I called my son out of Egypt. (Hos. 11:1b)
This is referring to Israel, but it is also applied to Jesus (Mt. 2:15). How could it refer to Him, since the next verse (11:2) refers to Israel’s rebellion? Perhaps it is because, as the atonement sacrifice, everything what He did was not only for His sake, but for ours. He didn’t only die in our place, He also lived in our place. He walked the same paths that Israel had walked, but He did it in faith and love. He didn’t live a perfect life only to show us how to live, but also to perfectly represent us before the Throne. Since we could not do it right, He did! Thank You, Jesus. There are so many hidden treasures in Your word. Help me to see them. Transform me as I gaze upon Your splendor.
Jacob fled to Aram and earned a wife by tending sheep. (12:12)
Did You not do the same, Jesus? You came and “earned a wife” by tending sheep. You, the Good Shepherd, took care of the sheep that were placed in Your care. And in the end, You will receive the bride for whom You have worked. Even as Jacob had to serve an extra term for Rachel, You are yet waiting for the fulfillment of Your desire. But You will receive what You have earned. You will receive a spotless bride!
Two interesting things: 1) the reference for that verse is 12:12. Is not 12 the number representing the church? (The bride?) And 2) the root of the word translated “Aram” means “castle, palace.” Is this not the root of all our fairy tales? Jesus truly is our knight in shining armor, coming to rescue His princess from her childhood castle of bondage.
Then the Lord led Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites, out of Egypt by a prophet, who guided and protected them. But the people of Israel have bitterly provoked the Lord, so their Lord will now sentence them to death in payment for their sins. (12:13-14)
Yet another parallel. You were led out of Egypt, protected and guided by God. In contrast, You did not provoke the Lord, but pleased Him in every way. Yet the parallel resumes—You were sentenced to death—not in payment for Your sins, but in payment for mine.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thoughts on the Cross
What does the Cross mean? Yesterday I read a description of it in Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline, which gave me a deeper perspective. But I want to know from You, Jesus, the One who experienced it. What do you want me to understand about the Cross today? I do not understand. It doesn’t seem like a few hours’ separation from Your Father would cause the agony you went through, both in anticipation and at the time. For You knew the end—You knew that You would conquer sin, be restored to fellowship with Your Father, and be raised again. And that not in a few years or decades or millennia, but in a few hours/days! I know that to You, the eternal God, a day is as a thousand years, so one day of separation You would experience much longer (but also much shorter). Perhaps what I am misunderstanding is that You are outside time. You were slain before the foundation of the world. You were physically slain within time, but were You spiritually separated from Father outside of time? It can’t be, can it, that there is an eternal quality to Your experience of separation from the Father? That would account for Your agony. Help me understand.
Yesterday, when Reesa went to visit her grandparents for a couple of days, I imagined what it would be like for our family if she didn’t come home to us. The sorrow, even in my imagination, is just too great to bear. (Yet I know that, were it to happen, You would bear it for us and with us.) I know that she would be restored to us in Heaven, but how long to wait! How many days that would have to be lived without her! Perhaps my faith in the reality of Heaven is not steady enough, but the thought of one day without her, not knowing exactly when we’d ever see her again, is unbearable. The sorrow of Your separation from the Father must have been infinitely more, but I can’t imagine it. Because You knew, didn’t You? You knew that it would be short, and that You would soon be together again?
Jesus knew … that he had come from God and would return to God. (Jn. 13:3 NLT)
-----
You know the insults I endure—the humiliation and disgrace. You have seen all my enemies and know what they have said. Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine to satisfy my thirst. (Ps. 69:19-21 NLT)
Yesterday evening I watched an episode of Andy Griffith with the kids in which a spoiled little boy dares Sheriff Taylor to put his father in jail. He is more concerned about not losing his bike than he is about his father going to jail. He has broken the law, but he is completely unconcerned about that and just wants to avoid the consequences. How am I different from that little boy? When I look at the Cross, my feelings are usually something like, of course You did that for me. I take it for granted, not comprehending how much my freedom cost You. I am more concerned that I not lose my peace or joy or comfort than I am about Your reputation, Your suffering for me. Help me to understand. Help me to identify with You in Your suffering! I don’t want to be a spoiled brat who is more interested in my toys than I am in You. I want to know You, to understand what You have done for me and why. I want to know what it was like for You to suffer in my place, not so that I can receive any benefit, but so that I can love You and thank you with a heart of real gratitude.
