Author: Pamela Spock (IntimateKingdom.com)

THE SONG – By Guest Author Cheryl McGrath

/ Pamela Spock (IntimateKingdom.com) / Leave a comment

Listen, be still! Can you hear it? A song carried by the Wind. Such a yearning, longing, indescribable sound. Rising Heavenward. Now soft and barely discernible, now louder, clearer, lifting and falling like waves on the sea. There never was such a sound heard through all the ages this earth has known. You won’t hear it in the clammer of a big city, but it is there. You won’t hear it in the silence of the desert or the roar of the ocean, but it is there just the same. You won’t hear it in the frenzied cheers of the sports stadium or the raised voices of houses of government, and you will seldom hear it in the well ordered hymns or hallelujahs of the Sunday service. But it is stronger and more compelling than any of them. It is the Song of the Bride.

“Make haste my Beloved”.

It is a song impossible to bear but impossible to ignore. If you are a singer of it you will know how it tears you, wounds you and discomforts you. Yet you cannot do other than sing it. You chose this Song above all others. You chose it in the darkest hours when your faith was tested almost beyond what you could bear. You chose it in the loneliness when your enemy’s voice taunted and mocked you for continuing to believe when all hope was seemingly lost. You chose it when heartbreak and despair were your constant companions but you refused to partake of the world’s offering of wine mixed with myrrh. You chose it every time you bowed your head and silently whispered “Yes Lord, Your will, not mine” though tears stained your face and pain stabbed your heart. You chose this Song because somewhere in the midst of confusion, sorrow, and doubt you caught a glimpse of something greater than your pain, something beyond beauty, beyond wonder, beyond anything you had yet seen. And through gritted teeth a cry rose from a place within you that you didn’t know existed: “Yes, Lord, I want You more than life itself and by God’s grace I will pursue You!”

And so the Song was both conceived and born in you. The Spirit breathed, the seed was planted and the journey was begun. Many who started out with you have fallen by the wayside. Many stopped singing the Song when other more seductive songs beckoned. You too were tempted, but when all was said and done the other songs with all their promises never could satisfy you like the one that called you onward. Soon the songs that had seduced your companions faded and merged into one monotonous discord , a sound you could hear in the distance but could not sing.

And still the Song grew until you ceased knowing whether you sang the Song, or the Song sang you. The Song and you became part of each other and you no longer knew how to be anything other than a singer of the Song. Those who once had been your companions in the Song but had stopped singing now stand apart from you like familiar strangers. Though they may smile and greet you, they quickly move away for they must sing their song, and you must sing yours, and the two can no longer meet. You chose the Song. Or did the Song choose you?

“Make haste my Beloved.”

The Song cannot be heard by those who do not sing it but if ever they should briefly catch its echo, it is not beautiful to their ears and they soon turn away. The Song is not always melodic. Often, increasingly often, the Song consists of unutterable groans and sighs. And even though you are a singer of the Song, you do not always understand it. Sometimes the Song flows freely, even erupts, from the deepest places of your being. At other times it is drawn from you through tearful anguish. Yet the Song cannot be stopped. You cannot explain to others why the Song compels you on or how deeply embedded it has become in you, so you have stopped trying to explain or justify the Song. You just keep singing it through joy and sorrow, victory and defeat, life and death.

There are others who sing the Song and if you should happen to cross their paths you recognise a fellow singer because you recognise the Song. More than that, you recognise the Source of the Song. And though such encounters may be few, they have become one of your greatest joys. When those who sing the Song come together Heaven stops to listen. For the Song was born in Heaven and returns to Heaven and is loudest and most glorious when sung in unison by the singers of the Song.

“Make haste my Beloved.”

If you still yourself long enough you will hear the Song. You will hear it within yourself and you will hear it rising from the four corners of the earth to the highest Heaven. And though you sing the Song, you will wonder at the Song and you will wonder how you became a part of it, and you will know that though you chose the Song, yet you were also chosen to sing it. Not because your voice was beautiful or strong, but because the Song is costly and yet you said ‘yes’. You have paid the price for the Song and you will continue to pay it. And yet, the Song to you and to all who sing it, is priceless.

A sinner woman sang the Song and the Song was louder than her sins. “And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil…… Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”*

Peter sang the Song and learned that love is costly. “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” It was not enough for Peter to simply love the Bridegroom. The Bridegroom is to be loved more.**

Stephen sang the Song and forfeited his life. “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”….. and they cast him out of the city and stoned him…… ***

Paul sang the Song and lost his history, his reputation, his nation and ultimately his life. “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”****

The Song has been sung by a countless army of men, women and children throughout the centuries, whose names and faces are mostly forgotten on this earth but celebrated in Heaven. Many are they who have tried to kill the Song but the Song only becomes sweeter. Many are they who try to imitate the Song, but the Song only shines brighter. There is but one Song and those who sing it are becoming one, for the Song draws them and binds them with unbreakable ties.

