SONG OF SONGSCHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER OVERVIEW: The Bridegroom describes the Bride in verses 1-9. The Bride responds to Him in verses 10-13.

THE BRIDEGROOM 1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves

of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.

2 Your navel is a rounded goblet; it lacks no blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat set about with lilies.

3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. 4 Your neck is like an ivory tower, your eyes like the pools in Heshbon by

the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.

5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple; a king is held captive by your tresses.

6 How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! 7 This stature of yours is like a palm tree, and your breasts like its

clusters. 8 I said, "I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches."

Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples,

9 And the roof of your mouth like the best wine. The wine goes down smoothly, moving gently the lips of sleepers.

(1) How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.

In the description of the Bride, God gives a prophetic mandate for spiritual growth.

Her feet: The RSV says, “How beautiful are your steps.” The Bride wears the shoes of evangelism (Ephesians 6:15). Her feet are beautiful spiritually (Romans 10:15).

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7)

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Her heritage: She is the daughter of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

Her thighs: The thighs represent spiritual strength. Jacob's thigh was thrown out of joint when he wrestled with the Angel of the Lord at Peniel, demonstrating that our strength must not come from the natural strength of our flesh. Your spiritual thighs are like jewels in the eyes of the Lord, the work of a skillful workman because “We are His workmanship…” (Ephesians 2:10).

(2) Your navel is a rounded goblet; it lacks no blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat set about with lilies.

Her navel with blended beverage represents being spiritually connected to the Bridegroom where there is no lack of the wine of the Holy Spirit. It is symbolic of the development of inner spiritual life. A rounded goblet speaks of healthy nourishment. Her naval is the lifeline to her spiritual womb, bringing forth new life as she guides others to the born gain experience.

Her waist: The word “waist” can be translated as “womb”. The wheat in her belly speaks of the Word in her womb which brings forth new life through spiritual fruitfulness. This harvest is “set about” with lilies symbolizing her praise and worship.

(3) Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.

Her breasts are compared to fawns. Twins represents balance. A gazelle speaks of strength and is used elsewhere in the Song to describe the Bridegroom. Her breasts provide nourishment to others.

(4) Your neck is like an ivory tower, your eyes like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.

Her neck is like an ivory tower. Ivory is a product of death, symbolic of death to the flesh. Her neck, representing her will, is not like the” iron “ of obstinance or self-will (Isaiah 48:4).

Her eyes were previously described as dove’s eyes with no peripheral vision, focused only on her Bridegroom. Here, her eyes are described as fish pools which reflect her ability to clearly see the lost people (fish) of the world. The Bride has spiritual insight and is open to divine revelation. Heshbon means "stronghold.” It was a Levitical city of refuge. She is ready to go into Satan’s strongholds and set the captive free! “Bath-Rabbim” means "daughter of many" or “city of many”. This speaks of the multitudes to which she will minister. What does the Bridegroom see when He looks into your eyes? A reflection of the material things of the world or a reflection of the multitudes of the world in need of a Savior?

Her nose speaks of her keen discernment which is described as a metaphor of the sense of smell. She can sense the difference between what is holy and what is not (Ezekiel 44:23). She can discern both good and evil (Hebrews. 5:14). The tower means that, like the border fortress in Israel that looked toward Damascus where the enemy dwelt, she is cognizant of the enemy.

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(5) Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, and the hair of your head is like purple; a king is held captive by your tresses.

Her head as a crown speaks of a spiritually renewed mind. Mt. Carmel means “a fruitful field; a planted field, orchard, an excellent vineyard.”

Her hair symbolizes royalty. The Bride is a royal heir through Jesus Christ, so He describes her hair as purple which in Bible times was the color symbolizing royalty. She has royal power delegated by Him, so when she appeals to Him using that authority He is taken captive by her requests. He has to respond. The Darby translation says he is “fettered” by her hair which speaks of dedication to God (Numbers 6). Your Bridegroom is held captive by the very hairs of your head spiritually. He has numbered your natural hairs as a symbol of their importance (Luke 12:7).

(6) How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!

Her countenance is fair, pleasant, and delightful. She is beautiful and pleasing to Him.

(7) This stature of yours is like a palm tree, and your breasts like its clusters. (8) I said, “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.”