I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! (Php 3:10-11 NLT)
I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love. (Lk. 8:47 NLT)
-----
But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns. (Lk. 22:53b NLT)
For one moment, one short (but eternal) moment, the power of darkness reigned absolutely. There was no God in the heavens watching over the earth. He had turned His back, for there was no goodness left on the earth. Even His beloved Son, whom He has sent, became “the actual embodiment of sin” (Foster, 144). All was dark, and the eternally glad heart of the Father, which until then had never been tainted with darkness, was filled with sorrow.
But they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Lk. 23:21 NLT)
Why the demonic frenzy of determination to kill the one they had so recently praised as the Messiah? The one who had fed them in the desert and healed their bodies? One day they loved Him; the next they mobbed him. What had changed?
“Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death … But the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus’ death, and their voices prevailed. (23:22-23)
They gave no reason; they simply yelled louder. All reason, justice, and compassion fled. Evil reigned, even over God. For this moment, He, who many times had easily evaded capture when the religious leaders had sought to kill Him (and many have done so since), submitted to the unreasoning mob—He let us have our own way. How many times do we pray that God would do things the way we think they should be done? For this moment, He gave in. He let us see what the end result of getting our own way would be: total darkness, depravity, and despair. Yes, God would be dead, and we would be given over to our lowest passions until we sunk lower than the animals, even to the level of demons. If God had not intervened, would we have sunk even lower than the demons? For they had been created to be His servants only, but we had been intended as His bride.
-----
Richard Foster said that the work of the Cross was finished before You died. I had always thought that Your physical death coincided with Your taking on our sin—almost as if my sin had stopped Your physical heart. But the three hours of darkness from noon to 3pm (Lk. 23:44-46) seem to be when You actually bore my sin. This was the “time when the power of darkness reign[ed].” For after that, the veil in the temple, which had separated me from being able to enter Your presence, was torn. As soon as You shredded it, Your work was done. I was cleansed from my sin and free to approach the holy God, made blameless and pure (1 Cor. 1:30).
What did You experience during those three hours? What about it was so dreadful that You begged to be spared the cup of suffering? For the true suffering must have been then, not later when Your body died. You gave up Your spirit triumphantly, like a woman having given birth. You had finished the work You were sent to do and were restored to oneness with the Father. You then went to the grave, shining light in a dark place that had never seen Your light. You preached deliverance to those who had died before You had come. You were then resurrected to show Yourself again to Your followers and went to Heaven to wait until the end of time, when You will return gloriously and establish Your kingdom on earth. But that was later. What happened to You during that moment when You said “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mk. 15:34), in the moment of Your ultimate suffering and the fulfillment of Your Father’s will? The moment for which You had come was upon You—You had taken it upon Yourself. What was that like?
Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Mk. 15:37-38 NLT)
As You finished Your work, You died. The missionaries to the Auca Indians said that they were immortal until they had completed the work You had given them. Up to that moment, they could not die. As soon as they were finished, they would surely die. This was true of You. You could not, would not die before You had finished the work for which You had been sent. But the moment You had fully atoned for all our sin, You breathed Your last. There was no longer any reason to be subjected to suffering and death. Fully victorious, You released Your Spirit into Father’s hands (Lk. 23:46).
He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. (Isa. 53:3 NLT)
It was nine o’clock in the morning when the crucifixion took place. (Mk. 15:25 NLT)
Three hours before darkness fell, the nails were driven into Your flesh. What were those three hours like? During that time You were mocked. The fear of God had not yet fallen on those watching You die. Was it like the final waiting before a surgery or execution? Did You pray? Were You beginning, even then, to take sin upon Yourself? Or was it just a dry, dreary time of nothing much happening, just hurting, bleeding, experiencing the physical pain of a broken human body while everyone around You increased Your emotional pain. This was when You had no comforter, no sympathizer to lighten Your burden. You were completely alone and exposed to the eyes of everyone who hated You. Total humiliation. Waiting until the time came for You to begin the terrible work the Father had given You.
… he began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death … “(Mk. 14:33-34 NLT)
What horrified You? What distressed You so deeply? What crushed Your soul with grief? Was it the anticipation of experiencing my sin? What was it like for One who is Light to be overcome by darkness? For One who knew no sin to become sin?
