Intimacy with GOD by Esher Shoshannah (the unexpected everything txt) 📖

V.9 "I have compared thee, O my love (dearest one), to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots."

The word "love" here is not the usual Hebrew word. The form of this Hebrew word is only found in the Song of Solomon. It comes from a Hebrew root word meaning "to associate with" or "dearest companion". It is a word just for her. You, dear surrendered bride, are His special companion, not just an ordinary friend but the one and only choice of His "first love" heart.

Listen to the heart of Jesus speak to you, "I love you, O how I love being with you. You are the dear companion of my heart! There are so few of you who have given Me complete control. You are My joy. Many whom I indwell bring Me much sorrow. They do not consider My heart when they go to places which are against what has been revealed to them from My word. They belong to Me and know better, but they drag Me into their sin anyway. They watch things that mock My name. I died and rose again that My purity would flow through them. These that belong to Me listen to the whispers and enticements of the enemy much more than they do Me. I lay down at night with them and I hear their innermost thoughts of emptiness. All that they have experienced has been unsatisfying and unfulfilling.

They come away from their worldly videos, music and magazines feeling so empty. My Spirit cries out to them, yet their ears are so dull of hearing. O how sad it is for Me to know the fulfilled life I have already planned for them to experience, yet they do not hear. They will not respond for their old nature has dulled them to any sense of what sin really is. These that I speak of are not truly in love with Me. My Father has had the plan ready since eternity past when the first thought of them came into His Abba Father's heart.

I remember how excited I became when My Father revealed He was giving them to Me for a bride. They would love Me and I would love them. My Holy Spirit would actually live in their spirit. With their free will they would choose to love Me. But I live in sadness with many of them.

However, You My love are very different. I have compared you with the best. I prefer you over angels, seraphim and the cherubim! You bring so much joy to my heart. You don't even realize it now, but your joy and love for Me is going to grow deeper than you could have ever imagined. O My love, dearest companion of My heart, thank you for opening yourself up to Me in surrender! You are not perfect yet, but your heart responds to anything that would displease Me. Hear My heart, I love you!"

When the Lord drew you into His family, you were like the huge marble stone brought to Michelangelo. The stone had no shape. It was for all intents and purposes ugly! Yet the great sculptor saw the magnificent statue of David in it. He saw the final results before he had actually begun. Your Bridegroom thinks the same way about you! You will notice as you go through this love song that when the bride goes against what her Bridegroom desires, He never gets angry with her. She sins out of weakness but not wickedness, much like Peter of whom we will deal with later.

You may not see a thing in yourself that is desirable at this moment, but Praise God, He does and that is only what matters! Do you feel unwanted, unloved and unattractive because of ugly words said to you in the past? It’s the enemy whispering in your ear, "You are worthless, no good! Why don't you give up! Nobody really loves you!" Reject all of that. With His arms around you, hear the God of the universe, Jesus the Bridegroom saying right now, "Dearest companion of My heart, you are beautiful to Me beyond description. I love you!"

"...to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots."

To you, surrendered one, He says that you are like the most excellent horses purchased for Pharaoh. These horses were considered the best in the world. Solomon purchased them from Egypt for his special service and pleasure (I Kings 10:28-29). These horses were: chosen by and for the King alone (so were you-I Pet. 2:4-9; Eph. 1:4-5); costly (so were you-I Cor. 6:19-20); swift to obey every command (so are you-Col. 1:18; I Pet. 2:11); not distracted by other things for you have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16; Heb. 12:2,3).

What a glorious compliment. But you say, "These horses were perfect, I’m not!" It took time and training for those horses to become special. This bride will grow in surrender from chapter one through chapter eight. In v. 9 He sees a perfect commitment not a perfect walk. He sees her heart and her desire! She is surrendered and that makes her “choice”. Isn't it wonderful to see how much you mean to Him; how much joy you bring to His heart through simple surrender? Praise His holy name! Knowing this should defeat the enemy who would cause you to see yourself as unworthy, a nobody, useless!

This verse is a description of sanctification (separated unto). These superb horses were separated for the King's pleasure only. This is what true holiness is all about. So many believers “force” themselves to go to more than one meeting a week, read the Word, pray and praise consistently. But with consumed love there is no forcing but a fire of desire. "First love" love can't wait to please!

This is why He is so glowing in His description of her for there is nothing more important in her life than her Beloved. The Beloved takes her by the hand and says, "My lovely bride, let Me have the joy of sitting next to you. There is so much more I want you to know about how I feel."

