INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER–KC    SHELLEY HUNDLEY

9 The wine goes down smoothly for my Beloved, moving gently the lips of sleepers. 10 I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me. (Song 7:9b-10)
 
A.    The flow of thought changes significantly in the middle of v. 9. In response to the affirmation that the Bride receives from Jesus in v. 6-9a, she enthusiastically proclaims her agreement with the three things that Jesus commissioned her to do in Song v. 8-9a. 
 
B.    Throughout the Song, she addresses Jesus as "my Beloved" (Jesus never refers to her this way). He refers to her as “My love” or "My fair one." This must be the bride speaking at this point.
 
C.    Bridal partnership is expressed in instant obedience (v. 9b-10). In the poetic language, the wine going down smoothly refers to her living in instantaneous agreement with the Spirit’s leadership. The wine of the Spirit will go down smoothly because she receives it without resistance. To be continually filled with the Spirit is to live under the Spirit’s leadership (Eph. 5:18). She delights in the Spirit’s leadership and drinks the cup of God's will without hindrance (Ps. 40:8).
 
D.    She refers to Jesus as “my Beloved” indicating that she obeys the Spirit out of love for Jesus. As we live in agreement with the Spirit, He pours more love for Jesus into our heart (Rom. 5:5). The Spirit will minister through her to those who are asleep as she obeys Him in her own life.
 
9 The wine goes down smoothly for my Beloved, moving gently the lips of sleepers. (Song 7:9)
 
1.    The proof that the Spirit has awakened the sleepers is that their speech comes under His leadership. He moves the sleepers to speak in purity and righteousness (Jas. 3:2).
 
2.    The Spirit gently woos us to speak on His behalf with subtle impressions. He calls us to voluntary love. He gently moves us without violating our free will.
 
E.    The Bride’s 2-fold spiritual identity is in the love of God (v. 10). First, she sees herself as one that Jesus desires and secondly, as one who desires Him. Throughout her journey, the revelation of Jesus’ desire for the bride causes her to grow in maturity (Song 4:9; 6:4-5; 7:6-10).
 
10 I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me. (Song 7:10)
 
F.    If we want to grow in love and maturity we must grow in our revelation of God’s desire for us, and ask that Jesus direct ours heart into more experiences of His love.
 
5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God… (2 Thes. 3:5)
 

11 Come, my Beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give You my love. (Song 7:11-12)
 
A.    The Bride commits to go to the villages and fields of the harvest (v. 11-12). She intercedes asking Jesus to “come” or breakthrough in power (v. 11).
 
B.    Earlier she went down to the garden to partner with Jesus (Song 6:11). Now, she intercedes that He would come with her in the sense of releasing His presence through her labors. She changed her language in Song 6:11 from “I went down” to “let us go”. She uses "let us" 4 times (v. 11-12) indicating her desire that they work together (Mk. 16:20; Jn. 4:35).
 
C.    The villages speak of the small out of the way areas where Jesus has an inheritance and desires to build His Church. She is willing to lodge or stay for a season in remote villages. The Moravians went to dangerous mission fields that, “the Lamb might receive the reward of His sufferings.”
 
D.    She rises early in diligence and goes down to invest into the budding vines that had not yet borne fruit because she sees them as Jesus’ inheritance and “His garden.” The budding vines, grape blossoms, and blooming pomegranates speak of those needing to mature (Song 4:12-13; 6:11).
 
E.    The Bride experiences undistracted intimacy with Jesus in the midst of ministry (v. 12). “There” is the place of selfless labor, the risks of faith, disappointments and mistreatment. She embraces both being drawn into intimacy and running together in ministry (Song 1:4). She learns to love Him while serving others instead of losing her intimacy in the rigors of ministry.
 
12 Let us get up early to the vineyards…There I will give You my love. (Song 7:12)
 
F.    The Bride is walking in apostolic Christianity which involves walking in intimacy and ministry while embracing hardship (Phil. 3:10). Paul loved Jesus in context to being mistreated and sent to prison where he ministering to the jailer in Acts 16. He labored in ministry more than all the other apostles and suffered great difficulties and above all was concerned for the God’s flock.
 
