In this day, when so much evil is now called good and good is now called evil; and people "put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" - I have chosen to deal with chapter four in a written manner so that it can be kept discreet and private, as I believe it should!

Chapter four deals with the physical relationship with the bride, and even though our ears have been scarred and seared with today's level of filthy communication, I do not believe I should be talking about this subject in mixed company or with children present.

Of course our children do need to be taught this material - and strictly from the Bible, but I believe that job is reserved for the parent through word and example - they are YOUR children, not mine.

If this subject needs to be dealt with privately amongst married or soon to be married couples. then we can meet and talk. If teens have no other place to learn about this subject, then we can meet to talk with the proper conditions being met.

Keep in mind, that all through this Song of Solomon study, we are to apply these lessons to ourselves as the Bride of Christ AND to our physical bride - our wife. The King represents the Lord Jesus Christ as our groom and also the husband.

None of these lessons are good for the "other" person - they are to' be applied to' ourselves!

In the first 15 verses, the King is talking to his Queen - the groom to the bride - The Lord talking to His church (bride) - a man speaking to his wife and telling of his love to & for her. The King loves his Queen - the groom loves his bride - the Lord loves His church (us) and the man loves his wife.

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair, meaning beautiful or pretty in a balanced way - not just "fair". ...thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks
Her eyes are like his eyes, 2:1,2 - He is likened to a lily of the valleys and she is likened to a lily among thorns. (Christ has dove's eyes in 5: 12 – her eyes are like his eyes) The eyes with thy locks shows that the bride had her hair down to her eyes.

Locks? We call them 'bangs' today. On girls! On the Bride! Not on men! I Corinthians 11: 14,15  Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

We have seen recently in Is 3: 18, that much of what women wear regarding "visuals", including jewelry, involve "bravery". As women do today, men are beginning to .hide behind their ear rings and long hair - standards that are Biblically reserved for the woman. These things are so turned around today, that men are doing the ladies "duties", they are "dressing" like ladies and they are being "deceived" like ladies.  Men today believe that their long hair represents 'bravery' when all it reflects is rebellion against God's design.

...thou hast doves' eyes... As Christians, this application means that if we have been around Christ a long time and we being a part of Christ and Him being a part of us, we should -see things as He sees them. The Bible says "The light of the body is the eye". What's inside comes out. When we spend a lot of time with the Lord Jesus Christ, then our eyes ought to match His. We ought to see things the way he sees them and we ought to look at things the way He looks at them. We ought to look at the things He looks at and not look at the things he will not look at.

...thy hair is as a flock of goats... When we think of goats hair, we typically think of flea-bitten and mangy - in other parts of the world, these goats have smooth black hair. That covering is a beautiful site - but to "them" only - not to an outsider.

Again, the bride should match the Groom. Hair is a covering. So the covering for the Christian is Christ. We are to put on the helmet of salvation Ephesians 6, which we should notice is a "head covering".

Review: The Christian should have fellowship with Christ so he begins to match Christ in appearance. There is something about every Christian that ought to be Christ like. If there is nothing that reminds others of Jesus Christ, you have not spent much  time with Him.

...that appear from mount Gilead. That is the pasture land east of Jordan. Mount Gilead is where Jacob made the convenant with Laben.

Americans don't think much about the teeth of the bride. We brag on hair or physical form, etc. The comment, "My, doesn't she have beautiful teeth" usually does not come up in conversation or even in romantic thought.

... none is barren among them. In some South Sea Islands, where Christianity is not present - missing teeth is a sign of beauty. There is one island where a man won't marry a woman unless she has a couple of teeth missing.  So around mating time, the women get rocks and knock out their front teeth. It does make me ask. though, Ever wonder why some of the devil's people have more conviction than God's people?

It used to be in time, that a woman depended upon her health for color. Lips - scarlet red - the natural color - thin lips. As Christians, we need to concentrate on our inside- not the outside. A lady of the "golden years" had lips of red and pink cheeks resulting from good circulation from working hard as God's woman - Proverbs 31. Today, most ladies choose to colorize their lips and many today are changing the color's of their lips completely. This change to the black color lipstick is very typical of the color for these "last days", wouldn't you think? Many ladies are not satisfied with their natural color which represents the blood of Christ - scarlet!