… it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down … he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! … the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. (Isa. 53:4-6)
-----
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me.” (Mk. 14:36a NLT)
Yes, Your Father could have taken the cup from You. He is unlimited in power and choice—but He chose not to take it away. It pleased Him (was according to His will and desire) to crush You (Isa. 53:10). You were abandoned—not by accident, but by design. Father actually intended to hurt You, kill You, despise You, and turn away from You. How could He do such a thing, even for a moment? To return to my original comparison, how could I ever intentionally turn away from my precious daughter, rejecting her wholly in front of everyone, and cause her pain so great that her heart would tear to pieces? Yes, I could then restore her, but would she ever forgive me? Could the deep wound of separation ever be healed? How could You forgive Abba for doing that to You? In fact, it doesn’t seem that You ever had to forgive Him. You fully cooperated with and submitted to His act of injustice upon You. What reward could ever make up for such a wrong? What could ever make what He did to You okay?
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. (Isa. 53:11-12a NLT)
-----
“The time has come. I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners.” (Mk. 14:41b NLT)
You were betrayed by everyone, not just by Judas. You were betrayed by Your disciples, Your friends, Your enemies, Your own mother, and by me. Most of all (but in a different sense), You were betrayed by God, Your Father, who had willed that it be so.
“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.” (Mt. 25:42 NLT)
Three times You prayed this prayer. You knew that Father could spare You, but You did not demand it. At the same time, Yours were not empty words. You must have been truly asking if there was another way. You continued to submit wholeheartedly to His will, crying out to Him until You knew that You and He were in total unity of thought and purpose. Then You went forth in peace, not defending or explaining Yourself to anyone, because You knew that You were safe in the Father’s hands. He would slay and crush You, yet You trusted Him (Job 15:13). You needed the justification of no one else.
Jesus remained silent … (Mt. 26:63a NLT)
Jesus said nothing … (27:14a NLT)
He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. (Isa. 53:7 NLT)
-----
“Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Mt. 26:53-54 NLT)
You, the living Word, were the fulfillment of the written Word. You could do no less, for the written Word is the expression of who You are. You refused to deliver Yourself, though You could have. Everyone around You thought that meant You were defeated. You appeared weak and helpless. How could God be helpless? If You cannot even help Yourself, how can You help us? And if we do not have You for our help, where else can we turn? We are completely lost without You.
What we didn’t—couldn’t—understand was that this was our help. Our knight in shining armor had ridden to our rescue and, by His death, slayed the dragon forever. This idea was far beyond our comprehension. The only way we can understand it is by looking back at what You did. Though You predicted it through prophets for thousands of years, and personally for three years, we still did not understand. Now, two thousand years later, I’m still trying to comprehend it. Please give me understanding. I will wait on You.
"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." (Psa 46:10 NLT)
Jesus, I may not understand, but be honored in me anyway. You are my Lord and Savior.
Yesterday, when Reesa went to visit her grandparents for a couple of days, I imagined what it would be like for our family if she didn’t come home to us. The sorrow, even in my imagination, is just too great to bear. (Yet I know that, were it to happen, You would bear it for us and with us.) I know that she would be restored to us in Heaven, but how long to wait! How many days that would have to be lived without her! Perhaps my faith in the reality of Heaven is not steady enough, but the thought of one day without her, not knowing exactly when we’d ever see her again, is unbearable. The sorrow of Your separation from the Father must have been infinitely more, but I can’t imagine it. Because You knew, didn’t You? You knew that it would be short, and that You would soon be together again?
Jesus knew … that he had come from God and would return to God. (Jn. 13:3 NLT)
-----
You know the insults I endure—the humiliation and disgrace. You have seen all my enemies and know what they have said. Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine to satisfy my thirst. (Ps. 69:19-21 NLT)
Yesterday evening I watched an episode of Andy Griffith with the kids in which a spoiled little boy dares Sheriff Taylor to put his father in jail. He is more concerned about not losing his bike than he is about his father going to jail. He has broken the law, but he is completely unconcerned about that and just wants to avoid the consequences. How am I different from that little boy? When I look at the Cross, my feelings are usually something like, of course You did that for me. I take it for granted, not comprehending how much my freedom cost You. I am more concerned that I not lose my peace or joy or comfort than I am about Your reputation, Your suffering for me. Help me to understand. Help me to identify with You in Your suffering! I don’t want to be a spoiled brat who is more interested in my toys than I am in You. I want to know You, to understand what You have done for me and why. I want to know what it was like for You to suffer in my place, not so that I can receive any benefit, but so that I can love You and thank you with a heart of real gratitude.
