Encountering Jesus in the Greatest Prophetic Song
I. THE GREATEST PROPHETIC SONG
A. The Song of Solomon is the greatest song in redemptive history.
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. (Song 1:1).
B. Solomon was a prolific and gifted Songwriter. He wrote 1005 Songs (1 Kings 4:32). The Song of Solomon is his
greatest song. The Holy Spirit inspired him to name it the Song of all Songs. It is named with the highest honor because
there is no Song greater than this Song. It expresses the ultimate superlative as Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord
of Lords in the Holy of Holies.
C. The End-Time saints will stand around God’s Throne on the sea of glass like crystal as they gain victory over the
rage of the Antichrist. They were victorious in love even in the face of martyrdom. They are pictured singing two songs,
the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb.
2 I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast…
standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and
the song of the Lamb… (Revelation 15:2-3)
1. The song of Moses is recorded in the Bible (Exodus 15:1-21; Deuteronomy 31:30-32:47).
2. Jesus has a song called the Lamb’s Song. Jesus’ song is surely the greatest one. The Bride of Christ is
referred to in Scripture as the Lamb’s wife (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:9).
D. It is possible that the Lamb’s Song and the greatest Song of all songs are the same song.
E. There will be a great interest in the Song of Solomon in the generation in which the Lord returns.
F. The Holy Spirit is even now raising up many men and women, young and old who proclaim it, sing it, write about it
and pray it back to God.
G. I will offer practical advice to songwriters who are inspired by the Song of Solomon in writing new songs. Some
write songs using the exact language of the Song of Solomon, rather than interpreting its meaning. We receive edification
from symbolic language if we understand it.
H. I recommend only taking a small portion of the Song of Solomon to write a new song. It is the longest Song in the
Bible and is in a “concentrated” form. I encourage songwriters to take one or two phrases to develop into a new song.
I. Arise prophetic singers of God’s new song. Arise songwriters to take your place before the Lord.
II. FOUR DISTINCTIVES OF THE SONG OF SOLOMON
A. We are to love with all our heart (Matthew 22:37). Our whole heart is like a diamond with many facets. There are
aspects of our heart that are most touched by God’s holy poetic affection. The Song emphasizes the emotional side of
“why” Jesus gave Himself to us on the cross. The reason we have deep and diverse emotions is because God does. We
are made in His image.
B. These four distinctives are found in many places in Scripture. The uniqueness of the Song is not the fact that it
contains these truths. Rather, it is in the focused concentration of them.
1. First, is the revelation of Jesus’ passionate affections and enjoyment of His people.
2. Second, is the revelation of the beauty of Jesus, especially as a Bridegroom King.
3. Third, is the revelation of the beauty of the individual believer to Jesus, even in our weakness. If you want
to know what you look like to God then study the Song.
4. Fourth, are the principles needed to grow in love and mature partnership with Jesus.
C. The Church needs to be equipped with this revelation because of the significant increase of emotional wounding
and sexual brokenness. Jesus wants to fascinate us with His beauty and to enthrall our heart with the beauty that He has
given to us. The Song of Solomon is one of God’s holy laser beams of revelation of Jesus’ heart and desire.
III. THE 3-FOLD INHERITANCE—PSALM 2:11-12
A. King David described God’s 3-fold inheritance as being a people who tremble, rejoice and kiss the Son of God.
This is one of most excellent descriptions of the mature Bride.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance…10 Be wise, O kings…11 Serve the LORD
with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son…. (Psalm 2:8-12)
B. David showed us the three sides of our redemption.
1. Trembling – we tremble by seeing the eternal majesty and splendor of Jesus.
2. Rejoicing – we rejoice by seeing who we are in Christ and the legal benefits of the cross.
3. Kissing – we figuratively “kiss the Son” or we love Him with all our heart as expressed by holy affections. In this,
we touch the emotional and passionate side of our redemption
C. There are three books of the bible that focus on these three sides of our redemption.
1. Revelation: the majestic eternal side that causes us to tremble before God
2. Romans: the legal practical side that causes us to rejoice in our benefits of the cross
3. Song of Solomon: the passionate emotional side that empowers us to love God
D. Luther wrote of the legal side of our redemption, yet avoided the passionate and emotional side.
IV. TURNING THE SONG INTO AN AFFECTIONATE PRAYER DIALOGUE WITH JESUS
A. We must engage in long and loving meditation on the Song with a hungry and honest heart before God. One of
the Spirit’s purposes in the Song is to fill us with the Father’s love for Jesus.
