“Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’
“It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'” And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.'” (Rev 19:6-9)
Journal,
It was the first wedding for one of our grandchildren. Wesley asked her uncle Nathan to do the wedding and she wanted grandpa to bring a blessing. Here we are on the platform, Nathan and myself, and the groom. The groomsmen and bridesmaids are in place. All we needed was the bride.
The bridal music began and suddenly everyone’s gaze is fixed on the top of the plantation stairs. There she was. I think my heart literally skipped a beat. But I don’t think it was my heart only. All eyes were transfixed. Never had I seen a more beautiful bride. (All brides are beautiful.) There was our granddaughter Wesley with her raven black hair at the top of the stairs. The evening sun was lowering and its rays seemed fixed on our grandchild. It was pure radiance.
It was at that time that a thought rose up in my mind. My mind went to the bride of Christ. No, I wasn’t calling Wesley the bride of Christ. It was the scene. The tears began to fill my eyes. It was a moment of heaven as I stood transfixed with pure love in my heart. How I long for the day when we shall be joined fully with Jesus in our heavenly home.
Anyway, when Wesley and Joshua stood before me, the first words I spoke were, “Wesley, you are so beautiful.” Then I began to share the blessings of the Lord over them.
Yes, it was a family moment. My oldest son, Nathan, performed the wedding. My youngest son, André, gave the bride away.
(By the way, how do you give your daughter away? I only have one daughter, and I refuse to give her away.)
Before I go any further, there is one more picture to share. Here are our two great-grandchildren Aiden and Cadence. Like everyone else, Aiden was feeling the moment.
Well, that brings me to the most beautiful story ever told. It is about…
The mystery of the Lamb’s marriage
In all that the Bible has it is important to bear in mind that it is both a book of redemption and a book of marriage. The Bible opens its pages with a marriage and the book closes with the marriage of the Lamb and His Bride. And the story of redemption is interwoven throughout its pages. The bridal price was paid at the cross. (Called the ‘ketubah’ in ancient Israel.)
And so we take up our name ‘Christian.’ We take to ourselves the new covenant representative title of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. The prophet Isaiah said that God’s people would be given a new name. The apostle Peter said that we are to glorify God in the name Christian. It is important to understand this. Anything else a believer may wish to call himself is of little importance. Unless you can call yourself a Christian, you have not fully identified with the Christ of God in a proper way.
“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” (1Pe 4:14-16)
Did you catch it? We Christians have taken the name of Christ to ourselves. This is because we are espoused to the Lord Jesus. We are to glorify God in the name Christian.
Let me say it another way – The Baptist Church did not die for you. Nor the Catholic Church, not the Pentecostal Church, nor the Episcopalian Church, and so on. Those designations are meaningless when it comes to who believers really are. We are Christians. So, why don’t we began to drop all the other titles and simply say, “I am a Christian.”
A marriage covenant of the Spirit
Now for the heart of the matter. The new covenant is a marriage covenant of the Spirit and not of the letter. The letter was written on stone. The new covenant is a love letter of Christ written in our hearts. In the new covenant our hearts are filled with the very presence of Jesus Christ. Who is adequate for this? The mystery of our espousal to Jesus Christ is beyond words.
The apostle said it well enough:
“… being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2Co 3:3)
“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Co 3:5-6)
Take note that the essence of our covenant in Christ is found in the ‘new.’ New covenant believers are given a new ability to live in and experience the very love of God. Everything in the new covenant is new, not renewed, or refurbished, or modified. It is entirely new.
A marriage based on blessings not curses
The Old Covenant was also a marriage covenant but it had curses attached to it. It ended in a death. The new covenant has no curses. In the new covenant every believer’s life is overseen by, indwelt by, enriched by, guided by, corrected by, and governed by the Holy Spirit. It is a covenant of life. It is a covenant of love.
The new covenant is a covenant of forgiveness and mercy. It is a covenant where all believers are guaranteed a future together with Christ. Upon each believer’s heart is placed a redeeming seal of love. The seal cannot be broken. God allows no separation from His love for us in Christ.
The new covenant overrules death. The new covenant is a covenant where no believer can ever received a damnatory sentence. This is what the statement means, which says,
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law [the new covenant marriage contract and all its spiritual ramifications] of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law [former marriage covenant with its curses] of sin and death.” (Rom8:1,2)
So, there you have it in short measure.
As for my granddaughter, Wesley. Well she is the first of fifteen grandchildren. We have fourteen more to see at the altar of wedding. I’ll probably enjoy an epiphany [a divine manifestation] experience with each wedding. But who knows — Hopefully our journey to our heavenly home will be in the short run.
In the meantime here is a song for your meditation —
“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (Joh 13:1 nasb)
Note: This entry is a contemplation from an entry I shared in February 4, 2010, entitled, ‘The Great Mystery of the Christian Faith.’ In view of the times I wanted to give an encouragement to my readers about the depth of God’s love. The apostle said that God’s love in its perfect work will cast out all our fears. Yes, the love of God is both a mystery and wondrous indeed. And nothing in all of creation will ever be able to separate believers from the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ.
Journal,
John chapter 13 through 17 is a stand alone part of the gospels. These chapters can be called the ‘holiest of holies’ of God Word. There are no crowds. No blind men. No lame men. No woman at the well. No John the Baptist. No debates with Pharisees and Sadducees. There are only a handful of Hebrew men chosen to be the apostles of the Lamb. It is now time for the Lord to pour His heart into these men. The journey of the cross is near at hand.
