We are lovely in His
sight because of His work, not because of what we did. He wrapped us in
the robes of righteousness as a gift.
2. He has given us a willing spirit at the new birth. The work of the Holy
Spirit to produce a "Yes!" in our spirit appears as beautiful to God. Many
underestimate how powerful this is to Jesus. The movement of our heart
to God is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is called a willing spirit. When
David sinned with Bathsheba he prayed, “restore unto me a willing spirit”
(Psalm 51:7).
3. The nature of God’s personality - The passions and pleasures of God’s
heart determines how God feels toward us. Beauty is in the eyes of the
beholder. It is because of the heart of the Beholder, that we are beautiful
to God. Our beauty is related to God’s emotional make up. If He were an
angry God, then we would not be beautiful by virtue of a willing spirit. It
is the nature of what is in God’s heart that constitutes us beautiful.
4. Her destiny before God as His Son’ future bride . The absolute
certainty of finality of our destiny as an adorned, embraced and enthroned
Bride with Jesus is a substantial reality of our beauty
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H. Three stages of victory:
1. Sincerity of heart yet constant spiritual failure in a particular area.
a. At first even in our sincerity, we are regularly defeated (Rom. 7:15-
25). However, a first fruit of the new birth is a sincere desire to obey
Jesus. This is a beginning evidence of God’s grace. It is a vital
component of our spiritual victory. The fact that we have sincerity of
heart to obey is a real beginning of substantial victory. Sincere
intentions to obey must be distinguished from the actual attainment of
mature obedience.
b. God rejoices and delights in our sincere intentions to obey Jesus. God
measures and defines our life by such intentions.
c. We often mistakenly measure and define our life by our spiritual
attainment. This often results in condemnation.
2. Spiritual victory yet constant spiritual struggle in a particular area. We
can be victorious on regular basis yet we still are continually at war with
the flesh in a particular part of our life (Rom. 8:2-13; Gal. 5:16-17).
3. Spiritual victory without the constant struggle in a previous area of sin.
What we all long for is to substantially subdue the flesh in the way (Rom.
6:14-23).
I. SUMMARY - Some think victory is only when they have subdued the flesh
entirely. The very presence of sincere desires to obey Jesus is the beginning of
victory.
J. She speaks to those that are less mature. Throughout the book she teaches the
daughters of Jerusalem the spiritual principle of holy passion.
“O daughter of Jerusalem” (1:5b)
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K. The dark tents of Kedar speak of the darkness of the flesh.
“Like the tents of Kedar” (1:5c).
1. The dark tents of Kedar were grayish black tents. She is using language
understood by the common person. These tents were common in the
geographic area outside of Jerusalem.
2. They were made out of the dark skins of wild goats.
L. Solomon’s curtains were in the holy place in the temple. She is using language
understood by the common person.
“Like the curtains of Solomon” (1:5d)
1. Solomon’s curtains were bright white curtains in the holy place in the
temple. In this passage, they speak of the inward work of grace and of
God’s glory in her life.
“…your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).
2. These curtains were not seen in the outer court, but were hidden from the
common person. The beauty of these curtains were hidden from the
common eye since they were in the holy place. Only a priest was able to
see Solomon’s curtains.
M. She is saying, “I'm dark of heart like the tents of Kedar but lovely to God like the
curtains of Solomon.” The contrast that describes her is seen in the difference
between the dark curtains of Kedar and the glorious curtains of Solomon.
1. Outwardly, people see her as the dark tents of Kedar.
2. Inwardly, God sees that she is lovely like the white curtains of Solomon.
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N. She becomes self- conscious because of her sin
“Do not look upon me because I am dark.” (1:6a)
1. She cries, “do not look upon me”. She is ashamed that others can see her
sin. She is aware that other people can see these spiritual failures in her
life.
2. She tells why she is ashamed, “because I am dark”. She is ashamed
because of the discovery of her inward corruption. She is overwhelmed
by her consciousness of failure. She wants them to stop looking at her.
This speaks of her feeling judged. She feels shame from others.
