All right, good evening. Been a busy day. Sometimes you get into those days and there's not too much time to stop and rest, but you know what? Thank the Lord for the 15 or 20 minutes that you do get and try and make the best use of it. Let's open in prayer. Lord, thank you for your grace and kindness. Thank you for Jesus Christ our Lord. Father, I pray you would settle our hearts. Father, I know for me it's been a very busy day. But Father, busyness is not bad if we, Father, do all that we do is unto thee. And so, Father, sometimes you give us busy days. And so, Father, we thank you for the day. And we ask now that you would visit us for a few minutes in the scriptures. Teach us, Father. Be with, Lord, many who are sick, not feeling well, we pray for them. Father, you know who they are, and we'll pray for them at the end of the service. But we lift up our voice in prayer, Father, for those who aren't well, Lord, in this time when there's a lot of folks that are sick. But we thank you for your grace and kindness. We thank you for your cross. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ. We give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. We ended last time in Song of Solomon 2.17. We'll just do a brief review of that, and if you remember, we ended with the bride's earnest prayer and her request for the bridegroom to come back to her. It's as if he had distanced himself or he had gone from her. In chapter 2 and verse 17, if you're there, she said, until the daybreak and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a row or a young heart upon the mountains of Bithyr. And so she's waiting for the breaking or dawning of the day when there will be no more hindrances of her sight of the one whom she loved. See, she looked for that day, a time when she would no longer have to look through the shadows. She mentions that. There would no longer be any darkness or distance between she and him. If you notice in the Song of Solomon, she'll be close to him, she'll have him, and then all of a sudden he's at a distance from her. But at this point, she was still looking through the dimness and shadows, so she prayed. And she called out to him to turn and come back to her. And so that is her heart's prayer. And she said, come back to me like a swift deer running through the mountains. And then in Song of Solomon chapter 3, the bride, she goes from calling for His presence to seeking. for His presence. Now, I want you to turn to Psalm 77. I want to read the first six verses. And this is just to prepare us for this passage. I thought about this passage in Psalm 77. It's a similar cry of the psalmist. And the cry of the psalmist is to God. The psalmist even says that God heard him. But then the psalmist seemed to find no comfort. Notice there, Psalm 77. And listen, there's a lesson to learn right in this first passage. And listen, God taught me this a while ago. You know, oftentimes you go to prayer and you're distracted if you pray in silence. You know, we pray in silence and our minds are so busy. Well, there's a lesson here right in the first verse. The psalmist says, I cried unto God with my voice. The psalmist cried audibly. out loud. The psalmist repeats that. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me. And I would encourage you to pray out loud. It helps. I pray out loud. You don't have to, it's not a command, but in this instruction from the Psalms, there's a lesson here for us. The psalmist goes on to say, in the day of my trouble, I sought the Lord. And that's typical, right? When we're in trouble, we seek the Lord. Of course, we ought to seek him when there's no trouble, but he goes on to say, my sore ran in the night and ceased not. Now in the Hebrew, that means, or my hand was stretched out in the night and slacked not. My soul refused to be comforted. You ever pray and that's the result? You pray and your soul refuses to be comforted. And listen, the problem's not with God. And we'll see that with the Song of Solomon today. Christ hasn't gone anywhere. We're the ones that go. And so here, the psalmist refused to be comforted. And there are some times that happens in us, we just don't detect the presence of our Christ. The psalmist goes on, I remember God and was troubled. That's strange. I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest mine eyes waking. I am so troubled that I cannot speak. So the psalmist is sleepless and speechless. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night. Some very sweet prayers in the night, beloved, in the quiet. We'll see that the psalmist, actually the bride in the Song of Solomon cries out in chapter three in the night. But verse six, I call to remembrance my song in the night. I commune with my own heart. My spirit made diligent search. So there's searching again. So she sought the Lord, or the psalmist sought the Lord, and the psalmist seeks the Lord. Now, I believe the psalmist experiences what we at times experience in our Christian lives. We cry out to God, but we find no comfort and no consolation. Sometimes that happens, we know that. It is as if he is not there for us. I mean, you ever feel like that? It's like you're praying, there's just a dullness in your spirit and you can't explain it to anyone else. You have to live the Christian life and you know when God gives comfort to your soul. It's like Hannah's comfort after she prayed and she got up and the Bible says her countenance or her spirit wasn't sad anymore. Have you ever experienced that? I have. When you get up from prayer and you've cast your burden upon the Lord. It's when we refuse to be comforted is when we refuse to be comforted in our confidence, which we have in God. And beloved, that's what we're called to do. But we experience this. Now turn back to Song of Solomon 3, Song of Solomon