Song of Solomon 2:8-13, Psalm 45:1-2, Psalm 45:6-9, Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Deuteronomy 4:6-9, Psalm 15:1-5, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, Mark 7:14-15, Mark 7:21-23.
(A). THE SPRINGTIME OF MY LOVE.
Song of Songs 2:8-13.
The date and time of your next meeting is set: outside the Department store on such a street at such a time on Friday, or whenever. There you are, waiting, perhaps forgetting that these buildings often have more than one door. You wonder if your intended is ever going to show up: when, suddenly, you hear that familiar voice.
Imagine the relief: “The Voice of my Beloved!” Metaphorically speaking, at least - for we are, after all standing on the High Street of a City - “He comes leaping over mountains, skipping over hills” to be with you (Song of Songs 2:8). His impending arrival enthuses you, and you ‘know His Voice’ (John 10:4-5). As for Jesus, He will let nothing prevent Him (Hebrews 10:5-7).
Can you imagine what it must have been like for the Old Testament saints, like Simeon and Anna, waiting for the coming of Messiah? Simeon was not going to depart this world ‘in peace’ (Luke 2:29) until he encountered Jesus, ‘the consolation of Israel’ (Luke 2:25). Neither should any man be ready to leave this earth without the equivalent spiritual encounter with the Saviour! But once we have encountered Him, we might be like Paul - ready to live or die at His bidding (cf. Philippians 1:23-24).
And so, He comes, leaping and skipping “like a roe or a young hart” (Song of Songs 2:9). He is informed by His love for us to be cheerful in the undertaking of our salvation, despite the cost to Himself. He is as One ‘whose delights are with the sons of men’ (Proverbs 8:31).
Meantime, in the Old Testament dispensation, He is hidden “behind the wall” of sacrifice and ceremony, types and shadows - and occasionally “looks forth at the windows, showing Himself through the lattice” (Song of Songs 2:9). The ceremonial law is a ‘wall of partition’ which is only demolished by His blood (Ephesians 2:13-14). He stands behind the wall erected by our sin (Isaiah 1:18-20), waiting to be gracious: and how He was straitened until this work was accomplished (Luke 12:50)!
In the New Testament era, we again find ourselves in waiting mode. ‘Occupy until I come,’ He tells His disciples (cf. Luke 19:13). And, ‘Behold I come quickly’ (Revelation 22:12). Be patient: for ‘He that shall come will come and will not tarry’ (cf. Hebrews 10:36-37). Meanwhile, we catch the occasional glimpse of Him in Word and sacraments, waiting for the fulness of the revelation (cf. John 17:24) when ‘we shall see Him as He is’ (1 John 3:2).
Then comes the call to “rise” and “come away” (Song of Songs 2:10). To the unbeliever: Arise from your deadness in trespasses and sins and come away with new life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 2:5). To the believer in despondency and doubt: Awake from slumber and arise from death (Ephesians 5:14), ‘and Follow Me’. To the dead in Christ, and to those who remain until Jesus’ return: Arise and come away to be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
He calls His people “My love, My fair one” (Song of Songs 2:10). We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We did not choose Him, He chose us (John 15:16). Metaphorically speaking, perhaps, we are made “fair”, who were hitherto darkened by sin. The LORD blots out our transgressions (Isaiah 43:25) and sees us only as the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
And now the Winter is gone. The Winter of unbelief. The Winter of doubt. The Winter of despair. The Winter of backsliding. The Winter of fruitless Christianity. The devil isn’t going to be permitted to rain on our parade any more (Song of Songs 2:11). The rain is over: the bleak, bitter, dangerous rain, and in its place the dews of blessings (Genesis 27:28) herald the covenant of grace (Isaiah 54:9).
It is Spring. A time of budding flowers, singing birds, the cooing of the turtledove (Song of Songs 2:12). [The turtledove is one of those who understands the signs of the times, even when men do not (Jeremiah 8:7).] Our Lord has put a new song in our mouths: even praise to our God (Psalm 40:3). The church’s testimony to the nations shall at last cause many to ‘fear’ (reverence) and trust in the LORD.
The fig tree puts forth its blossoms, whereby we know that Summer is nigh (Song of Songs 2:13; cf. Matthew 24:32). Be like the children of Issachar, who knew the signs of the times (1 Chronicles 12:32; cf. Luke 12:56). Be patient, be ready at all times, for He comes at a time which you know not (Luke 12:40). Then you shall hear those words just once more: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song of Songs 2:13).