10 I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Cor. 15:10)

23 In labors more abundant…27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Cor. 11:23-28)
 
G.    The Bride wants Jesus to enjoy the fruit of her labor (v. 13).
 
13 The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my Beloved. (Song 7:13)
 
H.    She longs to boldly show her loyalty and affection to Jesus in public (v. 1-2).
 
1 Oh, that You were like my brother, who nursed at my mother's breasts! If I should find You outside, I would kiss You; I would not be despised. (Song 8:1)
 
I.    She prays, “Oh that You, Jesus were like my brother.” It was improper to express public affection to members of the opposite sex that were not in one’s family. She wishes that she could publicly relate to Jesus with full liberty. A woman could be more familiar in public with her brother than her fiancé.
 
J.    She recognizes the necessity to be restrained in public from certain aspects of her private life with Jesus. There are certain expressions of our life in God that are meant to be kept private. There are intimate expressions of prayer and worship that are not best suited for public settings.
 
12 Since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel…19 In the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding…than 10,000 words in a tongue. 20 Do not be children in understanding…23 If the whole church comes together…and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? (1 Cor. 14:12, 19-20, 23)
 
K.    She will be despised or labeled as “out of her mind’ if she has an inappropriate boldness in public. It causes hindrances to the gospel. We don’t express everything God gives us in every setting. We walk in love when we restrain our liberty on some occasions because of those who do not understand (Rom.14:14-15:2; 1Cor.14:20, 23-33, 6-19).   
Walking in restraint in love in these ways is especially important for those that walk out the prophetic calling.
 
L.    Partnership is expressed in anointed ministry (v. 2). Jesus gives the Bride the dignity to “lead and bring Him” places through anointed ministry. He allows us to make some of the decisions in His kingdom. He blesses some of what we decide in the outworking of His purposes. This reveals the dignity He has given us as co-heirs with Him. A mature believer only desires to “lead Jesus” in a way that honors Him. The mother throughout the Song is a picture of the Church through history.
 
2 I would lead You and bring You into the house of my mother, she who used to instruct me. I would cause You to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate. (Song 8:2)
 
M.    She desires to bring Jesus to her mother’s house. This speaks of those she has been in a long-term relationship with, those that initially taught her the things of God. It is often more difficult to minister to those to whom we are familiar with (Mt. 13:57). She is willing to stand for truth in the context of familiar relationships. She longs to give Jesus her best regardless of how much it costs her (v. 2). It was common to mix wine with spices when hosting an honored guest because it made a more pleasant drink, though it was more expensive and costly.
 
N.    Partnership is expressed in unbroken union with Jesus (v. 3-4). The Spirit speaks of guarding her in strategic spiritual seasons. There are seasons, where He desires to establish our heart in new things. In this season, the Spirit’s agenda was to impart boldness and humility (v. 1-2).
 
3 His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me. 4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. (Song 8:3-4)
 
1.    The left hand of God speaks of the activity of God that we cannot see with our natural eyes. It is the hand that is under her head and therefore, it is out of view.
 
2.    The right hand of God speaks of the manifest activity of God. The Lord allows Himself to be found as He manifests His embrace to her that tenderizes her heart.
 
3.    The daughters represent believers who lack discernment of the various operations of the Spirit and the different seasons in God. The Spirit charges them to not disrupt or disturb the devoted ones with the Bride’s heart in this season by their opinions and judgments.
 
O.    In the phrase, “Until it pleases,” the Hebrew can be translated as it, he or she. The NAS accurately translates the phrase as “Don't awaken love until she pleases” instead of “until it pleases.” The Lord has no need to be protected by the gentleness pictured by the gazelles. It is the Bride that must be protected from distraction. Three times Jesus speaks this phrase, “Don’t arouse or awaken my love until it pleases.” (Song 2:7; 3:5; 8:4). In Song 2:7, He uses the same phrase “don’t disturb her” but adds the phrase “by the gazelles of the field.” She was immature and lacked stability by being easily distracted.
 

A.    The theme of the Song is God sealing our heart with love (v. 5-7). This refers to the anointing of the Spirit to reveal and impart God’s love to us so that we walk in the two great commandments.
 