chapter 3. Here, the bride sought the presence of the bridegroom in the quiet of the night. Let's read it. By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. Similar to Psalm 77. I will rise now and go about the city in the streets and in the broadways. I will seek him whom my soul loveth so she doesn't give up. I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen, plural, watchmen that go about the city found me. To whom I said, saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, that is the watchman, but I found him whom my soul loveth. And what did she do? I held him and I would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house and into the chamber of her that conceived me. And then she says, once she's got him, she says, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the rows and by the hinds of the field that you stir not up, nor awake my love till he please. And so she seeks him in the quiet of the night, in her meditations and her prayers and her supplications to him, that he might come to her. She's seeking for his presence, for his consolation. She sought after the love of her soul, but she could not find him. You ever feel like that? I want you to see that not finding the bridegroom did something to her. When she did not find him, her dissatisfaction did not discourage her, but because he was the love of her soul, she was motivated to seek him more earnestly and diligently. And I wonder if that's what I do. Is that what you do, beloved, when you seek Him and you don't find Him? And listen, this is all pertaining to your faith in Christ, your trust in Him, your consolation in Him. So not finding the bridegroom made her seek Him more earnestly. And I will say this, a dissatisfied seeker, have you ever been a dissatisfied seeker? I've sought him and I haven't found him. A dissatisfied seeker will do one of two things to the seeker, that dissatisfied seeker. They'll either stop seeking and go do something else. Have you ever done that? You go to your devotions or your prayer and you just kind of shake your head and you get up and leave. That's shameful. I've done it. where you just feel like, what am I doing? But listen, a dissatisfied seeker will either stop seeking and give up or look harder and search more diligently. Look at Proverbs 2. Really, that's the principal part of what I want to share with you tonight is our seeking and finding Christ daily, beloved. We ought to be like the bride. Proverbs 2.1. Now notice these adjectives. I'm not an English guy, but I think these are adjectives. Incline, apply, cry, lift. That's adjectives, right? Or maybe they're verbs. She says, or the wise man says, if thou will receive my words, hide my commandments with thee so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom. It's deliberate. and apply thine heart to understanding. Yea, if thou cryest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her for silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, as for hid treasures. Is that how we seek wisdom? Is this how we seek Christ? He says, when you do all of that, when you incline your ear, when you apply your heart, when you cry after knowledge, when you lift up your voice for understanding, when you seek her as silver and search for hers for hid treasures, he says, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and then you will find the knowledge of God. Beloved, I want that to be us. Now what can we learn from the bride who so earnestly sought for the bridegroom? If you're back in Song of Solomon, well learn this, she could not and would not be comforted or satisfied until she found him. He was the love of her soul. And listen, that's the key. That's the key to seeking Christ. She was the love of her soul. Is He the love of your soul? Because that's what motivated her to seek Him. She loved Him. She loved Him. I'm gonna show you an example in the New Testament in a few minutes. In the beginnings of her seeking Him, she sought Him in the night, on her bed, in her thoughts, in her prayers, in her meditations. But, the bride said, in the quiet of the night on my bed, I did not find Him. In fact, chapter 5 and verse 6, look at there, Song of Solomon 5, 6, she says this similarly. And that's why I told you, when you look at the Song of Solomon, you'll see that she has him, she holds him, and then all of a sudden he's at a distance from her. Chapter 5, verse 6, I opened the door, that is, to my beloved, but my beloved hath withdrawn himself, and he was gone. Do you think Christ withdraws himself from us at times? I believe there is a withdrawal of his presence. I think he does back up as we looked in previous weeks of him looking through the lattice. He's always there, beloved. But notice he had withdrawn himself and was gone. My soul fainted when he spake. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him. but he gave me no answer. But listen, it did not discourage the bride. Verse two, we read of her rising from her bed and going out into the streets of the city to seek for him once again. But again, she did not find him. But then while she was seeking for him in the streets of the city, the seeker was then found. You see that? She didn't find the watchman. The watchman found her. The watchman found her. And they are those who go about the city. And I believe their calling. They were protectors of the city. They guarded the people of the city from enemies within and from without. Now, I'm not going to say a whole lot about this, but you might ask, what city is this? I believe it's Jerusalem. Now, if you notice in the text, we do not know the watchman's answer to her request. In fact, we don't even know if they said anything to her. I think they probably did, but I don't know. And what was her request? And this ought to be the cry of our