(B). A SONG OF LOVES.
Psalms 45:1-2; Psalms 45:6-9.
The mysterious word in the title of this Psalm, ‘Shoshannim’, may refer to a six-stringed instrument, or to the scattering of roses or lilies around the nuptial bed: what we might call confetti today. The word ‘Maschil’ may be a musical reference, but also speaks of understanding. This is a song about love: but principally about the love of Christ and the Church (cf. Ephesians 5:32).
The Psalmist wrote of things beyond his natural knowledge. As a prophet, he sought diligently and inquired after the grace that was to come (1 Peter 1:10). Then he spoke and wrote as the Spirit of God led him (2 Peter 1:21).
Psalms 45:1-2. Seeing Jesus as He is.
The believer’s heart, in grateful adoration, is ever contemplating the goodness of the Lord. When our hearts thus bubble over in love toward King Jesus, we cannot remain silent: our thoughts must needs give expression in words. The Psalmist found his tongue to be the pen of a ready writer (Psalms 45:1), all set to make this contribution to Scripture.
Psalms 45:2 begins, “You are fairer than the children of men” This is how we first discover Jesus to be. Of all men, He alone is the flawless One (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5).
It continues, “grace is poured into your lips.” As the best of men, and our sacrifice, we receive grace from His grace (John 1:16). And grace pours forth from His lips (Luke 4:22).
In consequence, the verse concludes, “therefore God has blessed you for ever.” We receive our blessings only in Him (Ephesians 1:3). He redeemed us ‘that we might receive the blessing of Abraham’ (Galatians 3:14).
Psalm 45:6-7. The excellency of His rule.
As part of his argument to establish the superiority of Jesus to the angels, the writer to the Hebrews says, ‘Unto the Son He says, “Your throne O God is for ever and ever”’ (Hebrews 1:8; quoting Psalms 45:6). The Holy Spirit, speaking first through the Psalmist and then through the writer to the Hebrews, addresses Jesus as God, yet distinguishes Jesus from God.
We saw in passing that God’s blessing upon Jesus is “for ever” (Psalms 45:2). Now we perceive that His throne is to be “for ever and ever” (Psalms 45:6; cf. Psalms 72:17). ‘Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end’ (Isaiah 9:7). Jesus’ sceptre is a “right” sceptre.
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness” (Psalms 45:7a; Hebrews 1:9a). It is He who ushers in ‘everlasting righteousness’ (Daniel 9:24) by the shedding of His blood upon the Cross.
It is through Jesus’ sacrifice that God is seen to be both ‘just’ and ‘the justifier’ of all that come to Him (Romans 3:26). God’s abhorrence of sin is seen in sharpest relief at the Cross: but it is there also that His justice in justifying the wicked is vindicated. Jesus became sin for us, ‘that we might become the righteousness of God in Him’ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“Therefore God, even your God has anointed you” (Psalms 45:7b; quoted in Hebrews 1:9b). Jesus owns the Father as His God (John 20:17). He was equipped for the ministry to which He was called by the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit at His baptism (Acts 10:38).
The Spirit is called here, “the oil of gladness” (Psalms 45:7c) because Jesus was willing and ready above any of His fellows, whether priests or kings, to fulfil His commission (Psalms 40:8; cf. Hebrews 10:7). O that we might have the like commitment!
Psalms 45:8-9. The beauty of His court.
First, there is the fragrance of His royal garments (Psalms 45:8), arising from the uniqueness of His anointing (cf. Exodus 30:37). It is a sweet Spiritual savour of grace and comfort, drawing believers to Him and making Him precious to them (Song of Songs 1:3-4; 1 Peter 2:6-7). His “gladness” arises from ‘the joy which was set before Him’ (Hebrews 12:2), which was the satisfaction of ‘seeing of the travail of His soul’ (Isaiah 53:11).
It was out of the “ivory palaces” (Psalms 45:8), the royal mansions above, that Jesus came, into this world of woe. It is to the mansions above that He will bring His people at last, when He returns for us (John 14:2-3). There His servants shall enter into the joy of their Lord (Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23).
The King’s daughters and honourable women (Psalms 45:9) represent all true believers, born from above and adorned with the beauty of Christ. The queen in gold of Ophir is the Church, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus (Revelation 19:8). We owe our redemption not to corruptible things, but to the precious blood of the Son of God (1 Peter 1:18-19).
