Song of Solomon 2 (NKJV)
I am the rose of Sharon,
And the lily of the valleys.
THE Beloved
Like a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.
THE Shulamite
Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
THE Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem
He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.
Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
Refresh me with apples,
For I am lovesick.
She’s a commoner preparing to marry into the royal family. She dresses with delight, putting on her beautiful wedding gown, tiara, and veil in anticipation of marriage to her beloved. The sky is overcast as the car and driver transports the bride to the abbey. All along the way cheers rise up as she passes by. The bride arrives at the Abbey accompanied by her father. As she steps out of the car with the help of her father, the crowd roars with excitement and the sun breaks through the clouds. Her face is radiantly beaming.
Inside her bridegroom awaits. As they enter the abbey, she holds onto her father with one hand and carries her bouquet of lily of the valley in the other. Together they walk down the aisle to meet the bridegroom. The moment is finally here. The lovers stands side by side, their eyes meet and the bridegroom says, “You’re so beautiful.” The joyful couple beams as the wedding begins.
Inside her bridegroom awaits. As they enter the abbey, she holds onto her father with one hand and carries her bouquet of lily of the valley in the other. Together they walk down the aisle to meet the bridegroom. The moment is finally here. The lovers stands side by side, their eyes meet and the bridegroom says, “You’re so beautiful.” The joyful couple beams as the wedding begins.
The anticipated marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales to Miss Catherine Elizabeth Middleton generated exhilaration in England and the world. From the ornate Westminster Abbey to the magnificently dressed bride and groom plus attendees, everything about the event spoke of royalty and beauty. The traditional ceremony spoke ancient words from ages past about the union of the couple, together with Christ. The congregation sang in unison the hymn “Guide me, O Thy Great Jehovah” written by William Williams. Read these powerful words and let the many names of God infuse you with power:
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
The message from the priest spoke of spiritual beauty that comes from love, and I saw a vision of our heavenly wedding. Love makes us incredibly beautiful and, as children of God, we are loved. God promises us His love; we are His beloved! He is our Bridegroom and He sustains us with His love.
As I watched this fantastic wedding take place, I realized that our heavenly marriage feast will be more amazing than we can imagine. We will dress with excitement in our royal robes. Our Father will guide us down the path as we focus on the Bridegroom ahead of us.
The Son will be shining as choirs of angels sing, shouts of exclamation fill the air, and we meet Him face to face. We will receive a crown of victory and our Beloved will look upon us and say, “You’re so beautiful. Well done, my bride. Enter into your royal mansion.”
He will bring us into the banqueting house (means the house of wine because wine is a symbol of joy—in the Bible, wine is associated with joyful occasions, especially weddings) and the wedding feast will commence as we sit with our Sustainer, our Bread of heaven, our Shield and Deliverer. The Bride of Christ (believers in Christ) will reign with the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) forever and ever.
Scripture speaks to us about this:
The Son will be shining as choirs of angels sing, shouts of exclamation fill the air, and we meet Him face to face. We will receive a crown of victory and our Beloved will look upon us and say, “You’re so beautiful. Well done, my bride. Enter into your royal mansion.”
He will bring us into the banqueting house (means the house of wine because wine is a symbol of joy—in the Bible, wine is associated with joyful occasions, especially weddings) and the wedding feast will commence as we sit with our Sustainer, our Bread of heaven, our Shield and Deliverer. The Bride of Christ (believers in Christ) will reign with the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) forever and ever.
Scripture speaks to us about this:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Rev. 3:21 (NKJV)
Once we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we are adopted into the family of God with royal status and priestly function. 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) tells us so:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
As priests we represent God “with skin on” to humanity and we represent humanity to God by confessing sins and praying for His help; we stand in the gap between God and man. As those with royal status we have the priviledge of implementing God’s government and policies on earth; we have authority to call down God’s will in heaven to earth. We have been blessed with both roles of priest and royalty.
As a royal priesthood of believers, we are inhabited by God; we bear His name and His presence goes with us everywhere. So how do we live our lives?
The Scripture read at the royal wedding says it best, from Romans 12:1-2, 9-18: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.....Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Again I ask, “How do we live our lives?” I answer with a quote from Chris Tiegreen (writer of INDEED devotional). He said, “Instead of letting our external environment shape whatever we feel inside, we need to let our internal environment shape whatever we encounter outside.”
MPs, you must remember that you are royalty - the Bride of Christ - with “priestly access to heaven’s answers for earth’s needs” (Chris Tiegreen). Live on earth with the authority He has granted you, knowing your crown and throne awaits you in the new heaven and new earth.
....and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6
And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Rev 5:10
As a royal priesthood of believers, we are inhabited by God; we bear His name and His presence goes with us everywhere. So how do we live our lives?
The Scripture read at the royal wedding says it best, from Romans 12:1-2, 9-18: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.....Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Again I ask, “How do we live our lives?” I answer with a quote from Chris Tiegreen (writer of INDEED devotional). He said, “Instead of letting our external environment shape whatever we feel inside, we need to let our internal environment shape whatever we encounter outside.”
MPs, you must remember that you are royalty - the Bride of Christ - with “priestly access to heaven’s answers for earth’s needs” (Chris Tiegreen). Live on earth with the authority He has granted you, knowing your crown and throne awaits you in the new heaven and new earth.
....and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6
And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Rev 5:10