[0:00] and one thousand and five songs. That was quite an output that he had. He was a man who was led by the Holy Spirit and we have this song of songs, Solomon's song, in the Word of God. This obviously is the best song of all the thousand and five that he has composed because it's about the most glorious subject, the song of Solomon. It is taken to do with the love that Christ has for his people and the love that they have for him. And that is portrayed to us in a symbolic way throughout this book in that we have in the whole of the book references to the love that this couple have for each other. For example, in chapter one, we see the bride saying at verse two, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine.
[1:31] That at one level is the expression of the bride for her husband in natural terms, but it's an expression also in spiritual terms that the believer has for Christ Jesus.
[1:48] And then also we see in chapter two and verse 14 what the Lord says about his people, about the believer.
[2:01] That is Christ's view of his people.
[2:23] It is the view of the bridegroom of the bride, but on a higher and more glorious level, it is the view of Christ, of his people.
[2:39] And then coming to chapter eight, where we have these marvellous words. In verse five, who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?
[2:57] We have three things in that verse that I'd like to hopefully expand on for a few minutes this morning with the Lord's help. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?
[3:14] We see, first of all, the present situation or residence of the church of Christ, the people of God.
[3:27] In this world it says that they are in the wilderness. That's the first thing, their present residence. And secondly, we note from the words of this verse, the direction of travel that they're taking.
[3:47] Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness? That's the direction of travel that people of God have.
[3:58] They are coming up from the wilderness. And thirdly and finally, the posture that the church is adopting as she comes up from the wilderness.
[4:13] It says here that she is leaning upon her beloved. That's her posture. That's the way she is. She's leaning upon Jesus, upon her Saviour.
[4:27] These three points, her present residence, her direction of travel, and her posture. Who is this?
[4:39] Well, we find that kind of question appearing in another two places in the Song of Solomon. For example, in chapter 3, at verse 6, it says, Who is this?
[4:53] That cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense with all powders of the merchant.
[5:05] There's a picture for us there of the fragrance of grace in the life of the people of God.
[5:17] Despite the fact that they are in a wilderness situation, they are nevertheless made fragrant by the grace and blessing of God.
[5:29] Who is this? That cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense with all powders of the merchant.
[5:41] That is, the Christians' lot. They are beautified and made fragrant by the love and blessing of God.
[5:54] And the other place we have this mentioned is at chapter 6 and at verse 10. Another question, Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banner?
[6:19] There's a reference there to the fact that she has been granted enlightenment. she is fair as the morning and she is as clear, as fair as the moon and clear as the sun.
[6:36] In other words, the grace of God has scattered her darkness, the darkness of ignorance that sin had left each one of us with. And now it says that she's as clear as the sun, but she's also terrible as an army with banner.
[6:54] it's as if she is made strong to engage with the enemies of her soul. What an amazing combination of pictures we have under these three questions.
[7:10] Who is this? Who is that? First of all, she is made fragrant by the grace of God. Then she is enlightened by the light of his spirit and made strong by his grace.
[7:21] And now we see here in chapter 8 at verse 5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? First of all, regarding chapter 8 verse 5, the church of God, the people of God are in a wilderness situation.
[7:46] When John Bunyan opens the book the pilgrim's progress, he's talking about when he's walking through the wilderness of this world. Wilderness of this world.
[8:00] And that's the way it is. It's as if there is nothing in this world that is conducive to spiritual health and spiritual strength and spiritual enlightenment and spiritual growth.
[8:17] This world lies in wickedness. And this is what it says here. That that's where the church of God is.
[8:29] In this place of time and sense. In the place what we call the wilderness. Isn't it interesting that when God saved his people from the tyranny or the slavery of the land of Egypt a long time ago that he didn't immediately bring them into the land of promise that was flowing with milk and honey.
[9:00] He rather took them a long way around and they spent 40 years in the wilderness. And we have in the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 8 and verses 15 and 16 a summary of why the Lord did that.
[9:25] That he took them through the wilderness. It says here he led thee through the great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought where there was no water who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint who fed thee in the wilderness with manna which thy fathers knew not that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end.
[10:00] He brought the church the people of God into the wilderness for a purpose. He was going to humble them and to prove them to show what was in their hearts to show them whether they would keep the commandments of God or not.
[10:20] And he proved to them repeatedly down through the years as they wandered in the wilderness that they were rebellious people that they were a people who needed to be subdued and subjected unto God by his grace.
[10:39] And that's the way where the church still is in the place of teaching in the place of humbling in the place where we need to be totally dependent upon the Lord himself.
[10:54] As these people of Israel were they had to go out every morning to gather the manna that had miraculously fallen through the night. They went out and they hadn't actually to labour for the manna it was God's provision.
[11:11] And so still with the people of God we have to avail ourselves of the manna of his word day after day after day and we have to be prayerful in our attendance on the means of grace.