It is in these chapters that we hear the heart of the new covenant. Thus when we read John 13:1, we hear, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
Did you catch it? “He loved them to the end.”Did you know that this statement applies to every believer. The apostle said that nothing would ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ. Let’s talk about it.
What began as a fledgling movement…
… in a tiny country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea mushroomed into the largest in-gathering of people this planet has ever known. Even in all its diversity, there is one thing that makes Christianity unique in the world. The love of God is the secret to the phenomena of Christianity. To discover Jesus Christ is to discover God’s love.
Most believers can quote John 3:16, which says,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
But John 3:17 is equally important. It says,
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
But can we leave it there? John 3:18 continues with,
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
The apostles were given a message
The apostles were given a message to carry into all the world. The message was a message of love. This is why the subject of ‘love’ is found so much in their writings. Paul says it best when he wrote,
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom8:38,39)
So, the great mystery of the Christian faith is really the mystery of God’s love
He loved us before we ever knew Him. He never stops loving us. This is why our faith can rest firmly on John 13:1, which says, “He loved them to the end.” God’s love is an eternal love.
We catch a tiny reflection of God’s love when we think of our love for our children. Stop and consider. Did you love your baby the first time you saw him or her? Why? The love was in your heart. This baby belonged to you.
Did you love your baby before it was actually born? Sure you did. And how about when you and your spouse were talking about having a baby? Did you love the very thought of having a baby? The answer to all these questions is ‘yes.’
These thoughts are miniature reflections on God’s love for us. The Bible says that God is love. The apostle said that we were not saved because we loved God, but because He loved us. All of this belongs to the mystery of God’s love.
When Paul said that nothing can separate us from the love of God, he may have reflected off of something the prophet said. The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse into the very heart of God. The Lord said,
“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will never forget you.” (Isa49:15)
Notice that the Lord said His love far exceeds the love that a mother has for her nursing child. There is no greater picture of love on this planet than that of a mother for her child.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me
The more you study the gospels the more your understanding will be opened to the love of God and to the wonders of redemption. Not only were we chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, but our entire life was set before God at that time. And not only that, but our times on earth – where we would be born, what our nationality would be, and many more factors – were determined beforehand. And behind all this stands the love of God.
The Lord gave David insight into this awesome area of spiritual realities. What is said by David is to be said by every child of God. David said,
“Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Psa139:4-6)
A love that is incomprehensible
Paul concurs in saying that God’s love for us is incomprehensible. Incomprehensible simply means that the mind cannot grasp it. Believers soon come to realize that there are things we can perceive with our hearts, that cannot be fully expressed to others. Why? They are things of the heart, incomprehensible things. Paul said,
“Who knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” (1Co2:11)
Things of the heart are things that God opens our hearts to perceive. They are instilled within us by the Holy Spirit.
But what is it about God’s love that is so incomprehensible? We know the answer to that only so well. We have all found that God’s love is not static. His love surrounds us. God’s love reaches into our pits and draws us out. How often have we been ashamed of a misdeed, wondering how God could ever love us still, and yet, in our turning to Him, we found Him ever there.
I have never met a Christian who could not look back on their childhood, and say, “Lord, You were there even then.” Not even the prophets understood this. And even when they were issuing stern pronouncements, in a moment of time a love song would burst forth. This song was about God and His children.
A good example is with the prophet Micah. After dealing with issues of judgments, the prophet writes,
“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love … You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham…” (Micah 7:18-20)
God’s unchanging love in Christ Jesus
Unchanging love to Abraham is the catch phrase. All true believers have been made children of Abraham through our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul says that we are the children of promise.
Then we have this from Jeremiah, which again speaks of God’s love for His people;
“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.'” (Jer31:3)
Again we hear a call of eternity. Jesus expresses this eternal call in saying,
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you, abide in My love.” (John 15:9)
Did you know that the single greatest testimony that God is your very own Father is the testimony of your love for Jesus Christ? Jesus said to certain of the Jews,
“If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)
Now couple this with how the apostle Peter described the heart of a true believer;
“And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” (1Pet1:8)
The greatest love story ever told
And so the gospel is actually the greatest love story ever told. This is why Christians sing love songs to Jesus. We sing love songs to the Father. We sing of His love to us. We sing, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.” We sing, “Love lifted me. Love lifted me.” We sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
But why? Why do we Christians have such passion over the love of God. After all, you don’t hear Muslims singing, ‘Mohammed, lover of my soul.’ It can be summed up in the cry of the human heart. This cry can only be met in an encounter with Jesus. Paul describes it as the ‘Abba! Father!‘ cry. ‘We have found our Father!’
Abba, Father, is an expression of true sonship. It speaks of intimacy. It is a cry of recognition. It is a cry that goes far beyond religion. It is the cry of a child’s whose heart has been filled with ‘Father consciousness.’ But it is a cry that goes both ways. We say, “My Father.” God says, “My beloved child.”
Did you know that more and more Jews are discovering the Father’s love in Jesus. I must not leave this journal entry without a song from the heart of the Hebrew believer, Jonathan Settel. Listen as he sings, ‘Amen.’ It carries the heart of the gospel in Hebrew. (Subtitled in English.)
So we ask, ‘How much to you love me, Jesus.’
He stretches out His arms, and says, ‘This much.’
What do you think?
Does He love us to the end?
I say, yes, a thousand times yes. The Lord said that He would never leave us or forsake us.