Her stature is like a palm tree. Her breasts are as clusters of fruit on the palm, representing the fruitfulness of her life. The clusters speak of abundance. The Bridegroom comes to inspect the Bride’s spiritual fruit, taking hold of the “branches” of her life. See Supplemental Study 7.1 on “The Spiritual Symbolism Of Palms.”

(8) Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine

Her breasts. Abiding in Christ, the true source of fruitfulness, the Bride brings forth clusters of luscious, refreshing, and sustaining fruit to bless the Bridegroom and the spiritually hungry world.

Grape vines that have been cultivated properly often become weighted down by their bountiful fruit. Symbolically the Bridegroom is commending the Bride’s increased capacity to feed others. Because she has been spiritually nourished, she can nourish others.

(8) … the fragrance of your breath like apples. Her breath smells like apples, representing the Word of God, which she ingested in SOS 2:3. In the natural world, your breath smells like what you have eaten. This is true in the spiritual world also. Do you feed on the Word? Godly spiritual breath is so powerful that it can breathe on dry bones and they will live (Ezekiel 37). What odor do you give off when you open your mouth? In the natural world, bad breath is a result of bad habits like smoking, decay, infection,

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illness, or impending death. The same is true spiritually.

(9) And the roof of your mouth like the best wine.

Her mouth is compared to the best wine. The new wine of the Kingdom was poured out at Pentecost (Acts 2:4,13,17). Wine also symbolizes Christ’s blood shed for the sins of all mankind (Luke 22:20). Her mouth has become like the best wine because she has partaken of His blood shed for her and has drunk deeply of His love which is better than wine (SOS 1:2). What a compliment to be compared to the best wine. In the natural world, the best wine often sells for thousands of dollars. As of the writing of this commentary, the record price is for a bottle of 1945 French Burgundy which sold for $558,000 in 2018.

(9) The wine goes down smoothly, moving gently the lips of sleepers.

The wine going down smoothly refers to the wine of the Holy Spirit being infused into the Bride’s spiritual being. She is to be continually filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The wine of the Holy Spirit--the Word spoken from her mouth--awakens believers who are spiritually asleep (Ephesians 5:14). The King James Version translates it: “…causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.” The Passion Translation says: “Your kisses of love awaken even the lips of sleeping ones.” She has been kissed by the Bridegroom through His Word. Now the Word in her mouth brings His kisses to others through her.

THE BRIDE

10 I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me. 11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the

villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded,

whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.

13 The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.

(10) I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.

A progressing pattern of spiritual maturity is reflected in the Song:

-First level: The ruling thought is “My Beloved is mine and I am His” (2:16). We consider Christ to be ours alone and the relationship chiefly for our pleasure.

-Second level: “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine” (6:3) reflects a deeper mutual relationship.

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-Third level: “I am my Beloved’s and His desire is toward me” (7:10). The word “mine” is dropped. The focus of the relationship is all about Him and His desires. It is not about my church, my ministry, or my people. It is about Him.

(11) Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages.

Earlier in the Song, Solomon tried to draw His Bride out of her reclusiveness to go with Him to the spiritual harvest fields. Now it is the Bride who takes the initiative in going with her Bridegroom to the fields and villages. She is ready for service. She is no longer interested in remaining behind her wall. Her focus is on the fields of the world (Matthew 13:38). Not one village, but “villages”—many places remain that are in need of the Gospel. She is not seeking a permanent home, but wants to go with her Bridegroom to the spiritual harvest fields that are ready for reaping.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalm 2:8)

She wants to labor with her Bridegroom:

They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. (Mark 16:20)

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field…(1 Corinthians 3:9)

If you are to experience intimacy with Him, you must be willing to leave where you are and go with Him when He calls. If you walk with Him, your heart will burn with passion as did the hearts of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32).

(12) Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.

In the beginning of the Song, the Bride declared, “Draw me, and we will run after you…”, yet she was hesitant when the Bridegroom appealed to her to go with Him to the fields of the world. Now, she is not only ready to go, she wants to get up early and go. The effort to arise early is not a sacrifice, but a joy (Psalm 108:2). She is ready to run with Him.

As you go forth to the fields of the world with your Bridegroom, you will experience spiritual fruitfulness, symbolized here by the buds, blossoms, and blooms. She longs to see if there are “buds” in the lives of others whose passion has not yet been awakened. She longs to share her spiritual passion for the Bridegroom with them.

