Archive for the ‘Hebrew Months’ Category

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 21 (9/21/19)

Posted: September 21, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
0
The Battle between Flesh and Spirit. 

Songs 2:16, “My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies.”

The maiden is understanding her failure to rise when called. How she boldly confesses her relationship with Him. This is her 2nd confession of her heart’s progression to give it totally for the King-Bridegroom.

  1. 1:14, “My beloved is to me”–  all about self, what Jesus can do for her
  2. 2:15, “My beloved is mine and I am His” – Ownership, show she needs to love Him
  3.  6:3, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” – His agenda first, then my agenda
  4. 7:10, “I am my beloved’s, and His desire is toward me” – His desire is all I want, totally sold out!

He has fed her several times (1:7,12; 2:4-5) This time the feeding will come with a costly price.

  • Humble place, like how the ‘lilies of the valley’ hang down, her life will be as in surrender. This is a place of purity and obedience. In Chapter 2:1, she spoke of herself as ‘a lily’, now she sees the ‘corporate, Church, lost sheep’ assignment. She will connect with the pure in heart and sincere seekers to follow Him no matter the cost. What about you, are you ready and willing to pay that cost to go beyond you self?
    • Lilies of the Valley

Songs 2:17, “Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of Bether.”

Now we see she has counted the cost, and she turns back away. “Turn, come back soon. You go ahead, I am staying here, waiting for a more opportune time.”

Okay, now we realize that her spirit was willing but her flesh is weak. She has made another excuse, another delay and failure of obedience. Sound familiar. Yes, like when He starts speaking to me about my body being the temple of the Holy Spirit and I need to keep it strong for ministry……but then by the end of the day I say ‘tomorrow’ I will go to gym.

  • Until the Day breaks – tomorrow? or does she know herself too well that she is afraid of failure again. Too many time she has tried and quit
  • Shadows flee away – memories of failed attempts, the enemy is always in the shadows, reminding us of our weaknesses and failures
  • Bether – ‘separation‘ cutting or cleaving, such as cutting an animal sacrifice in half
    • The Mountains are obstacles that bring separation (plural)
    • She knows this will separate them, but fear of failure is holding her back

What is holding you back? What is holding me back? SELAH

 

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 20 (9/20/19)

Posted: September 20, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , , , , ,
1
We have now come to the half-way point of the 40 Days of Teshuvah. I hope you are hearing our King Jesus speaking to you through this Holy of Holies in the Bible.

Song 2:14, ““O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”

  • Watchman Nee has verses 14-15 spoken by the maiden, but Mike Bickle and Passion Translation both have this as the King-Bridegroom speaking, NKJV have her brothers speaking in verse 15. The King-Bridegroom is the one who likens her to a dove. The Lord continually reveals His tender affection for us even as we struggle though our fears and failures.

Two places we find God’s grace. 

  • Cleft of the Rock – this is the finished work of the cross, redemption
  • Cliff – secret places of the cliff, the mystery of Jesus’ resurrection.
  • Both Cleft and Cliff speak of Philippians 3:10 (TPT) “And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus more fully and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and I will be one with him in his death.”

Religion says you cannot be used in ministry until you have your act together. The Gospel (Good News) says ‘stand in the cleft of the rock’, step out into where Jesus is calling us (Ex 33:21; 21-22; 34:5-7)

Jesus wants to see our face and hear our voice in prayer and praise. He does not want us to hide from Him in shame, guilt and condemnation. He wants us to run to Him.

  • Turn you eyes upon Jesus
    Look full in His wonderful face
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
    In the light of His glory and grace (Chorus of the song by Alan Jackson)

Songs 2:15,” Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.”

