Intimacy with GOD by Esher Shoshannah (e book reading free .txt) 📕

the universe - the holy place (Heb. 10:19-20). I will glorify the One whom my soul loveth with my body (I Cor. 6:19-20; I Pet. 1:18-19)!" O how beautiful were her temples to Him; O what joy this gave to His heart!

Here the Lord speaks of her temples being like a piece of pomegranate. The pomegranate has been opened. It is seen as a slice. So many know about the doctrine of worship and the blood but never really open up and get deep inside of true worship. The Beloved loves to see the "open" pomegranate. Does He see that in you, dear Christian?

The fruit of the pomegranate is in the seeds. If the seeds are red then they may be eaten and the sweetness savored. If the seed is not red it will taste bitter! Thoughts are seeds! "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he...." (Prov. 23:7). "Dear Lord, I want my mind to be pleasing to You. I want Your mind to control mine since Your Word says that I actually possess the mind of Christ (I Cor .2:16). May it become active in me (Phil. 2:5)." The price He paid for you to become His bride is spiritually incalculable. "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (I Cor. 6:20).

O how important it is to apply the work of Calvary to everything that would enter your mind. Isn't this where true sacrifice and worship begins? Let every TV, video and radio program; every magazine, periodical and book be filtered through the blood and the Word of your Bridegroom. What seeds you allow to be sown in your mind will soon produce a harvest for good or bad. If you sow the good seeds of His Word in your mind and you abide (continually obey) in that Word it will result in producing a pleasant crop of adoration and service for your Bridegroom to enjoy (II Cor. 9:8-12; Mk 4:13-20).

Blood bought parents, are you willing to be an example of the Bride of Christ to your family? Teach them by your actions how to filter everything through the blood. Let only "red" seeds be eaten in your family! Save your children from the bitter seeds planted in their minds through secular television. I have seen two and three year old children use curse words (very filthy language) in a fit of stubbornness not knowing what they meant but knowing these "seeds" are used in anger! Don't let new age cartoons permeate their thinking. You as parents, and they as your children, will reap a bitter harvest!

 

V.4 "Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers (shields), all shields of mighty men."

The neck in scripture represents the human will (see comment 1:10). How beautiful is the one whose will is submerged into Jesus' will. Her Beloved, the Lord Jesus, was the perfect example of sacrificing His will. He never made a decision nor did He ever speak a word that was His own. Read carefully John 5:19,30; 7:16; 8:28,42; 12:49; 14:10! Who can ever forget the words that dropped from His lips in full surrender to the will of the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, "...nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done"? Are we not called upon by the Holy Spirit to be, "...imitators of God as dear children" (Eph. 5:1)?

To Jesus, her neck (her will) was beautiful. Is mine? Is yours dear Christian? The Lord speaks of her neck being "like the tower of David". David in the Hebrew means "beloved". Because she has allowed the Holy Spirit to have total control of her life the bride has a neck like her King whose name is "Beloved"! When Jesus becomes King of your life, then you will come to know and experience all that His name "Beloved" means. King David did not have an army with awesome numbers. No, David's military strength was in his "tower"! David speaking about the Lord in Psa. 61:3 says, "For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." God is our tower! Go to the tower and take one of His shields to stop the enemy in his tracks. Whether against Goliath or any other enemy the battle is and always will be the Lord's by faith (II Chron. 20:15)!

It is very significant that the Beloved sees shields around her neck. Shields protect us! She is ready and prepared to fight, not in her will but in His will! The Bride has many enemies ("principalities and powers" Eph. 6:12) because she is her Beloved's precious possession. She has no strength in herself. But she does have the Lord's shields. The most important shield in scripture is "the shield of faith" (Eph. 6:16). I John 5:4 states, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." There is only one good fight and that is "the good fight of faith" (I Tim. 6:12). It is good because godly, Holy Spirit filled faith in His Word is always victorious! Even when it looks as if you are defeated true faith waits and waits and waits knowing God will keep His promises. Yes, the victory is ours because of Him! Glory to God! As Satan beat on the Savior at the cross to break His will, unbeknownst to him, a shining shield was being forged that no devil could ever penetrate. The name on that shield of faith was “Jesus is Lord”! The Lord is our Shield of Faith. No devil’s fiery missiles can ever penetrate it. When the attacks come we pick up the shield, but in reality the Holy Spirit is holding it in the powerful arm of God’s strength (Jer. 32:17).

 

"...a thousand bucklers (shields)...."