PRAY WITH ME: "Lord, thank You so much for revealing what Your heart sees in me. I receive those loving words of Your grace! Knowing Your heart is changing me, I yearn to please You. Whatever good or beauty You see in me is a reflection of Yourself. I want others to see more of You in me. Keep me separated unto Yourself like the horses in Pharaoh's chariots! I am at Your beck and call, for I know this brings joy to You completely! Dear Holy Spirit cause the image of my Bridegroom to ever increase in me. I love You my Savior, my Lord, my Delight! In Your Holy name Lord Jesus, Amen!"

 With infinite love flowing from His heart to her heart He says,

V.10 "Thy cheeks are comely (lovely) with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold."

In the regular KJV the words, "of jewels" and "of gold" are in italics. This means that they are supplied by the translators and not in the original text. The first word "rows" is the Hebrew word for "plait" or "turn" (Esther 2:15). In other words, her cheeks are lovely especially with plaits of beautifully braided hair offsetting them. The important thing to notice is that her cheeks and neck are beautiful in His eyes.

She sits there as if mesmerized, glowing with delight and adoration. Those cheeks radiate love for Him. Think about it dear reader, a heart full of surrender to Him causes your Beloved Bridegroom to take notice of the beautiful spiritual expression radiating from your inward countenance!

The second word "chains" is the Hebrew word for "ornaments". The neck represents the human will (Acts 7:51; Exo. 33:3; Prov. 3:3; 29:1). What is it about her neck that He finds so arresting to His gaze? She has relinquished her will to His will alone! A yielded heart makes for a beautiful neck. No wonder He is thrilled with her. What adorns your neck: obedience, praise, love, prayer, a spirit-filled Word of God directed walk or an unbending, stiff-necked will?

This is the first of four times that the neck is mentioned by the Bridegroom. It is very important to Him (1:10; 4:4,9; 7:4)! Was not Jesus’ will lovingly submitted to the Father's will (Mark 14:34-36)? Oh, but what was the cost for us to have a countenance which would ever please Him? His cheeks were disfigured by the plucking out of all of His hair (Isa. 50:6)! His countenance was made ugly (Mark 14:65) so that your spiritual countenance could be made beautiful by Him! Does this not cause you to love Him more?

Hear Him speak gently from His heart to her, "I love to look at your countenance. It says so much to My heart without you saying one word. I look on the heart not on the outward appearance (I Sam. 16:7). Only I can look deep within your soul and see your love filled heart. It’s only for Me. What a gift you are to Me! I can never thank My Father enough for giving you to Me." 

PRAY WITH ME: "Abba Father, may my will always be submerged in Your perfect will by the power of the Holy Spirit through Your Word. Lord, words cannot express the overflowing Spirit-filled love I have for You. May I always demonstrate my love for You, dear Bridegroom of my heart, in willing obedience to Your Words (John 14:23). In Your name Lord Jesus, amen."

V.11 "We will make thee...."

The word "we" indicates that more than one person is involved with the bride and Bridegroom of this love song. In the immediate circumstances they are ladies-in-waiting. They are there to serve the bride. However, as we look beyond the immediate to the spiritual, we see God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit continually at work in us to cause more of Jesus’ image to be seen in our lives (Rom. 8:29). Never forget that "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works..." (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6; 2:13)! Here is a very small list of what our glorious triunity God is doing: The Father (Eph. 1:3; I John 3:1); The Son (John 10:28; Heb. 7:25); The Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26; John 14:26). They bestow upon us the "garment of salvation" and the "robe of righteousness" to be seen (Isa. 61:10). As practical surrender to Him increases (John 3:30) more and more the jewels of His character, "gold, silver and precious stones" (I Cor. 3:11-14) will be displayed in our walk (Gal. 5:22,23)! He does it - we don't! He then receives all the glory!

"...borders of gold..."

God wants "gold" displayed on her neck. Gold represents the character, glory and person of God and also value, purity, truth, and honor. In the Tabernacle, the golden table, the golden lamp stand, the golden altar of incense are all made of pure gold and the ark of the covenant was overlaid with gold. All of these holy items in type have the Lord. (Consider Job 23:10; Psa. 19:7-11; Psa. 45:13; Prov. 25:11; Zech. 4:2-6; I Cor. 3:12; II Tim. 2:20; Rev. 21:18-21). O what a joy it is for the Beloved to feast His eyes on His lovely bride displaying and reflecting "gold" - the beauty of the Lord Himself. Then, He allows the gold in us to be seen by others so that they might be attracted to Himself through us!

"with studs of silver."

The Lord also wants to adorn us with "silver". Silver represents atonement, redemption (Ex. 36:24 and 30:15). The boards that surrounded the Tabernacle had an enormous amount of silver as the foundation. Think of the eternal weight of our sin and the indescribable cost of our redemption our Beloved had to pay! The boards are representative of believers. Our