Pictures of the Church
Song of Solomon Ch 2:8-17

Introduction. The Song of Songs is a beautiful love story presented in poetic form.
All through the book the love of the Bridegroom for his bride, and the love of the bride for her Bridegroom is emphasised. A love, which pictures that wonderful union, which exists between Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, and His Church, His blood bought Bride.
I want to draw your attention to some devotional pictures and practical instruction from chapter 2 of this beautiful book.
This section brings before us a visit that king Solomon made to the home of the Shulamite girl, who was to become his Bride. Here we see in type pictures of the heavenly Bridegroom our best beloved “the Lord Jesus”, and His Bride, His blood bought Church.
The Exhilaration of the Church
Ch. 2:8 the voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
The Voice of my Beloved.
This verse would seem to indicate, that the Bride heard the “Voice of her Beloved” before she saw his face. She not only heard his voice but she recognised his voice. The Bride was able to distinguish the voice of her Bridegroom from all others, even when he was still a distance away. Her heart leaps with joy and excitement at the sound of the voice of her beloved, who has come to her vineyard home to visit her. “It’s the Voice of my beloved”
How blessed it is, when Believers, who are the Bride of Christ, hear the voice of their Bridegroom, and are able to recognise when it is the Lord who is speaking.
Friends, His voice ought ever to be recognised by His own.

The Lord Jesus ---
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:4-5 and when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Hearing the voice of the Master, our Bridegroom should ever thrill our souls and take us on to follow Him in obedience.
In Palestine flocks of sheep and herds of goats are plentiful. They dot the countryside, clutter up highways, and crowd the streets of towns and villages. Sheep have shepherds and goats have goatherds. The shepherd, with his long staff walks in front of his flock and his sheep follow him.
On the other hand, the goat -herder carries a short stick and walks behind his herd to keep his goats together, moving in the right direction. He has his hands full, for Goats are individualists, impulsive and self-willed. They dart off in all directions on little personal missions of their own.
Sheep-calling contests are common in Palestine. Several flocks are placed in an enclosure and mixed together. Then the shepherds will whistle a distinctive tune; some call or shout in a peculiar manner. Some shepherds use a pipe with a particular pitch. Each shepherd’s signal is understood by his own sheep and they respond immediately.
They make their way through the crowded enclosure to where their shepherd is waiting, and the shepherd, who collects a given number of sheep in the shortest time, is the winner of the contest.
When Jesus mentions sheep and goats in contrast, He is making it clear, that there is a difference, not only in appearance but also in nature and behaviour.
Goats are not responsive to leadership. They have to be driven. Sheep know their shepherd’s voice and follow him.
We ought ever to know the voice of our Beloved Lord, because the Voice of the Lord exhilarates and edifies His Bride, the Church.

The Majesty of His Voice. “For never man spake like this man”
The Psalmist reminds us “ That the voice of the Lord is upon many waters” “The Voice of the Lord is Powerful” “The Voice of the Lord is full of Majesty.
The Mighty Power of His Voice.
The Voice of Jesus is an all-powerful voice. His voice comes forth not only in word but in Power. He speaks and spiritually dead Sinners come to life.
The Voice of Christ, not only reaches the ear, it opens the eyes of those who are spiritually asleep. His Voice touches the heart of the complacent. His voice brings comfort to distressed Saints. The Voice of Jesus is still able to calm the raging storms and the troubled waters, which we encounter on the journey of life.

The Mercy in His Voice..
When, like His disciples of old, the little ship of our lives is in troubled waters and we are fearful. We see Him walking on the Sea of Life, and He says to us “Be of good cheer it is I, be not afraid”

