GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

COME, MY BELOVED
Song of Songs 8:14

Don Fortner

"Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices." – Song of Solomon 8:14

The Song of Solomon is an allegorical song which describes the love of Christ for his people and the love of all believing hearts for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord's last word to his church in this Song of Love was that he might often hear her voice. "Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it."

But the last verse of the song comes from the heart of his Bride upon the earth. It expresses the intense desire of every believing heart in this world and the great longing of God's church that the Lord Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven, should return again. This last verse of the song is a prayer for our Savior's glorious second advent. "Make haste, my Beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices."

This is very much like the prayer John recorded at the close of the Book of Revelation. – "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." You promised, when you went away to prepare a place for us, that you would come and receive us unto yourself, that we might forever dwell in your presence. Our hearts are filled with hope. We look for you. We wait for you. We long for you. Even now we pray, "Come, my Beloved."

Is this your heart's desire? Do you long for the Lord's glorious advent? Do you desire his speedy return? Are you looking for his appearing? I am afraid that far too often we accept the doctrine of the second coming in our heads, but have no real desire for it in our hearts. As we conclude our study of this blessed Song, I want to do what I can to stir up that blessed hope that is within us. May God the Holy Spirit arouse in you and me an earnest desire for and anticipation of our Lord's second advent. We who believe should live everyday upon the tiptoe of faith, anticipating our Lord's second coming. We look for no signs. We set no dates. But we are to look for Christ, as it were, upon the very tiptoe of expectant faith.

First, I call your attention to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the beloved object of believing hearts. Here is the title his bride gives him – "My Beloved." True religion has many sides. True religion is practical. True religion is doctrinal. And true religion is personal. But it matters not how practical, doctrinal, and personal our religion is, if our religion does not produce in us a genuine love for Christ our religion is not true. All of God's people love Christ. We do not love him as we should. We do not love him as we would. And we do not love him as we shall. But we do love the Son of God. He is the Beloved of our hearts (1 Cor. 16:22; 1 Pet. 2:7).

This is the true testimony of all believers, "We love him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). We do not love him as we should. Our love for Christ is not in anyway worthy of his love for us; but we do love him. He loved us before we loved him (Jer. 31:3). He loves us infinitely superior to our love for him (1 John 3:16; 4:9-10). And his love for us is the cause of our love for him. "We love him, because he first loved us." But if we are true believers we do truly love the Lord Jesus Christ.

We love him sincerely, love him supremely, and love him growingly. We love him, because of who he is. And we love him, because of what he has done. Where there is true faith in the heart, there is genuine, sincere, increasing love for the Lord Jesus Christ (Lk. 14:25-27, 33). We may be reluctant to sing the words of the hymn, ashamed because our love for our Redeemer is so indescribably unworthy of him; but every child of God can sing with A. J. Gordon, and can do so honestly…

Believers are people whose lives are ruled, governed, and motivated by the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14). It is not our love for him that is the proof of his love for us. The proof of his love for us is our faith in him (Heb. 11:1). But the fruit of faith in Christ is love for Christ. It is written, "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious" (1 Pet. 2:7).

Second, the Lord Jesus, our Beloved, is to be seen upon the mountains of spices. – "Make haste, my Beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices." What does this mean? She is calling for him to come from the place where he now is, "the mountains of spices." As we have gone through the Song of Solomon, we have seen four references to mountains.

"The Mountains of Bether" (2:17) – Bether means "divisions." There was standing between us and our God three great mountains of divisions (God's righteousness, his justice, and our sins) which separated us from him. We could never cross over them to God, but our divine Savior crossed over them and reconciled us to God. Christ our Mediator has leveled these mountains of division.

"The Mountains of Leopards" (4:8) – Like dark mountains filled with leopards, sin, death, hell, and Satan terrified our souls. The Lord Jesus, our Beloved, the mighty Conqueror has overcome these.

"The Mountain of Myrrh" (4:6) – Myrrh is both bitter and fragrant. Oh, what bitterness our Beloved endured that he might be for us a sweet-smelling savor to God! When the Lord of Glory, the Son of God who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us, he was forsaken by his Father! His Father, at the very height of his obedience to him, abandoned him! But more, all the just anger, wrath, and fury of the Almighty against sin was poured out upon him to the full satisfaction of divine justice! Willingly, because of his love for us, Immanuel drank the cup of bitterness, until the last bitter dregs of divine indignation were gone! It was all bitterness to him; but his sin-atoning sacrifice is sweet fragrance to God for us (Eph. 5:1-2).

"The Mountains of Spices" (8:14) – The mountains of spices are the mountains of heaven itself where our Redeemer dwells today. He sits as King upon his holy hill in Mt. Zion. John Gill wrote, "The joys and glories of the heavenly state are here intended; where the church desires to have everlasting and uninterrupted communion with her Beloved, and that speedily, if it was his will; where she should be on high, and out of the reach of every snare and every enemy; where she would be safe, secure and immoveable, and in the possession of pleasures that will never end."

He continues, "These mountains may denote the height and sublimity of this happy state. It is above. It is an 'inheritance reserved in heaven; a hope laid up there, a prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' (They) may express the permanence and everlastingness thereof. It is a 'city which hath foundations,' and these immoveable. It is a 'building of God, eternal in the heavens.' These habitations are everlasting, from whence there never will be a remove. (They) may signify the exceeding pleasantness and delightfulness thereof: that state may well be represented by' spicy mountains, seeing in the presence of Christ there 'is fullness of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' No wonder, then, that the church should so passionately wish for the enjoyment of this happiness; and close this song in the manner she does, saying, 'Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.'"

What are the spices of the high, immoveable mountains of heavenly glory? The spices cannot be anything other than the merits and efficacy of Christ's blood and righteousness and intercession for his own, and his everlasting praise as our all-glorious Redeemer, Savior and God.

Every believing heart should desire and anticipate the coming of Christ, ever crying, "Make haste, my Beloved." "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (Tit. 2:11-14; 2 Pet. 3:11-14).

Why should we be so anxious for the speedy return of Christ? Why should we so eagerly anticipate the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ? This is the result of true love. A loving wife longs for the return of her husband who has been so long away from her. When our Savior comes, he will bring an end to all the conflict we now endure. When our Lord comes, there will be a great resurrection, and we shall see his face forever (Job 19:25-27; 1 Thess. 4:13-17). When King Jesus appears in his glory, he will create all things new, and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes.

When our great God and Savior comes in power and in great glory, he will sit upon the Great White Throne of Judgment. His is a throne of sovereign power. His is a white throne of absolute purity and judgment. It will be a great day indeed when the great King of Glory sits upon the Throne of Judgment. In that day, he will put all things in order and show all things in their true light. He will clear his own elect of all charges and accusations. He will show the honor of his name in all that he has done. He will display the glory of his grace in his people. He will tread upon the necks of all his enemies. He will be glorious! "Behold, He cometh!" "Every eye shall see him." What will become of you when you see the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory?

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