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But, turn to Exodus the 16th chapter and the 31st verse. We’re going to see something
about this word, “white”. And, this is what it says, it says, “And the house of
Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the
taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” So, then we begin to think about the fact
that in the New Testament, Jesus taught in John 6: verses 32 through 35, and we won’t
turn there to save time, but remember Jesus said to the crowds, He said, “I am the true
bread that has come down from heaven”. What happened? When the children of Israel passed
through the desert floors, they were supernaturally fed as God provided what was called, “Manna”.
That’s what they named it; that came six days out of the week and fell upon the ground
and then they gathered it, and that’s what they ate. And, that’s what caused them to
survive. For forty years in the wilderness that was their food. And, it was what we would,
kind of liken it to, it would look kind of like a coriander seed we’re going to show
you a little picture here of the coriander seed. And, that’s about the closest we could
come up with to kind of describe what the manna must have looked like when it fell as
they gathered it. And so, this coriander seed, it was white,
and they would cook it and make bread out of it and so forth. And, this was a symbol
of how that one day a savior would come and he would come right down out of heaven just
like the manna did. And, He would symbolize and He would fulfill that manna that came
naturally. He would come spiritually and He would be the bread that if we’d eat thereof
we would never need to hunger again and search anymore for the answer to the hunger of our
soul. And so, that’s what Exodus 16:31 is bringing out, that this manna was like coriander
seed. It was white and it had a taste like wafers that had the taste of honey in it.
It was preciously sweet. And, so when she says, “My bridegroom, he’s
white, in a sense, it’s connecting with this thought: he is the fulfillment of that
white, coriander seed. The very seed that God spoke of in the Garden with Adam and Eve
when He said that there would be a seed come. There would be a seed come and he would bruise
that old serpent’s head. Yes, Jesus was of that seed, and as the white manna that
fell. You know, in the book of Numbers, we won’t
turn there again, ladies, to save time but Numbers 11: verses 7 through 8, it says that
the color of the manna, it was like the color of bdellium. And, your Amplified would use
the word, “pearl”. It would look, kind of, like a pearl color. And, there in Numbers
it says it had the taste of it that was like “fresh oil”. What does that make you think
of, you that know of the things of the Spirit? Doesn’t that remind you how we hunger for
the Spirit to come upon our lives, not as rancid oil but as fresh oil as a type of the
Holy Spirit. That’s what that manna tasted like. So, she says, “He’s white”, having
to do with his complexion. Now, let’s go on to another word that she
used about his complexion that we drew from that verse. She not only said he was white,
but she said he was, “ruddy”. He had a ruddy countenance. And, that word, “ruddy”,
it means in the Hebrew, that word “ruddy” means, “red, it means rosy, and it means
to show blood in the face”. And, the Living Bible uses this expression: it says, “He
is tanned and he is handsome”. You see, she didn’t see her beloved as someone who
was all pale and sickly and weak looking. But, no, like David, where the scripture says
in I Samuel, the 16th chapter, ladies, turn there quick, the 12th verse in the King James
Version, it says of David the psalmist, it says how that he had this
same kind of a complexion. I Samuel 16:12, and it says, “And he sent, and brought him
in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the
LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” You see, when the father, Jesse, finally
got around to bringing in the last of the sons, [that] he seemed to be reluctant to
bring in to show from being out in the field taking care of the sheep, little David, [he]
brought him in, and when Samuel saw him, the prophet, he knew, the Spirit spoke to him
and said, “This is the one you’re to anoint to be the coming king”. And, the scripture
says, “He was beautiful”. He was a beautiful young man. He had these ruddy cheeks, “blood
in the face”, and it’s what might be called, “The health glow of youth”.
So, when the Bride here in the Song of Solomon, which symbolizes the Church, the Lord’s
people, you and I that are called with a privilege to be a part of this body of Christ and looking
forward for our beloved Bridegroom to come, this is describing that our Beloved, He has
a complexion, He’s white like the manna out of heaven. And, that symbolizes “purity”
as well, like the spotless Lamb of God. And, that He’s ruddy is that He’s not pale.
