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

refusal to go. She was the joy of His heart. O how He missed her fellowship while He was out ministering to the needs of others. Listen! The Holy Spirit is speaking to you, "Come, dear reader, and enter into this glorious dream! Have your spiritual eyes opened to the secrets for victorious living."

And now, here is the bride’s glorious dream-vision described in detail...

 

THE DREAM OF HIS STRENGTH AND POWER 3:6 – 11

 

V.6 "Who is this that cometh (up) out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?"

Why does she need a dream or a vision of her Beloved in His strength and power? To reveal in her how to have victory over any problem that she will face whether they be little foxes, shadows or major hurts. She had failed in the first test. Without a Holy Spirit revelation of the greatness of the Beloved King she will fall in this wilderness journey. To be a victorious bride, she must have her eyes fixed on Jesus alone (Heb. 12:2,3)!

The problem is always a problem of spiritual vision and unity with other believers in the body of Christ! Her vision of Him had been obscured by the "shadows" of the "little foxes". Everything was fine until her eyes focused on something that seemed of "trivial" importance! The result was devastating. The Beloved asked her to go with Him in 2:10 to be with other lilies (as you will see in 6:3). She needs to be instructed in the things that will give victory in her daily walk. This comes to us as the Holy Spirit brings other gifted members of Christ's body into our lives to instruct and pray for us. Read John 17:21; Eph. 4:3,4,14-16.

She will be given a dream concerning those who walk in unity with the King. She will see His power and observe it in them. She will see the importance of the sword they carry. This Holy Spirit vision of Jesus and His body will dramatically show her what joy it is to walk close to the King. He is leading her into this blessed relationship of which she will definitely experience later (8:5). REMEMBER IT IS NOT JUST A VISION OF HIM BUT OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO MAKE UP HIS BODY. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (a sharing in) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (a sharing in) of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." (I Cor. 10:16-17).

 

PRAY WITH ME: "O Lord, let me see Jesus as all I need. May You be the "I am" of every circumstance that invades my life. Let me see the true picture of this wilderness I must live and walk in. Holy Spirit cause my spirit to have a fresh vision of Him whom my soul loveth! 'Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law (Psa. 119:18). Your Word proclaims this wilderness is a place of wandering without direction (Ex. 14:3), a terrible place (Deut. 1:19), a howling waste (Deut. 32:10), a dry, barren land (Psa. 107:35), a place where one can die of thirst (Isa. 50:2), a place of desolation (Ezk. 6:14), and a place of wild beasts (Mk. 1:13)! Dear Father, let me see the utter waste and danger the world is to my soul. Without a clear Holy Spirit vision of my all powerful, conquering King I will fall in the wilderness! In my Beloved Jesus' name, amen."

 

"...cometh out of the wilderness..."

How sad it is that so many Christians get used to the wilderness. They begin to see very little danger in it. We are to be a pilgrim passing through this land (Heb. 11:13,16) which is ruled by the powers of darkness (Eph. 6:10-18)! So often the Christian settles down in the wilderness as if it were a permanent place. They become desensitized to the dangerous subtleties of the enemy. In this wilderness journey of ours, by faith we must see our Lord as the victor Who has overcome all obstacles Satan will place in the pathway (John 16:33; Rom. 8:37; I John 4:4; 5:4). What many Christians fail to realize is that this wilderness (the world) still temporarily belongs to the enemy.

The enemy knows that what he stole from Adam and Eve, the right to rule (have dominion) is only for a specific time. Jesus has already won the right to rule this earth because of Calvary. In this present time the victory is for us, His people, on an individual basis. He will take over entirely what is rightfully His one day (in the chapters of Rev. 5,19, 20, 21). If we stay close to Him through His Word, praising and praying in the Spirit, discernment will be ours! His bride should always be seen as coming up out of the wilderness. It is to be a progressive, upward walk with Him. Always keep in mind it is an "upward" experience! This whole Song written by the Spirit is leading you and me to 8:5. "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?...." Did you catch the word "up"?

Notice that there is movement in the wilderness. The Christian life is not static but active, moving forward and upward! "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isa.40:31). Meditate on these scriptures: Psa. 23:4; 119:45; Rom. 8:4; Eph. 5:2; 5:8; Col. 1:10; I John 1:7; II John 1:6. In the previous chapter she wanted things to remain status quo. There was no vision of going so there would be no growing with Him. He was saying in chapter 2, "If you are to grow in your surrender to Me then it is imperative that we walk together! I can't share with you the secrets of My heart unless you allow yourself to be intimate with My Spirit!"

