My Dove is One

Please turn your Bible to Song of Solomon chapter 6 that can be found on page 563 of your pew

Bible Song of Solomon chapter 6 when you have that go ahead and stand for the reading of God's Word Read verses 4 through 10, but our preaching today will be particularly on verses 8 & 9

You are beautiful as tears of my love lovely as Jerusalem awesome as an army with banners

Turn away your eyes from me for they overwhelm me your hair is like a flock of goats Leaping down the slopes of Gilead your teeth are like a flock of ewes

That have come up from the washing all of them bear twins Not one among them has lost its young your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil

There are 60 Queens and 80 concubines and virgins without number my dove

My perfect one is the only one the only one of her mother pure to her who bore her

The young women saw her and called her bless the Queens and concubines also, and they praised her

Who is this who looks down like the dawn beautiful as the moon bright as the Sun awesome as an army with banners

Amen Maybe seated dear my father we asked for Your blessing upon us today as we examine this passage of scripture.

I know that this book that was one that is a Frequently neglected, but we ask that you would open our eyes to understand it and you would give us a great

Assurance of your truth your love for your bride in Jesus name. Amen Some time ago.

This might have been a year two years ago studying some works on The catholicity of the church or the unity of the church and I was reading early church writers on this topic and I came across this statement

Just very casually Offhandedly said my dove is one

Expecting me to know what this meant. I don't know what church father I was reading But I saw that thought that was kind of odd Then later saw another church father say the same thing my dove is one just as a as a proof of the unity of the

Church, so I had to look this up. What was this referring to? I found this passage song of Solomon Chapter 6 verse 9 my dove my perfect one.

It's the only one the only one of her mother I saw this many other places and then recently as I've been preaching through the series of how salvation

Encourages or supplies the energy for empowers good works Number of these topics have touched on the unity of the church and there as I'm I've been reading

Reformation writers Frequently they would do the same thing Simply saying this phrase my dove is one as a proof of the unity of the church without any explanation needed

It was simply understood this verse is something that demonstrates the unity of the church

Now several years ago when I counted this the first time it seemed very foreign to me More recently less foreign given that I've had a chance to study this book a bit more

But it does make me Jealous in a sort of way that they could simply say this and expect that the audience that they are writing to Has the sort of biblical literacy that would embrace that as meaning?

Yes, of course. This is speaking of the unity of the church Sometimes Proof texts that are valuable to us sometimes passages in Scripture that are valuable to us are not just valuable

Because they are the most clear Sometimes it's because they are the most beautiful This is a passage that is valuable to speak to the unity of the church

Not necessarily because it's the most clear in our modern eyes as we read this as would be a different passage like Ephesians 4 but It is a very beautiful passage, and I would not want us to Not have this same encouragement that saints of previous generations have had when they contemplate the unity of the church being able to in a casual way say my dove is one speaking of the

Cherished nature of the unity of the church. So in order to explain this to you first like to explain

Why the Song of Solomon is an allegory about Christ in the church why you should believe that then how this applies

Looking at both the diversity and unity of the church So consider the

Song of Solomon the Song of Solomon is not Primarily to be understood as a love song between Solomon and his bride that is typologically referring to Christ and the church, but rather is directly an allegory about Christ in the church

This is the way that it's supposed to be understood Indeed if you even go back and you read

Jewish authors if you read the Targum Which is a paraphrase of the Old Testament you read the

Targum on this passage. It does the same it understands that this is an allegory between God and his people of the love between God and his people if this were as Many considered to be and as the images as the metaphor itself is

Speaking of Solomon and the daughter of Pharaoh This doesn't fit for a number of reasons one

The his marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh is condemned in Scripture. So how could this be the great topic of this book?

It could be the image that the book uses to choose to communicate something great greater, but how could it be the primary topic?

secondly You see in this passage or not this passage in particular, but in this book it speaks of the nose of the

Bride as being like the Tower of Lebanon the Tower of Lebanon in First Kings is constructed some 20 years after Solomon's marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh So if this is about daughter of Pharaoh It is written many years after so Solomon using this imagery about the daughter of Pharaoh about his bride

To communicate something greater to communicate this allegory is using images that don't exist until many years later

It means that he is writing this many years later So we are not to think of this as primarily being a poem poem that he composed at his wedding

It is something written many years later Now consider also the name of this in Most modern translations.

