Song of Solomon 6:13 KJV [13] Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
l. INTRODUCTION – THE SONG OF SOLOMON
-This book, the Song of Solomon, is a book that is not preached from very often. In fact, I have been preaching now for basically twelve years and I have only preached from this book three times.
-It is a story, a parable, that tells of the love that Solomon had for what is commonly referred to as the Shulamite. She is a young woman that Solomon is courting with the intentions of marrying her and bringing her to the palace.
-There is some conjecture that this Shulamite is Abishag that is cross-referenced in 1 Kings 1-2. She is married by Solomon after some contention with his brother, Adonijah. Which is another sermon in itself.
A. Her Background
-She came from Shunem which was one of the lower regions of Galilee in the foothills of the mountains of Lebanon. David and Solomon owned large estates that had huge vineyards, spice gardens, and fruit orchards.
-In addition to all of this, vast herds of sheep were kept there which belonged to the palace. To take care of the farms and the vastness of the flocks, the palace would lease out the care of this to those who lived in that country and they were paid out of the king’s treasury.
-The Shulamite was a daughter of one of the families. Scripture indicates to us that Abishag was brought to Jerusalem to serve as a concubine to David against her will. With blessing on her side, she ended up being a servant in the courts of the king.
-While she was in the courts, she became the aim of Solomon’s affection. After King David died, she was sent back into her country. This would have been a very difficult burden for her to bear because of the stigma that marked her.
-She was disdained by her people because she was held in the same view as a harlot. Not only that but all the financial considerations from the palace were no longer available to her.
-She was and felt disgraced. She brings this to light in Song 1:5:
[Song of Solomon 1:5 KJV] I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
-She tries to tell others of her inner beauty but it does not seemingly work. She feels soiled outwardly, “I am black. . . . as the tents of Kedar.” She compares herself to the tents of Kedar where the shepherds lived which were very coarse and never washed. The tents were weather-beaten and stained by long use.
-But she adds, “I am lovely. . . . as the curtains of Solomon.” No doubt she is making reference to the rooms in the palace. They are rich and stately. The world often views the church the same way. They only see the outside and never even guess the richness and depth of spiritual power that dwells within.
-The Shulamite knows her own heart. She also knows that the king has seen her beauty and that it will not be long before he comes and rescues her from the nagging surroundings that now imprison her. This Song of Solomon is nothing more than a type of the relationship that the Lord has with a New Testament church.
-So how is the king going to rescue his bride. First, he has to find her. We read in the Song of Solomon, that Solomon disguises himself as a shepherd and began to tend sheep as he carefully sought out this object of his desire.
-Finally, as luck or providence would have it, Solomon manages to tend the sheep directly next to Abishag’s vineyard. Initially, she did not realize who it was that was attempting to win her heart.
[Song of Solomon 1:7 KJV] Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thyflock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
-She did not recognize this disguised one who was coming to seek her out. Some might ask how it was that she did not recognize Solomon.
1. Solomon had to admire Abishag from a distance while she served David in the courts.
2. She considered herself a failure and unworthy of any such attention that would come from a king.
-Solomon is a type of Christ and Abishag is a type of the Church or the Bride of Christ. The Lord came to this earth clothed as a man to gain the heart of His bride and to prepare her for His final return.
-At first many did not recognize this Jesus Christ, who was simply of Nazareth, a carpenter, but in the course of time with conviction and the love of God, a church was born out of His devotion.
-Abishag ultimately fell in love with this mysterious shepherd who had shown her an unusual amount of attention. Whenever she was around him, she felt loved, protected, and provided for. This was a great change for her. Though she felt so unworthy of his attention, she loved every minute of it.
B. The Text
-But when we come to the text in Song 6:13, we find the cry of the daughters of Jerusalem. They cannot get away from her beauty. They are dazzled by her stately appearance. She is so different from them and now they fully understand that they will always be the second choice of the King.
-The Shulamite has left them and they want to look at her beauty again. So the cry comes from them, Return, Return, Return, Return.
ll. THE WORLD IS LOOKING FOR THE REAL THING
-This is the cry of this age also. This world is looking for a church that is going to manifest the power and the purpose of the early church. They are crying out, Return, Return, Return, Return.