In fact Jesus said it this way,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Joh 10:27-29)
“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”Ruth 2:12nasb – (Boaz to Ruth)
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Readers,
Before I venture into the subject, ‘The Shelter of His Wings,‘ for those interested, here is a list of my top journal entries that are presently receiving the largest number of readers:
There was a lady who suffered greatly from a female disorder. Hearing about Jesus, she said to herself,“If I only touchHis garment1, I will get well.”(Mt9:21) We don’t often catch what she was really saying. The part of His garment she wanted to touch was the fringe (tassel) of His cloak. (1The Luke account has krispedon for garment, which literally means ‘fringe’ or ‘tassel.’)
The ancient Jews had a tradition concerning the fringe of the cloak that had to do with God’s Messiah, and of His healing presence. The background for this came from God’s commandment to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and thatthey shall put on the tassel of each cornera cord of blue.”(Num15:38)
The cord of blue was said to represent the throne of glory, or the heavenly life. Over time these tassels took on the term ‘wings.’ Keep this in mind and you’ll have a bit more insight into those Scriptures that speak of God’s wings and why the lady wanted to touch the garment (tassels) of Jesus.
Listen:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty … He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge.” (Ps91:1,4)
And,
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.”(Mal4:2)
Then we hear Jesus say,
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” (Mt23:37)
The language that Jesus uses here speaks to who He really is. The Lord God in the person of His Messiah, walked the land of Israel. The leadership refused Him. Isaiah speaks of Jesus as God Himself:
“Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news [the gospel], lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, [message of the apostles]; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God.'”(Isa40:9)
Take time to read this larger prophecy. I’ll break it down by portions for emphasis:
“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
“For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
“He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; thechastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.
“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?”(Isa 53:1-8 NASB)
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But there were those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah.
This is why the peoples crowded around Jesus, hoping just to touch the fringes of His garment. Notice how deeply felt this belief was concerning the garment of Messiah.
“Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.”(Mar6:56)
Keep in mind that to the people the blue fringe represented the throne of glory and the heavenly life. The heavenly life was walking among them. They were taught that the Messiah would bring with Him the very life of God.
But a question remains —
Does this idea of the wings of God have any relationship to the sacred Scriptures themselves? Can the heavenly life be found in the Bible? …
Paul said that the Scriptures carry in them the very breath of God. The Bible comes to us from the throne of glory. Therefore it can be said that when we believe the message of God’s Messiah that flows through the Scriptures, that in our believing we actually come under the shelter of His wings.
However, it is important to understand that it isn’t simply the Bible in itself that causes miracles and gives us the answers that we need. It is the heavenly voice that speaks to us from the Scriptures. Make this distinction and you have the true essence of why we love the book of heaven so deeply, and why we can say that the Bible is imbued with the life of Jesus.
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Once again let’s hear the prophet…
Is it any wonder why the book of Isaiah is spoken of as the fifth gospel. When Jesus opens the scroll of Isaiah, He begins to read,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”(Cf.Luke 4:16-22)
What happens next? The people are astonished at what they are hearing. They were wondering at the gracious words that were flowing from His lips. What made the difference in this case? It was Jesus speaking from the Scriptures. The people were hearing a living voice speaking from the book of heaven. It is the voice of heaven that makes the Bible the book of heaven.
Once again listen to the prophet:
“On that day the [spiritually] deaf will hear words of a book [gospel], and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”(Isa 29:18-19 NASB)
The apostolic writer said that the entire Bible wraps around Jesus as a scroll.
Jesus said to the Jewish leaders,
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.”(Jn5:39)
And again,
“Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offerings You have not desired and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure’ … Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll [or volume] of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’”(Heb10:5-7)
The term for ’scroll’ is a reference to the total volume of the book and to the spindle around which the scroll wraps itself. The picture being presented is Jesus as the spindle around which the entire Bible wraps itself.
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The blue thread of heaven…
Now back to the lady with the issue of blood. She had been taught that the blue thread in the fringe (tassel) represented the throne of glory and theheavenly life. She saw Jesus as that heavenly life that comes from the throne of God. It was her faith in Jesus as the heavenly life that brought her healing.
It takes awhile for the child of God to understand the principle of how God speaks to us. This is why it is so important for the believer to be in the congregation of God’s holy people. As the man of God speaks from the Scriptures, we began to hear the Lord speaking to our own hearts. It isn’t the man of God who is speaking to us. It is the Lord speaking from the book of heaven. This is what Jesus is speaking of when He said,
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”(Mt18:20 – He is present in His Word.)
Is the Bible a living book to you or do you just use it to argue doctrine? Everything rests upon how you view the Scriptures.
These are the hard questions — But there is an issue involved. Do you really know the Lord, or do you simply know some form of religion? What think ye? Is the Bible the book of heaven?
Think about it.
Here is your song by Carmen. (Tell Me the Story of Jesus,I Surrender All, What A Friend We Have in Jesus.)
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”(Pro 4:23 NASB)
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Readers,
This journal entry will include three songs. I selected these songs because they speak to the very heart of what I want to share with you. As you read please take a moment to listen to each song. The Lord wants to speak to your heart. He often speaks His heart to us by way of a song.
I had shared the story of the four poplar trees that Betty and I planted a few years ago. Three of the trees grew tall and strong. But one of the four trees couldn’t make it. It remained small and weak. Even after I transplanted it, I still could not get it to grow. It was too late. The little tree was simply too stunted and weak to make it.
The reason I transplanted the little tree hoping that it would help it grow was because of some research. What I found is that a poplar should never be planted in clay. It needs good soil and plenty of sunshine to grow. Clay keeps water from reaching the roots. That was why our little poplar tree could not survive.