  • Little foxes of compromise that are in HER life. Foxes are an enemy Harvest and has come to steal, kill and destroy.   The King-Bridegroom does not have little foxes, but He is willing to help her – identification prayer is when you identify with the person/nation you are praying for like Daniel and Nehemiah.
    • Big foxes go after the fruit of the vine
    • Little foxes break off the tender vine branches and leave little change for fruit
      • Little foxes are thought life, use of time, use of money, entertainment, games – and this was written before social media and internet!!! Anything that distract us from the will of God.
  • Vine – Jesus is the Vine and we are the Branches
    • Our vineyard speaks of our fellowship with Jesus and our Heavenly Father
    • Tender Grapes speak of immature area in her walk with God

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 19 (9/19/19)

Posted: September 19, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , , ,
1
Now comes the part none of us want to hear, when we need deliverance from our carnal self that wants to be a couch potato, relaxing without a care….while all the time the world is going down deeper into darkness and our Beloved King needs us to do the work of the ministry.

Songs 2:10, “My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. (11) For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. (12) The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. (13) 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!“

Rise Up! – Rise up out of your comfort zone and secure place. She does not want to take risks, and face challenges and spiritual warfare. She is happy to just be at the banqueting house, even if He is not there.

  • Eph 5:14 (TPT) “Arise, you sleeper! Rise up from the dead and the Anointed One will shine his light into you!”

One morning as I was just waking up I heard “Arise My love, My fair one”. God was calig me to arise out of my bed of comfort. I knew that song, I knew that verse, but where was it? I had the CD from Israel and went searching to find it, finally going on iTunes for search. I FOUND IT! https://youtu.be/_47T8kwEnBc?t=1 Karen Davis, “Arise” from Israel My Beloved. Make sure you  listen to her husband’s voice speaking Arise My Love in the middle of the song. Just those few words caused me to rise up out of my comfort and follow what He had for me for that day.

“For  Lo the Winter is past and the rain is gone” (I would love to see TS Imelda be gone. It was 2 years ago we flooded with Harvey and now our friends in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange are flooding. Please pray. They are just now getting over Harvey)

  • In the Middle East, the winter is dark, short days, cold rains, sometimes snow and nothing grows. This is symbolic of fruitless times in our spiritual walk.

He now gives prophetic signs of the soon coming harvest:

  • Flowers appear appear on the grape vine, signalling the soon coming harvest. We have so many signs that we are in the last of the Last Days and I am really looking forward to that promised “Harvest of Souls”, across the world!
    • Matthew 6:28, Flowers are symbols of God’s care
  • Workers sing in Harvest because it is a joyful time! Raise a Hallelujah! Singing always comes before and accompanies revival
  • Voice of the Turtledove is heard at Harvest time. The Turtledove is a bird of passage. It appears in Judea in early Spring, when the leaves begin to come out, the flowers opening, and everything looking lovely and beautiful. It remains until Summer is gone; and then flies away to a warmer climate to spend the winter.
  • Fig tree puts forth green figs just before the mature figs. We are going to see pockets of harvest before the Full Promised Harvest of Souls, but we are so ready for any sign of reaping this Harvest!
    • Watchman Nee taught, “The fig is a winter fruit which remains on the branches until spring. It denotes fruit which has passed through the winter of death and survived it. It is the fruit which we acquire through the discipline of the Cross and the hard conditions of severe trials. It is fruit carried over into the afterwards of richer experience in Christ.” Beautiful!
  • Grapes smell fragrant at Harvest time. This indicates the life of a believer at this stage gives forth fragrance and shows promise of very much fruitfulness! Our Savior has so much confidence in us, just as He saw Peter as a Rock!

Now that Harvest is in sight, Jesus is calling us love names to woo us into coming with Him into the Harvest field. He is Lord of the Harvest. The 2nd time He says, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!”

 

 

 

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 18 (9/18/19)

Posted: September 18, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
0

The Maiden gives her  3rd revelation of the King. (Remember, in this month of Elul, the King is in the field)

Songs 2:8, “The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”

Up to now she has had 2 revelations of what we see in Jesus, now we see Him as King!

  • Shepherd – 1:7-11, protector and provider (Ps 23:1)
  • Father – 1:12, comforter and supplier (Is 9:6, Everlasting Father)
  • King – 2:8, King over nations, King of Kings, Lord of Lords; leaping over mountains (governments, problems, all authority) and that thrills her

The Message Bible, “Look! Listen! There’s my lover! Do you see him coming? Vaulting the mountains, leaping the hills.”  In Hebrew it reads “Hark!, literally ‘The Sound’ of my Beloved! This is a sound of complete joy!

