O My dove, that art in the clefts of the Rock
Song of Solomon 2:14 “O My dove, that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”
The Lord has just called His loved one on to a more victorious life….”leaping on the mountains with Him…and skipping on the hills.” (Song of Solomon 2:8-13)
And now He calls her to a One on one fellowship…and it is a call to be what we are…which is His.
First He calls us….His dove….My dove. Intimate and personal.
Doves can see only one thing at a time. He is stressing the singleness of vision that we should have…keeping our eyes on Him……for we are following on with Him.
Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
Simply said, When our vision is full of Christ and “things”….we are not seeing in the light. We are accessing the situation.
But when our eyes are seeing Christ and His glory alone….no matter what is around us….then we are full of the light of His instruction and grace.
Then the Lord states that we are “in the cleft of the Rock”. He is that Rock that was cleft. And He would have us spend precious time with Him.
(In the Rock. This, we know, is our state. We are born again. We are in Christ Jesus, seated in Him, “in the heavenlies.”
And as He is there representing us before the Father…we are to represent Him before all men.
This is what the Lord is calling this believer to.
Ephesians 1:3, 2:6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
Ephesians is the book of our possessions….in Christ)
“In the secret places of the stairs”
This is a “lovers’ rendezvous”…a place where you can tell Him everything…and He makes known to you His heart concerning you and the things that concern you.
This is the same as in:
Psalm 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The wonderful safety here is for those who “abide”….or have continuous communion with the Lord. Some picture this as a castle….wherein the storms of life rage around…but do not enter.
Here we make known our hearts…our needs, our thoughts and feelings, our anxieties, our sorrows and our joys…to our loving, perfect Friend.
And here, the Lord makes known His “secret”….or the personal communion of Himself.
And here is the crux of the verse:
“let Me see thy countenance…let Me hear thy voice”
We must, if we are Christ’s, show Him in our lives. But how does He want us to manifest Him?
Our countenance…or our seeing. The way we are now, because we belong to Him.
1 Peter 4:4 “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”
1 Peter 2:12 “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Our voice….or our testimony and way of speaking, to and about others.
We are His….therefore we speak of Him, and His Word and Way.
Then the Lord reiterates: “let Me hear thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”
Whether others will hear it, the Lord wants us to speak to Him and of Him.
1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
Because we belong to Him, we are “beautiful”…for the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
1 Peter 3:4 “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
How many examples of this is spoken of in the Word! Knowing God brings separation and testimony! (Think Abraham…Genesis 12:1-4. Think Saul/Paul…Acts 9:20-21)
The closer we come to the Lord….”in the clefts of the Rock, in the secret places of the stairs”…
….the further away we go from the world….and it’s clutter in our thoughts and lives.
So the Lord calls His dove….the one who seeks to see Him only, in everything; to come along further.
Do we have set times of devotions and prayers?
Do we set aside time for the reading of the Word of God, when we can really hear what is being said?
Well, He calls us on….that we may please Him, Who loves us.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 