Songs 1:6 Look not on me, because I am black, because the sun has looked on me: my mother's children were angry with me… First of all, we find in the words of the text the cry of the living, longing soul, "Tell me, O Thou whom I love, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon." The soul that here speaks is the soul of the child of God speaking to Jesus. It is a test by which to try the true spiritual life of a soul. The heart can always speak to Jesus in words of love, for we are not God's true children, we are not true disciples of Jesus, unless each of us can speak to Him in words like these, "O Thou whom my soul loveth." It is not, remember, the warm excited feelings of affection of which God's Word here speaks, but of the deliberate choice, of the deliberate surrender of the will. But, again, the text is also the cry of a hungering soul, "Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon." It is, you see, the soul hungering from a sense of weakness, conscious of the need of heavenly food. So we may hear one saying, "I see others around me strong in the life and power of His might, though I suffer naught but defeat." It is the cry of a soul which has been stumbling on in weakness, fighting and backsliding, yet longing to get more near to Jesus, to cleave to Him, to follow after Him, yet deeply conscious of its utter helplessness and weakness and need of spiritual food. God Himself hath given us the answer. He feeds us with the Word of Life — gives us strength with which to fight on through the struggle after Jesus. Is this the spiritual food with which our souls are strengthened and refreshed from day to day Again, God feeds us in the blessed sacrament of His body and blood. But, again, the soul asks, "Where makest Thou Thy flock to rest at noon?" The phrase "at noon" carries us to another suggestion of our text. It may have been in the scorching sun of prosperity that we suffered our great trial — none so sharp as that, none under which one who had been really seeking God found it more difficult to follow Jesus, none under which he had more need to cry, "Tell me, O Thou whom I love, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon." But, blessed be God, there are those on whom the sun of prosperity has shined in all its brightness, yet have never been moved from rest in their Holy Saviour. We long to know and enjoy that rest for ourselves. And where is our hope? Not in any thing of man, but in God's Word. The Lord hath said, "Believe," and I take Him at His word and rest in that word. He tells me of One who loved me and gave Himself for me, and then I ask my soul, "Do I feel peace? Do I sufficiently care about this matter? Do I sufficiently love my Saviour.?" There is no sweeter resting-place for weary souls than in God's own soul. But, once more, God gives us rest in His Church. Is this not the meaning of what we call the "Day of Rest" our Lord's Day, the day given by our Lord to be a resting-place unto our souls in the midst of a weary world? Surely, above all things that we desire in this busy, toiling age, is that we may find rest. Yet one other question arises in our hearts as we speak to Him whom our soul loveth. Christ has two flocks — a travelling flock and a gathered flock. He tells us where the travelling flock finds rest — in the pastures of His Word, in the quiet of His Church, above all in His own heart of love. But that gathered flock — where does that rest? We shall know when we, like it, are gathered. God's Word tells us but little of that heavenly rest, but enough surely to spur us on to seek it earnestly each for ourselves. "There remaineth a rest for the people of God." Oh! let us then press on more earnestly after Jesus lest any of us fail to enter into the rest. But now let us turn to the answer to our text — "If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way. Go forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd tents. Why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of Thy companions?" is the question of the anxious soul. Let it be our question this morning, each one for himself, "Why should I be as one that turneth aside?" God calls me to read His Word, why should I reject the Heavenly knowledge? God calls me to rest on His Church, why should I turn my back upon that rest and seize after the things of the world? God calls me to His Holy Sacrament, "Why should I be as one that turneth aside from the flocks?" Yes, why indeed? Can we do without Christ? Can we risk disobedience to His Holy Word? Are we strong enough without His strength? Can we be satisfied without He shall feed us? (Archbishop Maclagan.) Parallel Verses KJV: Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. |
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