2025-01-31A
A. ON THE DESERT ROAD
A SENTRY? 8:5a Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?
An unknown person on the lookout notices something strange and asks what it could be. Possibly he is a soldier standing guard in the watchtower of an oasis city. He is keeping a close eye on the road coming in from the desert. There is movement. Could it be something hostile? No, it is a sturdy young man and an exhausted girl leaning on him. It clearly is a couple; engaged or married. They pose no danger. The guard loses interest and instead watches the other incoming roads.
For us, however, this couple is important. They are the Bride and Groom of our story. The path to salvation does not only meander through rose gardens and moonlit plains. It relentlessly probes through silent deserts with no indication of the number of days, weeks, or years until reaching the next oasis, or assurance that there will indeed be one beyond the horizon.
The road they had come had been exhaustive. During the day the scorching sun had beat down on her. At night she had slept in a hollow in the sand, without even a stone pillow under her head. As the heat of day faded the darkness of night drew an icy cold sheet over her. At times again, the fierce desert wind had howled over dunes and valleys. Like fiery, arid rain the sand had sifted down on her, even drying out her lips.
At first she had followed bravely in her Bridegroom’s footsteps, her eyes fixed on His lithe body. Later, when she had begun to lag behind, He had fallen in beside her, taken her by the hand, and encouraged her by His loving words. Sections of the way they had travelled, she cannot recall. Had she perhaps collapsed? Had He perhaps then carried her along in His powerful arms?
… and in the wilderness, where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place. (Deut 1:31).
Over time she had learned to lean on Him so that He could support part of her weight. During this last leg to the oasis however, even that would no longer do. Then she put her arm around His neck and leaned her head against His shoulder. He was now her only hope of reaching the village dancing in the mirage ahead.
But now thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and your Former, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine! 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you. (Isa 43:1,2)
The words of this text, spoken by the prophet Isaiah about Israel, also apply to Jesus’ Bride. She must necessarily go through great trials like Job to purify her like gold and silver; to make the salvation He wrought for her on the cross a reality in her daily life, but – He is with her every step of the way and will ensure that, at the end of the marathon, she will stand on the podium lifting up the cup of victory.
His encouraging command, “FEAR NOT”, is recorded 56 times in His Word, one of which being in Isaiah 41:10:
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my saving right hand.
B. UNDER THE APPLE TREE
Arriving at their destination, they sit in the shade of an apple tree and take a rest. He takes advantage of the time by striking up a conversation with her.
THE GROOM: 8:5b Under the apple tree I raised you up. There your mother was in labour for you, there she was in labour who bore you.
He notices that she is very discouraged, that she even wonders if she will ever reach the Golden Gate. What can He say to rekindle her faith? He will remind her of the long journey she has already traveled. He recalls how, under the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil she had died spiritually. But then, one day, under the Tree of Life, He had resurrected her again, made her alive by His Spirit. It was a painful birth because she resisted, like a baby twisting cross-ways in the birthing channel. She had many excuses against the necessity of having to be born again. God the Holy Spirit was in labour for a long time and brought her forth with groanings unutterable (Rom 8:26). That is why He will not give up on her easily. With every attempt of the enemy of souls to snatch her from His arms, She will remember the birth pangs She had experienced for her sake, and will hold her tightly to His (Her) breast, turning His (Her) back on the attacker to prevent him from laying a hand on her.
Furthermore, she must remember that He, the Bridegroom, first saw her and courted her; not she, Him. He chose her; not she, Him. Therefore, she can be assured that, since He first fell in love with her when she was still sunburnt and covered with dust, wearing herself out for the world, how much more will she not attrack Him to her, now that she is washed clean and adorned with so many beautiful spiritual jewels!
For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Rom 5:10).
All He asks of her is that she wear his engagement ring at all times.
THE GROOM: 8:6a Wear me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm;
A king never removed his signet ring off his finger because it usually contained an image of himself with which he would seal a document he drafted. The recipient would then have no doubt that the contents were written by the king whose seal was affixed to it.
However, this Bridegroom trusted his Bride so much that He took his signet ring off his finger and folded it into the palm of her hand. She was to guard it with all care, but also display it in two places. Firstly, she was to wear it on her heart where only He could see it. When others would try to belittle Him by claiming that his Bride was sharing his signet ring (her life) with other men, He would only look into her heart to be sure of her faithfulness to Him.
However, she also had to wear it on her arm where everyone could see it so that, wherever she moved, people would know that she belonged to the Man whose image was on that ring!
THE GROOM: 8:6b … for love is strong as death, and love is fierce as the grave; its blazing is a blazing fire, a flame of the LORD.
The Bridegroom continues to speak to his Bride about their relationship. She never neads to fear that their union will grow weaker and eventually die, because they are bound together by love and Divine love is like death: what he took, he never, ever gives back. So too, the love of God who took her as a Bride will never again give her up, not even to herself.
Although the love of God is extremely tender, gentle, understanding and tolerant, it is more enduring than even hatred can ever be. The loving zeal of God wants to give her, his Bride, the very best and will continue to exert Himself to reach this goal, yes, right untill she entered in through the Golden Gate.
The love the Spirit of God established in her heart at her rebirth also has the ability to endure through all tests. Although she will often want to give up and turn back, she will only be able to do so by an unimaginable act of will.
Love is a fire, a flame lit by God himself. That flame embraces everything around it and makes it part of itself – the wood becomes part of the flame, of the fire and of the light that is emitted. Therefore, it does not allow man to keep anything back for himself. To the rich young man Jesus said:
And Jesus looking at him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up thy cross, and follow me. (Mark 10:21).
THE GROOM: 8:7a Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it;
Fire and water are two great forces of nature. Normally, fire can be extinguished by water, but the fire of the love of God cannot be extinguished, not even by a river of water. Therefore, was the Holy Spirit poured out on those present on the day of Pentecost in the form of fire. Fire was the chosen symbol of His love that would go out over the whole earth to win man back to Himself.
THE GROOM: 8:7b Even if a man gave all the good things of his house for love, they would deeply despise him.
“You cannot buy love,” goes the proverb. Princes have exchanged the crown of their country for marriage to a girl who was unacceptable to his people, but dear to him. Yes, man recognizes that even earthly love between a man and a girl is so sublime that all the treasures of the universe cannot buy it. A girl may marry a rich man for his money or position, but he cannot buy her heart; he will only possess her body.
Anyone who has ever tasted true love would literally despise such a groom because he has no idea of the sublimity of love. It springs inexplicably from the heart of a man and a girl for each other. Some speak of “Love at first sight.” They only know that they desire no one else above this one object of their love. Such was the love between the Shulammite girl and the king, King Solomon; it flared up spontaneously. So too is the love of the Heavenly Bridegroom towards his Bride.
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