Through this venture with the poplar trees I gained a bit of instruction. In the Bible, the term clay is often symbolic of a troubled life or of a hardened heart. David speaks to this:
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” (Psa 40:1-4 NASB)
Did you catch it? The Lord brought David out of the miry clay of destructive surroundings. He then settled David’s feet firmly on the Rock of His salvation. Notice what David said:
God blesses the man who makes the Lord his trust and has not turned to the proud.
And, God blesses the man who does not lapse into falsehood.
Turning to the proud and living in falsehood are very much intertwined. They both bring nothing but troubles into a believer’s life. Before I say any more take a moment to listen to my first song. It is based on Psalm 40, ‘He Brought Me Out.’
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The Miry clay of life…
Israel was unable to continue in the blessings of the Lord because of these things. She became proud in heart, thinking the Lord had to bless her because she was descended from Abraham. It was from this heart of pride that Israel took up a life of falsehood.
One of the greatest signs of a hardened heart is self-righteousness. The Pharisees were so bound up in religious pride, in their own self-righteousness and self-importance, that their whole world had become a world of falsehood. They were so blinded by self-righteousness that they were unable to recognize who Jesus really was.
What does the Bible have to say about this issue of our heart? Listen carefully to Proverbs 4:20-23 –
“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Pro 4:20-23 NASB)
The Hebrew word for springs speaks of determinations, forces, boundaries, etc. What is in our heart determines the boundries of our life.
It is so important to understand this. An uncontrolled heart is open ground for the enemy to sow seeds of sinfulness and destructions. Satan’s goal is to create such despair in our lives that repair seems impossible.
The Bible gives us the picture of the heart that is filled with thorns and thistles. This description is also given to the Christ-rejecting Israel:
“I passed by the field of the [spiritual] sluggard and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
“When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.” (Pro 24:30-34 NASB)
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What is the answer?
The answer is that we need a watchman over our hearts. We don’t do a very good job on our own.
Here is the beginning place – If you knew that God could give you a brand new heart and a total make over of Life, would you want it?
Sure you would. And this is the promise of the new covenant.
When Peter said to the Hebrew people, “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself”, the people knew exactly what Peter was speaking of.
The promise of a new heart and of a watchman for their hearts was written throughout the Old Testament, from Moses and on to the prophets. Let’s pick up the trail beginning with Moses, then Ezekiel, and finally Jeremiah:
“The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Deu 30:5-6 NASB)
“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Eze 36:24-26 NASB)
“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt …x
“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer 31:31-35 NASB)
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The promise – A new heart. A new watchman. A new love.
The new covenant would not be a religious covenant. It would be a covenant of life where each believer would know and enjoy the Lord on a personal and an intimate basis. (Lord, please deliver us from our religions.)
It would be a life of ‘Come to the waters’
For my second song listen carefully to ‘For Those Tears I Died.’
Do you recall what Jesus said when he stopped the priestly procession on its way to the pool of Siloam? Listen carefully where Jesus describes a life that is an outflow of the Spirit:
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’
“But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39 NASB)
Did you know that Jesus was speaking from the promise made in Isaiah 55. Once again listen carefully. (If you learn this you will never get caught up in religious-idolatry again.)
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
“Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.” (Isa 55:1-3 NASB)
What is the keynote in this prophecy? Listen! Listen to Me! Come to Me! Learn to have a heart like David’s! Incline your ear!
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Jesus did not come to give us a religion.
I am going to say this until it begins doing its work in the hearts of believers.
Men create religions. Religion is all about control. Jesus came to give us a wonderful relationship with the heavenly Father. This relationship will flower out and build itself up as we learn to walk with the Lord Himself.
None of this is about not gathering with other believers for worship and instruction. It is all about who you are gathering with. Paul said to Timothy:
“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2Tim2:22)
What kind of heart do you have? Is it a religious heart where you are into church-idolatry? Or is it a heart that has learned to listen to Jesus.
Take time for this third and final song. ‘Change My Heart O God.’
Do you need help? Help is on His way. Just call upon the Lord Jesus. He is very near to you, as near as your heart and your mouth. Jesus is only a breath away.
You see, our little poplar tree could not grow because of the miry clay around its roots. Did you know that some legalistic religions can serve as miry clay in our lives. What can you do about it? Do what Mary told the wine servers, “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.” Just ask Him!
Yes, I did grieve over the little tree. Can’t help it. I have always had a very tender heart. But it also grieves me when I see God’s people sometimes treated like sinners, and see sinners treated like dogs. Makes me wonder how God feels about all our religions.
What then is God’s message to the world? It never changes.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17 NASB)
God’s love for His people is eternal. He made that very clear when He sent His Son to bring redemption to planet earth. Paul said that there was nothing that could ever separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus.
God’s love for the fallen family of Adam cannot be measured. Listen to the apostle:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-7 NASB)
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The love of God is the Story of Jesus
As Jesus is facing the cross, we hear this statement concerning those who belong to Him:
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”(Joh 13:1 NASB)
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And God’s Word was made Flesh
The apostle John said that the Word of God came to tabernacle among us. Jesus is the very embodiment of God’s message from heaven.
The moment you open the Bible you begin to sense that there is an underlying message. The message starts with these words: “In the beginning God…”
Then we read, “And God said, ‘Let there be Light’; and there was Light.”
Here is where we begin our journey of discovery. God spoke and His Word went forth. When God said, ‘Let there be Light’, according to the ancient Hebrew belief, this was the Light of Life, also known as the Wisdom of God. It was the Light that Adam was to walk in.
When Adam turned from God’s Word, the Light of Life was taken away. But the sages said that the Light would return with Messiah. Any Jewish person would have understood what Jesus meant when He said,
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” (John 8:12 NASB)
And so the discovery continues. What we begin to realize in the discovery is that the Light of Life had to do with God’s love.
