“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’”
Scarcely had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
— Song of Songs 3:3-4

The seeker’s experience here is deeper than before, yet still not a heavenly one. If it were, she would have no more to experience. She still attempts to recover her previous experiences—holding Him and not letting go. (more…)

“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’”
Scarcely had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
— Song of Songs 3:3-4

Initially you may not think that the fellowship of the watchmen fits you or is applicable to your situation, yet they actually do know your problem. They are spiritual men, who are able to discern all things and see through you. (more…)

“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’”
Scarcely had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
— Song of Songs 3:3-4

It is marvelous that whenever we have no way out and no way to go on, one of the brothers will come to us. They are the watchmen who go about in the city. (more…)

“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’”
Scarcely had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
— Song of Songs 3:3-4

The brothers and sisters who helped the maiden had deeply experienced the Lord. Unlike those with little experience, they possessed the heart and mind of Christ Jesus. (more…)

“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’”
Scarcely had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
— Song of Songs 3:3-4

Now she was so troubled that she tried every way to find Him, but it was still in vain. Would she lose the Lord’s presence forever? No. Although our Lord is fearful, He is also lovely. He will not break the bruised reed, nor will He quench the smoking flax (Matt. 12:20). (more…)

“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
I must arise now and go about the city.”
— Song of Songs 3:1-2

At this point the Shulammite hadn’t discovered that her being deprived of the Lord’s presence was not caused by some item in her spiritual life. She did not see that she herself was the problem. (more…)

“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
I must arise now and go about the city.”
— Song of Songs 3:1-2

What God focuses on is your obedience to His will. To deal with trivial things is not His focus. If you are unwilling to fully consecrate yourself and follow Him, you remain wrong in the sight of God, and you will be a useless vessel. (more…)

“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
I must arise now and go about the city.”
— Song of Songs 3:1-2

Oh, brothers and sisters, it is a serious matter if the Lord calls us to follow Him, yet we refuse. We cannot take the matter of the Lord’s calling lightly. If the Lord calls us to join with Him on the pathway of His cross, if He calls us to unite with Him in His suffering or His being put to shame, we have to obey. He wants to see our countenance. Otherwise, He will remove His presence from us. (more…)

“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
I must arise now and go about the city.”
— Song of Songs 3:1-2

Perhaps she goes to a brother and says, “Oh, brother, my Lord disappeared, what should I do?” Because this brother is good at pray-reading, he suggests that the solution is to pray-read, to eat the word. However, no matter how hard she tries to pray-read, the Lord’s smile remains hidden from her. (more…)

“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
I must arise now and go about the city.”
— Song of Songs 3:1-2

At this point the maiden rises up and goes about in the city, in the streets and in the squares, and seeks Him whom her soul loves. (more…)

“On my bed night after night I sought him
Whom my soul loves;
I sought him but did not find him.
I must arise now and go about the city.”
— Song of Songs 3:1-2

After seeking the Lord, without success, while lying on her bed, the maiden finally realizes that the solution is not to adjust her spiritual life. Therefore she says, “I must arise now and go about the city.” (more…)

“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves:
I sought him, but I found him not.”
— Song of Songs 3:1

In spite of her trying, the Lord has no response, because the bed is not the problem. Rather, her response to the Lord’s calling is the problem. Her spiritual life is not the problem; her disobedience is the problem. (more…)

“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves:
I sought him, but I found him not.”
— Song of Songs 3:1

In response, she seeks the Lord everywhere. Pitifully, she thinks her “bed” is insufficient. She doesn’t realize that her unwillingness to answer the Lord’s calling is the cause of the Lord’s absence. She seeks the Lord by trying to improve her spiritual exercise rather than by acknowledging her disobedience. (more…)

“Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.”

— Song of Songs 2:17-3:1

Here in chapter 3, the maiden has grown in life to the point that the Lord is able to deal with her further. Because of her disobedience, the spiritual discipline comes to her—the Lord’s presence is taken away. Since the Lord’s presence as the One outside the wall is gone, so is His presence as the One inside the banqueting house. (more…)

“Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.”

— Song of Songs 2:17-3:1

In the Song of Songs the Lord called the Shulammite to follow His way of the cross. He wanted her to experience His being put to shame, His suffering, His being despised, and His loneliness. But she thought the price was too high to pay. (more…)

“Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.”

— Song of Songs 2:17-3:1

We always think that obeying the Lord requires us to pay a stiff price. We don’t realize that it is more costly if we refuse. The loss that comes from disobedience far exceeds the price we pay to obey. (more…)

“Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.”

“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves:
I sought him, but I found him not.”

— Song of Songs 2:17-3:1

In this section of the Song of Songs the seeker was so satisfied with the sweet experience of the vineyards that she ignored the Lord’s calling. Could the Lord tolerate His seeker’s satisfaction with her past experiences? No. Therefore, He left His seeker. (more…)