I sat down under His shadow

We'll turn to the Song of Songs, chapter 2, and we'll read from verse 3. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the suns. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me.

There's no was there, it's in italics. His banner over me, love. I want to think of the apple tree among the trees of the wood.

We heard in worship this morning some thoughts about the uniqueness in the life of the Lord Jesus. I've got two apple trees in my garden, and one of them further down the garden, it's a little bit sweeter apple. One is a sort of crab apple.

But the one down the garden, you can just look at it sometimes, and it's completely covered in blossom. You can't even see a leaf. It stands unique from all the other trees in my yard, and of many trees in my yard.

And here is this apple tree, and it stands unique among all the other trees. There's something about an apple tree, there's a fragrance, there's a uniqueness about it. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the suns.

We've heard about Peter, and I thought, this is it. Peter is now going to be occupied with his beloved. Remember in Luke chapter 9, they're sleeping up on the mountain.

You remember in Luke chapter 22, in the garden, they're sleeping for sorrow. But when we come to Acts chapter 12, Peter's still sleeping. It's okay, brethren, to sleep.

Peter sets a good example. Why is he sleeping in Acts chapter 12? He's sleeping in faith. The Lord had told him, we heard about the Lord speaking to him in John 21, when you are old, another will carry thee, whether thou wouldest not.

He was supposed to be slain in the morning, and he's sleeping. Why? Because he's fixed upon what his beloved has said. He's remembering the words of the Lord Jesus.

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the suns. Was there a fragrance in the meeting this morning? Brethren, there was a fragrance yesterday. What a lovely day it was, wasn't it? As we looked at the person of the Lord Jesus, and we saw something of the fragrance of his lovely person.

I was thinking in Exodus chapter 30, you've got the ointment that shows an association with the tabernacle, and then you've got the incense. Now, in the ointment, one of the prime ingredients is the myrrh, 500 shekels. There's more sweet than myrrh.

But when you come to the incense, they're all of like weight. But one of the components of the incense is frankincense. Now, when you come to Leviticus chapter 16, and the high priest goes into the holiest of all, and he bears in his hands, I need to use two hands, you don't mind me putting my Bible down, and he has a censer of coals from off the brazen altar, and on the other hand, he's got this incense, and he pours the incense onto the brazen coals.

And the smoke, and it's basically the frankincense that gives the white smoke, it fills the room. Entering into the presence of a holy God. Remember, the psalmist tells us that his throne is between the cherubim.

There he is. It's the throne of God, and the place is filled with the smoke. Now, let your eye go forward, or your mind go forward to John chapter 12.

What do we see? We see a woman coming in, and she's got her ointment. She's got her fragrant ointment, and she pours it upon the Lord Jesus. And what does the Spirit of God tell us through John? The house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

Child of God, was your heart filled this morning with the person of Christ? Were you occupied with him? Or were you thinking of your blessings? Were you thinking of what you've received? Or were we thinking, and I think we were, we're thinking of what the Father delighted in the Son. And as we look at him, we see that uniqueness about the person of the Lord Jesus. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.

And in John 21, when John says, it's the Lord, you recognize his voice? You recognize his voice? You know, it's interesting, and I'm trying not to go too sidetracked, but in Luke chapter 5, the disciples were fishing, and the Lord showed them what they could catch, just about sank two boats with fish. And you know what the Bible says? They forsook all and followed him. They forsook all and followed him.

But now we see in John 21, the Lord's gone. They never really fully understood all that he taught them. And you're going to get that in Luke chapter 24 when he's talking to them.

He says, when I was with you, I went through all the scriptures from Moses and the Psalms and the prophets, and I told you all those things concerning me. I've already taught you. And in John 16, you'll learn this.

The Lord has told them that the Spirit of God, he'll bring to your understanding, he'll let you understand all those things that he has taught them. And what does Peter say? It doesn't matter. He's not a good swimmer, you know.

Remember, is it Matthew chapter 14? Peter says, I'm gone. And listen, don't decry Peter. Don't you dare say a word about Peter.

You have no right. Do you think you're better than him? The Spirit of God has opened up to us the of Peter, very honestly. And Peter dramatically fell.

But we've heard already, and Corinthians 15 tells us there was a private meeting with Peter, and he was restored. And Peter, he gets out and he walks on water. I've been on the sea, the North Sea in a little boat, just about a foot above the water and the waves.

No way I'd get out and walk on the water. I wouldn't even get out and walk in a swimming pool. I'd go down to the bottom.

Peter got out and walked on water, and he sank. What does he do here? He's right out, he's into the water, he's out because he's occupied with the Lord Jesus. As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Tell me, do we sit down under his shadow? No, I don't mean necessarily going and locking the door and getting in your room. I sit down under his shadow when I'm out walking.

I sit down under his shadow when I'm driving. I sit down under his shadow when I'm sleeping, or getting ready to sleep, not when I go to sleep. I don't know what happens then.

But there's nothing I love better, and nothing many of my dear brethren love better, and sisters, than to meditate on the person of Christ. That's what you're doing. You're sitting under his shadow.

As you look up, you see the blossoms, or you see the apples. You know, I have a little garden tractor, and as I drive around, it's already nice to get under the apple tree and just reach up, take a rosy red apple. They're not the sweetest things in the world, you know, but you know, on a hot day, they're nice.

They're nice. You know, isn't it something when you're meditating on the scriptures, and along comes a rosy fruit? You get that? And you take it, and you take a bite, and oh, it's sweet, and you remember it. You want another bite, and of course, by the time you're finished, the fruit's all gone, because it was so sweet.

That's the person of Christ. That's our meditation on him. And let me say this to our young brethren and sisters, including the sisters.

Brother John just spoke about the young brethren who had the sisters in there. Open up your Bible. Don't just go for distance.

Go for quality, and look for Christ in all the scriptures, because from Moses and the Psalms and the prophets, they all speak of him. Time's gone. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.