3. When our sin is exposed to our hearts, it is evidence that we are growing
in the light.
"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the
light, lest his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:20)
O. She understands that she was born into the natural world with a sinful heart and
tendencies. Her natural inheritance in Adam has made her dark of heart.
“Because the sun has tanned me.” (1:6c)—
1. She is speakings of living under the influence of “the sun”. The sun
speaks of the natural realm. Solomon wrote about the sun earlier in the
book of Ecclesiastes. In the writings of Solomon, “life under the sun,”
spoke about life without God in the natural realm.
2. She cries, “the sun has tanned me”. She is speaking of the impact of being
born under the sun or born in natural weakness of sin. Natural life has
impacted her and darkened her, as it has every other person born in Adam.
We were all born in sin!
P. SUMMARY—She tells the daughters, “I know I'm lovely to God even though
there are dark areas in my life. I'm like the dark tents of Kedar, but I know that
the cry in my spirit is glorious work of God like the white curtains in the temple
of Solomon. Don't look at me, I'm overwhelmed with the dark part right now.”
My only excuse is, the sun, I've been born into the natural world, it has impacted
me and scared me and marked me.”
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IV. HER SPIRITUAL CRISIS: REJECTION AND SHAME
My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, But
my own vineyards I have not kept. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the
flocks of Your companions? (SONG 1:6-7e).
A. She describes 5 different pressures related to her spiritual crisis in 1:6-7.
1. Other believers reject her.
2. She feels shame from sin.
3. She is overworked.
4. She is distracted from her first love toward Jesus
5. She is serving Jesus at a distance.
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B. Her negative experiences in the Body of Christ began with rejection in 1:6c.
“My mother’s sons were angry with me.” (1:6c)
1. She describes being rejected by her “mother’s sons”. Throughout the
book the mother speaks of the Church since she was born of God through
the agency of the church. The apostle Paul as well as other New
Testament writers, when referring to the church use the symbolism of a
mother. Paul spoke of the New Jerusalem (the church in eternity in the
heavenly city) as our “Mother”(Gal. 4:26).
Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Gal. 4:26)
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed
in you, (Gal. 4:19)
As apostles of Christ…we were gentle among you, just as a nursing
mother cherishes her own children (1 Thes. 2:6-7).
a. God is the author of our natural and spiritual birth. However, the
agency He uses for our natural birth is a woman, our physical mother.
b. The agency He uses for our spiritual birth is a member of the Body of
Christ (i.e., the church as a spiritual mother). We are born through the
church by the Spirit because it is through the body of Christ that we
come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Those who do God's will are
His mother and brother (Mt. 12:46-50).
c. God is our father and the church is spoken of as our mother.
d. In the virgin birth, Jesus is born of the seed of a woman (Gen. 3:15).
Jesus coming from the seed of the woman is the foundation of the
church.
e. The people of God are represented as a “mother” that births the man-
child.
She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
(Rev 12:5)
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2. The use of the “mother” in the SONG.
a. Her mother is described as the agency in God that was used to birth
her in the Holy Spirit.
I had brought Him to the house of my mother, and into the chamber
of her who conceived me. (Song 3:4)
I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought
you forth; there she who bore you brought you forth. (Song 8:5)
b. Her mother is described as the one who crowns Jesus. We make Him
our king on the wedding day by responding to Him in voluntary love.
“…see King Solomon with the crown with which His mother
crowned him on the day of his wedding…” (Song 3:11)
c. Her mother is described as the one who taught her the things of God.
The house of my mother, she who used to instruct me…(Song 8:2)
3. She describes the beginning of her first crisis as being rejected by some
that acted as “sons who were angry with me”. She experiences the
common crisis of being rejected and misunderstood (1:6c). Mother’s sons
are the other members of the Body of Christ.
4. The angry sons speak of older yet carnal believers who were angry at her
youthful zeal. The zeal of young believers sometimes makes other
believers angry.
