Spring 1996
Being Shut away with the Lord
Wade E Taylor

"Look not upon me, because I am black, because
the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children
were angry with me; they made me the keeper of
the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not
kept."

"Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou
feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest
at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth
aside by the flocks of thy companions?" SS 1:6-7.

The Bride has worked hard FOR the Lord. Even in the heat of the day while others rested, she worked until she had been burned by the sun - "the sun hath looked upon me." Now she has become singularly interested in Him - "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest."

At this time, she did not personally know the Lord, nor did she know His voice or leadings. She could only do as others instructed her - "THEY made me the keeper of the vineyard."

She was so faithful in doing all she had been told, that she had neglected her own vineyard. This "vineyard" represents the place of our spiritual development and growth. It is the ground upon which the Lord works within our lives. It includes all that He does or permits to bring about the changes He desires to make in our lives; to teach us His ways, and to make Himself known to us in a greater depth.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, he
it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall
be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and
will reveal Myself to him" John 14:21.

Our times of communion with the Lord, and our obedience to Him, are more meaningful than the many things we could do for Him. Most servants of the Lord who fail or get into serious problems, do so because of negligence at this very point. They work so hard FOR the Lord that they become spiritually weakened, and succumb to temptation. This had happened to the bride. Thus she confessed, "My mothers children were angry with me."

We are called to work with the Lord, rather than for Him.

"And He goeth up into a mountain, and called
unto Him whom He would; and they came unto
Him. And He ordained twelve, THAT THEY SHOULD
BE WITH HIM, and that He might send them forth
to preach" Mark 3:13-14.

If we are faithful in our part, which is being with Him, then He will be faithful in His part, to send us forth.

Previously, she had desired the things of the Lord, rather than the Lord of the things. She had said to Him, "stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples" (SS 2:5). Therefore, He brought her to the banqueting table where He so blessed her with all these things, that now she is full.

Outwardly, she seemed to be satisfied and content. But the Lord knew that inwardly, she could not continue to be fulfilled by simply having all these things. She had seen Him, and deep within her being, she was moved towards Him. Now, He was ready to reveal to her that there was something more for her, beyond the blessings and gifts that He was able to give her.

To do this, He caused her to experience a time of spiritual darkness.

"By night on my bed I sought him whom my
soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him
not" SS 3:1.

During this time of darkness, all spiritual things seemed elusive or obscure. Finally, she realized the emptiness of the possession of things alone, and frantically began to search for Him.

As soon as she found Him, she fully understood, for,

"It was but a little that I passed from them,
but I found Him, whom my soul loveth: I held
Him, and would not let Him go" SS 3:4a.

After the excitement of having found Him, the Lord made an arrangement where she became as "a garden enclosed." Here, she was separated unto the Lord Himself for a season.

"A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse;
a spring shut up, a fountain sealed" SS 4:12.

This "garden enclosed" is designed to bring forth the very best from the potential which the Lord had seen to be within us. This garden represents our being shut away from people and things for a time, and being enclosed with the Lord Himself.

Because it is difficult for us to stay there, the Lord builds a wall around this garden, so we will not leave prematurely. No one is able to enter this garden, except the Lord. Thus, "a garden enclosed."

During this time, our gifts and ministry may seemingly (to us) dry up. Rather, they are only being set aside for a season. It is necessary for this to happen so the focus of our seeking will change from these things to the Lord Himself.

Therefore, the Lord will separate us from all the things that we had become accustomed to in our spiritual experience. Then He will come into the garden to be with us, as He came into the garden of old, in the cool of the evening, to walk with Adam.

Because we were created for His pleasure, there are times when the Lord may desire to enjoy our presence. He will come and knock upon the door of our heart, seeking for us to step into the garden enclosed, to spend quality time with Him alone.

There are those who are called to a ministry of intercession. This is more than praying. Intercession is born of the Spirit and requires inner travail, a wrestling until the need is met through the agony of birth pains. There are those who are called to this hidden ministry of intercession who are not known to man, but only to the Lord. These are as a "garden enclosed" to Him, a very special "protected" ministry.

Also, there are those whom the Lord leads into this garden enclosed to remain there. The Lord has some of His choicest saints separated from the world and enclosed within this garden, that He might come as He wills to enjoy communion with them, by partaking of their commitment to Him.

"I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:
I have gathered my myrrh with my spices; I have
eaten my honey comb with my honey" SS 5:1a.

There are those whom He draws into the garden to stay for only a limited time. He leads these back out again to become a witness of what they had become during their time alone in the Garden with Him whom they love.

Then, those who are not yet ready to come within are invited to partake of the fruit gained by those who had been within the garden with Him, that they might be strengthened, and also desire to come within.

"Eat, O friends" SS 5:1b.

Paul understood this concerning ministry. He said,

"For we who live are always being delivered to death
for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus might
also be revealed in our body. So then, death works
in us, but life in you" II Cor 4:11-12.

All true ministry involves the giving of themselves. It works death in those who minister, but life in those who receive. This is especially true of those who are heavily anointed. Others feed upon the spirit and life that is within these, until they are left drained.

Jesus said,

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man,
and drink His blood, you do not have life in
yourselves" John 6:53b.

After a time of giving out in ministry, we must come back to the source of all life, our Lord Jesus Christ, and partake again of His life, in order to again have something to give to others.

"Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved"

The doorway into "the garden enclosed" is always open to these for times of refreshing, that in turn, others may be refreshed.