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There are many vineyards, but God wants you to cultivate your vineyard which is your assigned place of service and responsibility. She will not be working for man as she was in SOS 1:6. She will be working with her Bridegroom:

-Let us go forth: Sent forth by God the Father.-Let us lodge: With the abiding presence of the Son who dwells with us.-Let us get up: And do the job in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Previously, the Bride wanted to remain secluded in His love at the banqueting table. Now, instead of fearing the loss of intimacy because of ministry, the Bride has learned how to deepen her relationship while serving others. You will enter into a new dimension of His love “there”, in the place where He has ordained you to be. See Supplemental Study 7.2 on “A Place Called There.”

(13) The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.

In Bible times, mandrakes were thought to enhance one’s ability to have children (Genesis 30:14-15), so the mandrake is a plant that symbolizes procreation between spouses. As you go to the fields with your Bridegroom, you will give birth to new visions and new ministries. You will become spiritually reproductive.

There are spiritual fruits growing right now by your gates, ready to be harvested. You do not have to run here and there to find fields of service. Opportunities are right outside your door “at your gates”.

Through her work in the vineyards, the Bride is laying up fruit for her Bridegroom, a spiritual harvest of both old and new crops, those reaped in both the past and the present.

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PRAYING THE SONG OF SONGSCHAPTER SEVEN

1 I thank You that my spiritual feet are equipped with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I am Your handiwork, a jewel in Your sight, and the work of Your hands.

2 I do not desire the intoxications of this world and it pleasures. I seek only the wine of Your Spirit. Let my spiritual womb bring forth an abundant harvest of sons and daughters.

3 Let me nurture many with Your Word.

4 Make my life as pure as a tower of ivory. Make my eyes as clear and perceptive as the fish pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Make me as strong as the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus, alert for the advance of the enemy.

5 Thank you for redemption which crowns me as Your royal Bride. Be enthralled and captivated in the galleries of my praise.

6 Make me beautiful to You. Make me Your delight.

7 Make me like a palm tree spiritually, loaded with the fruit of my worship and my work for You.

8 Come and take hold of the boughs of my life. Be refreshed with the cluster of my praise and worship.

9 My best spiritual wine is reserved for You, my Beloved. I pour it out in adoration. Drink deeply of it.

10 I am Yours, and Your desire is towards me.

11 I am ready to go forth with You today into the fields of the world, to the forgotten places, to tell others of Your redeeming love.

12 I am ready to join You in the spiritual vineyards. It is there, in the harvest fields, that we will share our love with the world. I am ready! Make me quick to obey!

13 Let the fragrance of my life be poured forth. Let the fruits of my life nourish others. Thank you for the spiritual harvests of the past, the present, and the future--old and new spiritual

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treasures.

Amen

CHAPTER SEVEN STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Using the outline notes and verses 1-9, answer the following questions.-Who is speaking?-About whom is he speaking?-How does he describe her:

-Feet.-Heritage.-Thighs.-Naval.-Waist.-Breast.-Neck.-Eyes.-Nose.-Head.-Hair.-Countenance.-Stature.-Breasts.-Breath.-Mouth.

Make a spiritual application of each.2. Using the outline notes and verses 10-13, answer the following questions.

-Who is speaking?-To whom does she say she belongs?-What does she say regarding her Bridegroom’s desire?-What appeal does she make to her Bridegroom?

-Where does she want to go?-For what purpose?-What does she pledge to do there?-What has she laid up for her Bridegroom?

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SUPPLEMENTARY STUDY 7.1THE SPIRITUAL SYMBOLISM OF PALMS

Palm trees are mentioned frequently in the Bible. The palm was displayed as an emblem of victory; it was used as ornamental engravings in the temple built by Solomon; and it will be featured in the temple prophesied by Ezekiel.

Palm trees were involved in spiritual celebrations:

Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (Leviticus 23:39-41)

Palms also became associated with prophetic judgment, as Deborah prophesied and judged Israel under a palm tree (Judges 4:5).

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people…

Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. (John 12:13)

In Revelation, palms are used in worship:

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9-10)

Spiritual Analogies

In Song of Songs 7:7, the Bridegroom compares the stature of the Bride to a palm tree. There are many spiritual analogies that may be drawn from this symbolism.