The Light of God and the Love of God cannot be separated. The apostle nailed this down when he said, “God is Love.” Then he also said, “God is Light.”
John went further in saying,
“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn 4:9-10 NASB)
Well, what else can be said? God’s love is a mystery. Let’s hear it from Andre Crouch…
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Remember…
There is much love to be had in Jesus
May the Lord richly bless you in your discovery of Him.
I am going to share some things in this entry that most folk are not aware of. For instance did you know that under Talmudic Law there is a curse placed upon the reading of the book of Daniel?
May the bones of the hands and the bones of the fingers decay and decompose, of him who turns the pages of the book of Daniel, to find out the time of Daniel 9:24-27, and may his memory rot from off the face of the earth forever. – Talmudic Law, p978, Section 2, Line 28)
Why the curse? Other than Isaiah 53, the writings of Daniel have brought more Jews, including rabbis, to Jesus than any other OT Scriptures. Daniel 9:24-27 gave the exact timing for Messiah. The Rabbis knew this. When Jesus did not appeal to their leadership, they tried to hide Daniel from the people. This is one reason John the Baptist and Jesus called them, ‘a brood of vipers.’
The book of Daniel was written about 530 B.C. As with many of the OT prophecies, Daniel was written in prophetic perfects, which means it was as though the prophet was actually seeing what was happening.
Without going into detail, here is the prophecy that gave concern to the rabbis.
“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.” (Dan 9:25-26)
I don’t wish to take up time to explain these times of weeks. The Jews readily understood them to mean years. This is why there was such a movement towards John the Baptist to be baptized in preparation for Messiah. But there was also another vision that Daniel had that revealed the Messiah in His lifting up and in His receiving His kingdom. Daniel saw this from heaven’s view. The apostles saw it from the earthly view. Let me share both views:
Daniel’s heaven view: “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” (Dan 7:13-14)
The apostle’s earthly view:“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'” (Act 1:9-11)
It was from these visions that Peter could preach, saying, “Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”(Act 2:36)
Let’s now take note of the prophet Isaiah. God spoke through the prophet saying,
“Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ Behold the Lord will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock. In His arm He will gather then lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isaiah 40:9-11 nasb
The afore Scriptures speaks to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The term,‘bearer of good news,’ has regard to the apostles and the New Testament church declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Also in this portion we see a prophecy of John the Baptist, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'”
What is the redemption message of this text? The message begins with, ‘Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ It goes on to speak to the heart of the new covenant; “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”
From this alone we can see that the Lord God is a Shepherd God. Jesus is the good Shepherd. But this isn’t the first time we see the term ‘Shepherd’ applied to the Lord. The first time the Lord God is called Shepherd is when Jacob is blessing his sons. Listen carefully:
“He blessed Joseph, and said, ‘The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (Gen 48:15-16)
When you look at Jacob’s life, you see ups and downs, fears with struggles, blessings and providence. Yet in all this we see that Jacob was redeemed from all evil. This is what Jesus does for all God’s children.
There is so much more to be said about God redeeming His people from all evil. David sets forth this truth in a favorite Psalm of all believers.
David wrote:
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psa 23:1-6)
But what of the Lord’s death on the cross? Oh yes, this was also foretold. Listen to this prophecy from Isaiah:
‘But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.’ (Isa 53:5-6)
The best thing you could ever tell a Jewish person is to set aside the Talmudic writings, and begin to read their own Bible for themself. This is also the best thing you could tell anyone caught up in a legalistic Christian movement.
Finally, did you notice the little girl’s picture where she asked the Lord what happened to His hand. This was also a picture of what will take place among the Jewish nation in a not-too-distant future. Listen to the prophet Zechariah:
“And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
(Zec 12:9-10)
“And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Zec 12:9-10)
Oh Lord, we look for the day when the blinded eyes are opened. In the meantime, to all you who have been to the cross, I dedicate this song. ‘Down at the Cross’ by the Hayes Family:
There is so much more to be said. The prophets painted exact pictures from the birth of Jesus to his cross and resurrection. But that’s ecnough for now.
Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Journal, In Psalm 31, David expresses sorrow over the strife of life, when suddenly he breaks forth into praise that speaks of God’s love for His people. David says:
“How great is Your goodness, which You have stored for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence, from the conspiracies of man; You keep them in the shelter from the strife of tongues.” (Psalm 31:19,20 nasb.)
Bear in mind that David’s reference to the secret place is most likely a reference to the holiest of holiest. The literal Hebrew for “the secret place of Your presence”, is “the secret of Your face.” The idea is that God hides His people from the view of their enemies, that is, by bringing them to the very place that He Himself dwells.
This wonderful truth is fully brought out in the new covenant. Paul said that all believers are now hidden with God in Christ. But first let’s see how the tabernacle sets forth this truth of our redemption.
The only furnishing in the holiest of holies was the ark of the covenant where two covering angels spread their wings over the golden mercy seat. And over the mercy seat was a brilliant light. In the light was a form. The angels have their gazed fixed on the form over the mercy seat.
Peter explains this:
“It was revealed to them [the Old Testament prophets] that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you from heaven-things into which angels long to look.” (1Peter 1:12)
The angels gazing at the mercy seat were expressing wonderment at the atonement of Jesus Christ, that is, both in His incarnation, in the work of the cross, and in His ascension to the throne of God. The angels are longing to see into God’s gracious work of redemption through Christ. Paul tells us that the Lord is instructing angels concerning His wisdom by His presence and grace in the Church.
