Song of the Bride, Parts 1-34 - Feasting at the King's Table

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THE BRIDE AWAKENED Newsletter No. 209 – Mar/Apr 2005 Song of Solomon 5:3, "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?" Many have received a deeper call to fellowship and have considered the cost. If they respond to this call, it will bring them to a place of shame and contempt. They would likely lose their position of and influence in His service. This could explain the hesitancy the bride shows in answer to the call that would rouse her from her complacency and near-slumber where she has been dull and not discerning. She delays His call with excuses. Her outward life and behaviour—her walk—has been cleansed and purified by the inworking of the Cross. Was it not sufficient to have put off the old creation?" She did not understand that the Cross has both a negative and a positive side. All she had known was the negative side—of being stripped of the old ways and life. She had become self-complacent in her walk and was not reaching out "to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death" Phil. 3:10. The application of the cross as a means of bringing her into Christ's triumphant life, had not been opened to her. She was recognized as having a position of leadership and authority in spiritual matters. Her hesitancy to arise and open to Him revealed her unwillingness to go further lest He shake up her settled spiritual state. To rest in spiritual complacency, always means a refusal to be motivated to a still higher calling. This refusal to go on when He draws us, puts our dear Lord out in the cold and wet of the night. 5: 4,5 "My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock." Oh, who could resist that Hand that had embraced her, the Hand, which had been so tenderly placed under her head, the Hand that was nail-scarred! Putting His Hand by the door's window was to remind her of what was in His heart — of all that the Cross meant in her life. The Bride cannot resist this loving expression and becomes willing to abandon every excuse she had, and fully embrace every shame the Cross might bring her way. The myrrh upon her hands, even dripping upon the lock, tells us that the bride has broken "the bolt of the door" of her will that has been keeping him out. Myrrh, though fragrant, is also bitter and is ever an emblem of suffering. It signifies that there was upon her person the fragrance of the Lord's death. The life of Christ moved within her and stirred her to open the door of her will and make a deeper commitment to go all the way with Him. I'm sure that each one of us can look back at our spiritual journey and see the times when our Beloved came and drew us out of our settled state. Often we had to leave behind loved ones who discerned not the hand of the Lord who drew us further. I remember meetings former pastor who upbraided me because he had heard that I was believing things that he had not taught me! Like, "How dare you?" This touched me not at all, for I so rejoiced at the place where I had been taken that I felt sorry for this one who had not opened unto the Beloved and followed Him into life more abundant than he had ever known! PART THIRTY-THREE Newsletter No.210 – May 2005 Song of Solomon 5:6, "I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer." To "open the door" is to yield to and obey the Spirit through faith so that Christ may be our all in all. Let us now fill our alabaster boxes with the precious myrrh of repentance, of communion and prayer, yielding to the Holy Spirit. Let us search for every bolt that has barred the door to our Beloved. No bolt can stand before our deeper adoration, obedience and prayer, lying at His feet in utter humility. SONG OF THE BRIDE, Parts 1–34 [Elaine Cook] ~ BIBLE STUDY 44
He had continued knocking at the door of her heart until He roused her from slumber. She loved Him alone and knew His voice, but He was not content to let her remain in a place of satisfaction of answered prayers, spiritual experiences, and prophetic words. He was calling her to come apart with Him, to leave everything to come into a higher place of revelation and separation unto Himself. The Bride may not intentionally refuse Him. She feels she must finish what she is doing, and fulfill her commitment to her fellow man or to her family. There may be some "Christian work" that is demanding her attention. Or, she may continue resting and enjoying the admiration of those about her. We are happy to be called but often we let some small thing hinder us from obeying His Voice. Sometimes we are lulled to sleep by good