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5. She was going full speed for Jesus and found that some were angry with
her. She was probably disliked for two reasons.
a. First, carnal believers don’t like fervent young believers. Zealous
people for God bring conviction to dull believers. Some will seek to
dismiss such zeal as legalism.
b. Second, her pride and untempered zeal probably offend them. The
self-absorbed way in which she is speaking about her spiritual love
needs seasoning. People who are newly fervent with Jesus have a
tendency to be self-absorbed and prideful in expressing the ir devotion
to Jesus to others. This angers carnal believers. Newly zealous
believes often exalt themselves and condemn others who do not
express devotion to Jesus in the exact same way. They unconsciously
see themselves as a model and standard of what is God's highest.
c. My youthful example of untempered zeal offended many. I met the
Lord in 1971 at age 15 and for the next 5-7 years I acted in some
sincere yet spiritually proud ways. I can remember believing that if
someone really loved God, then they must preach in public places like
the apostles did. I preached a number of times on the streets, on
college campuses and in restaurants like Denny’s. To further prove
that I was not ashamed of the gospel, I carried a large 12-inch long and
6 inch thick Catholic family Bible to school etc. I also wore a 9- inch
wooden cross around my neck to obey the command to carry my cross.
d. I made these issues actions that defined true commitment. I’d be
unhappy with pastors who wouldn’t preach in the restaurants and wear
a big cross because I interpreted it as the fear of man. I offended many
people. I saw myself as a deeply committed young man, and those
who refused my actions or admonitions I categorized as backslidden
leaders. In my pride, I saw myself as the example of deep
commitment.
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C. The angry sons mistreated her by overworking her. She was vulnerable because
she was so zealous thus willing to do anything to please her beloved Jesus. She
complains that the angry sons took advantage of her fervency and over worked
her
“They made me the keeper of the vineyards.” (1:6d)—
1. The angry sons gave her many responsibilities. They made her
responsible for other vineyards. She is being overworked and therefore
she burns out
2. Leaders that lack discernment in passion for Jesus tend to overwork those
who are red hot for God. They reason that if she is willing then let us
pressure her to keep all the vineyard.” She says, “anything for God”.
3. Her first responsibilities include her own personal walk with God and the
responsibilities God gave her instead of the responsibilities religious
leaders put on her.
4. Embracing responsibilities out of God’s grace is the place of burn out.
Burn out doesn’t come from hard work as much as from a religious yoke.
A religious yoke consists of caring for vineyards (responsibilities) that
carnal men give us that are out of the will of God. A believer newly
awakened to fervency is susceptible to false yokes.
5. One of the main traps that fervent yet immature believers are vulnerable to
is defining their identity in their ministry function, instead of in Jesus.
D. She has done all the work she was asked to do. She kept all the other vineyards
but her own vineyard she neglected.
They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyards I have not
kept. (1:6d)
1. The vineyard here speaks of her own heart. Throughout the entire song
her garden is her own heart before the Lord, her own vineyard. The weeds
of sin, shame and weariness have choked the life out of in her garden. She
has lost the cry for the kisses of His mouth that were so strong initially.
2. Taking care of her own vineyard means nurturing her personal
communion with God and doing His will. She is saying, “I’ve served in
many areas of ministry but my own love for God has been diminished”.
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E. Next, she makes two statements here about herself. She expresses her shame over
her sin. Then she complains about serving at a distance from Jesus. She feels like
the veiled woman, the one who couldn’t show her face in public as the prostitute.
This was not a veil of honor, it was a shameful veil.
“For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of Your companions
(1:6e)
1. First, she cries out “why should I be as one who veils herself?” In the
ancient world, a veiled woman was a prostitute. One who wore a veil
during the day, so that no one could see her face. It speaks of the sin and
the shame that the young Bride experienced in her immaturity. She had
sin in her life and felt like a veiled woman before God. There was scandal
in her life.
2. Second, she complains “why should I be...by the flocks of Your
companions?” She is saying, “I don’t want to serve You so far down the
road, I want to serve right next to You.” She is describing herself as
serving by the flocks of His companions! She lost the sweetness in her
communion with God. In other words, She is saying, “Why should I live
at a distance from You, Lord?”