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-God wants you to flourish like a palm tree:

Yes! Look how you’ve made all your lovers to flourish like palm trees, each one growing in victory, standing with your strength. You’ve transplanted them into your heavenly courtyard where they are thriving before you. For in your presence they will still overflow and be anointed. Even in their old age they will stay fresh, bearing luscious fruit and abiding faithfully. (Psalm 92:12-14, TPT)

-Elim was a refuge of shady palm trees. Likewise, our lives should be a refuge for the weary (Exodus 15:27).

-Palm trees bear much fruit, as so should we (John 15:5).

-There must be a male palm tree in order for the female to bear fruit. As believers, the Bride must be united with the Bridegroom in order to bear spiritual fruit (John 15:5).

-The older the palm is, the sweeter its fruit. The fruit-bearing powers of the tree do not pass away. As age increases the fruit becomes more perfect as well as more abundant. As you age, you should become more fruitful, not less fruitful. You should become sweeter, not a bitter complaining old person (Psalm 92:14).

-Palms grow from the center of the tree instead of adding rings on the outside. True spiritual change comes from the inside and is evidenced externally (Matthew 12;34-35; 15:18-19).

-Palm trees are not amenable to grafting in foreign trees. Believers should reject sin, wrong attitudes, and toxic people who try to attach to them spiritually (Hebrews 12:1).

-Palms are evergreen, meaning that they are not barren because of the changing of seasons. As a believer you should not be affected by the changing seasons of life, but you should continue to bear fruit regardless of the spiritual season you are experiencing (Galatians 6:9).

-Palm trees are used to identify where underground streams flow. Believers should be plugged into the source of living water, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 7:37-38).

-Palms grow and flourish in the heat. As believers, we should flourish in the heat of difficult times and not wither and die (Psalm 1:1-3).

-Palms bend in the wind, but they do not break because they have deep roots. Believers who are truly rooted in faith in Christ may bend, but they will not break during the storms of life (Colossians 2:7; Matthew 15:13).

-Multiple palms planted together strengthen each other, as do believers who unite with others of like faith (Ecclesiastes 4:8-12).

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-There are many uses for the palm tree. An example is the palmyra palm of India which has over 800 documented uses. Believers are used by the Holy Spirit in various gifts and functions as part of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).

-Withered palms in the natural world are lacking water and nourishment. The same is true spiritually. As a believer, you must protect your spiritual fruit from withering by prayer, the Word of God, and walking in obedience to the Lord (Joel 1:12).

-Palms attract moisture. There is a palm tree in South America called the rain tree. It attracts atmospheric moisture which it condenses and drops on the earth around it in refreshing dew. It grows in a parched desert land, yet surrounding it is an oasis of vegetation. Believers should be like this, attracting spiritual moisture from the atmosphere of God's presence and creating an oasis in the desert of this world.

-Pests and diseases that cause palm trees to die are symbolic of spiritual attacks that can destroy the fruit of your life. Here are some spiritual analogies drawn from common palm tree pests and diseases.

-Cabbage Palm Caterpillars are attracted to the blooms of the tree. In a particularly heavy infestation, all of the tree's buds can be eaten. After a caterpillar has finished its eating period, it spins a thread and lowers itself to the ground where it will search for a quiet place to pupate. In some instances, this means entering buildings, including homes. Once inside, the caterpillars have been known to cause considerable damage as they chew and destroy fabrics to make cocoons.

Spiritual application: Guard against all sins, attitudes, and people that would destroy the “blooms” of spiritual fruit in your life. If you don’t deal with these pests when they are external, they will soon worm their way into your internal life, ministry, and home to perpetuate even more pests.

-The Borer is a large ugly beetle. Borer grubs can live inside a palm trunk for up to nine years before exiting as beetles through quarter-sized holes. Intense borer infestations can structurally weaken a palm tree that is not properly maintained.

Spiritual application: What is living inside of you? What have you been holding on to that is boring holes in your spiritual life and weakening you spiritually? Get rid of these pests by proper maintenance of your spiritual life.