Let the Word of God unlock the meaning of the symbols in this vision. "Smoke" represents God's glory and power (Isa. 6:4; Rev. 15:8); an acceptable sacrifice to God (Lev. 1:9); God's wrath (II Sam. 22:9; Psa. 74:1; Isa. 30:27); judgment of the wicked (Rev. 14:11; Gen. 19:28). As she sleeps, the eyes of her spirit are opened to see the Bridegroom filled with glory and power. In the power of His wrath alone, wickedness will be dealt with. She has nothing to fear! To Him alone she is to offer the sacrifice of praise and joy. Why? Because she now knows that the battle is not hers but His! He is the conqueror, the glorious One, the only worthy One! He is her victory! There will be a terrible judgment of the wicked one day. Dear reader, is this your vision?

Her spiritual eye focuses on the "myrrh". Had she so quickly forgotten its deep significance? She had apparently taken the little bag of remembrance from between her breasts. Is that why she was so easily moved by the foxes? It represents the crushing sacrifice of crucifixion (His blood) which alleviates our sinful pain and makes us beautiful. (See comments on 1:13) She is never to forget the great price her Beloved paid for her to be His bride! The "myrrh" would have helped her to focus back on her Beloved when the "little foxes" showed up. The old hymn told us to, "Turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face." Is this not what her dream is all about?

 

PRAY WITH ME: "O Lord, may I never forget Your sacrifice and the blood that flowed down from Calvary for my sin. May it always remain fresh and gloriously real to me. So that when the sinful 'little foxes' come I will immediately deal with them by crushing them through Your crucifixion and sacrifice."

 

What she did in refusing to go with her Beloved was to pour impurity all over the throne of her heart. The Holy Spirit now directs her to notice the "frankincense" which comes from a Hebrew word meaning "to be white". The gum is extracted from the Boswellia tree by cutting into the bark and collecting the resin. O what the Beloved went through for her at Calvary - the bruising, the battering, the beatings, the crushing, the cutting so that purity would be given to His bride! Frankincense was offered in worship to God (Mt. 2:11). Jesus Himself is the "frankincense". A beautiful example of the value of the frankincense is seen in the Tabernacle. The showbread or "bread of presence" used in the Holy Place, representing God's people, had frankincense placed on it (Lev. 24:7; Col. 1:27). He alone, Who is the frankincense, gives value to His people.

O the beautiful frankincense of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. O the holiness and purity the Holy Spirit brings into our surrendered lives. Frankincense was also burned as incense in worship to Jehovah (Ex. 30:34-38; Lev. 2:1,2; Mt. 2:11). That is exactly what happens within us when we are filled with spiritual frankincense! When we are filled with Jesus, the Holy Spirit ignites it for worship in our spirit giving glory to the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

All of this caused her to see how truly repugnant she was. How terrible her sin had been! She is told to apply the "myrrh" and "frankincense"! In this vision her soul cries out, "O Lord give the "myrrh" of forgiveness for my sinful heart of independence. I confess my sin to You my Beloved." He placed the bag of "myrrh" around her neck. She could feel the beginning healing sweep over her soul. Then the frankincense of purity appeared within! The order is perfect.

As the dream unfolded, this thought burned in her mind, "My soul is so impure, can it ever be clean again?" She speaks to Him in the dream, "My wonderful Lord, my beautiful Savior, Lover of my soul, apply the frankincense to my soul that I may be cleansed of my sin of unresponsiveness and independence. Oh I feel so clean again, that fragrance is so wonderful." At that very moment the precious Holy Spirit applies the frankincense to the throne of her heart. "O how clean, how pure, how fresh my soul feels. Thank You, thank You, thank You my blessed Husband. I love You for Your infinite patience with me and drawing me back to Yourself!" In the vision she places her arms around Him whom her soul loves and says, "Thank You my Love, thank You with all of my heart that You love me so infinitely! Oh how very, very special I feel! I love You, I love You, I love You!"

The Holy Spirit brought to her remembrance Psalm 119:140, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3. "...he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul..." Psa. 23:2,3. She confessed her sin of independence in the dream (I John 1:9) and a refreshing and renewing purity swept over her soul! Worship filled her spirit. She began to sing and make melody in her heart for she was filled with holiness! O the exhilarating surety of being filled with Him (Eph. 5:18,19)!

 

PRAY WITH ME: "Holy Father, pour the spiritual frankincense over my soul and may Your holy fire ignite it in worship to my Beloved! Jesus, You are the frankincense and myrrh of my soul. May the sweet aroma of my surrendered heart bring joy to You (II Cor. 2:14-15). May the fruit of the Spirit flow from my life! Praise Your Holy name! The wilderness has