This is called the song of Solomon in Verse 1 of chapter 1 it says the song of songs which is

Solomon the song of songs What does it mean for this to be the song of songs? It means that it is the greatest song now

What makes a song great? There is the nature of the poetry There is the message that it communicates the subject which it address if something is to be the greatest song

Certainly, it would be the greatest in all these categories Solomon wrote a thousand and five songs according to the book of Kings a

Thousand and five songs many of these we know from the Psalms are our songs about God Himself Now if part of what makes a song great is the subject it addresses is not

God a greater subject than a mere human marriage And yet this is called the song of songs

This is something Much higher much greater than just about a mere human marriage.

This is the song of songs we are to understand it as as People have in the past and generations as even

Jewish writers understood it as being about a relationship between God and his people and as Christians about being the relationship between Christ and his bride and moreover.

This is the interpretation of the New Testament itself Solomon says that he is a rose of Sharon like a lily of the valley

Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount Points to the lilies. He says look at these in all his glory

Solomon was not arrayed like one of these Now Solomon says that he was arrayed like one of these

What does Jesus say that he was not arrayed like one of these? What does that mean? Solomon is not primarily talking about himself

Solomon is talking about one greater than himself in Psalm 45 which is likewise

Which likewise uses this figure of this marriage that Solomon authors many people regard it rightly so I believe as an abbreviation or a

What do you call it abridgment an abridgment of this song where he speaks of this marriage and What is said in Hebrews chapter 1 how is it interpreted this is interpreted as referring to Christ It's not explained that oh, this was really about Solomon and in some way it has reference to Christ No, this is primarily to be understood as allegory.

So even Psalm 45 interpreted by Hebrews 1 is primarily being about Christ Jesus I believe the

Sermon on the Mount referring to the song of Solomon Letting us know that Solomon himself was not arrayed like the lilies.

So Solomon must have been speaking of one greater than himself This is a picture of Christ and his bride

And so how ought we to understand this particular passage given that? Verse 8 says there are 60 queens and 80 concubines and virgins without number now

Solomon himself says in kings had 700 wives and 300 concubines

So you see these numbers are different and on top of these numbers being different. They are reversed in their quantities

There are more concubines than there are queens here Virgins refer to those who would attend to the concubines and queens

You're not sure what a concubine is a concubine is a wife that does not have inheritance rights.

Okay, so it is Essentially a wife where the children would not inherit property

Okay, if someone is a very wealthy person and they wanted to have many wives they would have many wives But if they had too many that they wouldn't be able to let all of them inherit then they would have concubines

That's that is what this is describing here Now, what are these?

What do they represent in this allegory? There's a lot of things that people have pointed to there is there are nations that would if the bride is the church, then maybe the concubines and queens are nations

Or perhaps they are false churches or perhaps they are false believers. There's a lot of different ideas

People have had Yet, I believe it's very simple. These are ones who praise her who call her blessed

These are none other than the individuals of the church We see this in revelation and revelation chapter 14

It gives a picture Of 144 000 who have been redeemed from the earth and it says it is these who have not defiled themselves with women

For they are virgins is these who follow the lamb where he goes Now it may not strike your ears as odd that he speaks of men who have not defiled themselves with women as virgins virginity

In scripture throughout most of human history is something that describes a woman a woman is a virgin

Now we live in a culture that uses the term virgin to speak of men there are all kinds of Yeah, people use that term all the time to describe a man who has not slept with a woman

So that might not strike your ears as odd if you look through scripture The only time this term is used other than this part is for women there is a

Yeah, a woman's virginity is something very particular very Uh It is different than a man's

Than a man not having slept with a woman. These are asymmetric asymmetric realities We see later on in revelation chapter 19 a great a great multitude says in revelation 1906

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude Like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder crying out hallelujah

For the lord our god the almighty reigns Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory for the marriage of the lamb has come

And the bride has made herself ready It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints

And the angel said to me Write this blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb

And he said to me these are the true words of god Okay, so there's a great multitude

These are all god's holy people and they all gather for the marriage of the bride and christ

Now if you are thinking, okay, well the bride is all the individuals So how can there be individuals in attendance to the bride?

Well, that is the scene that is described here It's the same scene that you see described in the song of solomon chapter 6

There's many attendants around the bride Who have some status with the king than the bride herself?