(C). THE WORDS WHICH YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN.
Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Deuteronomy 4:6-9.
The Greek title of this book, ‘Deuteronomy’ is translated as ‘the second giving of the law’.
Israel has had a great history with their God, being ‘brought forth out of the furnace of Egypt to be unto HIM a people of inheritance’ (Deuteronomy 4:20). Because of this, Moses exhorts them to “hearken”, to hear and obey what Moses is teaching them from the LORD. The purpose for this is clear: “that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you” (Deuteronomy 4:1).
Of course, Moses is describing ‘the righteousness which is of the law’ (Romans 10:5), effectively, ‘this do and live.’ This no man but Jesus was ever able perfectly to keep. However, those who are ‘saved by grace through faith’ (Ephesians 2:8) in Christ Jesus (Romans 10:9) are God’s workmanship, ‘created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them’ (Ephesians 2:10). In other words, ‘Live, and you will do this.’
Jesus said, ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10; cf. Matthew 11:3, 'the Coming One'). What the LORD holds before His people is an inheritance (Deuteronomy 4:1; cf. Deuteronomy 4:5; Deuteronomy 1:8), and it is up to us to “go in and possess” whatever God has set before us. Even in the age of grace, obedience to God still results in long life (Ephesians 6:1-3). And there is the promise of an inheritance beyond the bounds of this earth (1 Peter 1:4).
Now what Moses is teaching is “the commands of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 4:2). This is Scripture. That is his authority. As such, we are not to add to it (like the Pharisees, with all their supplementary prohibitions), nor take from it (like the Sadducees, who denied certain things taught in it). If we add to or take from Scripture, we do so at our own peril (Revelation 22:18-19). However, if we ‘turn not from it to the right hand or to the left,’ we shall ‘prosper’ wherever we go (Joshua 1:7).
Now, to “keep” the Word of God and live by it will be seen to be our “wisdom and understanding” by “the nations”, by those outside the faith (Deuteronomy 4:6). Living the faith - living the Gospel rather than just speaking it - is all a part of our witness, and points not only to ourselves (Deuteronomy 4:8), but to the LORD whom we serve (Deuteronomy 4:7). This is the glory of the Christian church: that the LORD our God is “nigh unto” us when we call upon Him.
So, we should hearken, we should hear and obey (Deuteronomy 4:1); and we should “take heed” to ourselves (Deuteronomy 4:9). To whom? Literally, to our whole mind, body, and spirit; “keeping our soul diligently.” Furthermore we should be careful “lest we forget” literally: “the WORDS which our eyes have SEEN” (Deuteronomy 4:9; cf. Amos 1:1).
And one good way not to forget the words of God, and all that He has done in our lives, is to ‘pass it on’ to the next generation, and to the next: “to our sons, and to our sons’ sons” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
(D). SOME RULES FOR CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
Psalm 15:1-5.
Moses came down Mount Sinai from the presence of the LORD bearing two stone tablets on which were written God’s commandments. Finding the children of Israel already distracted by idolatry, he broke those stones, symbolic of the fact that God’s law was already broken even before they had received it!
On a second trip up the mountain, Moses hewed out new stones upon which the ten commandments were written again, with the finger of God. These were placed in an ark of wood, made according to the LORD’s own specifications. Moses was given specific instructions for the building of this ark, and for the tabernacle or tent in which it was to be placed.
John 1:14 tells us that ‘the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt (literally ‘tabernacled’) among us…’ The whole cultus of the Old Testament, from the sacrificial system to the very hangings of the curtains in the tent of meeting, was always pointing towards the One whom the LORD would send as the ultimate once and for ever sacrifice for the sins of His people.
After one disastrous attempt to move the ark in a manner not prescribed by the LORD (2 Samuel 6:3), King David at last brought the ark up to Jerusalem, and placed it in a tent in the City (2 Samuel 6:17). When we worship the LORD, it should be in the manner which He has appointed: through the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can imagine the careful guarding of that sanctuary by the priests in the liturgy of Psalm 15.
Psalm 15:1.
The question is asked: “LORD, who shall abide in your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in your holy hill?”
To "abide" in the LORD’s tabernacle is to dwell under His protection, and to be in communion with Him. It is the same verb as in Psalm 23:6 and Psalm 27:4.