resolutions. We can see ourselves, by the eye of the Spirit, possessing all He has shown us. This is so deceptive that we settle down to sleep, dreaming this delightful dream, and fail to gird up our loins and follow after Him. When the true Bride awakens and opens the door and does not find Him there, her heart bleeds for Him. She feels she must find Him even though it means intense suffering. She will not return to her passive state and wait for Him to come and seek her. She steps out into the darkness, not understanding why He went on, and plunges into the night to seek Him whom her soul loveth. This intense seeking after her Beloved presents new problems from unexpected sources! Vs. 5:7 "The watchmen that went about the city found me; they smote me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me." The shepherds in the third chapter had pointed out the way to her so that she was able to find her Be- loved. But, in this passage, the watchmen are backslidden and resent the hunger and the repentance of the Bride. They are embarrassed that anyone should seek Him more diligently than they. Nothing will stir up persecution faster than to have a poor, hungry soul run ahead of the shepherd. This brings conviction to the shepherds who, unless they pursue after Him also, must revile the one who has thus shamed them. We are all aware of watchmen who had lulled us to slumber by their soothing words, and who warned us of fanaticism—of "going too far" in our search for Him. They wanted us to sleep and be satisfied like the rest of the sheep who lie docile in their stalls. 'Don't rock the boat," seems to be the watchword. Don't bestir the others and cause them o be discontented. Leave well enough alone! They hinder, rather than assist the bride in her search for a deeper walk with her Lord. When she found He had gone on and left her behind, she no longer had any arguments about soiling her feet, or getting up to open the door. No—she heeded not the remonstrances of the watchmen who tried to silence her voice with thinly-veiled threats. They accused her of emotionalism, and a desire to be seen, of disturbing the peace of the flock. With such words they beat her and took away her veil. To an eastern woman, to take away her veil meant she was a harlot, for only harlots go unveiled. The watchmen taking her veil is a symbol of persecution, misrepresentation, and slurs upon her zeal for the Lord. These are echoed by the sheep, who always follow the shepherds, no matter where they lead, not discerning the Voice of the True Shepherd and Bishop of their souls who calls every hungry heart to a closer walk with Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. THIRTY-FOUR Newsletter No. 212 – Aug./Sept. 2005 Song of Solomon 5:8 "I charge you, O daughter of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of (with) love." (Faint with desire). How our love for Him grows by stages! When she was in the Banqueting House she was sick with love because she felt she could not bear any greater joy than she was experiencing. But now she is sick with love because of His absence. Her recent neglect to follow swiftly His tender call has torn away her self-confidence at hearing His voice. She even goes so far as to ask others, who are as babes, to tell her Beloved, if they find Him first, that she SONG OF THE BRIDE, Parts 1–34 [Elaine Cook] ~ BIBLE STUDY 45
Page 1 and 2: SONG OF THE BRIDE BY: ELAINE COOK P
Page 3 and 4: 1:4 "Draw me and we will run after
Page 5 and 6: of the vineyard that she neglects h
Page 7 and 8: of the myrrh is perceptible to othe
Page 9 and 10: trees but they do not bear fruit. T
Page 11 and 12: the Voice of the Lord who promised
Page 13 and 14: who do not accept the Atonement and
Page 15 and 16: This shining way is not an easy one
Page 17 and 18: With the coming of the reality of t
Page 19 and 20: gates of the city where the citizen
Page 21 and 22: PART TWELVE Newsletter No. 185 - Ju
Page 23 and 24: PART FOURTEEN Newsletter No. 187 -
Page 25 and 26: As a cedar must be cut down before
Page 27 and 28: For some years, the Lord has been s
Page 29 and 30: Song of Solomon 4:2, “Thy teeth a
Page 31 and 32: The last time I said that, I asked
Page 33 and 34: eastplate. Only when the bride’s
Page 35 and 36: and frankincense were but small dro
Page 37 and 38: This chain about her neck was not o
Page 39 and 40: glorified.” All her beauty of spi
Page 41 and 42: acknowledges the right of God’s S
Page 43: In the early part of the Song, the
Page 47: of the nails in His hands and feet,

Song of the Bride, Parts 1-34 - Feasting at the King's Table

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