Though every people group on this earth would and should desire the American freedom we enjoy in religion and choices, there is that one backdrop of kingly excellence, and even kingly demands that seems to leave us absolutely lacking in experience about the reverence the King-dom of God is built.

The Biblical story of Queen Esther can be put into a sterile, idealistic environment. It is about the worthy cause of saving the Jewish people. But behind this is the unrealized reality of a forced grouping of the most precious virgins scarfed UP and taken to be a harem for ONE KING for one night (for many of them)…undergoing a YEAR of treatments and training to give ONE King pleasure for that one night, tested if he liked the pleasure they gave him. He apparently had male boys he could choose from, too. Such an “ick” factor. Can we imagine the loss of dignity, especially for those who were severed from their fiances’ arms all for one king!! They could never go back to life as usual, because of the every slight chance the king might want them one more night on a whim of his indulgent pleasure-seeking. So, each worthy maiden would give every part of focus and go into his inner chamber and lose all their treasure.

Can I share something else about a king and his chambers? While the shudder looms above of the plight of Esther and her contemporaries with King Xerxes, the Lord brings to light Song of Solomon 1:4 and 2:4a. “The King (Jesus) brought me into His chambers…He brought me to His banqueting table.” In our busy and full minds, Jesus must initiate in our experience the way to the Secret Place spoken throughout the Bible as we are exhorted to ever draw near (see Heb 4, 6 and 10). This being “brought” is like the Shepherd bringing the lost sheep in from upon His shoulders. These passages say that He indeed does and will initiate bringing us there.

Yesterday, I read the stone cold words “they crucified Him” in Luke 23:33. I sense that for all of us He brings us to His chambers where we deal with the Crucified One. The depth there. While life may push us to occupy a smaller place, in there is our largeness to experience. May the depth of Christ in His Place engulf us so we can become true lights in the world.

When we consider the honor of the Real King’s chambers, how much more does this require of us to enter a Kingdom with a King and give every ounce of ourselves for the pleasure, not of an pleasure-seeking temporary king, but the King WHO GAVE HIMSELF for us!

“I have put off my robe-how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet-how can I soil them again? (S of S 5:4)

Out of life’s necessities we erect artificial boundaries. We can only go this far, we think, and there stands our limit…until One mercifully comes along beckoning us to open to Him at that point of boundary.

In this Scripture this sentiment seems respectfully bestowed upon the Shulamite. As her lover comes to her door, Solomon’s maiden says “HOW CAN I put on my coat?” She has spent her day. The putting off of her coat means a cessation of weary duties and errands. “HOW CAN I” dirty my feet now that I have bathed? The evening has brought the washing away of the day’s sweat and grime. Please leave her short-lived cleanness untouched.

Even Martha can be heard to be saying “HOW CAN I”…sit in repose when much is to be done. I even wonder if we can hear it in the heart of Lot’s wife: “HOW CAN I leave my life here? This is the home my children were raised, filled and decorated with cherished memories. This is the town I have prayed for…these are the relationships cultivated, growing deeper roots as each season turned.”

“How can I?” In His mercy, there will be a softening going on at the edges of these long-guarded limits. And it will happen by the One who draws near out of the evening with his “head filled with dew, his locks with the drops of the night” (vs 2). He leaves some of His fragrance by the handles of the door, and we begin to repent. Will we still refrain because of well-established excuses? Or will we soften? If we shall not, won’t we too learn the lesson of such starvation for His fellowship, roaming through the streets to find the true worth of the things we held at bay.

We will be “sick of love” (vs 8). ————————–

A few things come to mind, but do they take our heart to a world outside its own? Or do they not rattle our own confines? Are these things truly “the beautiful”?

Asked, “Is Jesus ravishing your heart?” Is that even expected? To ravish means “TO TRANSPORT with emotion, esp. joy and delight.” Rather, unstirred, comfortable, not wishing to be transported, wanting to be just left alone.

But He will ravish. The heart is created place to be filled with delight for Him – that pliable place that has become a heart of flesh (Ez 11:19). How sad to waste the occupancy of the heart in the marathon of life void of such a relationship!

He will ravish our heart (S of Song 4:9). And tasting we will become pliable and “fleshy,” and desire to return again and again.

A B Simpson’s experience overflowed into opening an unexpectant heart…”Do you see the glory of God in the face of Jesus? The glory of God’s compassionate grace, the glory of His conquering love, the glory of His constraining mercy, the glory of His almighty power, the glory of His sanctifying truth, the glory of His satisfying beauty, the glory of His all-comforting tenderness, the glory of His sufficient strength, and the glory of His all-glorious Person.”

This be Jesus, ours. Let us turn in unto Him again, flexible to see what may….—————————

We have an agile God! Presently we should look and listen for Him. He’s not restricted by our problems or our efforts. He moves and roams in His own arena. Even to our thoughts and prayers, He is acting out-of-proportion: that’s where He moves!…”immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20).

As Peter’s stormy problems splashed up his legs while walking on the water with Jesus, he found he had a Savior who STILL intended on meeting him, problems and all, and wasn’t getting wet. Jesus would walk on top of them and would raise up Peter in faith to walk where He Himself was walking: over them.

Our efforts are merely overtaken by this great One who moves “like a gazelle or a young stag” (S of S 2:9), moving according to His own realm. “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rom 9:16).

Like the takeoff of a plane on gray day and soon bursting through the thick cloud cover into that “celestial land” above. Immediately we are brought into a new setup where the sun always shines. There are no obstructions. There is freedom of movement.

Somewhere today His agility is being expressed. In some area of our life or another’s He will express His own free movement. Look for it. There, we will stop as the maiden and say “He…is leaping…and bounding.” There, the glory of His movements unfold to more in us. The One who moves as this is the One whom enraptures our soul. In adoration: “my Lover!” (vs 8).———-

Escape by iniquity…isn’t this the only way it’s done? The thief escapes the police by racing full-speed down the city streets; the disobedient child avoids the hand of discipline by fibbing. But here the Word of God through David speaks out, “On NO account…”

The only true escape must be the one the Lord provides. If so, the believer should be the most expert on what escape is all about.

How does one really escape? It must be an escape by righteousness. It’s provided by God, “God will also provide a way of escape” (2 Cor 10:13), and “Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials” (2 Pet 1:9). One of the surest ways to get out a test is to PASS it. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has STOOD the test…” It makes sense that the best way to get out of eighth grade is to pass the eighth grade exam.

We tend to FIGHT the trials we “fall into” (Ja 1:2). As long as we are fighting God, we have yet to crack the books for passing the course. We have yet to begin studying and learning what the instructor is looking for to pass the course. James says rather than to pray for an end to the trial, we “should ask” for generously-given wisdom…how can we make the trial count?, how can we invest it well to produce desirable results?, how can we pass the test, etc?

Jesus guides us in the Lord’s Prayer. We pray “lead us not into temptation…forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Just think, someone may be becoming a debtor to us today by “twisting my words all day long, always plotting…” (Ps 56:5). They are becoming bound by their wrong and, as above, will not escape by what they are doing.

Today we may release and forgive them and become an AGENT of escape for them. This may be the very action required for us to pass the test at their hands and inevitably allow grace for them to pass theirs.—————–