And even this term virgins being applied to men Demonstrating that you are supposed to think of them in a feminine way of being attendants to the bride right just to um

Yeah, just to make that clear like there is a physical reality to virginity with a woman that doesn't exist for men

Right. That is why that that term has been historically applied to women And not applied to men and so this is supposed to this is you are supposed to see hints in revelation that the author

Or the vision that's being given is doing something special there where it's describing these men as virgins so combining that with the song of solomon this gives you this picture that these wives

These queens and concubines and virgins are the individuals of the church Gathered at the wedding feast of the church

Says my dove my perfect one is the only one the only one of her mother now

There are some times in scripture where words are added to make things sound a little more normal like for example in uh

In the gospels there are a number of times where jesus says I am and most translations will say

I am he You're probably familiar with some of those This is one similar where this passage in older translations will typically say

My dove My undefiled is one So it is not uh, it does not say the only one

But my undefiled is one my dove Yeah, my dove is one

So there are three statements that are given to here. My dove is one She is the only one of her mother and she is pure to her who bore her also, uh

Translated choice or favorite of her who bore her. Okay. So three things she is one

She is the only one of her mother. She is the favorite one of her mother These are these three accolades

Now she is one all the virgins all the queens all the concubines. They are many but she is just one

She is the only one of her mother You think about a an only child? That's a very precious thing.

And yet she is also the favorite of her mother the uh the picture here

Describing her as an only child and also a favorite child might seem uh in um

Yeah, it might seem to contradict itself but this is yeah, this is the the picture here and Song solomon one verse six

It says do not gaze at me because i am dark because the sun has looked upon me My mother's sons were angry with me.

They made me keepers of the vineyards, but my own vineyard. I have not kept So here you have the bride describing that she has mother's sons, right?

There are there are other ones who have Who have been angry with her this is typically interpreted as referring to false professors so you do have

Both of these images fit if you understand it that way if those are false professors She is the favorite child and yet she is also the only child in a sense

Because she is the only true child And in calling her the only one of her.

Oh, uh, excuse me and then to explain who is the mother? Who is the mother supposed to be?

If you read through scripture one thing that you may notice is the bible frequently talks about zion and the daughter of zion

Interchangeably frequently talks about jerusalem and the daughter of jerusalem interchangeably to speak about the people of god

This is what you are seeing here the notion of the mother and the notion of the daughter of the mother Are different aspects of the same reality of this church

In verse in song solomon three verse four It says scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves

I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house And into the chamber of her who conceived me

So you see her taking him into her mother's room. It's uh There's an interchangeability here that you see likewise throughout scripture when it speaks of zion or it speaks to the daughter of zion

So there are 60 queens and 80 concubines and virgins without number my dove My perfect one is the only one the only one of her mother pure to her who bore her this is

This is the picture of this Uniqueness of the bride this preciousness of the bride now consider the

Diversity of the church in this light There are 60 queens and 80 concubines and virgins without number.

Uh, this is the case for people of god there are many people of god

They are innumerable. They are like the sands of the sea given the way that god has blessed christ in the church

And they come in varieties queens concubines virgins One way that this is spoken of is in first corinthians 15

It says there's one glory of the sun another glory of the moon another glory of the stars for star differs from star and glory

So it is with the resurrection of the dead What is sown is is perishable.

What is raised is imperishable There is differing glory between the different people of god and this is something that The various kinds of glory demonstrate god's glory in a particular way you have those who are

You have what is in the greatest quantity Being those things that are the least glorious and those which are in the smallest quantity being those things which are the most glorious Just like here 60 queens

Those being the fewest 80 concubines there being more of those virgins without number there being the most of those

Consider something like diamonds, right if you were to go look for a Half carat or a one carat diamond.

It wouldn't be very much money because there are tons of those you look for a two carat three carat diamond

Far far more money, right it costs You're talking a lot more this is this is an order of magnitude more money you go up another carat or two

It's another order of magnitude because it becomes that much more rare. So there are different there are different glories in god's church

In addition you see those also inversely proportional with the quantity the higher the glory the fewer there are

And what does that say if the bride herself well the bride herself shows

Because she is only one and there are many of different kinds of glories within the church shows that she is

Especially glorious. She is glorious beyond all the individuals of the church now considering the the unity of the church rather than the diversity the unity of the church ephesians 4 4 through 5 says there's one body and one spirit

Just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one lord one faith one baptism

One god and father of all who is over all and through all and in all But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of christ's gift

So god gives grace in varying measures, but He has given all of us one lord one faith one baptism

We have one god one father. We are all united together And so despite the diversity there's something that god has accomplished in bringing us together to be one that is

Something that is of special value beyond Any kind of value that he gives in making the individuals glorious it is through bringing them all together with the with the variety of with the variety of giftings that he gives with the variety of purity with the variety of uh of blessedness

That demonstrates the ultimate glory of his church who is just one and so god in providing all these various kinds of parts of his body

Uh lesser parts greater parts just like it speaks of in first corinthians just like it speaks of in many passages

Is illustrating to us? Not just realities about us as individuals But realities about the church as a whole

If there are many of these and they are glorious if there are fewer of these and they are more glorious There are fewer of these and they are more glorious you know you think about the um

The greatest servants that god uses in his church people who have been recorded in history

People have been recorded in scripture that we are able to look back on And think about how god used them in special ways and there are fewer and fewer of the greater and greater kinds but the absolute top

That hierarchy is for none other than all of them combined together in the one church of god

She is the one dove Dove is simply the the pet name that is used throughout this.