[11:26] Reading the scriptures attending the means of grace in church and doing business with God in prayer in private. We have to continue availing ourselves of what the Lord has laid freely at our disposal.
[11:44] And that's the way the church was in the wilderness. And also the water from the rock. The rock had been struck by Moses and the water gushed forth and that water followed them during their 40 years journey until they reached the land of Canaan.
[12:10] And so days still with the church of Christ we are totally dependent upon feeding feeding from heaven and refreshment from heaven for our poor and yearning souls.
[12:29] This is what it says here that she is in the wilderness and more than that it is a place of danger a place where there were fiery serpents and scorpions and dangers of various kinds and for the Christian in every age that is still the case there are still fiery serpents there are still kinds of scorpions that would seek to sting you and to debilitate you and take away your strength sin as it were waits to seek and throw itself at you and we need to be totally dependent upon the Lord in heaven who is able to give us grace in the face of every trial in the face of every temptation when you see at the very beginning of our
[13:41] Lord's ministry immediately the gospel of Mark says the spirit drives him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and he withstood every aspect of the devil's temptation didn't matter what the devil threw at him the Lord Jesus refused to submit to the temptations of the evil one and the thing is now that when we are being tempted he understands our temptation in this wilderness journey on which we are and he has been there himself and he knows what it is like and he is able to sympathize with us in our temptations and able to give us grace to give us strength in the face of temptation and in the face of sins of various kinds we are in the wilderness it's a place that is full of worldliness man centred philosophies people full of self interest people around us who are so loud in their opinions and their opinions are so far far against what the word of
[15:08] God says and we hear it every day and it saddens us and makes us fall on our knees in prayer lord help us as a people give us to turn to yourself rather than to the things that this world so frequently and powerfully commends to us and almost throws down our throat the Christian finds the wilderness a tiresome place worldliness round about us and we are of a different spirit we have a different ethos we have a different longing in our soul to what the wilderness this world can offer us at best and that makes us feel lonely sometimes feel as if we are alone apart from the fellowship of
[16:27] God's people whom we know but that is the way the Lord has appointed things for us and it's as if when Solomon here is talking about the church in the wilderness and it's as if he is saying who is this there is somebody in the wilderness and she's not willing to stay there her direction of travel is opposite to the masses that surround her and that brings me to the second point she's in the wilderness but she's got a different direction to her life what does it say who is that this that cometh up from the wilderness she is coming up from the wilderness she is moving as it were away from the things that would seek to envelop her and dominate her in this world what things are they oh well she has turned her back upon sin through the grace of
[17:49] God when the gospel came to the church in Thessalonica the apostle describes it in this way that the people who heard the gospel savingly they turned to God from idols to serve the living and through God and to wait for his son from heaven there was a turning around in the life of those who received the gospel in other words in the words of Jesus and John the Baptist at the beginning of their ministries there was repentance that's what repentance really means a turning away from what would naturally be the desire of your heart turn away from sin turn away from worldliness turn away from unholiness unto the Lord himself and this is what she's done who is this that cometh up from the wilderness it's as if she is saying
[18:57] I have done with that kind of lifestyle it doesn't satisfy the deepest needs of my soul at all it actually contaminates my soul to be involved in the things of the world and she has turned her back upon it turned her back upon the deceptions that the world is full of she has been called with a heavenly calling as the scripture says the voice of God in the gospel she has heard and she has responded to it in faith and that voice that effectual call of God in the gospel gives us to turn our back upon the things of time and sense and no longer to trust in them but we look for something better and we delight in something better in fact we delight in the
[20:01] Lord himself who is the giver of every good and perfect gift and the greatest gift he gives to us is the gift of his son and we receive him and rest upon him alone for salvation as he's freely offered to us in the gospel she has turned her back and rather than going down deeper and deeper with more involvement in the world and worldliness she is actually by God's grace rising out and upwards onwards and upwards is that true of yourself are you happy enough still with the things of this world a big bank balance secure job happy family is that all that you're looking for well the Bible says that these things in themselves are good enough but there are no real provision for the great eternity to which we are all going we need to have something more concrete something more lasting something more glorious finding
[21:18] And what this church has found these people have found they are in the wilderness but they don't want to be part of it they're wanting something better just like Abraham of old wanted and looked for a city whose builder and maker is God.
[21:38] It says about Abraham that the God of glory revealed himself to him when he was in Ur of the Chaldees. You find this in Acts chapter 7.
[21:50] And he said, get out from this place and go to the place I will show you. He didn't at that time tell him where he was going.
[22:01] And the Bible reminds us that Abraham obeyed God and went not knowing where he was going. He responded by faith because the word of God told him to move from where he was.
[22:17] And that's what the people of God do. The people of God when they hear the gospel in our day they hear what the Bible asks of them to do. And they do it not knowing exactly what lies ahead.
[22:32] But they have put all their affairs into the hands of the Lord Jesus who is able to do for them far above what they're able to ask or even think.