hearts, beloved, when we feel like Christ is not near us. Her request is, saw ye him whom my soul loveth? Now, what we do know about this encounter is written in verse 4. After she passed from the watchman, she said, it was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him. A little means that she had scarcely passed from the watchman, and she found the bridegroom whom her soul loved. Now after diligently searching and inquiring for him, she found her beloved and once she did find him, she held him close. We see that also in verse four. She held him close and she would not let him go. That's instructional for us. She would not let him go until she brought him into her mother's house where she was conceived. Now let me read you a couple of passages just in regard to the city. the mother, go to Psalm 87, three, and then we'll just look at one verse in Galatians. Psalms 87 in verse three, concerning the city of God or concerning Jerusalem, or I might say concerning the church. I want you to run to and fro through these passages in your own mind and think upon these things. 87.3 says, the psalmist writes, glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Spiritually, beloved, this speaks of the church of God's people, Sila. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me. Behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia. This man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, this and that man was born in her. She talks about she took the bridegroom into the chamber where her mother had conceived her. I want you to think about those things. And it says in verse five in the latter part, and the highest himself shall establish her. Verse six, the Lord shall count when he writeth up or records the people that this man was born there. Now just one passage in Galatians. I'll just read it to you just for the sake of time. Galatians 4 26 Paul writes there but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all. The mother of us all. So now in Song of Solomon 3.5, and then I'm gonna make some applications and we'll be through. But in Song of Solomon 3.5, and this is not the first time the bride has made a charge or commanded the daughters of Jerusalem, but she says here, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the rose and by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awake my love till he please. So she compels them, she commands them to not stir him up. Who? the bridegroom, don't provoke him to leave. Don't provoke him to depart in the same way that she had previously charged them. And that's in Song of Solomon 2.7. But who are these daughters of Jerusalem? Now, I believe they were inhabitants of the city, not enemies against the bride or the bridegroom, and yet they are those that did not understand completely the bride's ardent love for the bridegroom. Now, let me show you, go to chapter five and verse eight, and here's where I get that thought from, that they did not completely understand this love. Look at chapter five, verse eight and nine. She says, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am sick of love. So here's another instance that she's lost him. And this is their question to her. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? And what is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us? So they didn't get what she got. in the bridegroom. Now, let me show you this. Go to Luke chapter 23 and verse 28. Christ also used this term when he was going to his cross. Verse 27 says, there followed him a great company of people and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turned unto them and said, daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. So he uses that same term. Now that's the text, but now what can we learn from this passage in chapter three, verses one to five? Well, first, are you a seeker of the presence of Christ? Do you seek Christ in the same way that the bride sought the bridegroom's presence? And then when you cannot seem to find Christ's presence in His comfort, in His consolation, in your meditations, in the Word of God, in your devotions and your prayers, or in the church gathering, what do you do when you can't find Him? She searched three times. She was relentless. Are you? Are you a hearty seeker after the Lord, or do you stop seeking after Him? Do you rise up from your spiritual slumber and seek Christ whom you profess to love with all of your heart? Listen, if you love Him, you'll seek Him. That's, I think, one of the messages here. Saw ye Him whom my soul loveth? How could you not seek someone who you profess to love? She did, and beloved, we should. I think of Jeremiah 29, and ye shall seek me and you shall find me when you shall search for me with all your heart. Verse 14, and I will be found of you, saith the Lord. So ye shall seek me, but not only seek, ye shall find me. It delights the Lord, In those times, you know, he's never really withdrawn, but the scriptures speak that way because we get ourselves and I'm going to show you an instance here. We get ourselves that way and we're walking through this life and we're not even thinking about the presence of Christ. Psalm 27, I'll just read it to you. Psalm 27.7 says, Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, have mercy also upon me and answer. When thou saidest, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. When you see seeking of the face, it means the presence. That's what face means here in the Hebrew. Then he says, hide not thy face far from me. Hide not thy presence far from me. Put not thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help. Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. We know that God never does. The infirmity is on our end. God is always there. We're the ones that walk away from him. He's there. We're the ones that have withdrawn ourselves. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Ask, and ye shall receive. Seek, and ye shall find. But listen, it might be seek, seek, seek, seek, like the bride. But seek, beloved, and if you love Christ, I love that passage, if you love me, keep my word. I would also say, if you love me, seek me. Like Song of Solomon says, if you love me, you'll seek me. So first, are you a seeker? Second, do you know when Christ has withdrawn Himself? Are you alive enough spiritually so that you may detect when this is happening in your life? Alive enough so that you might shake yourself from your spiritual slumber to rise and seek Him yet again. That's what the bride did. When she did not find Him, she rose up and sought Him. Listen, there are times when we might go days in spiritual slumber and dullness, not realizing that we are not walking with Christ. Now, you know who this happened to? Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2 and verse 42. And when he, Jesus, was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. He tarried behind. Now, mamas and daddies, you're thinking, how could that happen? But this was Christ. This was the Lord. Yeah, well, he was only 12 years old. I don't care. It was the Lord. Notice. And here's what happens with us. But they, Joseph and Mary, supposing him to have been in the company. How far do we go? How many days do we go when we just suppose Christ to be in our company, but he's not? They went a whole day's journey. Can you imagine that, leaving one of your kids behind, going a whole day? And then they looked for him, not for one, but for three days. It says they went a day's journey. And then the latter part of verse 44 says they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And you know what Mary's cry probably was? Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? Have you seen my son?" I can imagine. I can only imagine. It says, when they found him not, they turned back to Jerusalem. Came the pass after three days, they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors. You know the rest of the story. But suffice to say is they supposed Jesus to be in their company. How often do we suppose Jesus to be in our company? Or do we send His presence away? So second, do you know when Christ is withdrawn? Third, when you do find Him, actually He never left. You're the one that lost sight of Him. But again, when you do find Him, what do you do? Well, what did the bride do when she found him? She held him fast. And it says, she would not let him go. Beloved, this is our Christian life. Look, Hebrews 3.12. Hebrews 3.12. Listen, this is for you. This is not just for the preacher to go find Christ and to seek Him whom my soul loved. This is for you to seek the one whom you profess to love, to seek Him and to not stop seeking until you find Him. And then when you find Him, this is for you, Christian, to walk by your faith. This is for you to know what it is to be in the presence of Christ. This is for you. This is for you to get past that psalmist in Psalm 77 when the psalmist says, I refuse to be comforted. This is for you, Christian. Look at Hebrews. 3 and verse 12 says, Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. That's how that distance comes between us and Christ. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. While it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation. Don't provoke God, for some, when they had heard, did provoke. Don't be provokers of Christ. Remember, she says at the end, she says, I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you don't stir him up or provoke him, that he might depart. Don't do anything like that. Don't grieve His Spirit by sinning against Him and causing Him to withdraw. And I'll finish in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 1. Revelation 2 and verse 1. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus. Notice this was a commendable church. He writes unto the angel of the church of Ephesus, these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them that are evil. And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars. This was a strong church. and has borne and has patience and for my namesake has labored and has not fainted." They were doing a lot of things right. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love. Beloved, that's the chief part of our Christianity. him whom our soul loveth. And John gives instruction for her to go back and find that love. He said, remember therefore from once thou art fallen, retrace your steps and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. She was doing a lot of things right. Beloved, we may be doing a lot of things right on the surface, but where are our hearts, beloved? So are you seekers after Christ? Do you know when the presence of Christ is not with you? Think of this story with Joseph and Mary, and then When you do find that place of sweet fellowship in the presence and consolation of Christ, hold him fast. Don't do anything. Don't sin against him. Don't grieve his spirit that he would depart and withdraw his presence from you. Amen. Let's dismiss in prayer. Father, we pray that you would help us in this passage. Father, I pray that as children of God and as the bride of Christ, we would emulate the bride. as written in Song of Solomon, that we would be seekers, Father, that we would seek Christ until we find him. And we might think, well, we're saved already. Lord, help us to never stop seeking Christ in the Word of God, Father, in our prayers, in our meditations, Father, in our lives. May we converse with you while we walk throughout our lives through the day. Help us, Heavenly Father. Help us to hold you fast, O God. And we'll give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen.