“Promise me, women of Jerusalem; swear by the swift deer and the gazelles that you will not interrupt our love.” Son 2:7 GNB
What a matter You are showing me in your word today! All along in this study from the Songs of Solomon, I have come across these daughters of Jerusalem. They are either mocking or coming in between. They are either creating interruptions in the flow of thoughts between the bride and the groom or they are creating scenes of distraction. I must learn how to deal with these women decisively.
In this allegory, they appear so soft and sophisticated like cosmetic women. But they just represent the world system and all its attractions away from the things of the Spirit. They will come in between my soul and the Saviour. They will fill me with mundane things that I may not have space and time for my Lord again. They will like to stick to me as if I have any destiny with them.
“I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That you not stir up, nor awaken love, Until it so desires.” (WEB)
This comes so strong a way of dealing with a menace on my path to the higher ground. It has to take the violence of my will to extricate myself from their clutch. Even if they were to make a promise, it is nothing for the daughters of Jerusalem to break their vow. They are bent on mischief. What I need is to take my stand and come away with my Lord and Lover. I must close my eyes to the temporary help I will receive of these daughters of Jerusalem. Lord, this is the point. I need to break forcefully away from everything that hinders me from walking in intimacy with you. I need to seek a release from calls and invitation that takes me away from the place of communion.
Rise up and come away
“My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!” Son 2:10-13 NKJV
This is the counsel of the Lord to His bride. It is the same counsel the Lord has been bringing to me over and over again. No one has ever escaped the clutch of the world system unless he has heeded this call: Come away. Arise and come away is the way out of this situation. The secret of intimacy with God is the secret place. Jesus went away. Paul went away. Moses went away. Daniel went away. All the men who impacted their generation in a significant way went away to the solitary place, in the cleft of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, on the mountains, in gardens to be with Him and to seek His face. I cannot do otherwise!
“O My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let Me see your face, let Me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.” Son 2:14
There is a longing in His heart for me to come and be with Him. Lord, help me to come away from everything and everyone so as to be alone with you. I long for You to hear my voice and for me to hear Yours in a new and personal way. Lord I have heard this invitation again. I long to come away into the mountains apart and let me just remain quiet with You. Lend me your wisdom to bail me out of so many demands to release myself out here to come away with you in Jesus name. Grant me boldness to skip even food that my inner man may feed more deeply at your feet. Deliver me from addictions to men, to food, to breakfast, such that will rob me of early appointment with You.
I must rise a great while before day to begin my soul-climb otherwise I may be caught in the web of activities. I may need to discharge myself from men early in the evenings so I can catch up with You on issues of importance. I feel this is a revival You are bringing to my soul, as a preservation of the Day You have broken for me to affect the Church in this generation. Help me to come away. The apostles knew that it was not proper for them to continue to dissipate their lives with the daily business of serving tables. They looked for relief managers, so they can be free to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. This brought increase to the work as the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem. Lend me their wisdom O Lord!
“Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth”
Fighting these daughters of Jerusalem is one thing but the crucial way is to rise up and come away. The winter is past, the rain is over and gone. To tarry here is to eat the dregs and to become perforated. The flowers that have appeared will soon wither and fall on the ground. Come away to the place of refreshing and fresh budding. And here also is my feeble but sincere response…
I am thine O Lord and I have heard thy voice,
As it told thy love to me…
But I long to rise, in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the Cross where thou has died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To thy precious bleeding side