Does not the Bible say that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself? (2Co5:19)
Back to the form – In the Light over the mercy seat was a form that only Moses was allowed to see. The form was the preincarnate Jesus Christ. We see this by tying the Old Testament and the New Testament together.
When the Lord rebuked Miriam and Aaron over their presumptuous attitude towards Moses, He said to them,
“Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?” The Lord just made a distinction between Moses and other prophets saying, “He [Moses] beholds the form of God.” (Num12:8)
If God has no form, who then did Moses see? He saw the image of the invisible God. This is exactly who Jesus is. To the Jews, God’s Messiah was known as the form of God, the glory of God, the image of God, and at times even theShekinah of God.
Listen carefully. Paul said of Christ,
“Although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself…” (Phi2:6)
Any Jewish person reading Paul’s writings would immediately connect Jesus with the light over the mercy seat and the form that Moses beheld.
In the New Testament writings Jesus is called the “glory of the only begotten of the Father.” (John 1:14)
Then we need to recall the bright Light that blinded Paul on the road to Damascus. (Paul was then known as Saul.) What Paul heard was, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” He responded, “Who are You, Lord?” Keep in mind that both the Lord and Paul are speaking Hebrew. The term for Lord would be YHWH. (Yahweh). The Lord then identifies Himself as Jesus.
Now back to the tabernacle. John wrote, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Greek word for ‘dwelt’ calls attention to the holiest of holiest in the tabernacle. The glory that rested over the mercy seat was now tabernacled in Jesus Christ. Jesus is now the holiest of holies. Paul specifically calls Jesus, “The Lord of glory” (1Co2:8)
It is on the Mount of Transfiguration that Jesus appears on the outside what He is on the inside. It says, “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” (Mat17:2)
But what of the question as to why David could speak of the holiest of holies as the hiding place for God’s people? David could see by the Spirit into the redemption of Christ, past the veil, and into God’s redemption plan that would stretch across eternity past and eternity future.
The secret place of God would take in all His people from ancient time on. The tabernacle was a picture-perfect symbol of God’s eternal purpose for all His people.
The Old Testament saints somehow knew in their hearts that the Lord Himself was their ever present security in life. Moses said,
“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Ps90:1,2)
Here Moses uses the same word that David used with regard to the ‘secret place’ of the tabernacle.
Again think about the two cherubim with their golden wings spread over the mercy seat. Listen again to David:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, `My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (Ps91:1,2)
David uses the same word again which references the secret place of God’s presence, that is, the mercy seat in the holiest of holies. God’s people dwell under the very presence and protection of angels.
Here is where we come to the great mystery of God’s love for His people. The Psalmist Asaph speaks of God’s people as His ‘treasured ones.’ He writes, “They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones.” (Ps83:3)
These treasured ones are God’s people from the ages. The Hebrew for ‘treasured ones’ speaks of that which is covered by God, that which is hidden, or that which is kept secret. But it especially speaks of the secret of one’s heart. God’s treasured ones are the secret love of His heart.
The Psalmist puts things together when he writes,
“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.
“For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock [the Rock is Christ]. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” (Psalm 27:4-6)
The Hebrew for ‘conceal’ is the same word for God’s ‘treasured’ ones. God’s people are His treasures in the earth and for all eternity. This allows us to have a better understanding of a kingdom parable concerning a treasure. Jesus said,
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field [world], which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt13:44)
The treasure has to do with the kingdom of heaven. The story is the story of the cross. Jesus Christ gave His life for the hidden treasure. Jesus came to seek that which was lost. Now the treasure is hidden again, but this time it is hidden in Christ.
Paul said, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col3:3,4)
All we have read in David’s writings have their fulfillment in the finished work of the cross. Being hidden in Christ means that every believer is eternally secured from the power of darkness. We can never be separated from God’s love. Our life is placed in the Light of God’s very being. Peter said that our calling was into “His marvelous light.”
While this may seem difficult to grasp, what we need to realize is that our faith is to be based upon our position in Christ. Our position in Christ is secured. We have already been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Our concern is in living out our present life with the knowledge of our eternal placement. God gives us heavenly life as a foretaste of eternity. This is what believers are to learn to live by. Heavenly life is God’s oversight of our lives.
Did you know that God never takes His eyes off you? Listen to this conversation between David and the Lord:
[David] “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.”
[Lord] “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Ps27:7,8)
Did you know that there is continually joy in heaven over each person who turns to the Lord? The joy of heaven is the joy of the Lord Jesus Himself. The reason Jesus endured the cross was the joy that was set before Him. The joy set before Him was all those whom the Father would give Him for all eternity.
Jesus said,
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. … This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:37,39,40)
You have come to love God because He first loved you. Did you know that your joy in the Lord is a reflection of His joy over you? Did you know that the grace that flows in your life is not something that you earned? It is freely given to you in God’s Beloved.
There is only one question to need to answer. Are you right now trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Faith in Jesus alone is proof positive that you belong to Him. And if you belong to Him, then you are most certainly one of His treasured ones.
This is what the great apostle said:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph2:8-10)
Well, it would not be right if I failed to share a song with you. How about, ‘No Other Name But Jesus’ by Gaither Vocal Band….
“OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY BEHOLD WONDERFUL THINGS FROM YOUR LAW.” (Psalm 119:18 NASB)
Keep in mind that the focus in these sessions centers on learning to walk with God. In our first session we talked about JESUS as the WORD of GOD. In this session we will pick up with that same thought. It is important to understand why the apostolic writer tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. He explains by saying that JESUS is the author and the perfecter of our faith. He12:2
Another way of saying ‘author and perfecter,’ is, ‘the beginning and the end.’ The expression, ‘fixing our eyes,’ in the Greek literally means to look away from everything that distracts. Fixing our eyes on JESUS is the premier principle of a walk of faith.