I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! (Php 3:10-11 NLT)
I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love. (Lk. 8:47 NLT)
-----
But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns. (Lk. 22:53b NLT)
For one moment, one short (but eternal) moment, the power of darkness reigned absolutely. There was no God in the heavens watching over the earth. He had turned His back, for there was no goodness left on the earth. Even His beloved Son, whom He has sent, became “the actual embodiment of sin” (Foster, 144). All was dark, and the eternally glad heart of the Father, which until then had never been tainted with darkness, was filled with sorrow.
But they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Lk. 23:21 NLT)
Why the demonic frenzy of determination to kill the one they had so recently praised as the Messiah? The one who had fed them in the desert and healed their bodies? One day they loved Him; the next they mobbed him. What had changed?
“Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death … But the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus’ death, and their voices prevailed. (23:22-23)
They gave no reason; they simply yelled louder. All reason, justice, and compassion fled. Evil reigned, even over God. For this moment, He, who many times had easily evaded capture when the religious leaders had sought to kill Him (and many have done so since), submitted to the unreasoning mob—He let us have our own way. How many times do we pray that God would do things the way we think they should be done? For this moment, He gave in. He let us see what the end result of getting our own way would be: total darkness, depravity, and despair. Yes, God would be dead, and we would be given over to our lowest passions until we sunk lower than the animals, even to the level of demons. If God had not intervened, would we have sunk even lower than the demons? For they had been created to be His servants only, but we had been intended as His bride.
-----
Richard Foster said that the work of the Cross was finished before You died. I had always thought that Your physical death coincided with Your taking on our sin—almost as if my sin had stopped Your physical heart. But the three hours of darkness from noon to 3pm (Lk. 23:44-46) seem to be when You actually bore my sin. This was the “time when the power of darkness reign[ed].” For after that, the veil in the temple, which had separated me from being able to enter Your presence, was torn. As soon as You shredded it, Your work was done. I was cleansed from my sin and free to approach the holy God, made blameless and pure (1 Cor. 1:30).
What did You experience during those three hours? What about it was so dreadful that You begged to be spared the cup of suffering? For the true suffering must have been then, not later when Your body died. You gave up Your spirit triumphantly, like a woman having given birth. You had finished the work You were sent to do and were restored to oneness with the Father. You then went to the grave, shining light in a dark place that had never seen Your light. You preached deliverance to those who had died before You had come. You were then resurrected to show Yourself again to Your followers and went to Heaven to wait until the end of time, when You will return gloriously and establish Your kingdom on earth. But that was later. What happened to You during that moment when You said “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mk. 15:34), in the moment of Your ultimate suffering and the fulfillment of Your Father’s will? The moment for which You had come was upon You—You had taken it upon Yourself. What was that like?
Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Mk. 15:37-38 NLT)
As You finished Your work, You died. The missionaries to the Auca Indians said that they were immortal until they had completed the work You had given them. Up to that moment, they could not die. As soon as they were finished, they would surely die. This was true of You. You could not, would not die before You had finished the work for which You had been sent. But the moment You had fully atoned for all our sin, You breathed Your last. There was no longer any reason to be subjected to suffering and death. Fully victorious, You released Your Spirit into Father’s hands (Lk. 23:46).
He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. (Isa. 53:3 NLT)
It was nine o’clock in the morning when the crucifixion took place. (Mk. 15:25 NLT)
Three hours before darkness fell, the nails were driven into Your flesh. What were those three hours like? During that time You were mocked. The fear of God had not yet fallen on those watching You die. Was it like the final waiting before a surgery or execution? Did You pray? Were You beginning, even then, to take sin upon Yourself? Or was it just a dry, dreary time of nothing much happening, just hurting, bleeding, experiencing the physical pain of a broken human body while everyone around You increased Your emotional pain. This was when You had no comforter, no sympathizer to lighten Your burden. You were completely alone and exposed to the eyes of everyone who hated You. Total humiliation. Waiting until the time came for You to begin the terrible work the Father had given You.