26 I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in
them, and I in them. (John 17:26)
B. If we are to receive the full benefit of the Song, we must turn it into an on-going affectionate prayerful dialogue with
Jesus. It is not enough to only study the Song without going to the next step of turning it into a prayer dialogue. The
language of the Song must get into our prayer life and thought life before it will transform our emotions.
C. We approach the Song as more than an academic exercise as seen in Bible research. Informing our intellect is
significant but it is only a starting point. No one would go to a famous restaurant to merely study the menu. The menu is
there to help them obtain a good meal. It is not enough to be a connoisseur of the Song of Solomon, we must allow this
book to fill our heart.
D. I have about 10 phrases that have become deeply personal to me. In my early days, I wrote them on postcards to
use when I drove or took a walk. I slowly whispered them to Jesus. For example, “Father, let Him kiss me with His Word”
or “Spirit, sustain me, refresh me” (Song 1:2; 2:5).
E. As you read through the notes, I recommend that you pray specific phrases from the Song back to God. By doing
this, we use the Song as a springboard to launch into the depths of God’s love.
V. ENCOUNTERING JESUS: JOURNALING & PRAYER-READING THE SONG OF SOLOMON
A. I define two general categories of truth related to meditating on the Word. The first category is related to truths that
exhort us “to believe” something about God, ourselves or the Kingdom. The second category is related to truths that
exhort us “to obey” God’s Word.
B. Below are two ways to pray-read the Scriptures that exhort us “to believe” God’s Word.
1. First, we thank God for the particular truth set forth in the passage. We turn the truth into a dialogue that
includes taking time to say “Thank You, Jesus” in a specific way.
a. For example, when reading, “You have ravished My heart,” (Song 4:9) we respond by thanking God
for this truth by praying, “Thank you Jesus, that I ravish Your heart.”
b. For example, when Jesus says to the Bride, “Your love is better than wine” (Song 4:10), we respond
by praying “I thank You Jesus that You esteem my love for You as better than the wine (the glory and
pleasure) of this world.”
10 How fair is your love…How much better than wine is your love… (Song 4:10)
2. Second, we ask for understanding of the truth as we seek to believe more. Ask God to release revelation
that causes us to know and feel the power of specific truths (Ephesians 1:17).
a. For example, when reading, “You have ravished My heart, My bride.” ask Jesus for heart revelation by
praying, “Jesus, show me more how I have ravished Your heart.”
b. For example, when reading that Jesus says to the Bride, “Your love is better than wine,” respond by
praying for understanding by praying, “Jesus, show me more about the truth that “My love for You is better to
You than all the wine of this world.”
C. Below are two ways to pray-read the Scriptures with truths that exhort us “to obey” God’s Word.
1. First, we commit to obey Jesus in the specific way described in the passage. We turn a particular truth into a
simple dialogue with God that includes declaring our intention or commitment to obey Him (according the particular
exhortation in that passage).
a. For example, when Jesus exhorts the Bride to “rise up in obedience to leave the comfort zone to follow
Him” (costly obedience; Song 2:10), we respond by simply committing to obey this truth by praying, “Jesus, I
will rise from the comfort zone to meet You on the mountains of costly obedience (Song 4:6).”
10 My Beloved…said to me: "Rise up, My love…and come away. (Song 2:10)
b. For example, when Jesus honors the Bride’s heart for being like “an enclosed garden whose springs
of water are undefiled” (a king’s garden was enclosed or locked, in contrast to public garden. This points to
having a pure heart that is as an enclosed garden or fully reserved for Jesus). We respond by committing to
obey this truth by praying, “Jesus, my heart is locked to all compromise. I am fully Yours.”