The "holy hill" is Mount Zion, Jerusalem, but always with a view to the new Jerusalem, and to the community of God’s people in heaven.
What kind of life does the citizen of heaven lead? Their lives are typified in a brief set of rules, or guidelines. This is how they will live after citizenship has been granted (cf. Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 2:10).
Psalm 15:2.
They "walk uprightly." They are not bent double like apes: they are able to look every man in the eye. This is the commandment the LORD gave to Abraham (Genesis 17:1), corresponds to Psalm 1:1, and speaks of a sincere and thorough religion (James 1:27).
They "work righteousness," not only speaking the speech, but doing the deeds. We are made righteous in Christ Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to us. This being done, however, our Christianity is displayed thereafter in the life we lead, and our fair dealings in the things we do (James 2:18). "Truth" has a home in the "heart" of the true believer. He delights himself in the word of God (Psalm 1:2), is sincere in his religion, honest in his dealings, and cannot abide false dealings in others.
Psalm 15:3.
Furthermore, the citizen of heaven guards his tongue. Much evil is does done through that unruly instrument (cf. James 1:26; James 3:2-13). The righteous, however, is not given to "backbiting" : neither will he slander, nor spread malicious gossip.
Psalm 15:4.
The wicked are viewed as "vile" by God, which means literally worthless and good for nothing. The Christian concurs with this judgment of the LORD.
The citizen of heaven "honours" whom God honours: he loves the brethren (1 John 3:14); and keeps his promises, no matter what the cost.
Psalm 15:5.
The word "usury" is derived from the verb 'to bite'. God’s people are against extortion, whereby they might profit at the expense of others. They are also against bribery, which is the cause of many a miscarriage of justice (cf. Deuteronomy 16:19). Rather they protect the poor.
The man who lives thus is one who cannot be "moved" : he is built upon the rock, which is Jesus; he is part of the church militant against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. Nothing shall separate him from the love of God: and he becomes like Zion itself, which abides forever (Psalm 125:1).
(E). LIVING THE GOSPEL.
James 1:17-27.
James has already indicated that our God is a generous Giver (James 1:5). Here he cites God as the inexhaustible source of “every good act of giving, and every perfect gift” (James 1:17a). There is not so much as a shadow cast as a result of any changeability in God, the Father of lights (James 1:17b). God is “Father of lights” not only in Creation, but also in redemption (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6). He is the living, giving, forgiving God.
Our salvation is based in God’s will (James 1:18a; cf. John 1:13). It was His decision, not ours, that we should be ‘born of the Spirit’ (cf. John 3:8). We did not choose Christ, He chose us (John 15:16); and no-one comes to Jesus but those whom the Father who sent Him draws (John 6:44). Our faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8); the ability to believe is something which is given to us (Philippians 1:29).
The instrument used to bring us to the new birth is “the word of truth” (James 1:18b; cf. 1 Peter 1:23). The written Word, the preached Word; the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the new birth is that we might be a sort of first-fruit offering: set apart unto Him, and marked out for holiness (James 1:18c).
Having been brought to the new birth “by the word of truth” (James 1:18), we continue to be nurtured by the “implanted word” (James 1:21). We will be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
It is Jesus who has fulfilled all righteousness (Matthew 3:15), and we must learn from Him. There is such a thing as righteous anger, such as Jesus displayed at the cleansing of the Temple (John 2:17). But He was ever obedient to the Father (John 8:29), and His anger was never tainted by sin. Our anger can so easily be distracted, so we are elsewhere only permitted to be angry with a double caveat: ‘Be angry and sin not, and let not the sun go down on your anger’ (Ephesians 4:26).
Not only are we to be swift to hear “the implanted word”, but we must do a little gardening ourselves (James 1:21). We have a responsibility to root out all that taints our lives, and the overflow of wickedness that still remains from our old lives. Not only are we to hear the word, but also “meekly” (in a gentle submissive way) to receive it. Turn it over in your heart, chew on it, meditate, apply.
When the word is thus applied, it “saves our souls”: not in the sense of being born again, because that has already happened, but in the sense that Luke often uses the word “save” for the ‘healing’ of our whole being. There is a sense in which we have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.
But this is not all. We must be careful that we are “doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves” (James 1:22). Having heard and received, we must then put the word into action in our lives. Good works do not make us Christians, but Christians will do good works. Practical Christianity is not a spectator sport (cf. Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21)!
