"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame." -- SSol8:6
One signification of a seal is a bond of love, which cannot be known in full for its depth. The seal points to all that lies within. Example: the ring on a man’s finger signifies the bond of love between him and his wife: ‘With this ring, I thee wed, and with all my earthly goods I thee endow.’
S. Sol 8:6 records words, as from the Bride (Church), to the Bridegroom (Christ), which are bold in that they ask Christ to do for them what is already in His heart. He puts the words in her mouth, as it were, framing them according to His determined purpose and will and thereby revealing both the eternal disposition of His own heart and also His work for her, which words place on Him an obligation of love unto death, when the scripture says, “Set me [Bride of Christ] as a seal upon Thine [Christ, Bridegroom] heart, as a seal upon Thine arm.”
The heart of a man is what he is: it is what he thinks, his affection, his will. Christ says through the Spirit of God on behalf of His Bride, “Set me as a seal… upon your heart and arm.” What is the heart of Christ? To look up on His heart you would see His most ardent desire, all His mind, and all His will. And what, by the Holy Ghost, would we find were we to gaze upon His inmost being? From eternity, now, and forever, we would find His Bride. Would you know what moves Him to spill His life’s blood, to bear the curse, to make Himself of no reputation, to take upon Himself the form of a servant, “I love my Master, I love my wife, I love my children and I will not go out free (Ex 21).” What would move Him to suffer mocking, slander, pain and rejection? Look at the seal – it is His Bride! She portends all that lies within, that mysteriously leads Him to death and the grave. Not His heart only, but His arm. His arm is a love that works! Love that accomplishes! Victorious love! A heart that’s big enough, and an arm that’s strong enough, and wisdom that He can’t do wrong! The seal on the heart and arm is much more than a ring on the finger – a seal upon His heart, a banner of love so that all would know why He ran the gospel race. Christ loved His people more than He loved His own life. He loved the church and would rather die than go on without her. See also Isaiah 49:16. Lord Jesus, do all that is within your heart! Set me as a seal upon Thine arm! Acknowledge me before the world, before angels, before your Father! Lord, remember me! And let me ever speak of your glory before men!
-- Pastor Rick
One signification of a seal is a bond of love, which cannot be known in full for its depth. The seal points to all that lies within. Example: the ring on a man’s finger signifies the bond of love between him and his wife: ‘With this ring, I thee wed, and with all my earthly goods I thee endow.’
S. Sol 8:6 records words, as from the Bride (Church), to the Bridegroom (Christ), which are bold in that they ask Christ to do for them what is already in His heart. He puts the words in her mouth, as it were, framing them according to His determined purpose and will and thereby revealing both the eternal disposition of His own heart and also His work for her, which words place on Him an obligation of love unto death, when the scripture says, “Set me [Bride of Christ] as a seal upon Thine [Christ, Bridegroom] heart, as a seal upon Thine arm.”
The heart of a man is what he is: it is what he thinks, his affection, his will. Christ says through the Spirit of God on behalf of His Bride, “Set me as a seal… upon your heart and arm.” What is the heart of Christ? To look up on His heart you would see His most ardent desire, all His mind, and all His will. And what, by the Holy Ghost, would we find were we to gaze upon His inmost being? From eternity, now, and forever, we would find His Bride. Would you know what moves Him to spill His life’s blood, to bear the curse, to make Himself of no reputation, to take upon Himself the form of a servant, “I love my Master, I love my wife, I love my children and I will not go out free (Ex 21).” What would move Him to suffer mocking, slander, pain and rejection? Look at the seal – it is His Bride! She portends all that lies within, that mysteriously leads Him to death and the grave. Not His heart only, but His arm. His arm is a love that works! Love that accomplishes! Victorious love! A heart that’s big enough, and an arm that’s strong enough, and wisdom that He can’t do wrong! The seal on the heart and arm is much more than a ring on the finger – a seal upon His heart, a banner of love so that all would know why He ran the gospel race. Christ loved His people more than He loved His own life. He loved the church and would rather die than go on without her. See also Isaiah 49:16. Lord Jesus, do all that is within your heart! Set me as a seal upon Thine arm! Acknowledge me before the world, before angels, before your Father! Lord, remember me! And let me ever speak of your glory before men!
-- Pastor Rick
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