V. HER DESPERATE CRY TO HAVE MORE OF JESUS
Tell me, O You whom I love, where You feed Your flock, Where You make it rest at
noon (SONG 1:7).
A. In the midst of this crisis, she cries out with a desperate prayer. She remembers
that she originally only wanted the kisses of His mouth”. She wants to get back to
where she was when Jesus first touched her and romanced her heart.
“Tell me, O You whom I love, Where You feed Your flock…”(1:7a)
1. The context of this desperate cry for intimacy is experiencing the grace
she described in 1:2-4. Some of the saints around her are angry with her.
She is tired and burned out. Things are not going as she expected in 1:2-4.
She has become disillusioned with the body of Christ.
2. Her vineyard (heart) is no longer kept, but she loves Him. She cries out,
“O You whom I love”. She sees herself as a lover of God. She knows that
she is failing, yet she is still a lover of God and not a hopeless hypocrite,
as the enemy attempts to continually accuses before her heart.
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B. We see her desperate hunger for God in the midst of her sin and weakness.
“Tell me, where do You feed Your flock,” (1:7b)
1. This “prayer of despair” is her first prayer after 1:2-4. It is very similar to
the theme prayers of 1:2-4, when she said, “Draw me and let me run”.
2. “Where do YOU feed YOUR flock”. The key word is “You”. She says it
3 times in 1:7. Jesus wants to hear this heart prayer. “I want to know
where You are, You’re the one I love. Where do You feed your people?”
She is desperate to touch “Him” and not just to fill her life with religious
activity.
3. Regardless what it costs her, she wants the fire of intimacy with God to
consume her again. She wants Him to feed her again. When many people
experience this first crisis they don't understand that God wants to hear
this cry from them.
4. She cries out to recover her “first love”. She is asking, “where will You
touch my heart like You use to?
C. She longs to be satisfied again with Jesus. Where do You satisfy the cry of my
spirit? I want You to satisfy me, and cause me to rest at noon. What she is saying
is this: “I have been fed by all the others, but I want You to feed me.
“Where You make it rest at noon” (1:7b)
1. Noon speaks of the heat of the day. God wants us to rest in the midst of
the heat of the day by seeking intimacy with Him.
2. Sheep will only lie down at noon when the sheep has eaten and is full.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures...(Ps. 23:2)
3. More of the church is becoming insatiably hungry for Jesus. Many people
whose gardens are not kept feel like a veiled woman before God, serving
at a distance. They lose the courage or the confidence to cry out the
prayers of intimacy again.
D. SUMMARY - She felt misunderstood and rejected by people and shame before
God. This is a great spiritual crisis for a new believer who is on fire for God. She
remembers her great love for Jesus, ye t finds herself tired and serving at a
distance from Him. So she has described this shameful and hopeless feeling like
Peter felt when he gave up. A lot of believers give up right at this point.
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E. She describes 5 different pressures related to her spiritual crisis in vs.6-7.
Rejection and shame are the 2 main pressures that feel in these early days of her
spiritual journey.
1. Her mother’s sons were angry with her - other believers reject her.
2. She feels like a woman with a shameful veil - she feels shame from sin.
3. They made her keep the other vineyards - she is overworked.
4. Her own vineyard (which speaks of her heart) was not kept - she is
distracted from her first love toward Jesus
5. She feels like one by the flocks of His companions – she is serving Jesus
at a distance.
VI. JESUS’ GLORIOUS ANSWER
If you do not know, O fairest of women, Follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed
your little goats beside the shepherds’ tents. (SONG 1:8).
A. Jesus as the “counseling Shepherd” is seen. The first revelation of Jesus in the
SONG is as a “Shepherd” who gives practical counsel in how to progress in holy
passion in the midst of her weakness.
"The Spirit of truth…will guide you into all truth…(Jn 16:13)
"…the Holy Spirit will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
things that I said to you. (Jn. 14:26)
B. He hears her desperate prayer in 1:7 and then personally answers it in 1:8-11. A
vital part of the theology of holy passion is found in the complete answer from
1:8-11.