Uh Yeah, this term of endearment that's used throughout the song of solomon.

My dove is one So your value Well on one hand you as an individual believer have a particular grace that has been given to you

Have a particular gifting that has been given to you have a particular glory That god has in store for you on that final day

Well, that is true your greater glory is not found in that individual glory, but is found in You being part of that one bride this provides a

Motivation for unity Your greatest glory is not found

In anything that god is doing in you individually, but what he is doing in you with others corporately

If that is the greater glory That you will enjoy Then how much should you pursue unity?

You should pursue unity with great with great zeal

This is true with individuals. All right as you pursue unity with one another you should be studying the word of god that you can

Be more and more Conformed to that word more and more conformed to jesus christ so you can be unified with one another

Additionally as there are disagreements you should eagerly resolve those disagreements following the pattern given to us in matthew 18

Where you go and you show your brother's fault where you work things out with one another you don't sweep things under the rug you don't

Harbor bitterness, but you resolve these things because that is an important glory that is worth seeking

Now beyond that there is an importance for local churches to pursue unity with one another one of the things that happens if people elevate the local church above the global church

Is they work they circle their wagons and work to their own advantage against other local churches this ought not be you know when other churches ask us to use the facilities we have

Open hands, you know, so long as they're a true church. We have we have open hands We desire to help other churches.

We belong to an association You know, there are many baptists who because baptists believe in independence in church government and authority will not

Be part of an association they'll be anti -associational That's the that's the term because they think that that would be contrary to christ's purpose for the church

No, it is perfectly in line with this purpose if we're to pursue a greater unity than just the unity that we have here

So local churches should pursue unity with one another Now moreover

We should desire the good of the global church You should be often thinking not just what is best for my church individually, but also what is best for the for the global church

Yeah, many churches are just very Very concerned about themselves and preserving themselves in a way that does not consider what the needs of the of the global church are

I remember one time Uh, I was on a team where I had a particular expertise

Uh, this is at work. I had a particular expertise. It's maybe you know top Kind of top tier.

It's a very niche thing that hardly anybody has any experience in but I had experience in it a lot of experience

In it and I could help this other team with that thing And so I asked my team I asked my manager if that would be okay

He asked his manager that manager asked her manager, etc. And the answer came back No, I couldn't because our priorities were important.

It was more important to work for the team than to work for the whole company This is this is often how people, uh in churches operate there

You ought to have a special concern for your own church This is where god has placed you but at the same time that concern for that church is ultimately in service of the one bride

My dove is one and if it's ever the case that uh preserving your own church or or elevating your own church only serves to Detract from the health of the global church in whatever circumstance that may be then

It ought not be you could imagine a situation where there are two small churches

They're nearby each other They have some small differences and they could they could merge together and it would be a healthier situation

But because they are so concerned about the the life of their own church and preservation of their own church and their particulars

That they would not engage in that merger that would be one example of caring about local above global We should be working together with other churches.

We should be desiring the the health of the the global church now Think about this also when it comes to the way individuals work either for the local church or for the global church uh many churches when they

Have a pastor who is full -time They expect we are paying you to do this job

You should be focused on this if you are getting distracted by global church tasks

That's not good. Now. Certainly it is the case that someone could Get into their mind that they're a big shot who needs to be doing all kinds, you know

Going to conferences all around the globe etc And they are neglecting the local church when this is the institution that christ has established for that the health of his people

Certainly that could be the case but is it not right for a church to recognize that it may be good for a pastor to Use his efforts to use his energies not just Not only for the good of the local church, but also for the good of the global church

I have a um, i'm doing an interview on a podcast soon and they sent me a list of questions one of the questions this is about money ministry, which most of you know, this is a

A favorite topic of mine One of the questions that's going to be asked of me is how can we still support?

men to dedicate themselves to being professors In seminary so that those kinds of institutions can still flourish part of me thinks that maybe that's not even the right question to be asking because What it's assuming is if someone is working on the local church

