“I have compared thee, Ο my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold” Now, He speaks of herself entirely. The subject of the questions is dropped, His address is direct and personal. And oh! how full and free are the expressions of His admiring love.
“I have compared thee, Ο my love,........thy cheeks are comely.......thy neck with chains.”
How often the human mind invests with attractions the object of its admiration, and then loves and worships its own image. Not so the divine mind: there, all is real. The Lord invests the Bride of His heart with His own attractions, and then admires her. He loved her, adored be His name, before there was anything about her to admire. This is divine. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Having adorned her with His own excellencies, there is now nothing to offend His eye, or grieve His heart. “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” She has the same life and position as her risen, living Lord. Oh! what dignity, glory, and blessedness!
In the greatness of His love, He “gave himself for us.” And now, as the crucified and risen Jesus, we are fellow heirs with Him. “Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27.) The world gives a part and keeps a part, but Christ gives all. “The glory which thou gavest me I have given them.” (John 17:22.) In admiring His Bride, though she is still in the wilderness, He is consistent with Himself, for she is perfect in His own perfectness.
Rebekah was enriched and adorned with the jewels of Isaac, long before she reached his mother’s tent.
“In Haran thus
The kindred of Rebekah wondering saw
The newly-given splendor; bracelets rich
Circled her arms; and pendant on her face
The weighty proof of Isaac’s bounty shone,
In value questionless. And could she doubt,
Could any doubt who saw her decked with these,
His covenanted love and bounteous heart,
Of whom they were the sparkling messengers?”
And of the bride of Jehovah it is said “I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver........And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty; for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I put upon thee, saith the Lord God.” Eze. 16
“We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.” A chain of gold, we know, is the token of promotion, high favor, and dignity, as in the case of Joseph and Daniel. But “what meaneth these wonderful words of the King?” He has been admiring His Bride—her “rows of jewels”—her “chains of gold,” and now He is moved to do yet more for her: “We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.”
Some have thought that the mystery of the holy Trinity may be referred to in the plural “We.” In the works of creation it was said, “Let us make man in our own image, and after our own likeness.” And in the work of redemption, we know, the opportunity came for the manifestation of the different persons of the Godhead. “If a man love me,” says Jesus, “he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.” And of the Spirit, He says, “Ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14
But what are we to understand by “borders of gold with studs of silver?” May it not be a crown that is spoken of? A crown of gold bespangled with silver? Ezekiel seems to say it is. “And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown on thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver.” What then? Shall the restored, royal tribe of Judah yet wear this beautiful crown in the land of Israel—in the holy city Jerusalem? Wondrous grace! Love divine! And will it be the united gift of the adorable Trinity?
Can Judah fail to remember, or can I ever forget, that Thy royal brow, Ο King of Salem, was once, in these very scenes, wreathed with a crown of thorns? No earthly jewels lustered that crown. But the rich ruby-drops from Thy holy veins were its jewels of eternal weight, and imperishable value. Awake! awake, Ο my soul! meditate on the grace and love of Jesus. What wilt thou think, how wilt thou feel, when that once pierced hand, places on thy head a garland of unfading glory? Shall thine eye be caught with the crown, or be dazzled with the glory? Oh no! the first glimpse of that “countenance transcendent” shall fix thine eye, and ravish thy heart forever!
There is always something, in the manner of the Lord’s love most grateful to the heart. He says to herself what is in His mind. This meets the first desire of love—personal communion. Well does Jesus know how to fill the heart with deepest joy. But will it always be so? Yes, yes, Ο my soul! His love shall endure forever. He changeth not. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In the past, the present, and the future, He is the same. But, oh! how the heart delights in being so immediately, so individually, so distinctly addressed by Himself. Amongst the myriads of the redeemed, not one is overlooked, or neglected by Him. “He loved me, and gave Himself for me,” will be the thrilling note in the song of all. His love, in its eternal sweetness and fullness, fills all hearts to overflowing, and turns all hearts into harps of sweetest melody, to sound forever his un-beginning, never-ending love.
Love that no tongue can teach,
Love that no thought can reach;
No love like His. God is its blessed source,
Death ne’er can stop its course,
Nothing can stay its force;
Matchless it is.
There is divine wisdom, and instruction for the soul, in the selection of His first comparison. “I have compared thee, Ο my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.” The mystic Bride of the true Solomon is here reminded of Egypt, out of which He redeemed her with an outstretched arm. And of “Pharaoh,” from whose iron grasp He rescued her. Most suggestive references to the children of Israel, and, morally, to us. The truth of God is a circle. The love that delivered us out of Egypt that brings us into Canaan, with all its mercies by the way, is a perfect unbroken circle of grace and truth. And, moreover, every part of that circle shall be held in everlasting remembrance. The grace that meets us in the world, conducts us to the heart of God, its native fountain. “But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Eph. 2:13.