Leaping over Mountains: The term mountain is used symbolically in the Bible. It is a natural image of stability (Ps 30:7), obstacles (Zech 4:7; Matt 11:23), God’s power (Ps 121:1-2); large, big things we cannot overcome; demonic mountains

Hills are still problems, but smaller.

I was reading the ArtScrolls Tanach Series book on Shir haShirim (Song of Songs). “According the the account in the Midrash, the verse refers to Moses. When he came and said to Israel, ‘In this month you will be delivered’, they said to him, ‘our teacher Moses, how can we be delivered? Did not God say to Abraham [Gen 15:13] ‘And they shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years’, and so far only two hundred and ten have passed. Moses answered; Since God desires to deliver you, He disregards your calculations, but ‘leaps over the mountains‘, the ‘mountains’ and hills mentioned here referring to the calculations and periods. He ‘leaps over’ these calculations and periods and in this month you will be delivered.”(page 105) Ibn Aknin quotes the Midrash that ‘mountains’ refers to their intentional transgressions, which God ‘skipped over’ [overlooked; forgave].

Watchman Nee taught, “But though she takes pleasure in His return to her, yet she does not, as we shall see, heed His words, nor is truly submissive to Him.”

  • This is truly what happens when the immature believers want to only have fun and excitement in the Christian walk.

Songs 2:9, “My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice.”

Young stag is an adult male deer.

A Gazelle can easily leap in victory over mountainous areas and has boundless energy

Jesus is now “seated” at the right hand of God. There are 2 times that Jesus ‘stands’ and when He stands He is ready for action or when He stands in honor (Stephen)

  • Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:55)
  • Laodicean Church (Rev 3:20), ready to knock on the door of the “lukewarm Church”

OUR Wall — This is not a wall she put up, but the wall of protection from distractions that the Holy Spirit has formed. She continues to remain undisturbed.

Through the Lattice –He is outside and wants to woo her and lead her into new things.

Perfect verse for these 40 Days of Teshuvah!

  • Perry Stone wrote in the 40 Days of Teshuvah, “the word arubah (root word) coveys an image of something akin to a pigeon hole or chimney. These would be relatively small openings, but nevertheless, sufficient to serve their purpose. The purpose, in this case, is to pour out blessings from heaven to earth, but focused on those who have been faithful to God.” [note- arubah is the Hebrew word for windows in Malachi 3:10, and it does not mean ‘flood gates’] Arubah also implies a lattice, which is connected to the idea of someone watching another through a very small opening

 

 

 

 

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 17 (9/17/19)

Posted: September 17, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , , ,
0

The Maiden is giving 7 declarations in Chapter 2 of Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). Today we will cover the final declarations, 6 & 7.

Songs 2:5, “Sustain me with cakes of raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick.”

  • This is her 6th declaration, “I am lovesick” speaking of the intensity of her love for the King. She is crying out, she will never be the same, she is ruined for this world!
  • Apples speak of the refreshing, “I want more of Jesus”. There was a chorus used in the Charismatic Revival when I first was saved,
    • “The greatest thing in all my life is knowing You. The greatest thing in all my life is knowing You. I want to know You more, I want to know You more. The greatest thing in all my life is knowing You”
    • Then the next time you would used ‘serve’ instead of know, then ‘love’ You more – all the time singing to Jesus. He still inhabits your praises.
  • Raisins speak of the ministry of the Spirit – “I need more of His Presence”.
    • Grapes point to the wine of the Spirit.

Songs 2:6, “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me”

  • This is the 7th declaration
  • The Left Hand represents God’s hand of mercy
    • This  is the ‘unseen’ works of God in her life; activity we cannot see
    • Under my head, out of view – the mercy is a support and protection (Even when I don’t see it He’s working, He never stops “Way Maker song)
    • Our King is always protecting and providing in unseen ways
  • The Right Hand represents strength, handshake, covenant, direction and the hand that is used to bless
    • This is the ‘seen’ works of God in our life; discernable activity of God
    • This is the sweet, manifested presence of God we can experience
    • We should never look for an experience, but be thankful for those times when we do and remember – BUT THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH, not experience

Songs 2:7, “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.”