... and thy speech is come1y... The speech matches the lips. It is healthful - it is proper - comely.

II Corinthians 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
II Corinthians 7:4  Great is my boldness of speech toward you...
II Corinthians 11:6  But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest ,among you in all things.
Colossians 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Titus 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say or you.

This doesn't sound very flattering for a woman today.   It is not an attractive thing for a woman to have a thick neck. However, if one would look at history, we would see that the ideal visual image of a woman has changed greatly.

Today, we have the Barbi-girl syndrome to contend with. In the earlier days, the ladies were strong - it wasn't easy being a Proverbs 31 Christian lady. The Barbie look was not even under consideration. Leave it to the "last days" crowd to determine what a woman should look like to "please themselves." The physical features and visual desires have gone to "parts" instead of the "whole woman." A little out of balance, wouldn't you say?

The Christian can also get out of balance with "parts" of Christianity. Certain segments of doctrine are messed up and under emphasized. Then specific things get over-emphasized. The Lord likes His people willing to work for Him. The Christian should realize fulfilling their position in the right 'order' takes a strong person - mentally, physically and spiritually - in order to be the kind of Christian that God would have us be.

The tower of David was an armory and in the armory they hung up the shield and bucklers - heir gear. The home is our armory - the wife's strength is very important within the home. Yes, it is!

Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. That's quite a job, eh!  Keeper At Home - such an honourable responsibility!

Here we have the specific subject that, as a pastor, I do not plan on "live" preaching this chapter to the church family. I never have been, and am not now, nor do I plan on ever being comfortable talking in the "public" about breasts unless it is about a chicken breast with Miracle Whip on white bread.  I believe we have become all too common-place with this subject because we see breast everywhere these days.  Newsstands, grocery stores, TV commercial, stores, local newspapers, and even schools are not immune to this explicit subject. I believe this subject should stay within God's home.

When the NIV changes the word "incontinent" in II Timothy 3:3 to "self-control", we become aware that in these last days, Satan is trying to cover up the obvious charges of sexual sins. "Incontinent" means "Not restraining the passions or appetites. particularly the sexual appetite; indulging lust without restraint or in violation of law; unchaste; lewd". The changing of the word incontinent in new Bible versions should tell us that when they want to substitute the word "self-control" for this sexual warning, we are truly living in wicked days.

So, after that short introduction, on to verse 5.  It isn't often I need an introduction to one verse, eh!

l:13  A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
7:3  Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
7:7,8  This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. I said, I will go up to the palm tree. I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine...
8: 1 0  I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

For a Christian physical relationship today, breasts are very important. Proverbs 5: 19  Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Today, the perverted use of "breasts" has led to a number of sinful aspects of God's perfect design. Please note the page on Pornography Nudity & Pre-marital Sex. This deals with the dangers of sexual misuse and God's perfect plan regarding sex and the damage that sexual misuse can do for our children.

A Spiritual Application
The spiritual application on breasts is a, marvelous study and shows us just how special this Book is as it directs us even in the intimate part of our lives - and the comparison being applied to the "intimate" times we are to spend with the Lord.

Here is what I mean - If one applies breasts to "faith and love" in the Bible, one sees how the Lord describes these last days of  perverted Christianity in as much as the use and desires regarding breasts bas been perverted in today's world.

II Corinthians 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith and utterance, and knowledge, and in aU diligence. and in your love to us. see that ye abound in this grace also.
Faith & love are to abound in the life of a Christian. However, if the faith is a false faith and the love is a false love, true Biblical Christianity becomes the perverted Christianity it has become today.

Galatians 5:22 By the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith...
As part of the fruit of the Spirit, a perverted faith & love would be evidence of a false spirit - an anti-Christ spirit.

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints.
Today's faith in modern Christianity is aimed at a false Jesus - not the Jesus of the Holy Bible. Today's love unto all the saints is not a Biblical based love which includes repentance - it is perverted love.

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Again. people today are being grounded in a perverted and unbiblical love.

Ephesians 6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This perverted love and faith that people "claim'" today that does not match up to the faith & love of the Bible - it is from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ? No, it couldn't be!

