RISE UP, MY LOVE, MY FAIR ONE, AND COME AWAY

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Last Sunday morning I preached a sermon on the Song of Solomon. I am preaching on that book of the Bible again this morning. Matthew Henry said that the Song of Solomon “is a parable, which makes divine things more difficult to those who do not love them, but more plain and pleasant to those who do.” Dr. John R. Rice said, “Read the Song of Solomon reverently. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you feel the sweetness of communing with Christ.” That is the key to understanding the parables of this book – the sweetness of communing, of fellowship, with Jesus. That brings us to our text, and in it you will hear the voice of Jesus calling you away from the world, to have sweet fellowship with Him.

“The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills”
(Song of Solomon 2:8).

Christ is heard before He is seen by the eye of faith. When Jesus calls you, you will say, “It is the voice of my beloved.” Jesus said that “the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:4-5). If you are one of those that God has chosen, you will be able to tell the difference between the voice of false Christs and the voice of Jesus. The Apostle Paul spoke of “another Jesus, whom we have not preached” (II Corinthians 11:4). Those whom God has chosen will not hear the voice of “another Jesus.” If you are one of Jesus’ sheep you will not hear the voice of the Catholic “Christ,” or “Cristo” in Spanish. The Catholic “Christ” is a law-giver and judge. He demands work and slavery, and never gives peace to those who hear him. They go on and on feeling guilty, doing penance, but never knowing they are saved. But the real Jesus says, “I will give you rest,” not slavery and fear (Matthew 11:28). Those who are chosen by God will flee from the Catholic “Christ” to Jesus. They will say with Charles Wesley, “Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly.” Again, you will not hear the “spirit Christ” of Christian Science and other Gnostic-inspired thoughts, who has no flesh and bones. The “spirit Christ” is “another Jesus,” not the risen Jesus who said, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39). Again, you will not hear the “magic Jesus” of mind-science. They call Him “the Christ” or “the Christ-spirit.” Jesus said that His sheep “follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:4-5).

This is an intuitive discernment in those who are God’s chosen sheep. They will know instinctively that it is the “voice” of “another Jesus” – and will flee from it, knowing it is a false voice. I believe that these false voices of “another Jesus” are demons. But if you are one of His chosen sheep you will “flee from” them. There is something mysterious about this, something that cannot be explained by logic. Our pastor Dr. Hymers knows that from his own experience. Even as a child, without being told, somehow he knew the difference between the Catholic “Christ” and the real Jesus; the difference between the “spirit-Christ” and the real Jesus; the difference between the magical “Christ-spirit” and the real Jesus. Dr. Hymers couldn’t have put it into words, but, by the grace of God, he knew the difference since he was a little child. Dr. Hymers knew the voice of the real Jesus, and he would not follow “another Jesus.” Dr. Hymers could say with the bride in our text, this is “The voice of my beloved!” This is “The voice of my beloved!”

“The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills”
(Song of Solomon 2:8).

“Behold, he cometh.” Amen! He comes to you, overcoming all difficulties that are in His way! He comes “leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills” – breaking through the curse of the law, leaping over the powers of Satan, coming to deliver you from sin and death, coming to take away your guilt and give you peace! Dr. Watts said it well,

The voice of my Beloved sounds
O’er the rocks and rising grounds;
O’er hills of guilt and those of grief
He leaps, he flies to my relief!
(“The Voice of My Beloved Sounds” by Dr. Isaac Watts, 1674-1748).

Jesus is calling the weary to rest –
   Calling today, calling today,
Bring Him thy burden and thou shalt be blest:
   He will not turn thee away.
Calling today, calling today,
   Jesus is calling, Is tenderly calling today.
(“Jesus is Calling” by Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915).

“My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice” (Song of Solomon 2:9).

He is like a roe, or gazelle; He is like a young hart, or a deer. These are animals known for their swiftness and ability to leap over obstacles. This is Jesus! He leaped over the cross, and death itself, to save us.