… he began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death … “(Mk. 14:33-34 NLT)
What horrified You? What distressed You so deeply? What crushed Your soul with grief? Was it the anticipation of experiencing my sin? What was it like for One who is Light to be overcome by darkness? For One who knew no sin to become sin?
… it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down … he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! … the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. (Isa. 53:4-6)
-----
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me.” (Mk. 14:36a NLT)
Yes, Your Father could have taken the cup from You. He is unlimited in power and choice—but He chose not to take it away. It pleased Him (was according to His will and desire) to crush You (Isa. 53:10). You were abandoned—not by accident, but by design. Father actually intended to hurt You, kill You, despise You, and turn away from You. How could He do such a thing, even for a moment? To return to my original comparison, how could I ever intentionally turn away from my precious daughter, rejecting her wholly in front of everyone, and cause her pain so great that her heart would tear to pieces? Yes, I could then restore her, but would she ever forgive me? Could the deep wound of separation ever be healed? How could You forgive Abba for doing that to You? In fact, it doesn’t seem that You ever had to forgive Him. You fully cooperated with and submitted to His act of injustice upon You. What reward could ever make up for such a wrong? What could ever make what He did to You okay?
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. (Isa. 53:11-12a NLT)
-----
“The time has come. I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners.” (Mk. 14:41b NLT)
You were betrayed by everyone, not just by Judas. You were betrayed by Your disciples, Your friends, Your enemies, Your own mother, and by me. Most of all (but in a different sense), You were betrayed by God, Your Father, who had willed that it be so.
“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.” (Mt. 25:42 NLT)
Three times You prayed this prayer. You knew that Father could spare You, but You did not demand it. At the same time, Yours were not empty words. You must have been truly asking if there was another way. You continued to submit wholeheartedly to His will, crying out to Him until You knew that You and He were in total unity of thought and purpose. Then You went forth in peace, not defending or explaining Yourself to anyone, because You knew that You were safe in the Father’s hands. He would slay and crush You, yet You trusted Him (Job 15:13). You needed the justification of no one else.
Jesus remained silent … (Mt. 26:63a NLT)
Jesus said nothing … (27:14a NLT)
He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. (Isa. 53:7 NLT)
-----
“Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Mt. 26:53-54 NLT)
You, the living Word, were the fulfillment of the written Word. You could do no less, for the written Word is the expression of who You are. You refused to deliver Yourself, though You could have. Everyone around You thought that meant You were defeated. You appeared weak and helpless. How could God be helpless? If You cannot even help Yourself, how can You help us? And if we do not have You for our help, where else can we turn? We are completely lost without You.
What we didn’t—couldn’t—understand was that this was our help. Our knight in shining armor had ridden to our rescue and, by His death, slayed the dragon forever. This idea was far beyond our comprehension. The only way we can understand it is by looking back at what You did. Though You predicted it through prophets for thousands of years, and personally for three years, we still did not understand. Now, two thousand years later, I’m still trying to comprehend it. Please give me understanding. I will wait on You.
"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." (Psa 46:10 NLT)
Jesus, I may not understand, but be honored in me anyway. You are my Lord and Savior.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Akiane
You have got to see this amazing girl! She is the world's only known child binary genius - in both art and poetry.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
All Hallow's Eve
Here is an interesting article I read about All Saints' Day. I appreciate the historical context without sensationalism. I am so interested in discovering how we as Christians can celebrate the Lord of light during this dark holiday. We have already done so (with more success) at Christmas at Easter. I can't help wondering whether there is an alternative to relinquishing Halloween to the enemy as well.
Is Halloween a Witches' Brew?
Is Halloween a Witches' Brew?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A Great Quote
"The law is for the self-righteous, to humble their pride: the gospel is for the lost, to remove their despair." (Charles Spurgeon, All of Grace)
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Miss My Hubby!
Paul left this morning for a business trip, and I miss him already! (Is it any wonder why?) Also, yesterday my hero hung up our pictures and artwork all over the house. We've been in this house 10 months, and it finally feels like we've moved in! :-D
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
More Thoughts
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isa. 57:15)
My translation: “For this is what I say, I who am exalted on high, lofty and residing perpetually in eternity, I who am holy in reputation, authority, and character: I dwell in the sacred sanctuary on high, near (among) the crushed and contrite, the humble and lowly spirit (life, breath), to restore to life (nourish, recover) the humble (depressed) mind, and to repair (save, preserve) the heart (will, feelings, intellect) of the broken (bruised, contrite, humble, oppressed).”