He’s not sickly, He’s not weak. He’s not old and grey; and [it’s] saying, “No”,
but He looks youthful and robust and He’s got rosy cheeks naturally, “blood in the
face”, healthy. Yes, our Lord is ALIVE, amen? Our Lord is ALIVE forevermore! Well,
I [can] imagine that in the grave He looked kind of pale, but when He rose from the dead,
let me tell you, Life Everlasting is ours! “Because He lives, we shall live also!”
And, He is full of life today. I’m so glad that my Lord is not weak, but He’s strong.
Now, another thing she said about him, in that text, she said not only that he was white
and that he was ruddy in his complexion, but she compared him. She said, “Why, He is
the chief among ten thousand”. “He is the fairest among ten thousand”, and some
versions say, “He is the chief among ten thousand”. So, what is she really saying?
She is putting him in comparison to others. These ladies are saying, “Well”, you know
in a sense, “How can we help you find your beloved? Where is he? What does he look like
so that we can help you find him?” And, when she describes him she says, “Well”,
you know, “He’s a ‘stand out’; He’s a ‘stand out’. There’s no rival. He
has no rival against him; he is so beautiful, he’s so handsome”.
You know, I kind of, felt that way about my Dave when I married him. I couldn’t help
but be a little bit proud that the Lord gave me such a handsome, big fellow; big and strong,
and healthy. And, that has been a blessing in our [lives]. And, anyway, she is bragging
on him, in a sense. The Life Application [Bible] uses the word
that, “he’s outstanding”. Don’t you think the Lord is “outstanding”, you that
have walked with the Lord for a while? Haven’t you found Him to be as “the chief among
ten thousand”. There’s none that can compare with Him as we read it in various [versions].
The Living Bible says it this way, “He’s better than ten thousand others”.
You know, in the Psalms, the Psalmist was anointed to write and he said, Psalm 45, verse
2, ladies, we won’t turn there again to save time, but the Psalmist said, “Thou
are fairer than the children of men”. Yes, “fairer” than the children of men. Oh,
our Lord, He does stand out among the crowd. Now, if you go into the root meaning of this
word, “chief”, among ten thousand, that means, “a standard bearer”. Now, in those
days, the military, the army groups, the troops of the tribes, they would have their ensign
that symbolized their tribe, and then there would be a person selected to be the standard
bearer that would hold up and that all the troop would know how to rally around that
standard. They knew where they belonged as they marched forward or how to identify themselves
from another troop. And so, the standard bearer would raise either a flag or a banner with
this symbol upon it that identified their particular troop. And, you know, Jesus is
the “chief among ten thousand”. He is our standard bearer”. He is the one that
has been lifted high. And, that should be a goal in our [lives], ladies, is that we
should lift Him up and lift Him high; name above all names. No other name given by man
or God, above that name, whereby men alone, can be saved. He is the banner that His people
will rally to. You know, Jesus said before He departed this earth, He said, “I, if
I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me”. Yes, and we need to help lift Him up. And,
He was speaking of being lifted up on the cross, which eventually took place. And, through
that experience, we have found an open door to come through and find eternal life. Yes,
by being lifted up on the cross, even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, He
became, as it were, our “standard bearer”. Let’s lift Him up, ladies. You that are
listeners, won’t you lift Him up in your life and may your Lord be glorified? May your
community see and know, and find out more, “Well, what is your beloved like?” as
you begin to testify and tell them what He means to you. How many times that’s going
to be the key that unlocks the door for them to open their hearts and receive Him and know
our glorious Lord. Now, time has gotten away so quickly again,
as it happens often, but I want to invite you to be with us again in our next upcoming
program. And, we’re going to move on in the series to Lesson number II, and we’re
going to move on from the thought of His complexion; you see, I just tantalized you a little bit
with that thought. You get into the Word and pray, and more the Spirit will give you on
that subject. We don’t have time to cover it sufficiently, I would say. But, we’re
going to deal next time with, “His Head”; where she says, “His head is as the most,
finest gold”. We’re going to talk about His “Headship”.
Until then, God be with you, bless you and keep you, and all of your house. And, I pray
that the Lord will strengthen you to complete all of the will of God in your life. But,
testify, Child of God. Be His witness. People need Him! Amen.
(Music) Let flowers bloom, Oh Lord, where tears have
fallen.Let our hearts, as your earth and footstool yield.Trees of
Righteousness, the Lord’s own planting, So
that He May Be, Glorified!