B.    The end-time Church will be victorious in love (v. 5). The Bride is pictured as leaning on Jesus. The Church will end natural history with a leaning and loving heart as she is victorious in love. The Spirit is speaking prophetically, declaring the Bride's victory in the end times as she “comes up” in victory in the testing, temptations, and difficulties in the wilderness in this fallen world.
 
5 Who is this coming up (victory) from the wilderness (testing), leaning upon her Beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth… (Song 8:5)

2 I saw…those who have victory (in love) over the Beast (Antichrist)… (Rev. 15:2)

27 He might present…glorious church…she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:27)
 
C.    To set Jesus on our heart is to call on Him to visit and empower us by His Spirit (v. 6-7). The progressive release of God’s seal in our life is the pinnacle of the Song. Her journey begins with a cry for the kisses of God’s Word (Song 1:2) and ends with a seal of fire on her heart.
 
6 Set Me (Jesus) as a seal on your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love (God’s love in us) is as strong as death, (God’s) jealousy as cruel (demanding) as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. (Song 8:6-7)
 
D.    It takes God to love God. We need the Spirit’s supernatural help to love God with all our heart. The anointing to love God is the greatest gift that the Spirit imparts to a believer. The Spirit is the “All Consuming Fire” and the “Living Flame of Love” that baptizes us with His fiery love.
 
5 The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit… (Rom. 5:5)

16 He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Lk. 3:16)
 
E.    The 120 believers in the Upper Room received a token of the baptism of God’s fiery love.
 
3 There appeared to them…tongues, as of fire, and sat upon each of them. (Acts 2:3)
 
F.    Jesus puts a “seal of fire” on our heart instead of the wax seal of the ancient world that was placed on important documents. They encased them with wax, then stamped it with the king’s signet ring. They were protected and authenticated by a royal seal. A king’s seal spoke of his guarantee, ownership, protection, and authority that was backed up by the power of his kingdom.
 
G.    God’s seal is a flame of divine fire that cannot be quenched. God’s love in us is as strong or as comprehensive as death. Nothing in the natural realm escapes the power of death. Its grasp is comprehensive. God’s jealous love in the spirit is equally comprehensive. It will not allow any areas of darkness to escape its grasp. It is “as cruel as the grave” or as demanding as death.
 
H.    Water always puts out fire (unless it is God’s supernatural fire). The enemy will send the waters of temptation, apathy, disappointment, pain, etc. to put this fire out. God’s love poured in our hearts (when continually yielded to) is more powerful than the dark floods of sin and temptation. This fire is stronger than the waters of bitterness, addiction, anger, pornography, immorality, etc. Floods speak of the troubles that Satan will release in the end times (Rev. 12:15; Isa. 43:1-2)
 
14 For the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God… (Ex. 34:14)
 
I.    We set Jesus as the seal on our heart by putting on the Lord Jesus or by putting on the new man. God requires us to cooperate with Him in the grace of God. This is an expression of His desire for intimate partnership with us. God will not do our part and we cannot do His part.
 
14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh… (Rom. 13:14)

10 Put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to God’s image. (Col. 3:10)

24 Put on the new man which was created…in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:24)
 
J.    We put Jesus as the seal on our heart by earnestly seeking Him through prayer, fasting, meditation on the Word, and obedience that positions our heart before God to freely receive.
 
K.    The highest reward of love is found in possessing the ability to love (v. 7). The anointing to love God is our greatest reward. Those who are wealthy in love do not look at price tags. No sacrifice is comparable to what He gives us.
 
7 If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. (Song 8:7)
 
L.    Paul spoke of this love that will pay any price. He laid down his open doors of opportunity. We are the only one who can give God all our love. God will not force us to love Him. It is our gift to Him that we give voluntarily as we cooperate with the Spirit’s work in our life.
 
8 I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ…for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ… (Phil. 3:8)

A.    The Bride reveals how she sees herself in God (v. 8-14). She knows who she is. We can only be alive like the Bride as we walk in her revelation, confidence, and radical obedience. The Bride offers her two final intercessory prayers, first for the church (8:8–9), then for Jesus’ return (8:14). In v. 8-9, we see her passion and intercession for the Church. In v. 10, we see her confidence or the revelation of how God sees her. In v. 11, she has revelation of her accountability before God. In v. 12, she has confidence in her faithfulness to God. In v. 13, Jesus gives His final commission to the Bride. In v. 14, she intercedes with urgency for Jesus’ coming.
 