It seems to me that the sense here is not that God dwells on high and also with the lowly, but that He dwells on high with the lowly. As if “on high” is where the humble also dwell. Those who exalt themselves are actually positioning themselves in the lowest places, while those who are broken and contrite dwell on high with the humble God. Humility is not contrary to exaltation, but is necessary and complementary to it. Pride is what brings one low. Our thinking is all backwards. It is like swinging at the park. If you move your body in the direction you want to go, you will not get anywhere. But if you move your body in the opposite direction, pushing against the swing, you will soar.
Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high, Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth! The Lord raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill, that He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people. (Ps. 113:5-8)
He humbles Himself to enjoy, experience, and gaze joyfully upon the high and lofty sky and space, and also upon the common earth, the nations and the world. He raises up weak, poor man from the ashes (earth, clay, mud), and lifts the beggar (destitute) out of the rubbish pile. He causes him to dwell among princes as an equal with His free people (flock).
When Jesus humbled Himself to come among us as Man (Phil. 2:5-7), He was not going against His nature. It was the inevitable result of a humble God gazing upon His people with delight. Of course He would come as one of us, for the holy dwells with the humble. They are two sides of the same coin. God-Man is not a contradiction, but a completion of the desire of a God who is meek and lowly of heart (Mt. 11:29) to be one with the bride He has created to be one with Himself.
My translation: “For this is what I say, I who am exalted on high, lofty and residing perpetually in eternity, I who am holy in reputation, authority, and character: I dwell in the sacred sanctuary on high, near (among) the crushed and contrite, the humble and lowly spirit (life, breath), to restore to life (nourish, recover) the humble (depressed) mind, and to repair (save, preserve) the heart (will, feelings, intellect) of the broken (bruised, contrite, humble, oppressed).”
It seems to me that the sense here is not that God dwells on high and also with the lowly, but that He dwells on high with the lowly. As if “on high” is where the humble also dwell. Those who exalt themselves are actually positioning themselves in the lowest places, while those who are broken and contrite dwell on high with the humble God. Humility is not contrary to exaltation, but is necessary and complementary to it. Pride is what brings one low. Our thinking is all backwards. It is like swinging at the park. If you move your body in the direction you want to go, you will not get anywhere. But if you move your body in the opposite direction, pushing against the swing, you will soar.
Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high, Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth! The Lord raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill, that He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people. (Ps. 113:5-8)
He humbles Himself to enjoy, experience, and gaze joyfully upon the high and lofty sky and space, and also upon the common earth, the nations and the world. He raises up weak, poor man from the ashes (earth, clay, mud), and lifts the beggar (destitute) out of the rubbish pile. He causes him to dwell among princes as an equal with His free people (flock).
When Jesus humbled Himself to come among us as Man (Phil. 2:5-7), He was not going against His nature. It was the inevitable result of a humble God gazing upon His people with delight. Of course He would come as one of us, for the holy dwells with the humble. They are two sides of the same coin. God-Man is not a contradiction, but a completion of the desire of a God who is meek and lowly of heart (Mt. 11:29) to be one with the bride He has created to be one with Himself.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Thinking Out Loud
“One you see [God’s] greatness, there comes great joy in humbling yourself before the Lord. . . . He is everything, and as we are joined to Him the poverty of our personal identity is lost in the fullness of His eternal greatness” (Sorge, p. 47).
This made me think: If God so desired, could He create a being intrinsically equal to Himself to be His friend, His lover? Is that even possible? It seems not, for in order to be of equal greatness, that being would also have to be uncreated, omnipotent, omniscient, etc. And if there was another such being, then He himself could not fully embody those qualities. It would contradict His very being. Then how, if God desired a counterpart, could it be accomplished? For in order to be a true counterpart, she would need to be His equal. And she would need to be other than Himself. But being God, there is no other beside Him. So He must create her. Then how could He endow her with His qualities?
