Sermon #23 The Song Of Solomon Notes

Title: “Let Him Kiss Me”

Text: Song of Solomon 1:2

Readings: Office: Bobbie Estes Auditorium: James Jordan

Subject: Longings For Sweet Manifestations of Christ

Date: Sunday Afternoon - November 22,1998

A Communion Mediation

Tape # U-98a

Introduction:

A kiss is one of the most tender expressions of affection and love known to man. It is universally understood. The very first thing a mother does with a newborn baby, as she holds it to her breast is kiss it. The very last thing we do with a loved one who has left this world is plant a farewell kiss on the face we shall never again see in this world. In my text this afternoon we see a bride longing to be kissed, and kissed, and kissed by her beloved. The bride is the Church of God. Her Beloved is the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory.

Song of Songs 1:2 "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine."

As we have gathered around the Lord’s Table this after noon, I hope we have come here with this prayer upon our hearts, with this great, noble, ennobling desire burning in our souls. "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine."

I realize what an enormous desire this is. It is a privilege beyond comparison, to have to Lord Jesus Christ himself kiss us. It days of old, it was considered a high, high honor for a king to stretch out his hand and allow one of his subjects to kiss just his hand. Here, the Shulamite expresses a desire which would be utterly unthinkable. – She desired the king himself to kiss her, not only to kiss her, but to kiss her intimately, passionately, and repeatedly with the kisses of his mouth! She desired all the kisses he had to offer.

The desire would be unthinkable, except for one thing. – She knew, she was fully convinced that the king wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted to be kissed by him!

But there is much more here than a story of romance between a Shulamite woman and King Solomon.

Proposition: This is an expression of a soul in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, longing for him to come in sweet manifestations of himself and his love, with the kisses of his mouth.

I want us now, as we prepare to eat the bread and drink the wine of the Lord’s Table, as we celebrate once more our redemption by Christ, in remembrance of him, I want us to meditate on just two things or a few minutes.

I. THE REQUEST

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” How can the Lord Jesus kiss us? Hat are these kisses? Obviously, the kisses with which the Son of God kisses his people, the kisses by which he manifestly expresses his love o us, b which he assures us of his everlasting love for us, are the manifestations of himself to us.

A. The very first thing I have to say, the first thing I must say, about theses kisses s this- We owe our salvation to the kisses of our Savior.

1. The Kiss of Regeneration - Hosea and Gomer!

2. The Kiss of Redemption

Psalms 85:10 "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."

3. The Kiss of Reconciliation - The Prodigal!

B. Not only has our Savior kissed us, we are commanded to kiss him (Ps. 2:11-12).

Psalms 2:11-12 "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

C. Our hearts’ desire is that our Savior may graciously meet us here, at his table, in his house, and kiss us again, reviving our souls and enabling us to kiss him!

II. THE REASON FOR THIS REQUEST

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy love is better than wine.”

The love of Christ, that love with which he loves us, that love which in its length is longer than eternity, in its breadth is broader than the earth, in its depth reaches the lowest of sinners, and in its height ascends to the ery throne of God is better than wine.

A. Wine is a temporary cordial for the body’s weakness. -- Christ’s love is the everlasting cordial for our immortal souls!

B. Wine may relieve worldly sorrows for a brief moment. – Christ’s love will cure all sorrows forever!

C. Wine, if used too freely, will only add drunkenness to thirst. – Christ’s love is such that those who drink the deepest draughts, those who are most intoxicated by it are most blessed and never injured.

The love of Christ is more than pleasant. It is always effectual. It raises sinners dead in trespasses and sins to eternal life. It raises us from the dunghill to the King’s chamber. It delivers us from all curse and condemnation. It makes us the sons of God. It infallibly saves us from the second death. It brings us to eternal glory.

Look yonder at the bread and wine, symbols of our crucified Substitute, and Behold how he loved us!

Ave we tasted the love of Christ? Have we drunk this sweet wine? If so, we are constrained to cry out, “Stay me with flagons, for I am sick of love!” (Song 2:5).

Let this now be the prayer of our hearts - “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy love is better than wine!”

AMEN.