SPIRITUAL INTIMACY WITH GOD

 

SPIRITUAL INTIMACY WITH GOD - Song of Solomon 4:12-16 

12 A garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed.

13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits, Fragrant henna with spikenard,

14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, With all the chief spices--

15 A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon.

16 The Shulamite Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.

Introduction:

Ø  The book of Solomon is not only his romantic love life with his bride but it’s a spiritual book between Jesus – The Beloved and the Church – the Shulamite woman.

Ø  Jesus our lover wants to visit our garden if you want Him to.  In book of Songs of Solomon 4:12 – it mentioned of a garden enclosed .. Is my spouse and is a spring and a fountain sealed.

Ø  God wants to be involved in everything we do. He wants us to fellowship with Him, which means communicating with Him throughout our day just like we do with someone who’s our close friend or family member.

Ø  Knowing God loves us, loving Him, spending time with Him, and being grateful for what He’s done and is doing in our lives can help us have a real relationship with Him.  God want you to be still and know He is your Beloved lover.

1. The Garden Barred  - (Song of Sol. 4:12)

“You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed (shut up) fountain.” NIV.

a) A Barred Garden - Song of Sol. 4:12-16

A garden barred but not barren, blown upon but with nothing overblown, a Garden beautified and its Owner satisfied. The Garden Barred against the world’s influences against every kind of impurity against every wind of heresy.

We are living in this dark and evil world controlled by the enemies.  There are many temptations and evil trying to get into our garden. They would plant seeds of death, sickness and pain and hurts into our soil.  So as believers we need to locked against all the world evil influences   Against impurity and every wind of doctrine that is false.  We are a sealed fountain for the Lord only.  Our lives are totally for the Lord not polluted with the world things and thoughts. 

The bible says “Love not this world  - 1 John 2:15,16 – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

2. The Garden Has Fresh Fruits

a. It has::

Ø  Perennial Freshness in itself – 4:12, 15           

Ø  Pleasant Fruits for the Owner - 4:13           

Ø  Perpetual Fragrance for all - 4:14

b. Psalms 92:14-15  (NKJV)

“They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”    People of the world will come and be attracted to your spiritual garden of the Lord.  You can witness to them that the Lord is good and righteous. He is the Rock of my Salvation.  He is a Holy and Righteous God.

3. The Garden Under the Spirit’s Breath - (Song of Sol 4:16)

The Prayer is “BLOW” THE RESULT IS “FLOW”

“Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out”

a.    The prayer is ‘Blow” the result is “Flow” the fragrance of your life.  Let Him come and eat the pleasant fruits.

You are calling the winds of the Spirit to blow and cause the spice to flow.  Let My Beloved Jesus come and taste the fruits of my love.

Here “my garden” was changed to “His garden” In other words my garden is His garden. The whole garden of our inner lives was for Jesus and so were all its fruits.  The fruits of the Spirit of the believer and the whole garden was under the Spirit’s Breath.  Our gardens need the North wind and the South wind of the Spirit.

b.    This is called Revival in these last days. We cannot flow because there is no blow of the Spirit. So we need the Blow. Hello! Church.

So call on the Spirit of God to blow upon our Gardens (our lives, to our church, cities and nation) when there is a blow there will be a flowing out and there will be spices.  Spices attract people.  For me it’s the grace of God in our ministry.

Gill's Exposition

Spices denote the graces of believers, rare, precious, and odorous; and their "flowing out" the exercise of them, their evidence, increase, and the ripening of them; when they diffuse a sweet odour to Christ and others,

4. The Garden Bring Satisfaction to the Owner - (Song of Sol 5:1)

“I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk.”  (Song of Sol 5:1)

a) “I Come”

b) ”I Gather”

c)  “I Eat”

d)  “I Drink”

This was the Lord’s garden.  The Lord was not frequented but had come only in response to special invitation. He will come only when there are fruits and spice to satisfy.  The Lord was able to receive all He owns. Eight different times He mentioned here the possessive “MY’ – my sister, my spouse, my myrrh, my spice, my honeycomb, my honey, my wine, my milk!  Lord Jesus came and drink and eat all to His delight and satisfaction.  Just as Jesus found fruits or figs in the fig tree. - Song of Sol 5:1

Jesus here have come to your garden, He gather, He eats and drinks.  When someone eats and drinks with you called that what?  FELLOWSHIP!

Rev. 3:20 – “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” NIV.  Our spiritual life will bring satisfaction to our Lord the Owner of everything. God will be pleased with you in your work and life.

See how ready Christ is to accept the invitations of his people. After Jesus tasted your fruits He invites others – “Friends”

Friends : Jesus is called your friends of the world to eat and drink when he had eat and drink and fill it with love of fragrance.

“Eat, friends, and drink;  drink your fill of love.”  this is powerful Evangelism.  They come to see your fruits and taste it.  Your life and ministry that will fill them with the love of Christ.

5. The Garden Door Was Locked - Song of Sol 5:2-6

“I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking:

“Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one.

My head is drenched with dew,  my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3. I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet—

must I soil them again?”  4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him.”

My Beloved Had Left - Song of Sol 5:5-6  (Many believers have been sleeping)

5 I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh,

my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.

I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone.

 My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him.

 I called him but he did not answer.

Immediate Obedience is the answer here:  God Jesus is knocking on every door of our heart and the key is prompt obedience.

Churches and believers, by carelessness and security, provoke Christ to withdraw. We ought to notice our spiritual slumbers and distempers. Christ knocks to awaken us, knocks by his word and Spirit, knocks by afflictions and by our consciences; thus, Revelation 3:20

 May the Lord be a blessings to us as you fellowship with Him daily!