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

And now, “behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.” The literal translation is “through the windows.” At this time Jesus is standing behind your wall, looking through the windows, showing Himself through the lattice.

One young person said that it was easy to believe in God, but Jesus was unreal and unclear. If that is true of you, have you asked yourself why Jesus is unreal to you? Please don’t give me a psychological answer! Psychology cannot explain what is spiritual. We find today that they can’t even explain what is mental! It seems like all they can do is give people drugs – making their mental problems worse rather than healing them. But this problem is not mental at all. It is a spiritual problem. Why is Jesus unreal to you? Why is He standing “behind your wall”? What is the “wall” that separates you from Him? The Bible gives the answer,

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you...” (Isaiah 59:2).

The “wall” is your sin. Dr. McGee said, “He is behind a wall – a wall of indifference, a wall of rebellion against God, a wall of sin.” Christ stands behind your wall of sin, that keeps you from knowing Him who loves you!

But Jesus still loves you, and because He loves you “He looks through the windows, showing himself through the lattice.” You have glimpses of Him when you read the Bible; you see a little of Him during a sermon. But it is not a full, satisfying sight of Him who loves you so.

Last Sunday morning I preached on Song of Solomon 5:16, “He is altogether lovely.” When I spoke on the loveliness of Jesus some of you thought, “Oh, that’s wonderful! Jesus is lovely!” But you soon forgot about it. In the service you sang the chorus,

Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
(“Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know” by Lela Long, 1924).

But many of you soon forgot that little song. It was a “window” that Jesus used to show Himself to you for a few moments. But soon your “wall” of sin shut Him out again. He showed Himself to you for a moment through the “window” of the sermon. He showed Himself to you for a moment “through the lattice” of that little chorus. But, oh, how we pray that Jesus will show Himself to you so fully, in salvation, so you can go out and sing that song every day,

Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13).

The legal wintry state is gone,
The mists are fled, the spring comes on;
The sacred turtle dove we hear
Proclaim the new, the joyful year.

And when we hear Christ Jesus say,
“Rise up, my love, and come away,”
Our hearts would gladly fly like wind,
And leave all earthly joys behind!

Jesus died on the Cross to pay for your sins. Jesus rose from the dead to give you life and joy! And now Jesus calls to you,

Arise then! Come away from the world, and come into sweet fellowship with Jesus; for you are “called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Corinthians 1:9). Jesus is calling to you this morning,

Jesus is pleading; O list to His voice:
   Hear Him today, hear Him today;
They who believe on His name shall rejoice;
   Quickly arise and away.
Calling today, Calling today,
   Jesus is calling, Is tenderly calling today.

Oh, the peace you will have when you come away to Jesus! Your sin and guilt will be gone, cleansed forever by His Blood! Sorrow and tears will be wiped from your eyes by Him who loves you with an everlasting love! Then you will hear Jesus say,

“The winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song of Solomon 2:11-13).

Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.

I’m going to sing the last stanza of “Jesus is Calling.” Think about what I’m saying. Jesus is calling you, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Hear Him now. Come to Jesus, the lover of thy soul.

Jesus is pleading, O list to His voice:
   Hear Him today, hear Him today;
They who believe on His name shall rejoice;
   Quickly arise and away.
Calling today, calling today,
   Jesus is calling, Is tenderly calling today.

If you would like to speak with us about trusting Jesus, while the rest of us go upstairs to have lunch, you come and sit in the first two rows. Amen.

WHEN YOU WRITE TO DR. HYMERS YOU MUST TELL HIM WHAT COUNTRY YOU ARE WRITING FROM OR HE CANNOT ANSWER YOUR E-MAIL. If these sermons bless you send an e-mail to Dr. Hymers and tell him, but always include what country you are writing from. Dr. Hymers’ e-mail is at rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net (click here). You can write to Dr. Hymers in any language, but write in English if you can. If you want to write to Dr. Hymers by postal mail, his address is P.O. Box 15308, Los Angeles, CA 90015. You may telephone him at (818)352-0452.

(END OF SERMON)
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Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Jesus is Calling” (by Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915).