The Song is part of the greatest mystery ever known. It is sung on mountaintops and in prison dungeons. It is sung from rice paddies to executive suites. It is sung in the night and each hour of the day. It is sung in the least expected places by the least expected voices.

And so the Song grows: louder, richer, higher. Above all else that happens on this earth, the Song has Heaven’s attention. The Song is, in fact, Heaven’s priority. The Song has always been, but has always waited to be sung as it is now being sung. And as this irresistible Song continues to grow in power and beauty, it wafts Heavenward. Creation groans, the hosts of Heaven stand ready, and the Bridegroom sets His Face. At a moment already written in eternity, Heaven will no longer hold back the Bridegroom from His Bride. He will arouse Himself to make haste to His Beloved, as He promised He would do.

Bride of Christ, hear what the Spirit says:

Keep singing the Song and never cease! Through hardship and toil, through pain, imprisonment, abandonment, betrayal, loss and grief, joy and sorrow, through persecution and tribulation, through the mountains and through the valleys. Keep singing the Song and do not cease until the Beloved makes haste and becomes like a gazelle on the mountains of spices. The Song is rising and the Song is unstoppable. The Song is greater than the darkness and ultimately will overcome it. May you be given ears to hear! May you be given grace to sing until the Beloved wipes all tears from your eyes! And so may you sing for evermore of the One who first sang His own Song over you!

The time of singing has come….. (Song of Solomon 2:12).

Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices(Song of Solomon 8:14).

And the Spirit and the Bride say come! (Rev. 22:17)

Luke 7:37-48 ; John 21:15-19 ; Acts 7:55-60;  **** Philippians 3:5-11

This article is used by permission, by the author Cheryl McGrath. To view the original article, comment, or subscribe to her website, visit www.BreadForTheBride.com/the-song. 

 

Esther in Ephesians – For Such a Time As This!

/ Pamela Spock (IntimateKingdom.com) / Leave a comment

Every year when Purim is celebrated, a Jewish holiday honoring the saving heroism of Esther, I try to revisit a wonder-filled article by Charis Psallo, a blogger at Charispsallo.me. Having received her permission, I would like to share it with my small list here. It’s so worth a read, and not just because of the stunning connection between Esther and Ephesians. It also sheds light on the Woman in the Song of Songs. I really hope you enjoy it!

Esther in Ephesians – For Such a Time As This!

Yesterday I heard a friend talk about Esther. He reminded us of the preparation she went through to bring her to a unique position of influence. I’ve been fascinated by the life of the orphan queen ever since I had a dream involving Esther.

     The story is told in the Bible of a young parent-less Jewish woman, adopted by her cousin, who rose from obscurity to the position of queen in the land where her people lived in exile. She dared to defy protocol and approached the king in the throne room without first having been summoned by him. As her cousin, Mordecai, reasoned, it looked like God arranged for her to be there to help her people in a time of crisis. It’s great story, the kind that is made into Hollywood movies. But, if you take time to read it, you will notice that the story is not as innocent as the Christian family versions.

     Right from the beginning of the book it’s apparent that in this place men had all the power. It’s also apparent that this was a culture that accepted the practice of sexual slavery at the highest level. After the king banished his previous wife, Vashti, for refusing to parade her beauty (whatever that means) in front of a crowd of drunk men, officials scoured the land to find beautiful women (perhaps girls) to take to the ruler for his inspection. After a night spent with him, a woman moved from the house of virgins to the house of concubines. If the king did not delight in her, she was never summoned by him and never allowed to marry anyone else. This was no Miss America pageant.

     Hadassah (renamed Esther) was Jewish. Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes) was the leader of the nation who had destroyed her country and her family and dragged them off as spoils of war. If this had been Nazi Germany our heroine could have been killed by one side for failing to cooperate or the other for being a collaborator.

     Esther had no parents. For a cousin to take over raising her meant she, like most people with her background, probably suffered trauma as a child. She had deep hidden scars. She understood loss. Ethnic background is kept secret for a reason.

     But Esther chose to learn all she could about the king. She had help from Hegai, the king’s eunuch. (In many eastern cultures it was standard procedure to castrate males working around the palace and make them eunuchs, like Daniel and his friends probably were, to prevent any possibility of cross-pollination, so to speak.) Hegai may have understood Esther’s background. Together they committed to this path as she received a year of beauty treatments – an ancient version of a radical make-over.

     The king chose her as his wife and instead of banishment to the back rooms of the walled prison for women she lived in luxury as his favourite. Then came the day when she risked it all for the sake of her people. The king had signed an irreversible edict clearing the way for genocide for not only all the people in her ethnic group, but possibly herself as well. Making the decision to boldly approach the throne without being summoned was not made lightly. She asked others to fast and pray with her for three days first. Esther took the action with the full knowledge that she could lose everything, including her life. She was terrified. Such radical acts did not come easily to a woman raised in an oppressive patriarchal culture. “If I perish, I perish,” she said.