I Thessalonians 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, 'be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Again, this perverted faith and love is not part of the correct armour.  Christians are dying every day spiritually because they have a perverted love and faith for part of their armour.

I Timothy 6:11  But thou, 0 man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
But we must follow after the correct faith and love as the Bible commands and directs. Following a perverted faith and love will lead to spiritual blindness and destruction.

II Timothy l:13  Holdfast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This faith and love which is in Christ Jesus must match up with the Holy Bible - or it would be considered a perverted faith and love!

Philemon 5  Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints
Is your love and faith the true love and faith spoken and described in God's inspired and preserved words or would it be considered a perverted faith and love abounding in today's "Laodicean church?

The reference is to Christ as in Psalm 45:6. Perfume with myrrh & frankincense.

That is the marriage. Ephesians 5:25-27 is the 'picture of the church / bride after the the judgment seat of Christ and there is no spot in her. We sing a song, "to the glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the lamb." But that isn't true quite yet! It will a glorious bride that's going to be without spot or wrinkle - that is how we see our bride to be, eh men?

This means that the church is not just a body of saved people that are sinless. This means that all the works connected with that body have been purified, purged and burned up and ironed out. When we get to the judgment seat of Christ, there are going to be three kinds of things going on. One is the living righteousness which you have (Rev 19). Two, we are going to have to 'be repaired to fix us and then three - there will be some things that have to be ironed out. Things that are not ironed out here while we are here will have to be ironed out up there. He said, "without spot or wrinkle."

 The picture here is, in the tribulation, the church is up there with Christ looking down on what takes place below.

An obvious question, then, "Can people in heaven watch us now?" There are some scriptures that indicate that they could, but it is not definite. Just be concerned about your own judgment seat of Christ.

An application to our present husband wife relationship is that our love brings us to a mountain top experience.

Ravished meaning taken possession of the heart. Then we have here the idea that when a man and woman come together, they are not only man and wife, but in a sense, brother and sister. We all have the same father, now, as a Christian. So a man's wife is called his sister. If you are a saved woman, you are my sister in the Lord. If you are a saved man, you are our brother in the Lord.

Another interesting observation here - the phrase with one chain of thy neck reminds us that it is the woman who wears necklaces & chains - the bride - NOT the groom.

Remember 2:11 He says her love is better than wine and she says his love is better than wine.
Such love!
Such a marriage!

You put garments into a cedar chest - cedar comes from Lebanon. A bride-to-be usually has a "hope chest" - a cedar chest.

Liken her to a garden that bears beautiful fruit.  A man's wife is his own fountain in in his own yard. Proverbs 5:15, 17,18. Drink water out of thine own cistern, and running water out of thine own well. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice. with the wife of thy youth.

As a bride, you belong to one man - no others. You are to be in his garden - no place else. We belong to Christ - no one else. That is Eternal Security. Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The King here is seeing his bride as a beautiful garden well watered and grows spices and perfumes as well as things to eat. That is supply for everything. Proverbs 31!

As a Christian - His Bride - we are to bear fruit and be like a well-watered garden. The fruit of the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering. gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. We should not desire the weeds in the garden - the pests, etc.

None of us fell in love with Jesus Christ before he showed His love to us. He had to come down here, die and then show His love for us before we cared anything about Him. And then most of us still cared nothing about Him.  Most cared nothing about Him knowing that he died on the cross. So, with the 'Song of Solomon and from His own words, we see here that His love for us is very great.

Too often, our love for Him is very cold. One of the greatest secrets of cheerful service is staying in love with the Lord. It is easy to serve somebody if you love them and it is hard to serve them if you don't.

One of the hardest things a person ever has to do, especially a woman is serve a man, cook his meals and clean up his floor and take care of his clothes and take care of his house and pick up after him. Most men need to be picked up after. Most men are like big boys. They leave a trail through the house as they go. Must be quite a chore for a woman to have to serve a man like that and obey him if she doesn't love him. And nothing can be a more pitiful in this world than a Christian trying to serve Christ and not love Him. Pitiful when the heart isn't in it. You just kind of go through the form.

And so, if you are not in love, then get in love, and return some of what He gave to you.