They can't really do the job. Well of serving the global church working Working to educate others

Right, or if they are working to educate others In the global church, then they can't really be doing the work for the local church

I don't think that it's that it works that way. In fact, I think it's healthiest when one is

Recognizing what gifting that god has given them and working to the good of both Primarily even the local church, but with an eye towards the towards the global church there's so many who have to Engage in unbiblical ways of raising funds of selling selling their teaching etc

Because they're not being funded by the regular giving of the church because it's not something that's considered part of the ministry of the church

And because these things are being run by parachurch ministry since they're not considered part of the church That means they're outside of the oversight of elders

They're outside of the financial stewardship of deacons And it's it's run contrary to the way that christ would have his church to run

But it's done that way because people pit these two at odds with one another global church and local church not realizing that There should be a sweeter harmony between the two

And consider how good it is for one who is engaged in global church work to be engaged in local church work

It's very similar to a Doctor, you know, I I don't know a lot about the medical field

But I imagine a research doctor who's trying to develop new techniques to deal with a with a disease

Is not going to be very well Respected if he is not also practicing medicine

Right if he's just dealing with medicine up in an ivory tower not actually practicing not actually looking at results and dealing with patients

Right the same should be I think we should have a very similar attitude toward toward pastoral work that If someone is going to be doing global pastoral work, they ought to be

Engaged in local work. Anyway, these two do not need to be at odds. They can be in sweet harmony and churches ought to support their pastors

With an eye toward understanding how their gifts could be used for the global church. Not just the not just the local church

So that they can be in harmony now Considering all those ways to pursue unity consider also how to pursue honor honor of one another.

First of all you ought not Honor yourself above others in ways that are inappropriate

You see in scripture there are men who Consider honor the reason why they're in the church.

They want to be at the head of the table There are men like in third john diatrophies who doesn't want others to be recognized

Now this is often true in church leadership where there are people who consider

The church to exist for them rather than them for the church But for every megalomaniac in church ministry who thinks that there are probably thousands

In among the laymen who think that that that the church exists for them rather than them for the church

They see that the church is there to raise them up individually rather than them raising the church up But where is the true glory here that's described in this passage?

The young women saw her and called her blessed the queens and concubines also and they praised her it is job of the laymen even to elevate the church because that is where His or her glory ultimately is found is not in themself but in church

So you should speak honorably of one another romans 12 10 says outdo one another in showing honor if this is the case if your ultimate glory is found in the

The oneness of the church and not the manyness of you if that is a far more precious thing.

My dove is one If that is the more precious thing then there is no reason for jealousy There is no reason for gossip.

A lot of people try to elevate themselves by tearing others down Rather you can elevate yourself if you understand where your glory is rightly found by elevating others because it is in that unity in that oneness

That your greatest glory will be found in the oneness of that dove in the oneness of the bride

And speak honorably about the church herself I find it, uh disturbing

I catch myself doing this too when many people Look at problems in the church and they speak negatively of the church because of that they say you know the church is um

Yeah, the church is very foolish. The church does not honor god or the church, etc No, this is don't say that don't say that the bride definitely honors her groom

Do not say that the bride does not honor the groom if you if you need to speak that way then speak with sufficient qualification say things like the modern church has a lack of clarity about x or You can speak of her as being immature

This is something that god describes that the body is growing to match the head You can speak of her as being as in the process of being purified you can speak of her as Being distressed or attacked.

This is one of the ways, uh, one of the hymns we sing speaks that way It talks about her by heresies distressed

That would be an appropriate way of speaking of the bride, uh, but speak honorably about the bride of christ

If you're a married man, you would not be happy with someone speaking poorly of your bride so we should not speak poorly of the bride of christ rather when we notice flaws we should

Identify them in truthful yet honorable ways that acknowledge the purity the goodness of that bride

All this is a Great truth that not only motivates unity, but should be an incredible encouragement

And source of joy for you as you see what christ has in store As we are growing together as one as he is building up this body

Your glory individually may be Increasing as you are being sanctified as you are being purified

But as that one body as that one bride is being purified being made mature

There is a greater glory which you get to see what you get to be part of that is growing So that you can like the young women like the queens and concubines call her blessed praise her

Because as the lord says my dove is my dove My perfect one is the only one the only one of our mother pure to her who bore her.

Amen Dear heavenly father, we thank you for your word

We pray that we would be able to embrace it as many have in generations past understanding.

These truths is applying to Christ and his bride. We ask that it would be an encouragement to us and that we would not neglect your word in jesus name