There is no question that CHRIST JESUS is the great wonder and mystery of the Bible. In one place His name is actually called, ‘Wonderful Counselor.’
In this study we want to take a deeper look into this intriguing mystery of GOD’S MESSIAH, or the Man that every believer can easily call, ‘Wonderful’. Let’s pick up where we left off in our last session.
I – Jesus: The Word of God
1.When JESUS rebuked the winds and the sea and they became calm, the disciples were amazed. They said, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt8:27)
What great lesson does ‘Jesus calming the sea’ teach us about Jesus, and/or about our walk with God?
2.All that JESUS did was in one way or another to fulfill prophecy. On calming the seas, it says in Psalm 107:28,29, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.”
Why is it so important to tie Jesus in with Old Testament prophecy?
3.The Bible is story of GOD’S MESSIAH. Consider these Scriptures taken from the book of Matthew: MATT. 1:21-23; 2:14,15; 2:22,23; 4:13-16; 8:16,17; 13:34,35; 21:2-5; 26:53,54,56.
II – Jesus: The Form of God
1.That the MESSIAH would also be GOD was written beforehand. So we read, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace…” (Isa 9:6) – Eternal Father can literally be translated as ‘Father of eternity.’
2.How can JESUS be the Almighty GOD in the earth, while the highest heavens cannot contain GOD? The issue is that GOD does not exist in time and space. GOD is one Being, yet He manifests Himself in more than one way. This has always been a mystery to be understood with the heart and not the head. Cf. Zech12:10; Hosea 5:15; 6:1-3.
This is where Hebraic thought form is so important to Christians. Christianity is not a western religion. The Bible we use is a Hebrew document. The apostles were Hebrew men. The language of the Bible is Hebraic from start to finish.
3.The ancients taught a mystery in GOD that could only be expressed as GOD coming forth from GOD. This coming forth from GOD was called ‘The Word of GOD,’ ‘the Image of GOD’, ‘the Form of GOD’, ‘the Glory’, ‘the Word of the LORD,’ ‘the Wisdom,’ ‘the Son,’ or, ‘the Light of GOD.’ Each of these expressions has a counterpart in the New Testament.
Consider just a few of them.
a. Form of GOD: New Testament – Phil2:6. Compare Numbers 12:6-8; Lev16:2
b. Glory of GOD: New Testament – 1Co2:6-8; John 1:14. Compare Eze11:22,23.
(The Jews have a tradition that says the Glory of God rested on the Mount of Olives and wept. Is there any counterpart to this in the New Testament.
c.Wisdom of GOD: New Testament – 1Co1:30; 2:7; Mt11:19; 13:43. Compare: Pro8:1-8
d.Son of GOd – Compare Psalm2:12; Pro30:2-4
So, was Christ pre-existent? Cf. Micah 5:2; John 17:1-5; Heb. 1:8-12; 11:24-27.
Did God’s people have experiences with Christ in the Old Testament? Genesis 32:24-29; Judges 13:18.
III – Jesus: The Redeemer
1.Job said, “As for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Notice Job called his Redeemer, GOD. This is one of the clearest testimonies to the faith of GOD’S ancient people. Job must have had a revelation of who the Redeemer would really be. How did GOD redeem us?
2.The wonder of the incarnation. The blood that ran through JESUS’ veins was GOD’S blood. (Cf. Acts 20:28.) Notice how the book of Revelation closes with a picture of the heavenly throne. It says, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Notice there is only one throne.)
3.The ancient faith of GOD’S people rested on a promise made in the garden. One day a SON would be born to the human family. This SON would break Satan’s power. They believed that this SON would be divine. (Thus the afore testimony of Job.)
Paul said that had the rulers understood GOD’S wisdom, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1Co2:7,8) John said JESUS was the WORD of GOD manifest in human form. Both the Greeks and the Hebrews had a concept of GOD’S activity in the earth and in creation. Greeks used the term ‘LOGOS.’ The Hebrews used the term ‘MEMRA.’
4.Ancient Jewish sages saw the MESSIAH in all the Scriptures. The ‘wind’ on the surface of the deep in creation was the SPIRIT of MESSIAH.
They also said that the ‘Light’ that was manifest at creation was the life of MESSIAH, that is, the wisdom men were to walk in. Because of sin this LIGHT became hidden. It was taught that the light would come back with MESSIAH. JESUS said, “I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
5.How does this light manifest for believers? Paul said, “For God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2Co4:6,7)
When a person becomes a true believer, there is a work of the Spirit in opening that person’s spiritual eyes. Every true believer has the capacity to walk in the light of JESUS. The born-from-above believer is given ‘sight’ by which he or she sees beyond the boundaries of the natural. This is why Paul said, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co4:18)
6.When JESUS walked on the waters, we hear Him saying to the frightened disciples, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matt14:25-26)
What was the purpose behind JESUS walking on the waters? This was again to reveal to His disciples who He really was. Job 9:8, says, “[God] alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea.” It says that when He got in their boat, “And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son.” (Matt14:33)
So, what do you think about the man called ‘Wonderful’?
David said, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18 NASB)
'And Let all the angels of God worship Him.'
In another place, David said, “Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.” (Ps63:2)
Who was it that David saw? I believe David saw the Lord Jesus before He took on the form of man. David actually called the preincarnate Jesus, his Lord.
Sound strange? The religious leaders in Israel said that the Messiah would be the Son of David, that is, He would be of the lineage of David. But Jesus brought something to their attention that caught them off guard.