  • “Until it pleases”
    • TPT- until she is ready to arise.
    • MSG – until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.
    • NLT- until the time is right
    • HNV- until it so desires
    • NASB- Until she pleases.”
    • VOICE- Don’t stir a fire in your heart too soon, until it is ready to be satisfied.
    • I believe that SHE is correct
      • Cannot be He, the Lord does not need to be protected
      • The Bride must be protected from distractions
    • This may be the Holy Spirit of God speaking, providing protection during seasons of our life
      • These seasons in the Song of Songs are an example of times of going deep in God
      • Wilderness times are prolonged seasons of going deep and just as the Israelites 40 years in the Wilderness were protected and provided for, that is what we should expect in our seasons of Wilderness
      • The religious spirit will try everything to keep us out of the deep things of God
  • The daughters of Jerusalem are sincere believers that lack discernment of the various operations of the Spirit and different seasons with God
    • These sincere immature believers will still have a religious spirit working if they are taken out of a dead, dry denomination that preached works instead of faith
    • Watchman Nee “those who are fond of ecstatic moods and given to meddling”
  • Gazelles and Does of the field speak of gentleness and sensitivity, freedom
    • They are easily startled and distractions are sent straight from the enemy
  • The Maiden (representing the Bride of Christ) must be protected from distractions!
    • This is 1st of 3 times the Spirit warns not to disturb (2:7; 3:5; 8:4)

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 16 (9/16/19)

Posted: September 16, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , ,
0

The first verse of the second chapter is the maiden giving two declarations of faith. Now the King replies to the maiden.

Songs 2:2, “Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”

This shows purity in a sinful world. Lily speaks of purity and humility. Thorns are the first result of sin in the Garden of Eden. They grow by themselves, they are the curse on the ground. These are not the daughters of Jerusalem, who are immature believers. Watchman Nee wrote, “The Lord considers those who pursue after Him as lilies, unlike those who are born of sin.” So these daughters he is comparing her to are those living a sinful life and natural life all around her.

[Maiden} Songs 2:3, “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

3rd declaration of 7, “Like an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons.” Now she will compare the King to sinners.

  • The apple tree speaks of satisfying. As many trees are useful only after they are cut down, an apple tree keeps on giving fruit, season after season. (Songs 2:5, refresh me with apples.- NKJV)
  • Trees of the woods speak of ‘great men of the earth’. Daniel 4:10-14 is speaking of King Nebuchadnezzar. No matter how great men of this world are, nothing will satisfy you like Jesus!

4th declaration of faith of 7, “I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

  • This reminds me of Mary and Martha. As I am typing this, the picture on the all across from me in my dining room is called “the Promised Rest”. It is Jesus, with Mary at His feet, speaking to Martha who is carrying a urn. The caption under the artwork is “Come…and learn from Me, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” And under that caption is “Martha… only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part” Luke 10:42. Mary took great joy at sitting at the feet of Jesus, and in that she found true rest.
    • Watchman Nee wrote, “One is joyous because he sits under His shadow, meaning that he feels as if he is being raptured to His presence.”
    • The shadow (shade) is in contrast to the echoes of the shining of the sun (Ps 91:1)
  • His fruit – the fruit that Adam and Eve caused them to fall from glory. But as we partake of the benefits He has provided for us, and they are very satisfying. When I look at social media, all the people are running after this or that, and they are not satisfied. Jesus satisfies! Oh, what a peace and sweet joy just to be in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Here is  a great song for this verse from the Gaithers. https://youtu.be/_xJkwUGFpDk?t=5

Songs 2:4, “He brought me to his banqueting house, and his banner over me is love.”

This is the 5th declaration of faith of 7.