The chariot-horse, with its gorgeous trappings, may be the symbol of strength, symmetry, swiftness, royalty, and willingness in service. No sooner has the charioteer taken his seat, than his steeds are in readiness to move off. They become impatient of delay, the raising of the foot, the movement of every muscle, plainly tell him, that if he be ready, they are quite ready. And then, how subject, notwithstanding their power, to the slightest touch of the guiding rein. Seest thou, Ο my soul, in this ready, willing service, a fair representation of thine own? Is it so? Or, alas! what? No swiftness—no symmetry—no consistency—no subjection to the guiding hand. What! Is it so? Examine all thy ways beneath the glance of the Master’s eye. Is there one thing on earth that thou wouldst dread more, than to be turned out of His service? Remember, Ο remember! that though as a son thou shalt be in thy Father’s house forever—as a sinner saved by grace, thou art saved forever—still, as a servant, if thou art idling thy time, or spoiling thy work, it may be taken from thee and given to another. Ο most patient Master, keep thy servant ever girded, obedient, and ready for service; and caring only to meet Thy mind.
“While the King sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof” There is an infinite difference between the attractions of nature, and the graces of the Spirit. Hast thou well considered this, my soul? Honey, the sweetness of nature, was forbidden to be used in the sacrifices. A little of it, from the end of a rod, may enlighten the eyes, and refresh the heart of the warrior in the day of battle, but it can never refresh the heart of the Lord of hosts. Its amiable qualities are truly valuable for the family, the social circle, and the world at large, but totally unfit for God’s altar or the King’s table. Both the sweetness and the sourness of nature are alike rejected by the Holy One of Israel, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Rom. 8:8.
We must have a new nature, even the life of the risen Jesus in the soul, before we can do anything to please God, or bring an acceptable offering to Him. “Ye must be born again.” “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” (Gal. 5:22, 23.) The divine life, bearing fruit by the Holy Spirit, is the most fragrant, and refreshing of all fruits to the Savior of sinners. The “spikenard,” to Him, has “an odor of a sweet smell,” and its virtue endureth forever. (Phil, 4.) The alabaster box of spikenard, that once filled with richest odors the presence chamber of Bethany, has not yet lost its fragrance to Jesus. “She hath done what she could,” was the immediate, unmeasured commendation of His love. And “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of as a memorial of her.”
“Love is the truest providence, Since beyond time her gold is good, Stamped for man’s mean “three hundred pence,” with Christ’s “she hath done what she could.”
It is a mistake to suppose, that we have nothing to present to the King while He sitteth at His table. True, of His own we give Him; but it is all the sweeter to both on that account. What is sweeter than grace? The Israelite was to bring a basketful of his first ripe fruits and present it to the Lord his God. (Deut. 26) True worship is communion, fellowship. If the Bridegroom has His “good ointments,” the Bride has her “spikenard,” yet it is all grace. The table is His—the ointment and spikenard too are His. “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.” Psalm 23.
The heart never rises to the point of worship until it runs over. Then it has nothing to ask for. True worship is the overflowing of the heart. And oh, how sweet, how precious, how blessed it is! When the Holy Spirit ministers of the fullness of Jesus to our souls, how soon the heart runs over. And this overflowing of the heart, with the fullness of Christ, is true, heavenly worship. Hence the important difference between a prayer, and a worship meeting. We should come to the former with empty vessels, and so cry to the Lord, as if we would storm the heavens, rather than go away without our answer. But to the latter, we should come thoroughly self-judged, well prepared to feast on the King’s dainties—the spoils of His victory—the fruits of redemption. Thus shall we find our every need met, and our every desire satisfied. And have we nothing to ask for at the table? Nothing, unless the King has forgotten something you need—except it be for a larger heart. To be in the presence chamber of the Lord—the holiest of all—and to be feasting on the rich provisions of His table; what can we be but satisfied? what can we do but praise, admire, adore, love, and worship the Lord our God and Father?
The Bride has now reached the highest place of blessedness. She is peacefully enjoying the presence of the King, while He is reclining at His table. The activities of service have given place to the repose of worship. The burning sun—the persecution—the poverty—the sorrow, ere all forgotten in the fullness of that joy which His presence gives. And now, the box is broken, the spikenard flows, the fragrance fills the house, the head and the feet of Jesus are anointed, and His heart is ravished with the advances of her love.