INTRODUCTION
Our text is Song of Solomon 1:9 - "I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots." The speaker is the husband. He is complimenting his wife. Spiritually, the speaker is Christ. He is complimenting the Church. When we think of horses we think of a:
1. A TRIUMPHANT CHURCH
Revelation 19:14 "the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses."
"’Tis the church triumphant singing,
Worthy the Lamb!
Heaven throughout with praises ringing,
Worthy the Lamb!
Thrones and powers before Him bending;
Odours sweet, with voice, ascending;
Swell the chorus never-ending,
Worthy the Lamb!"
2. A MILITANT CHURCH
Nearly every time horses are mentioned in scripture it is to do with warfare. In Bible times, horses were used in battle. They were called warhorses. A vivid description of a warhorse is given in Job 39:19-25. Every Christian should be a warhorse for Jesus.
"Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally."
3. AN INDIGNANT CHURCH
Notice what it says about the warhorse in Job 39:24 "He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage..." Warhorses were angry animals. Christ wants us to be angry - angry with sin. Ephesians 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not..." We are reminded of John Wesley’s famous words - "Give me one hundred men who love only God with all their heart and hate only sin with all their heart and we will shake the gates of hell and bring in the kingdom of God in one generation."
4. A VIGILANT CHURCH
Horses sometimes sleep standing up. Why? Because they are wary of predators. There are many ’predators’ in the spiritual realm. 1 John 4:1 "...many false prophets are gone out into the world". The Church needs to be vigilant. Jude 3 "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
Sound the battle cry! See, the foe is nigh;
Raise the standard high for the Lord;
Gird your armour on, stand firm every one;
Rest your cause upon His holy Word.