1. First, Jesus gives her a general answer (1:8a).
2. Then Jesus adds 3-fold specific answers as to where she can find Him
(1:8b,c,and d).
3. Then Jesus gives her 3 affirmations to back up His 3- fold answer. Jesus
affirms the sincere intentions of her heart (1:9-11). Then she responds with
great gratitude in v.12.
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C. He starts with a general answer that reveals how God sees her. The answer to her
recovery is first found in knowing how God views her in her weakness. He
reveals to her that she appears as beautiful to Him even in her immaturity.
“O, fairest among women” (1:8b)
1. “Fairest” - The word translated as “fair” is translated in most other
versions of the bible as “beautiful” (NAS/NIV). I like the word beautiful.
2. First, He speaks to her heart in her crisis by calling her, “most beautiful”.
This is Jesus’ first response to her prayer in 1:4 to “draw me and let us
run.” He knows that she is confused. He speaks to her heart before He
speaks to her mind. Jesus is helping her to remember His love (1:4e).
a. He speaks directly to her shame and her rejection. He says, “You
might be unlovely to the angry sons but you are most beautiful to Me.”
b. You may despise yourself but you are still most beautiful to Me. He
speaks to her shame and rejection.
c. He calls her beautiful even in the midst of her disorientation and
failure. The Lord gives her an answer that shocks many of us. We
would expect a rebuke or to be accused or shamed by the Lord. He
says, “I know your garden isn't being kept, I know you are like a
veiled woman, I know you're serving at a distance, however, you are
most beautiful to Me.
3. He focuses on her loveliness and not her darkness of heart. Jesus has
confidence in her future attainment of 6:4. “O fairest of women” is also a
prophetic statement (Phil. 1:6).
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D. Jesus calls her the fairest. She is the most beautiful compared to what?”
Compared to all the other women of the earth.
1. He’s not comparing her to more mature Christians. It is true we are
stumbling compared to a mature apostle. However, He looks at us
compared to the 6 billion people who have no interest in Jesus.
a. We are so accustomed to falling short however, God is accustomed to
the 95% of the earth who have no interest in His son. You care
intensely about His son, and you have the gift of righteousness.
Thus, we are beautiful in the sight of God in a way that we can't fully
see.
b. We judge ourselves by other Christians; however, He judges us by the
gift of righteousness and how different we are from the vast majority
of all the human beings through history. He is comparing her to the
vast majority of the 6 billion people in the human race who have no
regard for His Word.
2. The different women He is comparing her to are all the other religions of
the world. He is comparing her to all the other religions and to all the other
unbelievers in the world. He is not comparing her to a mature apostle.
Her great quality is the Yes in her spirit to Jesus. You are one of the rare
beautiful people of the earth. If you compare yourself to a mature apostle
you say, “I'm weak.” However, have you considered that no unbeliever or
believer of another religion has a heart that captures the Lord like your
heart does?
E. He is the only person who perfectly sees our heart. The power of hope is in the
revela tion of the absolute certainty of our personal victory (Eph. 1:18).
“If you do not know” (1:8a)
F. Jesus’ specific 3- fold answers introduce her to body life. He gives her 3
unexpected answers to her cry for greater intimacy (1:7). This is not the answer
she is looking for.
Follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your little goats beside the
shepherds’ tents. (SONG 1:8).
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G. Jesus gives the beginning of His answer to the question, “Where do you feed your
flock?” He gives the first part of the answer by introducing her to body life then
in 2:16 He finishes the answer adding, “By the lilies”. This speaks of the place
Jesus feeds His Bride in purity, trust, and innocence. The 3 answers all relate to
life in the Body as they also answer 3 powerful temptations common to all.
1. Commitment to Body life (v. 8c)
2. Commitment to servant ministry (v. 8d)
3. Commitment to spiritual authority (v. 8e)
H. Commitment to Body life is His first answer.
“Follow in the footsteps of the flock” (1:8c)
1. First, He tells her to follow in the footsteps of the flock, or get involved in
the fellowship in the Body. The ‘footsteps of the flock’ is the place where
all the sheep are, it is where they walk with Christ. The Lord says follow
in the place where the body walks.