[22:42] Think also of Saul of Tarshish who became the Apostle Paul when he was so virulently against the church of Christ in his day but on the way to Damascus the Lord apprehended him.
[22:59] He stopped him in his tracks called to him from heaven Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you Lord? I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
[23:11] It's hard for you to kick against the prigs. And you see Saul became submissive at that very point.
[23:22] Lord what do you want me to do? He turned. Same as Lydia who we have mentioned to us in the book of Acts chapter 16 when she heard the Apostle Paul teaching or preaching the word of God her heart was opened to receive what he was saying.
[23:47] And she gave ample proof that she had turned her back upon sin and she embraced the people of God and the God of the word. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness?
[24:02] Oh the coming up from the wilderness can be very trying. There are so many things that cause us to feel that the that the path is difficult to walk.
[24:18] It is a steep path. The way of holiness is a difficult way. A path that shows us more and more about ourselves and we don't like what we see.
[24:35] And a path that shows us more and more of Jesus. And we long to see more of him. And that's why we look to him as we travel up from the wilderness.
[24:50] But thirdly we see her posture. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved?
[25:06] She's leaning upon her beloved. The one she mentions at the very beginning of this in chapter 1 verse 2 let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.
[25:20] For thy love is better than wine. She knew something of his love. She knew something of his grace. And now although the wilderness is difficult and the way can be hard and trying the temptations can be frequent and the days can be dark sometimes nevertheless she's in the company of her beloved and she's leaning upon him.
[25:50] what does it mean when she leans on him? Well I think she has by leaning on him admitted that she can't make it on her own.
[26:10] When you lean on somebody you feel you're too weak to go on you have no more strength. and the Lord proves to us again and again that we have no real strength for this journey that all our strength is in him.
[26:28] My grace is sufficient for you. Why do you lean on Jesus Christ? well surely first of all you lean on him for acceptance with God the Father and when we cannot expect to be accepted by God in ourselves on our own terms on our own righteousness we have none but Jesus says look to me and I am able to give you the righteousness that enables you to stand in the presence of God uncondemned.
[27:14] There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. We come in Jesus name leaning upon him leaning upon his righteousness trusting upon him looking to him his blood cleanses us from all sin and there is now no condemnation to those who are in him.
[27:50] He is the only mediator between us and God the man Christ Jesus and when you think of Christ as mediator he executes the offices of prophet and priest and king as our mediator and the prophet he was teaching the people God's will for their salvation and Jesus does that he is our great teacher and in a sense the way we are by nature we are all dancers but we have the best of all teachers in Jesus and he is able to teach us about himself and about ourselves he is also our priest as our mediator and as our priest he gave up one sacrifice even himself to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to
[29:03] God and we lean upon his finished work but as a priest he also continues to make intercession at the right hand of God for his people and we lean upon him who makes continual intercession for us and then also he is our king remember that he rules us and defends us and he conquers all his own and our enemies what security that is to be leaning upon Jesus our prophet to teach us our priest to make atonement for us and to intercede for us and our king to rule us and defend us and conquer all of our enemies and she is leaning upon him every step of the way he is the mediator between
[30:08] God and man the man Christ Jesus do you sometimes feel lonely on the pilgrimage well he is the best of all friends the one you can always confide in and he'll not tell anybody and when you tell him all your woes he understands it's wonderful to be able to tell him the way you are and the longings of your heart if you're wondering which way to go or what to do he is the best counsellor you could imagine there are so many counsellors nowadays counselling people and many of them do good work but this is the best of all counsellors as he is the best of all teachers as he is the best of all friends lean upon him lean upon him trust him and when you feel that things are not going well when you feel spiritually ill when your heart is hard when your heart is sore when things are out of joint you come to him he's the greatest physician that you could ever meet he's able to heal all your diseases and all your pains he heals and gives you relief this church coming up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved is a picture of the
[32:06] Christian coming through life walking this wilderness journey and leaning on his word and leaning on his promises sometimes we have no pleasant feelings within ourselves sometimes we do when we're aware of God's peace and love but sometimes it's not like that what do you lean on then on whom do you lean well the church of God leans on God's word and on God's promises and that's what we have to lean on every step of the way God said it I trust him God promised it I look forward to it God has said it and that's making all the difference in my life
[33:07] I commit myself to him as I walk this difficult journey looking unto Jesus and leaning upon him may God bless these thoughts to us let us pray help us Lord as we consider your word and that we would know more and more of the Lord of whom we speak we thank you that you have privileged us to be in possession of the gospel and we thank you for the grace that you bestow upon your people as you teach them in the way showing them more and more of themselves which is not a nice picture but showing them more and more of yourself and you are all glorious give us to walk the wilderness journey leaving the wilderness behind us and coming up to have more and more fellowship with you and leaning upon you in every circumstance of life bless us know we pray and forgive our sins in Jesus name
[34:29] Amen