What if, instead of creating a being equal to Himself (or nearly so), He created one completely unequal? One who is poor in every way, in contrast to the unlimited richness of His being. One who had no greatness of her own, an empty vessel. The one quality that He would give her, the one thing that could make her truly other than Himself, would be her choice to love Him or not. If she chose to love Him, coming to Him in her poverty, then He would fill her with Himself. She would become his counterpart, not because of her own worthiness, but because of His worthiness bestowed upon her. She would become His equal (in a sense that I do not understand), not because she would be God, but because she would receive into herself His Spirit. And in so doing, she would become one with Him. She would always be the weaker vessel, but she would glory in her weakness because it enabled her to be filled with His strength. If she had any strength (or goodness or greatness) of her own, she would always remain lesser, for she could not fully receive Him into herself. And so He would give her none of her own, and all of His.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, ESV)
And we are living the rest of the story.
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah (Psalm 39:5, ESV)
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV)
This made me think: If God so desired, could He create a being intrinsically equal to Himself to be His friend, His lover? Is that even possible? It seems not, for in order to be of equal greatness, that being would also have to be uncreated, omnipotent, omniscient, etc. And if there was another such being, then He himself could not fully embody those qualities. It would contradict His very being. Then how, if God desired a counterpart, could it be accomplished? For in order to be a true counterpart, she would need to be His equal. And she would need to be other than Himself. But being God, there is no other beside Him. So He must create her. Then how could He endow her with His qualities?
What if, instead of creating a being equal to Himself (or nearly so), He created one completely unequal? One who is poor in every way, in contrast to the unlimited richness of His being. One who had no greatness of her own, an empty vessel. The one quality that He would give her, the one thing that could make her truly other than Himself, would be her choice to love Him or not. If she chose to love Him, coming to Him in her poverty, then He would fill her with Himself. She would become his counterpart, not because of her own worthiness, but because of His worthiness bestowed upon her. She would become His equal (in a sense that I do not understand), not because she would be God, but because she would receive into herself His Spirit. And in so doing, she would become one with Him. She would always be the weaker vessel, but she would glory in her weakness because it enabled her to be filled with His strength. If she had any strength (or goodness or greatness) of her own, she would always remain lesser, for she could not fully receive Him into herself. And so He would give her none of her own, and all of His.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, ESV)
And we are living the rest of the story.
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah (Psalm 39:5, ESV)
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV)
Friday, August 24, 2007
I have been struggling with consistency the past few days. Worse, I am struggling with a lack of desire to be consistent. Lying around all the time should make it easier to spend more time in the Word, but I find there is a whole different set of distractions available to me. There are projects that I want to work on while I have the time, like organizing family pictures and researching home school options (my favorite website right now is www.homeschoolreviews.com). There are books I want to read (lately I have been devouring Joel Rosenberg’s books, The Last Jihad, The Last Days, and currently, The Ezekiel Option). And, while none of these are bad things, it’s amazing how much time they can eat up so that, at the end of the day, I have spent little or no time in the Word.
Another thing making it difficult is my irregular sleep schedule. I have gotten out of the habit of getting up at my regular time to be alone with God. Some nights I can’t get to sleep until 1 a.m., and on nights when I do fall asleep earlier, I often wake up in the wee hours of the morning, again unable to sleep. Pain and contractions certainly make sleep difficult sometimes! Of course, I can (and sometimes do) use that time to be in the Word. But usually my brain is so foggy from sleep deprivation that I can hardly concentrate on a verse, much less process what God is trying to say to me.
Maybe I’m being a bit hard on myself. I haven’t given up, and I do crack open my Bible at least a little each day. But why is it so much easier to distract myself from the pain with a novel or a movie (I’ve watched the whole Lord of the Rings series in the past couple of weeks) than it is to enter into the Word of God? I want my spirit to be renewed, and no other content, however worthy, can replace God’s living Word for doing that.
I know that my weak prayers and efforts are sweet incense to the Lord. I know that He sees the “yes” in my heart and understands my struggle. What concerns me, as I mentioned at the beginning, is how much my desire for time in the Word and prayer has decreased over the past few days.
Last night, when I couldn’t sleep, I listened to a OneThing podcast of a sermon by Misty Edwards. She was talking about the parable of the virgins with their lamps and oil in Matthew 25. She put it very simply: the lamps are our outward life and ministry. The oil is our inward life with God—intimacy with Him in the secret place (primarily spending time in the Word). The foolish virgins are the ones who spend all their time and energy on their lamps. They have a little oil, but they are not investing the time to deepen their relationship with God. In the end, they lose everything. The wise virgins, on the other hand, also have lamps, but they are not consumed by their outward lives. They are investing the best part of their time in getting oil, and when the light is darkest, their lamps do not go out.