2. The devil wants to draw us into isolation so that he can destroy us. This
isolation is her reaction to shame and rejection. This is not a reference to
her private life of seeking God. She has overreacted to the religious yoke
put on her by her angry brothers and has drifted into isolation. There is a
great temptation in those who are rejected to leave the body “to go on with
Jesus” in isolation.
a. When we feel rejection and shame we are often tempted with isolation.
Our temptation is to isolation and bitterness.
b. Jesus could say, “If you want Me to feed and satisfy you, then you
must find Me in the body.
My beloved has gone to his garden…to feed his flock in the gardens.
Song 6:2
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I. Take care of your God given responsibilities is His second answer.
“Feed your little goats” (1:8d)
1. Jesus exhorts her to feed her “little goats”. In other words, to take
responsibility to feed the young ones or the little flock that God sends to
her. Jesus does not want her to take care of all the gardens and all the
vineyards like the angry brothers urged her to do.
2. “Your” little goats are all that Jesus asks of her. In the past, she took on
too much responsibility. This time, she must just feed HER little ones.
a. Limit yourself to only take care of the ones that Jesus entrusted to your
rather, do not accept responsibility for every need that comes your
way.
b. Don’t serve in every ministry, just do what He leads you to do. Get
your eyes off the calling that God has given others. Commit yourself
to do only what He asks.
c. The answer to the question, “Where can I find You” is answered in
this verse “by feeding the little ones that Jesus put in your path.”
3. NOTE – some people ARE called to draw back for a season in order to see
more of Who He is and to therefore feel more love for Him and therefore
to love His people in a deeper way. Those that REALLY seek to walk out
the first commandment will always walk out the second commandment.
J. Submission to spiritual authority is His third answer. Jesus is still speaking to
answer the question, “Where can I find You?”
“Beside the shepherds’ tents” (1:8e)
1. Serve the body by the tents of the true shepherds. Jesus wants us to have
an open spirit to His shepherds (leaders). We must all keep an open spirit
to the men and women that God places over us.
2. God uses these imperfect shepherds to temper us and to do deep things in
our heart. God knows that every leader that He has ever placed over you
or ever will is an imperfect leader. We find Jesus in deep ways as we
relate to imperfect leaders.
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3. In my experience, when I see the faults of the imperfect leaders that God
has put over me then I am tempted to resist dwelling by their tents.
Pressure related to imperfect leaders makes us reach for God in order to
have a teachable spirit toward them
4. He answered the 3 main temptations in the life of a believer—
a. The first temptation is to isolation and bitterness when we feel rejected
or mistreated by the angry sons and when we feel shame related to our
sin. Therefore, He says, “Stay in the footsteps of the flock, stay in the
church. Let Me heal your isolation. Don’t yield to isolation and
bitterness.”
b. The second temptation she encountered was selfishness and fear. He
says, “I want you to take care of the little goats that I give you.” We
say, “We deserve some time off. We have worked so hard keeping the
vineyards of so many others.” But the Lord says, “You can only fully
find Me in the context of ministry to others.
c. The third temptation she wrestled with was to resist having an
unteachable or closed spirit. This speaks of ministering in isolation
with impatience toward imperfect leaders.
VII. HER SINCERITY IS RE-AFFIRMED BY THE LORD
I have compared you, My love, To My filly among Pharaoh’s chariots. Your cheeks
are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold. We will make you
ornaments of gold with studs of silver (SONG 1:9-11).
A. In 1:9-10, He compares her to 3 things that reaffirmed the loveliness of her
sincerity and willing spirit before God. Then gives her a promise in 1:11.
B. The first thing He does is to speak to her heart to affirm her. He speaks the love
language to her heart again.
“My love”(1:9a)
C. He uses the words, “My love or My beautiful one.” Each time in this song He
speaks to her with either the words “My love or My beloved.” This reveals the
way that God relates to His people. For God has infinite tenderness and affection
in His heart towards His weak people. His compassion and His affection for
sincere believers are beyond our understanding.
