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

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The Lord is "a lily of the valleys." A lily-life is one of faith, trusting in the life of Christ for everything. I’m in touch with a number who are being exercised in this "Lily-life." Larry Hodges says, "This has to do with leaving those legitimate things which, by their very nature, act as a twisting briar about the Lily-life of Christ in us. It is a leaving of the life of care for that Lily-life that is without toil or care, being taken care of by Him who feeds the sparrow and clothes the lily. Jane Leade says, "This is a considerable mountain to move but Faith will move even it." Jesus never looked to the moneybag that Judas carried, but only to His heavenly Father and He knew no lack. Larry continues, "Jesus appeared the first time in the humility of the vile body and being so clothed over with it, was not recognized by the very ones whose religious claims implied they should have been the first to know Him. He is now about to make what He terms His "second appearance," in His saints. If His first appearance was in the humility of this vile body, His second appearance will not be after that order. He appears this time without sin unto that salvation which shall include the redemption of the body and shall involve the swallowing up of the mortality of that body of death by the life-giving Spirit of Christ within, putting under foot the last enemy that shall be destroyed." This state is said by Jane Leade to be "very rare and seen in only a few at first." She refers to it as a "fixed body." It is as the overcomer being like a pillar in the temple of God and going no more out. It is the putting on of incorruption by the corruptible, or the act of that life within swallowing up that death which is without. This is the goal and ultimate outcome of those who are being made into His likeness and image. It is the putting on of immortality. The Lord spoke to her very clearly that this new Sharon state shall be seen only in a few at first, but that it shall quickly go on to multiply itself in others of like mind and heart, eventually reaching past the outer court to the nations of the world, turning this outward fading rose into the Lily-life of Christ. Therefore, as we await "the breakthrough", it is not to be thought that a grand entrance shall be gained by all who understand these things and embrace them. The "breakthrough" for which we expectantly look, is the beginning of that which will gradually build and multiply in and through those who are earnestly pursuing after God. PART FOUR Newsletter No. 177 – Sept/Oct. 2001 THE BANQUETING HOUSE STIR HIM NOT UP TILL HE PLEASE CANTICLE TWO-APPROACH THE BRIDEGROOM Song of Sol. 2:2 “As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” All the daughters of men are compared to prickly thorns, for they still walk in their self-life, which causes pain and tearing to those around them. His Bride, as a beautiful lily, has no sharp thorns growing upon her, for she has yielded up her own way unto her heavenly Bridegroom. It may be said of her, “As I am, so are ye in this world. He that saith he abideth in Me ought himself to walk even as I walked.” A dear friend has been having a dreadful time at his work for the past two years. His manager is “full of thorns” but won’t acknowledge it. Whatever goes wrong is, in his eyes, always someone else’s fault. My friend is a “lily,” with no prickles, no offense, and always one to go the extra mile. He has refused to pray about the situation for he had seen the Lord “take” a man who was a great thorn in his side. He didn’t want that to happen again, so he suffered under this man and refused even to talk to the Lord about it. One day he said to the Lord, “Lord I want to be like You.” The Lord answered, “There is a part of My nature that you are afraid of: My disciplines.” 2:3 “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons.” Wood speaks of our humanity and trees represent men in the scriptures. The Bride had searched everywhere among men, looking for life, food and fruit but she found nothing but leaves. If you walk through the woods, you will see many green SONG OF THE BRIDE, Parts 1–34 [Elaine Cook] ~ BIBLE STUDY 8
trees but they do not bear fruit. The Lord is likened to an apple tree whose boughs are laden with juicy, red fruit for the joy of all to behold and to eat. He is the only fruitful one among the sons. If we bear any fruit, it is only that which He is bringing forth by His spirit. All that we have is what we have been given—we could bare no fruit in ourselves, but only as we come into union with Him. “I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.” The Bride is sitting (resting), dwelling in the secret place of the Most High where she abides under the shadow of the Almighty. To “shade” is “to cover, to overshadow.” He is her refuge, her safe retreat, her Rock in a weary land, her High Tower and Fortress where she can claim all the promises of God and become partakers of the divine nature. THE BANQUETING HOUSE 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.” All who are redeemed must enter into some of the King’s chambers. Only those virgins who go all the way with Him and abandon themselves to Him, does He take into His Banqueting house. This is the espousal banquet, which He gives to her as his spouse. It is a banquet of wine, where she drinks to the full of the new Wine of the Kingdom One virgin of the bride (Paul) was caught up to the third heaven! The bride sees His banner floating over her, which is His own Name, “Love.” His banner shows that we have become His through His great love and the work that He has wrought and also the protection of His banner is ours. It is the banner of the country of which we are citizens and the King of that country will avenge all those who are under His banner. 2:5 “Stay ye me with flagons (or raisins), refresh me with apples; for I am sick from love.” “Stay” means “to stand firm, to have powers of endurance, to quiet the hunger of, temporarily.” And raisins speak of the grapes that are made into wine. The Bride is saying, “Uphold and strengthen me with the wine of Your Spirit; satisfy My desire for You.” It is when we are drinking deep of the Wine of the Kingdom and feeding upon Him that the yearnings increase unto real soul-sickness for our Beloved. She asks to be refreshed with the fruit of His Spirit. She does not ask Him to withdraw the revelation of Himself and His love, but to strengthen her that she may endure, not only these, but greater revelations. 2:6 “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace me.” We, who have been under the dealings of the Lord, understand that the left hand of the Lord is His Hand of judgment and the right hand, the hand of blessing. Both are needed to do the work in us as He molds and shapes us, as He perfects that which concerneth us and gets us ready to shine forth in His image. STIR HIM NOT UP TILL HE PLEASE 2:7 “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes or by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love until He please.” No animal is as difficult to hunt as the roe or hind and only a trained, cautious hunter can capture one. It is with greater care and quietness that the bride must take each step if she would not disturb the quiet rest and abiding of her Beloved in her soul. So often His presence has been disturbed by a careless word, a heedless act, or anxious care or fleshly moving and before we know how it happened, He has withdrawn or hidden Himself. We ought always to watch our thoughts and our works that we keep our minds stayed upon Him. We find that we are now being greatly exercised in this “awake not my love until He please.” I confess that I used to be a great one for barging into the “throne room” demanding answers for some present situation. I find that I cannot do that any longer. I may present the burden or need before Him in prayer, but I await until He arises—until He pleases to answer. I am not insisting upon an immediate answer. When I rest in Him in this way, I find that He will drop the answer softly into my spirit when I am not even thinking about it—in His time, not mine. (And, the time is always right!) And, too, in our worship, we are learning to be silent when His Spirit settles down upon us, instead of thinking we have to “fill up the space” with some spiritual exercise of our own devising. The Lord works wonders in the quietness if we will let Him do so! SONG OF THE BRIDE, Parts 1–34 [Elaine Cook] ~ BIBLE STUDY 9
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: of the myrrh is perceptible to othe
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 and 44: In the early part of the Song, the
Page 45 and 46: He had continued knocking at the do
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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