B.    The Bride’s passion and intercession for the Church (v. 8-9).
 
8 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is spoken for? 9 If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver; and if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. (Song 8:8–9)
 
C.    The Bride speaks to Jesus saying, “we have a little sister.” She does not use the singular, saying, “What will “I” do for my sister, but rather, she uses the plural, “we,” indicating her partnership with Jesus. The fact that she “sees” the little sister’s need is the work of the Spirit in her.
 
D.    In v. 8a, the little sister is unable to nurture others with the milk of the Word (1 Cor. 3:1-2). The Bride asks for the Lord’s counsel saying, “What shall we do for our sister to help bring her forth to maturity?” One sign of spiritual maturity is concern for the spiritual condition of others.
 
E.    She presents her little sister’s case before the Lord in the different possibilities of her little sister’s ministry and purpose and commits to serve her calling that she would flourish even as the bride has herself become fruitful in her own calling and impact.
 
F.    The Bride’s 3-fold confidence comes from her revelation of how God sees her (v. 10). Her confidence is as a wall (selfless motives), as a tower (her supernatural abilities to nurture), and as one with peace (emotional hindrances removed).
 
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then I became in His eyes as one who found peace. (Song 8:10)
 
G.    The Bride has revelation of her accountability before God (v. 11). The outcome of living before His eyes is the understanding of the reality of our accountability and eternal reward before God (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:12-14). On the last day, every believer will give a full account of their earthly life to God. Her revelation of eternal rewards dignifies her smallest acts of obedience and gives every day a sense of importance.
 
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon; he leased the vineyard to keepers; everyone was to bring for its fruit a thousand silver coins. (Song 8:11)
 
H.    King Jesus has a very large vineyard that reaches the nations (Mt. 24:14; Rev. 7:9). King Jesus leased (entrusted) His vineyard to His Bride knowing she would keep it for Him. Jesus leasing His vineyard speaks of the kingdom in this age as being entrusted to His people. In the parable in Mt. 21:33-44, Jesus made reference to Song 8:11-12, by teaching about a landowner who planted a vineyard, built a tower and “leased” it to keepers and then went into a far country (Mt. 21:33). The Lord entrusted the responsibility to cultivate His vineyard to keepers. Each believer is given a certain stewardship in His vineyard. She understands that “everyone” will give an account to the King for their assignment (Lk. 12:31-48).
 
I.    The Bride’s confidence is in her faithfulness to God (v. 12). The Bride’s own vineyard is before her. She was aware that she will give an account of the responsibility given to her by Jesus.
 
12 My own vineyard is before me. You, O Solomon, may have a thousand, and those who tend its fruit two hundred. (Song 8:12)
 
J.    Jesus’ final commission to the Bride (v. 13). Jesus’ last words to the Bride commend her faithfulness in serving the Church. He calls the Bride, “You who dwell in the gardens” to affirm that she is still in the midst of God’s garden serving His people. She did not quit nor retreat into selfish isolation. The gardens (plural) refer to the many parts of the Church.
 
13 You who dwell in the gardens, the companions listen for your voice—Let Me hear it! (Song 8:13)
 
K.    The Lord wants to continually hear our voice in 4 ways. First, in worship as He forever wants to hear us declare our love to Him. Second, in intercession as we join Jesus who makes intercession forever (Heb. 7:25). Third, in teaching as we speak the Word to one another (Mt. 28:19-20; Col. 1:28). Fourth, in evangelism as we share the gospel.
 
L.    Her urgent intercession is for Jesus to come quickly (v. 14). She calls Jesus, “My beloved” because her love for Him is strong to the end. . She asks Jesus to come quickly like a gazelle (Song 2:8, 17) and stag to conquer the mountains of opposition.
 
14 Make haste, My Beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. (Song 8:14)
 
M.    She offers a 3-fold prayer that Jesus come near her personally in intimacy, to her city in revival, and finally for her at the second coming. The end-time Church will lift up this same cry.
 
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!"... 20 Surely, I am coming quickly. (Rev. 22:17, 20)