A "thousand" represents blessing the Lord with multiple sacrifices (see I Chron. 29:20,21). When lilies come together they give to the Lord sacrifices of thanksgiving, praise, joy and even their bodies. This insures that the shields of the Beloved are around the necks of the Lord’s lilies. They are ready to stand against the enemy. Take note what praise does to the enemy, (compare Matt. 21:15-16 with Psa. 8:2; II Chron. 20:14-23). Listen to the lines of two old hymns:

"O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise, The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace." Thou suffered the cross and the torment, that I might forever go free, A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings, I bring, blessed Savior, to Thee!" (Charles Wesley)

She is seen as having many shields not just one. How can this be? When we come together with other surrendered believers to do spiritual warfare against the enemy, their shields of faith become ours. We are seen as one body fighting the enemy. She is viewed as if she were many mighty soldiers of her Beloved. O how important it is to be in one accord in prayer and praise with other lilies, loving Him and interceding for others (Acts 1:14; 2:42,46; Phil. 2:2). We must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). We who are many are still one body, the body of Christ (I Cor. 10:17).

Her Beloved sees her full of faith! She doesn't, but He sees deep into her spirit. What a joy! What a comfort! What assurance of heart to know that He sees us in this manner! Surrender is the ultimate act of faith. She had done this in the beginning of the Song. She did not realize just how strong she was in Him because of her momentary failure! Dear Christian, take in these descriptions for yourself so that the enemy may not get a foothold in your life through discouragement and self doubt. The enemy will do anything to bring division between believers. The result - NO POWER! All of our shields drop off our neck and we are spiritually exposed and extremely vulnerable! "O God help me! '...to lay aside every weight and sin which so easily besets (traps) us....' (Heb. 12:1)". To some the Holy Spirit warns, "Your church is seriously weak because you are so self-willed including the pastors and members of the flock. When are you going to quit fighting each other and take ground from our true enemy?" Pray with all of your heart, "Lord deliver us from such a spirit. Help us to humble ourselves and allow You to work out the differences! May these moments be an occasion for the fruit of Your blessed Holy Spirit to appear in our walk!"

Listen in as Jesus encourages her, "My beautiful lily, promise Me that you will unite your heart together with other of My lilies to pray and praise. Right now it is difficult to understand, but our relationship will grow even deeper. You think that the fellowship we had alone could not be surpassed, wait ‘till you experience Me with other lilies who have the same kind of heart as you! My power will flow through you against the enemy as you never thought possible! You will receive new revelations of My heart because You are with them! Oh how I love you! Trust Me My dove! Trust Me!"

 

PRAY WITH ME: "O my wonderful Husband, how often I have disappointed Your heart by exposing my neck to the enemy without Your protection. I have been so willful but, praise Your name, You have freely forgiven me and placed a thousand of Your shields on my neck and fastened the latch. I love You with all my heart, dear Lord! Holy Spirit cause me to use the shield of faith always in my daily walk, only and forever for Your glory and honor my blessed King and wonderful Husband."

 

V.5 "Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins (of a gazelle), which feed among the lilies."

The breasts represent faith and love. The key to this is found in I Thess. 5:8 which tells us to put on the "breastplate of faith and love". It is very interesting that for the first time her breasts are described as twins. Her relationship with Him has been based solely on love for Him (Chapters 1 through 3). When it came time for her to exercise faith and leave with her Beloved she did not. The balance was not there. Her faith needed to be developed and that was the purpose of the dream. Now she has both! Her breasts are full of love and faith!

Gazelles are known for their quickness (II Sam. 2:18). The word "gazelle" in the Arabic means "affectionate". Also, the word for gazelle is the exact same Hebrew word translated "beauty". In Isa. 24:16 it is used in reference to giving "glory" to God. It is very instructive that the lady in Acts 9:36, who was raised from the dead by Peter was named Tabitha (Dorcas). Tabitha is the Hebrew word and Dorcas is the Greek word for "gazelle"! This woman abounded with deeds of kindness, mercy and charity. A spiritual gazelle is one who sees a need and quickly and quietly rushes to meet that need. How blessed she must have been (Acts 20:35)! What a beautiful Christian she was. Read her story found in Acts 9:36-44.

Our bride here has breasts that are twins, in other words they are balanced. I Cor. 13:2 warns us of the great danger of having faith and yet lacking love. At the end of I Cor. 13 the Holy Spirit also emphasizes the importance of faith. She has a spirit filled love flowing through her in power because of her faith! She is full of faith and full of love. The Holy Spirit instructs us in Gal. 5:6 that, "...faith...worketh by love." Little babies feed on the nourishment of their mother’s breasts.