     In my dream about Esther a well-known evangelist phoned and asked me to help him with a sermon illustration. He needed two young girls who could help him dramatize the story. I told him I knew of two eight- year olds who might like to be involved.

     “No. More mature. I need two ten-year olds.” he said.

     He seemed very excited about a new revelation he had from the book of Esther in the New Testament.     

     “The book of Esther is in the Old Testament,” I corrected.

     “Esther is in the New Testament,” he insisted. “It’s in Ephesians.”

     “What version are you using?” I asked, feeling pretty confidant that I was right and he was not.

     “The Transition Version,” he said, equally as confident.

     I immediately felt the dream was important. There was a lot more to it. It was about something taking place in the heart of the Church that includes women and honours femininity, about shocking methods God sometimes uses to get us where he wants us, about preparations for future assignments and about reaching higher for the most nutritious food. But telling you about all of it will take too long for a single blog post, so I’ll just talk about this part.

     I read the book of Ephesians looking for references to Esther. I didn’t see any, but I did see this. Ephesians can be divided into three parts. The first part tells the believer in Christ how their identity and position has changed. I recommend writing down all the phrases in the first two or three chapters which talk about new identity. Amazing! You are blessed, faithful, holy, blameless, pure, for His praise… so many wonderful hard-to-believe good words! These phrases in particular caught my attention:

  • You are chosen.
  • You are lavished with the riches of His grace.
  • You are raised up and seated with Him.
  • You are privy to the mystery of His purpose.

     Wait. Esther was chosen from among many. She was lavished with luxurious perfumes, ointments, jewels and fine garments. She was raised up from obscurity as an orphan to life as a bride of the king, seated beside him. She became privy to secret information about her purpose in being there.

     Then my eyes fell on these words in the third chapter: We have boldness and access with confidence to heavenly places through our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

     Esther had access to the throne! It was the king’s love for her that saved her life. It was his generous hand extended to her that granted her whatever she asked of him.

     I was beginning to see the parallels. The first part of Ephesians tells us who we are and where we are now. When we begin to understand our high calling and how God sees us through the eyes of love we begin to understand the transition that is taking place in us.

     I’ve seen rows of Bibles for sale subtitled, The End-times Version, The Mother’s Version, The Christian Worker’s Version etc. This always struck me as odd. Was it not all the same Bible? What these “versions” do is highlight passages relative to the person they hope will buy a copy. These passages highlighted to me in Ephesians made it a Transition Version of the story of life in Christ. In Him we are given a make-over, we are given a new position, we are changed – for a purpose.

     Many of us are familiar with Ephesians 2:8. For by grace you have been saved through faith... It’s a gift. The evangelist reminded me he was looking for something more mature. Two ten year-olds! Keep going. Ephesians 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

     The next part of Ephesians teaches us about walking this new identity out in the context of relationships, singing and rejoicing together, submitting to and cooperating with each other, raising up those for whom we have responsibility to become people who fulfill their callings. Love. Honour. Be patient, Understand. Seek their best. It’s an entirely new lifestyle and no longer a competition for survival.

     The third part of Ephesians tells us what all this preparation is for. We could all be happy enough with the story of a pretty beloved bride just kicking around the palace of Christianity, smelling the roses, picking out the goodies at the smorgasbord of the King’s bounty. But she is beginning to get the message, “Good grief, girl! Do you see the injustice going on in the world around you? Do you know about the plans of the opposition? The devil and his forces are determined to destroy you and your people. Do you know who you are and your position and why you are here now? Do you know you are in a unique position to actually do something about it?”

     It’s a little overwhelming.

     In the story Esther appeals to her master/husband. As a result the chief planner of the planned genocide of her people is himself hanged on gallows he built for Esther’s cousin. Then the king did something remarkable considering the history of ruthless power-seeking of his predecessors. He was not like them. He gave Esther and her people authority. He gave Mordecai his signet ring. He gave them swift horses from his own stable. Something unprecedented was happening here. Even the media of the day changed sides out of fear of the power now in the hands of the former victims.

     On the very day their enemies planned to have mastery over them, the reverse occurred. From India to Ethiopia the victims-no-more took up arms and turned the tide. Then the king asked Esther again, “Now what is your wish? It will be granted to you.” His generosity was greater than she ever imagined.

     The last chapter in Ephesians tells the Church, the Bride of Christ to stand strong in the strength of His might, to put on the armour He provides, to pray at all times in the Spirit, making supplication for all the saints.

     The orphan becomes the Bride of the King of Kings. He gives her helpers in the form of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers to prepare her for her calling. She is raised up and has access to the throne because she is loved. In the shelter of His love she learns who she is, where she is and how this new identity works its way into relationships. Because he adores her, the King equips her with authority to fight the enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

     Esther is in Ephesians. Who knew?

     For such a time as this.

     By Charis Psallo, originally posted here, shared on IntimateKingdom.com with permission.