  • “He brought me” – 1:4 speaks of running, 1:8 speaks of following, 1:12-14 speaks of sitting, 1:16-17 speaks of resting and 2:3 speaks of her enjoying his presence, ‘sat down’. Now, He carried me! Like a Groom picks up his bride and carries the bride over the threshold on their wedding night.
    • This is the 2nd time the King brought her. 1:4b, chambers, the ‘secret place’.
    • That is what happened to me the summer of  2011 when every night Jesus brought me into this Song of Songs. It was the Holy of Holies of the Bible. It is not meant to be read over in a hurry,  as you try to get through the Bible in a year. This is meant to entwine your heart to Him.
  • Our greatest banquet will be the Marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:7). In those days, the Banqueting House was a house of wine. This speaks of celebrating God’s love with joy and gladness. We are to feed on the truths of the identity of the Bride of Christ, see ourselves in that light.
  • A banner identifies you, such as an army marching under a banner. Each of the Tribes had a banner and when the cloud stopped in the Wilderness, all Israel stopped and each Tribe camped by their banner.
    • Matthew Henry wrote, “written in it in letters of gold, letter of blood, is love, love;.. When a city is taken the conqueror set up his standard in it. ‘He has conquered me with His love, overcome me with kindness, and that is the banner over me’.”
    • One of my favorite choruses, “Oh how He loves you and me. Oh how He loves you and me. He gave His live, what more could He give. Oh how He love you, Oh how He loves me, Oh how He loves you and me.” (1975 Word Music)

 

Elul 5779- Teshuvah Day 15 (9/15/19)

Posted: September 15, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , , ,
0
Chapter Two of Song of Songs covers “Who I Am In Christ”, confessing our identity in Him.

Song 2:1, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

“I am the rose of Sharon” — This is her 1st faith declaration of 7. Her first confession in the first chapter was “I am dark”, his light (holiness) exposed her darkness. After she sees the truth in SOS 1:12-17, she can make a faith confession that she cannot yet see. The Rose of Sharon was a very common flower.

  • AMPC reads, “ [She said] I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a [humble] lily of the valleys [that grows in deep and difficult places].”
    • She sees herself as ordinary, but loved by the King.

“And the lily of the valleys” — This is the 2nd faith declaration of 7. Lily speaks of purity and humility.  The Bride’s primary purpose is to fully love (rose) and obey (lily) Jesus. You cannot separate love and obedience. It is all about our choice to love and obey, He does not change.

  • John 14:21, “Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love you in return and will manifest my life within you.” (TPT)

Valley speaks of the low places in this dark world, and she speaks plural — valleys. Our level of intimacy with Jesus in the valley (good or bad times) determines our spiritual success.

  • Revelation 2:3-5, ” I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall! Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle.”
  • In this time of the 40 Days of Teshuvah, returning to our First Love, this is a very important thing to do, confess who you are in Jesus Christ!!! Remember, repent, confess and do the first works!

 

 

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 14 (9/14/19)

Posted: September 14, 2019 in Signs In The Heavens, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , , ,
0

Last night we had a FULL MICRO HARVEST MOON on FRIDAY THE 13th! The moon will also be full tonight. There has not been a Full Moon on Friday the 13th since the year 2000 and there will not be another full moon on Friday the 13th until year 2049. I took a photo with my SkyView App on my iPhone last night about 11:00pm CST. You will see it at the bottom of this post.

This moon was called a MICRO moon, which is opposite of a Super Moon. A Super Moon is when the full moon is closest to the earth and the Micro is when it is full and furthest away. This moon was to be 14% smaller in our view, but because it was a Harvest Moon it was extremely bright. I woke in the middle of the night and it was shining bright enough in our window that I did not have to turn on a light.

Throughout our Bible the number 13 is a symbol of evil. In the King James Bible, the chapters and verses border on supernatural. Of all the 13’s in the Bible, 10% of them refer to something good, 5% of them refer to something neutral, 85% of all the verse 13s in the Bible refer to sin, Satan, rebellion or a curse. The number 13 is a symbol of evil.  The first occurrence of the number 13 is found in Genesis 14:4, “Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.” I am fully aware that the full moon last night was a time of great celebration in witchcraft.