There is Manna in His Voice.
His Voice brings us Divine Refreshment and food to nourish our souls. The Voice of the Beloved brings us light to dispel our darkness! Instructs us in the Truth!
Corrects us when we go astray! Lifts us up, when we are feeling down! Gives strength to the weary! Brings comfort to the sad! It brings joy to rejoice the heart!
How exhilarating is the Voice of Jesus to those who believe. “The Voice of My Beloved” brings love, mercy, grace and peace to His own; it is Manna to the soul.
If you keep watch over your hearts, and listen for the voice of God you learn of Him. In one short hour you can learn more from him than you could learn from man in a thousand years.
Johann Tauler (C. 1300-1361)
Oh, may we listen to the voice of Jesus, may we never roam!
Till safe we rest on His heavenly breast! In the dear heavenly home.
The Exhilaration of the Church.
”The Voice of My Beloved”
Surely, we have all said at some time or other, like the two on the road to Emmasus
“Did not our hearts burn within us; while He talked with us on the way, and while He opened to us the scripture”
The Expectation of the Church
”The Vision of Bride”
V 8 “ Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills”
Oh, the excitement that filled the heart of the Shulamite as she looked out and saw her Bridegroom approaching in the distance.
.
The king, whom she loved and is soon to wed, is coming in all his majesty! The One who has set his love upon her and chosen her for himself; he is now coming for her.
”Behold he cometh” The Bride not only hears his voice, she is watching for his coming.
”Behold He Cometh,” These words remind us that our Heavenly Bridegroom is coming soon. He has promised His own, His blood bought Bride, His Church.
” I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am there you may be also”
His Redeemed people must not only listen for His voice, they must Look for His coming again.
Jesus is coming, shout the glad word! Coming for those He redeemed by His Blood! Coming to reign as the Glorified Lord Jesus is coming again.
The Surety of His Coming… “Behold he Cometh
This is the Blessed hope of every child of God, the coming of the Lord and our gathering unto Him. The Angels announced this great event
Acts 1:11 which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
The Disciples believed it! The Apostles Preached it! Jesus promised it! And Praise God, we believe it and are looking forward to “The Coming of our Blessed Lord”
This is the “great Expectation of the Bride of Christ, the coming of the Bridegroom to take her home.

The Swiftness of His Coming.
As pictured in verses 8&9 Behold he cometh; leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a young roe or a young hart.
The whole tenor of this language indicates speed, as pictured in the roe, the young Hart, which is an animal, noted for it’s lightening speed. Jesus shall come again with great speed. In a Moment in the Twinkling of an eye”
The Saints shall hear His Voice. He shall descend from heaven with a shout, the Trump of God shall sound and every redeemed Soul will be gathered unto Him in the Air, and so shall they ever be with the Lord. We have a little glimpse of this great event in
Song 2:10-11 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The primitive church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ than about death or about heaven. The early Christians were looking not for a cleft in the ground called a grave but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory. They were watching not for the undertaker but for the upper taker. Alexander Maclaren

The Glorification Of the Church
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone!
The winter of life’s troubles and sorrow will be past. The rains of difficulty and disappointment will have ceased. The storms of adversity will rage no more.
What a day it will be for, Sick Saints, Suffering Saints, and for Sorrowing Saints! What a day it will be for all the redeemed Church of God when the Saints go marching in.
There will be “Unexplored Delights” for us to see and to sample with our Lord. There will be “Unsurpassed Beauty” for the eye to behold in the New Jerusalem. -- The city of Gold, the walls of Jasper, the foundation of precious stones, and the gates of pearl.
But even this great beauty will be surpassed, by the beauty of the Beloved One the heavenly Bridegroom.
The Centre of Attraction will be our Bridegrooms face
We will not gaze at Glory but on our King of Grace
Not at the Crown He giveth; but on His pierced hand
For the Lamb is all the glory; in Immanuel’s land.
There will be “Beauty Magnified” for all to see, and there will be a “Beautiful Melody” for all to sing. The time for singing will have come in the heavenly home and the song that we shall sing is “Redemption’s song how sweet the sound”
I am Redeemed I am Redeemed I’ll sing it o’er and o’er!
I am Redeemed O praise the Lord Redeemed forever more.

There will be three things, which will surprise us when we get to heaven.
1) To find many there that we did not expect to find there. 2) To find that there are some missing whom we had expected to be there. 3) The greatest wonder of all will be to find ourselves there.
For we never deserved such a privilege, but the grace of God, which has been extended to us in Christ, assures us of a home in heaven.
A few hours before Dwight L. Moody died,
He caught a glimpse of the glory awaiting him. Awakening from a sleep, he said ,
“Earth recedes, and heaven opens before me!
This is my triumph this coronation day! It is glorious!”