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D. God sees he r sincere and strong desire to follow Jesus in righteousness.
“I have compared you, My love, To My filly among Pharaoh’s chariots” (1:9b)
1. A filly is a horse. The horse is a symbol of strength and power. The
context speaks of her strength in righteousness.
2. “Among Pharaoh’s chariots” speaks of the finest and strongest war horses
in the world. The horses of Egypt were well known throughout the world
in those days. Pharaoh had the most highly skilled and trained horses in
the earth. Pharaoh chose the very best horses of all the horses of Egypt to
pull his own chariot. Pharaoh’s own chariot had the best of the best
horses. Pharaoh had thousands of horses in his great stables and the one
that pulls his personal chariot is the best one.
3. Solomon as the wealthiest man in the world bought many of Pharaoh’s
horses. He was one of the few that could afford them.
4. She was like the most skilled and trained horse that carried Pharaoh
himself. He says, “You have been trained like the horse that serves
Pharaoh. I have trained you to carry the King Himself.” To Jesus the
maiden is as the finest horse that can be trained in terms of her intention to
do righteousness.
a. Jesus was saying, “You are equipped in righteousness more than you
understand. You have a growing hunger in your heart that is more
than any unbeliever has.” The absence of strength of an unbeliever to
“purpose to do righteousness” is the comparison being made.
b. Her strength in her intentions to obey God affirms the weaknesses that
caused her vineyard to be unkept (1:7).
c. Jesus is saying, “you may feel like a failure but to Me you appear like
a strong mare.” You are a picture of strength when compared to all the
other horses in the world (i.e., the strength of an unbeliever to do
righteousness).
5. The Lord is saying, “you are the most trained in righteousness and you
possess the most strength of all the people of the earth to seek God. Even
with all of your stumbling the "Yes!" in your spirit is seen by God as
strength. He is speaking about the strength of her spirit
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6. You are trained in righteousness like Pharaoh’s own horses compared to
all the people of the earth. Remember this is the point of view God is
always looking at. You are one of the elect one that are skilled in
righteousness. The number is really small, you are very unique to God.
But the Lord compares us with the billions of the earth who have no
regard for Christ Jesus at all. Though there are millions of people in the
world that have said yes to Jesus, the percentage is still very small.
7. In other words He is saying, “You are not offensive and repulsive to Me.”
She says, “If I am so trained why did I stumble?” He says, “You are in
need of more training, this is true. But you must not despise the training I
have given you in the past.”
8. When we face the shame of failure, we feel everything is lost, like
everything is wasted from the past. However, this is not true. The
training Jesus gave us in the early days is still valid and important in our
character. Everything is not lost because we have stumbled in our
weakness.”
E. Our emotions are attractive to Him. He has touched our emotions with His Spirit.
God sees her emotions rekindled toward Jesus. God has touched the emotional
dimension of her life with the early stages of sincere devotion for Jesus.
“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments” (1:10a)
1. “Cheeks” - The cheeks speak of emotion throughout the song, they reveal
anger and joy, etc. When you look at somebody’s cheeks, you can tell if
there is joy in their heart or if there is anger or sadness in their heart. The
emotions of a person are expressed through the cheeks.
2. “Ornaments” - ornaments are created by the skillful work of an artist to
beautify its object. Jesus is the artist that has worked to beautify us
(Isa.61:3). Though God sees lust and anger in us, He also sees passion
growing in us for Him. Ornaments are purposefully honed and beautified
by a skilled artist. God is saying, “your emotions are lovely, I have
skillfully worked in you a "Yes!" for My Son. That moves the very heart
of God.
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3. How could emotions be attractive to God when they still contain lust and
anger?” God sees these things in our emotions, but that's not all that He
sees. He also sees the hunger in our emotions to follow Jesus more fully.
He still sees the cry in your spirit for Jesus as well. He sees all things like
Peter said, “Lord You know all things and You know that I love You,
4. The desperate prayer of 1:7 revealed the spiritual hunger that was deep in
her emotion for God. God saw the very cry for Him and it was beautiful
to God. Her cheeks were lovely like ornaments.