It is unfortunate that, having heard the word of God, we so easily forget what we heard. James illustrates this with his picture of a man who looks in the mirror, sees his messy hair, and who then goes away and forgets that he needs to comb his hair (James 1:23-24). By contrast, the “blessed” man looks intently into the “perfect law of liberty”, applies it in his life, and puts it into action. Not that he is “blessed” for the deed, but rather he is blessed “in” the deed (James 1:25).
Our studies of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ reveal it to be a “perfect law of liberty,” (James 1:25) setting us free from the law of bondage of sin unto death and leading us into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.
James here introduces three marks of true spirituality: bridling the tongue, our attitude to widows and orphans, and personal purity (James 1:26-27).
Our words speak forth what is in our hearts: and if our heart is full of “the word of truth” (James 1:18), we will surely allow that word to guide us in our speech. “Slow to speak” (James 1:19) and “bridling the tongue” (James 1:26) are not exhortations to silence, but a warning against hasty, unconsidered speech. When we are not doers of the word, but hearers only, we are “deceiving our own selves” (James 1:22); when we make a show of religion, and bridle not our tongues, we are “deceiving our own hearts” (James 1:26).
Widows and orphans stand for all those who are deprived of their means of support. The Fatherhood of God is here held up as our reason to “visit” them in their need. And if our “religion” is “undefiled”, and God is our Father, we will “keep ourselves unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
(F). THE INS AND OUTS OF ‘RELIGIOUS’ PURITY.
Mark 7:1-8, Mark 7:14-15, Mark 7:21-23.
Every branch of society has its own traditions: some good, some bad, and some inconsequential. It doesn’t matter whether it is the pomp and ceremony of monarchy, or the ritual ‘pardon’ of a turkey at Thanksgiving. Some traditions are helpful, and some indifferent. But some also become outdated and run counter to their original intention.
It is evident from the Gospel, that this was what had happened with the traditions that the scribes and Pharisees had built up around God-given Scripture. The traditions were probably started with good intention but ended (in some cases) as a set of rules and regulations impossible for ordinary people to keep. This in turn served to confirm (in their own mind) the supposed superiority of those who taught them.
Coming from Jerusalem, the scribes and Pharisees brought an accusation to Jesus concerning His disciples (Mark 7:1-5).
This was not about hygiene, as may at first appear, but about certain outward forms and ceremonies. There were many tedious and unnecessary rules and regulations about washing, with meticulous details stipulating which part of the hand should have water poured upon them from which part of the cup at which stage of the procedure. And how they should use the fist in cleansing.
Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the traditionalism of the scribes and Pharisees by quoting Scripture (Mark 7:6-8). Our Lord reinforced this with an example, which Mark is at pains to make clear for Gentile readers (Mark 7:9-13). How often, I wonder, does ‘tradition’ twist and misshape the very Word of God in this way?
It is possible that, in the pursuit of ‘holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14), we might hedge ourselves in with so many rules and regulations that we become imprisoned, rather than liberated. This occurs not only in the ‘Rule’ of this or that Order, but also in the petty unwritten presumptions that are made within our Christian communities. Attitudes to dress codes, dancing, cinema, television, may all fall into this category. (Likewise, the rebellions against these attitudes may become traditions in their own right, and equally enslave.)
Jesus next turned to the crowds (Mark 7:14-16), and finally to the disciples (Mark 7:17-23), with timeless teaching concerning the root of evil. Sin does not consist in that which we put in our mouths (Mark 7:15; Mark 7:18). It begins in the heart, and from thence proceeds out of the mouth (Mark 7:20).
‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked’ (Jeremiah 17:9). We speak the wickedness within into existence without. Words are powerful!
Jesus taught elsewhere that adultery begins in the heart when a man looks lustfully on a woman. The sin is entertained in the heart long before it gives expression in the deed, and so Jesus (in a figure) recommends some drastic surgery (Matthew 5:28-30). This is a clarion call to engage the enemy of our souls in the war against sin (Hebrews 12:4).
Since sin begins in the heart, we must place the remedy there. That remedy is the Word of God (Psalm 119:11). We renew our minds as we meditate upon the revealed will of God (Romans 12:2).
And the ultimate cure for all evil is found in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross of Calvary. And His subsequent resurrection.