Oh, how I want to be a wise virgin! Lord, help me not give in to lethargy or laziness concerning Your Word. Renew the urgency in my spirit to go deep in You.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Keep me burning till the break of day
Another thing making it difficult is my irregular sleep schedule. I have gotten out of the habit of getting up at my regular time to be alone with God. Some nights I can’t get to sleep until 1 a.m., and on nights when I do fall asleep earlier, I often wake up in the wee hours of the morning, again unable to sleep. Pain and contractions certainly make sleep difficult sometimes! Of course, I can (and sometimes do) use that time to be in the Word. But usually my brain is so foggy from sleep deprivation that I can hardly concentrate on a verse, much less process what God is trying to say to me.
Maybe I’m being a bit hard on myself. I haven’t given up, and I do crack open my Bible at least a little each day. But why is it so much easier to distract myself from the pain with a novel or a movie (I’ve watched the whole Lord of the Rings series in the past couple of weeks) than it is to enter into the Word of God? I want my spirit to be renewed, and no other content, however worthy, can replace God’s living Word for doing that.
I know that my weak prayers and efforts are sweet incense to the Lord. I know that He sees the “yes” in my heart and understands my struggle. What concerns me, as I mentioned at the beginning, is how much my desire for time in the Word and prayer has decreased over the past few days.
Last night, when I couldn’t sleep, I listened to a OneThing podcast of a sermon by Misty Edwards. She was talking about the parable of the virgins with their lamps and oil in Matthew 25. She put it very simply: the lamps are our outward life and ministry. The oil is our inward life with God—intimacy with Him in the secret place (primarily spending time in the Word). The foolish virgins are the ones who spend all their time and energy on their lamps. They have a little oil, but they are not investing the time to deepen their relationship with God. In the end, they lose everything. The wise virgins, on the other hand, also have lamps, but they are not consumed by their outward lives. They are investing the best part of their time in getting oil, and when the light is darkest, their lamps do not go out.
Oh, how I want to be a wise virgin! Lord, help me not give in to lethargy or laziness concerning Your Word. Renew the urgency in my spirit to go deep in You.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Keep me burning till the break of day
Thursday, July 26, 2007
This is fun!
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Entirely Miss Reverend Lady Michelle the Antediluvian of Longer Interval Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Why dost thou wound and break my heart
As if we would forever part?
Hast thou not heard an oath from me—
After a day or two or three?
I would come back and live with thee.
Take, if thou dost distrust that vow
This second protestation now:
If on thy cheek, that spangled tear
That sits as dew of roses there,
That tear shall scarce be dried before
I’ll kiss the threshold of thy door.
Then, weep not, sweet, but this much know—
I’m half-returned before I go.
-Robert Herrick, quoted in A Perfect Love by Lori Copeland and Angela Hunt
This is a beautiful poem that speaks to my heart now, as my husband is away on a business trip this week. And isn't it also incredible as a love-note from Jesus to us?
As if we would forever part?
Hast thou not heard an oath from me—
After a day or two or three?
I would come back and live with thee.
Take, if thou dost distrust that vow
This second protestation now:
If on thy cheek, that spangled tear
That sits as dew of roses there,
That tear shall scarce be dried before
I’ll kiss the threshold of thy door.
Then, weep not, sweet, but this much know—
I’m half-returned before I go.
-Robert Herrick, quoted in A Perfect Love by Lori Copeland and Angela Hunt
This is a beautiful poem that speaks to my heart now, as my husband is away on a business trip this week. And isn't it also incredible as a love-note from Jesus to us?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Entertaining Ourselves
This is the day I discovered that a digital camera is a good way to keep a four-year-old, an almost-three-year-old, and an 18-month old entertained. That and a doctor's stool for races. It worked! . . . for a little while.
John's Incredible Pizza is a bit more fun than the doctor's office. :) Clockwise: 1) Robyn and Michelle enjoying the ride. 2) Oma and Gopa squirting frogs with Rayne and Reesa. 3) Daddy helping Cedar shoot 'em up. 4) Reesa, Rayne, and Cedar skyrocketing to the moon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)