5. The Holy Spirit skillfully worked this cry into her. Such a prayer counted
to God.
6. We cry out to be free from sin as David did in Psalm 51, when he sinned
with Bathsheba. David cried out, “Restore me oh God”. That prayer was
beautiful to God, it was lovely as an artistic ornament in the sight of God.
F. God sees her submission to divine authority and her resolute will to obey Jesus.
“Your neck with chains of gold” (1:10b)
1. The neck speaks symbolically of the will. The Bible speaks of people that
are stiff- necked, which means a stubborn or rebellious person.
2. The neck also speaks of godly submission
3. The neck is what turns the head as it chooses which way to go, right or
left. When a King triumphed over another nation, the conquering general
put his foot over that defeated king’s neck, which spoke of submission.
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4. “Chains of gold” speak of royal authority. Only a King had chains of
gold. In those days, few people could afford a chain of gold besides a
King. A chain of gold was rare and expensive because it only worn by
royalty.
a. The prince wore a chain of gold with the king’s emblem on it as he
walked through the town.
b. Common people could never afford a chain with gold. Solomon had a
chain of gold from his father David because David had so much
wealth. Solomon’s children had chains of gold. It spoke that he was
related to king David.
c. “Gold” - speaks of divine character. He knows that we stumble but
He sees in us a willing spirit as a chain of gold around our neck.
d. “Your neck has kingly authority stamped on it, there’s a "Yes!" in
your spirit to King Jesus.
G. SUMMARY - He gives her three affirmations. She says, “Where can I find
You?” In v.8, “You are lovely, you’re beautiful. Stay in the body, serve the
people, and have the right spirit towards authority. But let me tell you, your mind
in trained, it's not all lost, your emotions are lovely, in your neck I see a resolution
in your will to say "Yes!" to God. It has the very gold of God in it.
H. He deals with is her mind, emotions and will.
1. The mind speaks of the Pharaoh’s horse, trained in righteousness.
2. The emotions speak of the cheeks that are lovely with ornaments.
3. The will speaks of the neck with chains of gold.
I. He gives the final promise.
“We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.” (1:11) —
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1. “Ornaments of gold” - gold speaks of divine character. She will be Christ-
like in her golden character. He will make our heart like gold as an
extravagant worshipper of Jesus. This speaks of believers purified with
fire (Mal. 3:1-4).
2. “Studs of silver” - Silver speaks of redemption. She will be used to bring
redemption to other people. She will be equipped to deliver others.
3. “We will make you” - Divine promise to complete His work in her. He is
still answering her question from v.7, “Where will You feed me?” God
promises to work something special in her. He will make us into a person
who fully chooses divine character (gold) and is equipped with silver to
deliver others (silver).
4. He is saying, “You will be a worshipper (gold) and a deliverer (silver)
when I am finished working with you, so don't give up.
a. “We” is a very important word. Father, Son and Holy Spirit working
together. It also speaks of God working together in cooperation with
the individual believer. He says, “Together we will make you an
ornament of gold.” Cooperation with God's grace speaks of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the believer.
…if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
(Romans 8:13)
b. Jesus promised Peter, “I will make you a fisher of men. In other
words, the Lord promised Peter to make him a fisher of men. You will
be made complete before Jesus is done with you.
c. God promises to continue to work on you, if you will not give up.
YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE IF YOU STUMBLE. YOU ARE
ONLY A FAILURE IF YOU QUIT. Because the righteous stumble
and they get up again. He is saying, “Do not run from Me, run to Me,
when you discover your unkept vineyard.”
J. SUMMARY – In 1:7, she said, “Where will You feed me?” In 1:8, He said,
“Most beautiful, stay in the Body. Take care of the little ones I give you. Keep a
right spirit towards imperfect leaders.” Then 1:9, He says, “O’ My love, you are
like a trained horse in righteousness, though you are young. The very hand of
God Himself has touched your emotions. And your will (neck) is under the
authority of God the King. She will be Christ- like in her character and she will be
used to deliver others.
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