-The Palmetto Weevil is attracted primarily to stressed or damaged trees. Palmetto weevils start life as eggs laid in damaged areas of a host tree. After about three days, the eggs hatch and the grubs begin to feed on the tissue of the palm. The larvae grow by molting and with each successive molt their appetites grow. In their final stage, the mature larvae move from deep within the tree to the outer area and spin cocoons around

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themselves. Weevils emerge from the cocoons after several weeks to mate and reproduce. As the weevils continue their work inside the tree, the entire crown may weaken and fall over. It is essential to keep the trees in good condition and, above all, avoid wounds that attract weevils.

Spiritual application: What things are hidden in your life that are eating away at you and reproducing evil? At work on the inside, these wrong attitudes, habits, and sins will eventually be evident on the outside. Sin’s appetite only increases. Avoid harboring wounds of unforgiveness and bitterness that will permit these spiritual pests to perpetuate.

-The Royal Palm Bug feeds on the royal palm. These tiny bugs rarely kill the host tree, but the damage they do can be unsightly and they are difficult to control given the height of mature royal palms. Eggs are laid in the spring inside the folds of new palm leaflets which serve to protect them until they hatch. Eggs hatch after eight or nine days and the insects reach adulthood in a month, about the same time that it takes a royal palm to produce a new leaf. After hatching the bugs begin to feed on the new leaf, producing ugly yellow spots on the leaf surface. Large numbers of bugs feeding on one leaf can cause it to wilt and turn gray.

Spiritual application: You are part of a royal priesthood called to show forth the Lord to the world (1 Peter 2:9). The enemy wants to destroy your reputation through sin so that your witness as a royal heir will be damaged (Ecclesiastes 10:1).

-Thrips are small insects that feed by puncturing the surfaces of the leaves to suck out sap. Thrips are not lethal to palms, but the feeding of the adults can discolor and wilt leaves and leave intensive infestations. The first step in controlling thrips is finding them. Detection can be a challenge given the small size of the insect.

Spiritual application: Small things matter. Little foxes spoil the vine (SOS 2:15). Continually examine yourself to rid yourself of the “thirps” that are caused by the “punctures” of difficulties in life (Psalm 139:23). “Let a man examine himself”(1 Corinthians 11:28).

-Bud Rot causes palm leaves to wilt and die and tree death can occur soon afterward.

Spiritual application: Buds are new growth. Do not let the enemy destroy new spiritual growth in your life, new visions, new dreams.

-Fusarium Wilt causes palm fronds to wilt, lose their green luster, and eventually die.

Spiritual application: Do not become so “busy for God” that you experience spiritual wilt. Take time to rest and refresh yourself in the Word and prayer (Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13).

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-Ganoderma Butt Rot is caused by a fungus which invades the base of palm trees up to a height of three to four feet above the ground.

Spiritual application: Make sure you have a good spiritual foundation by rooting yourself in the Word of God and the basics of faith (Colossians 2:7; Matthew 15:13).

SUPPLEMENTARY STUDY 7.2A PLACE CALLED THERE

Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. (SOS 7:12)

There are many vineyards of service in the Kingdom of God, but your Bridegroom wants you to cultivate your vineyard, your assigned place of service and responsibility. There, in the place where He has ordained you to be, you will experience a new dimension of intimacy with Him: “There I will give you my love.” If you are not experiencing His loving presence, provision, and power perhaps it is because you are not in your assigned place called “there”.

A Biblical Example

Perhaps one of the greatest Biblical examples of being in “a place called there” is found in the story of Elijah during the famine in Israel. God told Elijah:

Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. (1 Kings 17:3-4)

The place of provision was “there”, the place where God destined for Elijah to be. Eventually, there came a day that Elijah was directed to a new place called “there”. God told him:

Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. (1 Kings 17:9)

The place called “there” to which you are assigned is not stagnant. It will change over the course of your lifetime. The divine appointment for Elijah was first “there” at Cherith, then “there” at Zarephath.

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Later, when Elijah became discouraged and fearful, he retreated to a cave in the mountains:

And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:9)

Basically, God was asking Elijah: “What are you doing here, when you should be there?” Then God directed Elijah to return there--to where he was called--and finish the work which God had given him to do.

Everyone else may be “here”, but God may have called you to be “there”. Like Elijah, you have a “place called there” that is your divine destiny.

At A Place Called There…

You will experience spiritual renewal. Jacob was directed to go “there”—in this case, to return to Bethel—and build an altar to the Lord.