But the sign in the heaven with the FULL MICRO HARVEST MOON last night was another promise from God to pour out His Spirit on all mankind. Galatians 3:13 is a fact and a promise, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree: (14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Below we see the Constellation Aquarius. It is interesting that the online Encyclopedia Britannica connects the Age of Aquarius to Eschatology (study of end times, last days). It links the events with the rebirth of Israel and the incredible rise of Christianity in that time period. E.W. Bullinger wrote in “The Witness of the Stars”, the sing of Aquarius (The Water Bearer) ‘Their blessings ensured or the living waters of blessing poured forth for the redeemed’.” This shows a man pouring forth water from an urn which seems to have an inexhaustible supply, and which flows forth downwards into the mouth of the fish, which receives it and drinks it all up. (pg 84)

The Moon is a symbol of the Church, which has no light in itself.  Genesis 37:9 speaks of Joseph’s dream that the Sun, Moon and 11 stars bowed down to him. His father’s answer was “This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” The 12 constellations have represented the 12 Tribes and the Sun was likened to Jacob and the Moon to Rachel.

Right above the full moon is Neptune, which was not one of the original 7 planets at Creation so I do not have a Bible reference for this planet.

In the 40-Day Season of Teshuvah, there is an open heaven where prayers are answered more readily than any other time of the year. It is a time when the King is in the field and the presence of the Lord is closer during these 40 days. I pray you will have special times with Him in these 40 days.

Friday the 13th

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 13 (9/13/19)

Posted: September 13, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , ,
1

I just finished the devotions from Chapter One of the Song of Songs. The maiden first saw herself as dark, stained by life and drained by taking cared of everyone else’s fields, but not taking care of her own heart of faith. Burnout! Verses 12-17 is where she sees more of her purpose in her life by confessing what the King says about her.

This reminds me of the amazing movie that is out right now in many theaters, OVERCOMER by the Kendrick Brothers. There is a place in the movie where the teenage girl who is training for cross country racing gives her heart to the Lord. The Principle who led her to the Lord tells her to read Ephesians 1-2 to see all that God says she is. That is where she finds her identity.

Begin confessing your identity in Christ and watch your world change. Ephesians 1-2 says I am blessed, I am chosen, I am a child of God, He has a plan for me, I am loved, and much more. That is who YOU ARE TOO! Start confessing and agreeing with God and what He says you are. Live like a child of the King!

Elul 5779 – Teshuvah Day 12 (9/12/19)

Posted: September 12, 2019 in Song of Songs, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
Tags: , , ,
0

The maiden is overcome with the King’s love for her. She receives that love. That is what we are to do, receive the love of Jesus! When we reject it we stay in darkness, but when we receive His love we cannot help but to praise Him!

Song 1:16, “Behold, you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green. (17) The beams of our houses are cedar, and our rafters of fir.”

We see her 6-fold response in verses 16 & 17:

  1. You are handsome, beautiful
    1. Fair – yapheh,
  2. You are MY Beloved
    1. She has now made this very personal
  3. You are pleasant–  delightful, lovely kind
    1. Pleasant, Hebrew Naiym (na-Em’), generous to any one; agreeable
  4. Our Bed – couch, divan
    1. Green pastures are beds for sheep
    2. She has now been fed, reclining to rest (Ps 23:2, beside still waters- waters of rest)
  5. Beams of our houses (plural) are cedar
    1. Cedars from Lebanon, tall and strong trees
    2. Cedar was used for building and adorning the Temple and royal palaces, especially for wainscots and ceilings
    3. Cedar was used for the cleansing of lepers (Lev 14:51-52) and purification of sin (Num 19:6)
    4. This represents firmness and stability; supports. Humanity that is filled with glory!
    5. Cyprus and Fir were the 2 chief kinds of wood in Solomon’s time
  6. Rafters of fir
    1. Fir is a fragrant & beautiful wood, pleasing in sight & smell that was used for the galleries for walking in the Temple
    2. Fir here is also called Cypress. Hebrew Berowth, and is used for cypress, fir, juniper, pine.
    3. Cypress is produced in a place called “death city”. The Jews planted cyprus beside their graves. Hence, cyprus signifies our Lord’s death. Our shelter is the Lord’s humanity and benefits of His death.

Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary on BlueLetterBible.org, “Every thing in the covenant of grace (on which foot all their treaties are carried on) is very firm, very fine, and very fragrant.”

Older Entries
Newer Entries