12 A garden enclosed is…My spouse, a spring shut up… (Song 4:12)
2. Second, we ask for God’s manifest power to obey a particular truth in a passage. Ask the Spirit for help to obey
specific exhortations in a passage.
a. For example, when the Lord exhorts the Bride to “arise in obedience to follow Him to the mountains,” we
ask the Spirit to help us obey by praying, “Jesus, empower me to obey You as I arise from the comfort zone
to meet you in costly obedience.”
b. For example, when the Lord honors the Bride’s heart for being like “an enclosed garden…” we respond
by asking God for help to obey this truth by praying, “Jesus, empower me to live with a locked heart that resists
all compromise for You.”
VI. THE NECESSITY OF JOURNALING
A. Take time to journal by writing down your thoughts, prayers and meditations as you “pray-read” through the Song.
This will help you to capture the truths that the Lord puts on your heart. The simple exercise of writing your ideas will help
you take this magnificent Song and turn it into a glorious prayer dialogue between your heart and Jesus.
B. Be patient, speak slowly and softly, then journal your thoughts. You may be surprised how the Spirit will give you
more revelation, strengthen your obedience and tenderize your heart by this.
VII. THE 8 REVELATIONS OF JESUS IN THE SONG
A. There are 8 distinct revelations of Jesus in the Song of Solomon. They reveal 8 distinct facets of Jesus’ personality.
Each time that God reveals His name to us in Scripture, He is revealing a different dimension of how He wants to relate to
us. Therefore, each of these 8 faces of Jesus reveals a unique aspect of His relationship with us and thus, produces a
distinct response in our heart back to Him. Each different face of Jesus’ beauty produces a certain response in the Bride.
B. Isaiah declared four names of Jesus. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace and Everlasting
Father (Isaiah 9:6).
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And
His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
C. We can combine the four names that Isaiah spoke of with the 4 faces of the high ranking angelic beings (living
creatures) in Ezekiel 1:10; Revelation 4:7. Each have the same four faces, including the face of a man, a lion, a calf (or
oxen) and a flying eagle.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second… like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a
man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. (Revelation 4:7)
10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man, each…had the face of a lion…, each of
the four had the face of an ox…, and each…the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 1:10)
D. The 8 faces are: the counseling Shepherd (1:8), the affectionate Father (1:12-2:6), the sovereign King (2:8-9),
the safe Savior (3:6-8), the passionate Bridegroom (4:1-15), the suffering Servant (5:2), the majestic God (5:10-16) and
the jealous God of consuming fire (8:6-7).
E. Face of an Oxen: the counseling Shepherd and suffering Servant (Song 1:8-11 and 5:2-7)
1. The counseling Shepherd serves the Bride as a shepherd (Song 1:7-11).
2. The suffering Servant calls the Bride to join Him in His burden (Song 5:2-7).
F. Face of a Lion: the sovereign King and safe Savior or Prince of peace (Song 2:8-9 and 3:6-11)
1. The sovereign King (Song 2:8-9) has authority over all mountains and obstacles, etc.
2. The safe Savior (Song 3:6-11) is the Prince whose government brings peace and safety.
G. Face of a Man: the affectionate Father and passionate Bridegroom (Song 1:12-16; 4:1-15)
1. The affectionate Father brings her joy at the banqueting table (Song 1:12-2:7; Lk 15:20).
2. The passionate Bridegroom is the primary revelation in this Song (Song 4:1-15; 6:4-5). There are 2
expressions of the Bridegroom: the Prophetic heart of the Bridegroom (Song 4:1-5) and the ravished heart of the
Bridegroom (Song 4:8-15).
H. Face of an Eagle: the mighty God and the jealous consuming Fire (Song 5:10-16; 8:6-7)
1. The majestic God (Song 5:10-16) is revealed in the description of splendor and awe.
2. The consuming Fire of our jealous God (Song 8:6-7; Deut. 4:24) is seen in God’s supernatural love.