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. (Genesis 35:1)

You will experience divine provision. Jacob was directed to go to Egypt during a time of famine. It was there that God provided for him and his family:

And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. (Genesis 45:10-11)

You will experience multiplication. God told Jacob:

And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation. (Genesis 46:3)

Jacob (Israel) entered Egypt as one family. When they departed, they were a great multitude. At your place called “there”, you will experience divine multiplication in the Kingdom of God.

You will receive new promises. When Israel needed water on their wilderness trek, Moses…

… cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the

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waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them… (Exodus 15:25)

There, at the bitter waters of Marah, Israel received this promise:

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26)

You will receive new revelation. Moses was directed by God to come up the mountain and “there” receive revelation from God:

And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them (Exodus 24:12)

When you are there, in the place God has destined you to be, you will receive prophetic revelation. You will experience God’s manifested glory. There, in a place he was destined by God to be, Moses experienced God’s glory:

And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. (Exodus 33:21-23)

You will develop new intimacy with God. At a place called “there”, Moses received a new manifestation of God’s name. The names of God not only reflect His character, but they contain His promises, i.e., He is healer, Comforter, Savior, etc. When you are in your place called there, you will come to know Him more intimately in the fullness of His names:

And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. (Exodus 34:5)

You will experience communion with God. In Old Testament times, God communed with His people at specific places:

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 25:22)

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Through the death of Jesus on the cross, you can commune with the Lord right “there” in your heart because you are now the temple of the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16).

You will hear the voice of God. God told Moses: “…I will come down and talk with thee there…” (Numbers 11:17).

God told Jeremiah: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words” (Jeremiah 18:2).

God told Ezekiel:

And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face. Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house. (Ezekiel 3:22-24)

You will receive new direction from the Lord. After Paul’s conversion, he questioned…

What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. (Acts 22:10)

You will experience spiritual victory. When you are in your “there”, you will experience breakthroughs in spiritual battles:

So they came up to Baal-perazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim. (1 Chronicles 14:11)

Baal-perazim means the place of breaking through. If you are not in the place where you are destined to be, you may find yourself failing in spiritual warfare and/or fighting battles in which God never intended for you to be involved.

You will function under the anointing of the Lord. Ezekiel said:

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. (Ezekiel 8:1)

The anointing fell on Ezekiel, and he delivered a prophetic message to the elders assembled there before him.

You will fulfill your ministry. Wherever the disciples were directed by God, it was there that

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they were empowered to fulfill their ministry: “And there they preached the gospel” (Acts 14:7).

You will experience a new manifestation of the Bridegroom’s love. The Bridegroom appealed to His Bride:

Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. (SOS 7:12)

Most important, at your place called “there” you will experience the love of your Bridegroom, the divine destiny for which you were created.

How To Experience The Place Called There

The place called “there” is the place of obedience, the place to which God directs you at a specific time and for specific purposes. It may be a call to a specific ministry, a certain geographic location, a certain job, or a new spiritual commitment to giving, serving, or prayer.The exciting truth is that no matter where your call was in the past or where it will be in the future, you are never beyond God’s “there”. The psalmist declared:

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even (there) the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. (Psalm 139:8-12)

Here are some simple guidelines for experiencing a place called “there”:

Meet with God each morning. Pray and ask Him to direct you to your place of destiny for that day. Study His Word for direction. If you walk in God’s will each day, someday you will look back over a lifetime of serving Him “there” in your appointed place

And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning…and present thyself there to me… (Exodus 34:2)

If you make it a practice to meet with God each morning, you will find yourself being directed to specific places at specific times for divine appointments that will enable you to fulfill your destiny.

Become part of a Bible-believing church. Wherever Jesus is lifted up and His Word is taught and obeyed, the Lord is there!

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And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. (1 Kings 9:3)

For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. (2 Chronicles 7:16)

Fellowship with other believers: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). True believers will encourage you in your journey to “there”.

Be sensitive to direction and redirection. You may have one plan for your day, but God may have another. Like Paul, you may want to go to one place to minister, but God directs you to another (Acts 16:6). Like Abraham, you may be living in one place and God will redirect you elsewhere (Genesis 12:1). He may not take you the best or shortest route because He knows what lies ahead (Exodus 13:17-18). Listen for prompts of the Holy Spirit that direct and redirect you and enable you to be there, in the right place at the right time.

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