Listen:
[Jesus] “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?
[Religious leaders] “The son of David.”
[Jesus] “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’, saying, ‘The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord [Adoni], ‘Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet ‘ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
Did you catch it? David called the preincarnate Christ Jesus, his Lord. Adoni (or Adonay) literally means ‘my Lord.’ Adonay is a masculine noun that speaks exclusively of God. It is used when directing attention to the supreme authority and power of God.
On the day of Pentecost, which by the way was both the birthday of the new covenant church, and the coronation day of Jesus, that is, the day He received His kingdom in its present form, Peter took note of Psalm 110:1, and said this was the Father speaking to the Son.
Yes indeed…
Jesus is the great wonder and mystery of the Bible…
In one place His name is actually called, ‘Wonderful Counselor.’
"To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice." Ps68:33
Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves they became calm. The disciples said, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt8:27)
What kind of man is Jesus indeed. Everything that Jesus did during His life on earth pretty much told us what kind of Man He was and is. Psalm 107:28,29, says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.”
That the Messiah would also be God, was written beforehand by Moses and the prophets. Isaiah wrote, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace…” (Isa 9:6) (Eternal Father can also be translated as ‘Father of eternity.’)
So a question remains. How can Jesus be the Almighty God in the earth, when the highest heavens and all of eternity cannot contain God? And if Jesus is the Almighty God, why did He speak of the Father being in heaven?
This is where Hebraic thought form is so important to Christians.
Christianity is not a western religion.
The Bible we use is a Hebrew document. The apostles were Hebrew men. The language of the Bible is Hebraic from start to finish. And unless we have some concept of the Hebrew thought form of the Bible, we are going to come short of some of the most beautiful truths to be realized.
The ancients taught that there was a mystery in God that could only be expressed as God coming forth from God. This coming forth from God was called ‘The Word of God,’ ‘the Image of God’, ‘the Form of God’, ‘the Glory’, ‘the Word of the Lord,’ ‘the Wisdom,’ ‘the Son,’ and, ‘the Light of God.’ Each of these expressions has a counterpart in the New Testament if we know where to find them.
Consider just a few (You may want to get your Bible for a look see):
Form of GOD: New Testament – Phil2:6. Compare Numbers 12:6-8; Lev16:2
Glory of GOD: New Testament – 1Co2:6-8; John 1:14. Compare Eze11:22,23.
(The ancients had a legend that said when the Glory of God left Solomon’s temple, it rested on the Mount of Olives and wept for three years. Based on Ezekiel 11:22,23. Is there any counterpart to this idea of God weeping in the New Testament. Think about it.)
Wisdom of GOD: New Testament – 1Co1:30; 2:7; Mt11:19; 13:43. Compare: Pro8:1-8
Son of GOd – Compare Psalm2:12; Pro30:2-4
So, was Christ pre-existent with the Father?
Micah 5:2 says, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathat, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son..." (Jn 3:16)
Then we have John 17:4,5: “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
How about this statement that Jesus made to His disciples: “What then if you see the Son of Man ascended to where He was before?” (Jn6:62)
Did God’s people have experiences with Christ in the Old Testament?
Job said, “As for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Notice Job called his Redeemer, God. This is one of the clearest testimonies to the faith of God’s ancient people. Job must have had a revelation of who the Redeemer would really be.
The blood that ran through the veins of Jesus was God’s blood. Then notice how the book of Revelation closes with a picture of the heavenly throne. It says, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Notice there is only one throne, but it is called the throne of God and of the Lamb. Somehow God is the Lamb, and the Lamb is God. And yet in this one Scripture we see three aspects of the eternal God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the ‘water of life,’ which speaks of the presence of God Himself.
The ancient faith of God’s people rested on a promise made in the garden. One day a Son would be born to the human family. This Son would break Satan’s power. They believed that this Son would be divine. (Thus the afore testimony of Job.)
Paul said that had the rulers understood God’s wisdom, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. John said Jesus is the Word of God manifest in human form. Both the Greeks and the Hebrews had a concept of God’s activity in the earth and in creation. The Greeks used the term ‘Logos.’ The Hebrews used the term ‘Memra.’
The wind on the surface of the deep…
The Jewish sages saw the Messiah in all the Scriptures. The ‘wind’ on the surface of the deep in creation was the Spirit of Messiah. They also said that the ‘Light’ that was manifest at creation was the life of Messiah, but that this Light became hidden because of the sin of Adam. The Light would only be found again when Messiah came.
Any Hebrew person would have understood what Jesus meant, when He said, “I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
How does this light manifest for believers? Paul said, “For God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2Co4:6,7)
Every true believer has the capacity to walk in the light of Jesus, by learning to fix his eyes on Jesus. This is why Paul said, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co4:18)
When Jesus walked on the waters, we hear Him saying to the frightened disciples, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matt14:25-26)
What was the purpose behind Jesus walking on the waters? Job 9:8, says, “[God] alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea.”
When Jesus got into the boat, it says, “And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son.” (Matt14:33)
So, what do you think about this wonder and mystery of the Bible. While you are think about it, listen to this song:
. The tears began to fill my eyes. It was a moment of heaven as I stood transfixed with pure love in my heart. How I long for the day when we shall be joined fully with Jesus in our heavenly home.
Did you catch it? We Christians have taken the name of Christ to ourselves. This is because we are espoused to the Lord Jesus. We are to glorify God in the name Christian.
indwelt by, enriched by, guided by, corrected by, and governed by the Holy Spirit. It is a covenant of life. It is a covenant of love.
