“Draw me, we will run after thee....” (Song of Solomon 1:4a)
Draw me. This short statement shows that she was away from her lover and desired to be with him. She wanted union with him, fellowship, oneness. In the same way, the church should desire fellowship with Christ, union, oneness.
“Draw me” is a plea for divine grace. The wonderful savors of Christ’s ointments and attractiveness of His name are not enough. These are beautiful and put in us a desire to be near Christ. But, as Matthew Henry puts it, “We are… weak, and cannot come of ourselves any further than we are helped.” Our desire to be near Christ’s sweet nature and gracious words are not enough. We must be drawn with the chords of love. “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.” (Hosea 11:4a)
Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (John 6:44a) How does the Father draw us? By the working of the Holy Spirit.
What is the Holy Spirit’s role in bringing us to salvation? John 16:7-11 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment
1. Sin – because they do not believe on Jesus
2. Righteousness – because Jesus goes to be with the Father; the Son goes to be with the Father
3. Judgment – because Satan is judged. Satan holds people bondage in sin, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit have power over Satan to break that bondage.
According to I John 5:6-9, the Holy Spirit is the one who bears witness of Jesus Christ. We can either accept or refuse the working of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 7:51) When we receive the witness of the Holy Spirit and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are born again by the Spirit, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)
Jesus calls, “Come unto me.” (Matthew 11:28)
The Holy Spirit convinces of sin; and by Him sinners are born again.
The Father draws the sinners to Jesus.
The sinners who want to come (those who will be the bride, the church) cry, “Draw me, we will run after thee.” And so we are drawn to Jesus just as the bride in this story is drawn to her groom she so longs for and desires.
Look at this beautiful love scene! Jesus, the Groom, says, “Come.” The bride, the church, says, “Draw me,” and she runs to be folded in her Lover’s arms, His arms of everlasting love.
How firm a foundation, Beloved of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you, who for refuge, to Jesus have fled?
And what more can He say but “Come”? So, let us run to Him and be enfolded in His arms of love and fill our hearts with His sweet fellowship.