-The book of Acts gives us some things that we need to return to again to get back on track for 2005 if we are expecting to see some of the things of God that we long to see.
A. Prayer
Leonard Ravenhill writes in his great book, Why Revival Tarries (ch. 2, Prayer Grasps Eternity):
No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be shop window to display one’s talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off.
Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; man players and payers, few pray-ers; man singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.
The two prerequisites to successful Christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer. The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer–the highest ministry of all human offices–is open to all. Spiritual adolescents say, “I’ll not go tonight, it’s only prayer meeting.” It may be that Satan has little cause to fear most preaching. Yet past experiences sting him to rally all his infernal army to fight against God’s people praying. Modern Christians know little of “binding and loosing,” though the onus is on us–“Whatsoever ye shall bind. . . .” Have you done any of this lately? God is not prodigal with His power; but to be much for God, we must be much with God.
We understand that we need to pray.
We have heard great testimonies of what happens when people and churches pray.
We know the power of prayer.
We know the capacity of prayer.
We know what prayer does to us individually when we pray.
We know what happens in the lives of others when we pray.
-This is the crying need of this day: Prayer. It is the desperate need in my life. It is the desperate need in your life. It is the desperate need of this church.
-There are 28 References in the Book of Acts to Prayer (This list is not all inclusive):
Acts 1:14 KJV These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. . .
Acts 1:24 KJV And they prayed. . .
Acts 2:42 KJV And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 3:1 KJV Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer. . .
Acts 4:31 KJV And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. . .
Acts 6:4 KJV But we will give ourselves continually to prayer. . .
Acts 6:6 KJV And when they had prayed. . .
Acts 8:15 KJV Prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Acts 9:11 KJV . . . for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. . .
Acts 9:40 KJV But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed. . . .
Acts 10:2 KJV Cornelius prayed to God.
Acts 10:9 KJV Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
Acts 11:5 KJV I was in the city of Joppa praying. . . .
Acts 12:5 KJV Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. . . .
Acts 12:12 KJV Where many were gathered together praying. . . .
Acts 13:3 KJV And when they had fasted and prayed. . .
Acts 14:23 KJV And had prayed with fasting. . . .
Acts 16:25 KJV And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed. . . .
Acts 20:36 KJV He kneeled down, and prayed with them all. . . .
Acts 21:5 KJV We kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. . . .
Acts 22:17 KJV I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance. . . .
Acts 28:8 KJV And prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. . .
B. The Fear of the Lord
-We live in an age that has little if any fear of God. The Proverbs clearly state that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
-Those who are backsliders have hardened their hearts in such a manner that it is almost as if they are standing stone-faced in front of God and demanding that He do something about their spirit and attitude.
-You will find a pattern in the Bible in reference to the fear of the Lord. It is always:
Divine Order
Glory
Judgment
-This occurred with creation. This occurred with the giving of the Law (culminating with Nadab and Abihu). It can go on and on.
-You will find is specifically in Acts 5 with the account of Annanias and Sapphira. You find it with Elymas being stricken with blindness. You find it in the rebuke given to Simon the Sorcerer.
C. Holiness
-It is very interesting how people want great power and revelation without any kind of voluntary separation. The key to revelation is always going to be separation.
-But it is not just separation, it is voluntary separation. We have been called apart from the main flow of this world and only a voluntary separation is going to allow us to really have the power of the Holy Ghost to overcome.
-Those who do not voluntarily separate themselves from the world will not have a full pursuit of the Lord. Their prayer life is based on their need, not their desire. Those who gain revelation, willfully pray. They separate themselves through their desire to be with the Lord.
-When we practice the presence of the world we cannot expect to live in the presence of the Lord.
-The word holiness means “separation.” To live “holy” one will always have to live in willful separation from this world.
lll. CONCLUSION – RETURN, RETURN, RETURN, RETURN
-This world needs to see a church like it has never seen before. One that is separated. One that is beautiful. One that is powerful. One that is available.
-This is how we change our world. Not going toward them but rather pursuing God with everything inside of us.
Philip Harrelson
