Contemplate Jesus

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 19-20; Psalm 47

TO CHEW ON: "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God" - Revelation 19:11-13

What a wonderful opportunity we have to contemplate Jesus in these verses. Let's look at the various images and what they tell us about Him (using help from Earl Wesley Morey, the writer of my Bible's notes on Revelation, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1842):

"…a white horse…" - The white horse symbolizes victory. Jesus will be victorious!

"… called Faithful and True …" - That is the name of the One riding that horse, or one of His names. He is called that because His judgments are right. "His standards and methods are qualitatively different from those of the dragon and his allies." Isaiah gives a fuller description of what characterizes the judgement of this descendant of David: The Spirit of the Lord rests on Him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. He judges not according to appearances but with righteousness and faithfulness"(Isaiah 11:1-5).

" … He judges and makes war…" - His final victory in war makes clear to earth-dwellers the victory of the Cross and Resurrection, long acknowledged by believers.

"His eyes were like a flame of fire" - We think of what fire can do: illuminate, warm, purify, destroy. Our Bible commenter says of His flaming eyes: "(They) symbolize eternity, wisdom and omniscience" - Op. Cit., p. 1818.

"… on His head were many crowns" - "Many crowns represent unlimited diadems of sovereign authority (Revelation 11:15)" - As I'm writing this, the old hymn is playing in my head:

"Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne:
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own!
Awake my soul and sing of Him who died for Thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity" - Matthew Bridges

"… He had a new name written that no one knew except Himself" - "The fullness of Jesus is beyond human comprehension." (See also these references to our new name - Revelation 2:17; 3:12,13.)

"He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood" - Not the blood of battle, for the battle has not yet happened, but His atoning blood—the blood that fulfilled and was necessary as God's requirement as a sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22).

"His name is called the Word of God" - Another name. We recall the many other times Jesus is called the Word as He reveals the character and purpose of God - John 1:1,14,18; 10:30; 14:9-10; 1 John 1:1.

What a picture of our victorious Saviour and King. The  last stanza of "Crown Him With Many Crowns" is  a fitting response as we offer Him our hearts' adoration and worship:

"Crown Him the Lord of heaven: One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit thru Him given from yonder glorious throne.
To Thee be endless praise, for Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, thru endless days adored and magnified."  

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, these verses paint a complex and awe-inspiring picture of You. I worship You for who You are and what You have done. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 47

MORE: Revelation 19 in Handel's Messiah

We readily recognize words from the Hallelujah Chorus taken from Revelation 19

"KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS" - Revelation 19:6.

Here is the "Hallelujah Chorus" sung by the Tafelmusik Chorus and Orchestra.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

The Jesus brand

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 148:1-14

TO CHEW ON: "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory above the earth and heaven." Psalm 148:13


In the world of books and authors there is a term called "branding." It begins to happen when a writer writes book after book in the same genre, written in the same recognizable style so that their name gets identified with what they write. For example when we say we read Brandilyn Collins, people familiar with Christian fiction will know we're talking about scary suspense stories, while if we read Beverly Lewis, we are readers of historical fiction about the Amish. The author's name becomes her brand.

[The Hebrew word shem translated name in "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted" comes from a root that suggests marking or branding. An article about "Name" in my Bible says, "...a person was named because of something that marked him, whether physical features or accomplishments he had made or was expected to make" New Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 254.]

That idea of a brand (identified by a name) delivering on expectations continues till today. We buy a brand-name product (a book, a piece of clothing, a particular food) with expectations.

What we get when we choose Jesus is not so different. A look at the names of the Lord Jesus are a wonderful study of what we can expect to get when we choose the Jesus brand:

• Something that endures (Psalm 72:17).

• Something that is beautifully fragrant (Song of Songs 1:3).

• A Governor named Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

• A human person named Jesus, born to a real woman (Luke 1:31).

• A Lord, before whom every knee will bow and every tongue admit His supremacy (Philippians 2:9-11).

• A Being above the angels (Hebrews 1:4).

• A Being that is frightening, majestic and mysterious (Revelation 19:12).

• A Supreme Ruler: King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).

No wonder all of nature — the heavens (Psalm 148:1-4) and the earth (Psalm 148:7-12)— join their voices in praise of this name. Let's join in!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, my mind can't begin to grasp Your greatness, majesty, power, and creativity. Help me to remember these things about You when I am tempted by any other brand. Amen.

MORE: "All Creatures of Our God and King" sung by David Crowder

Words by Francis of Assissi 1182-1226
Translated by William H. Draper



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Your new name

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 62:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "You shall be called by a new name

Which the mouth of the Lord will name." Isaiah 62:2

Whenever I read about a new name in the Bible, I think of Donna Smallenberg's painting by that title. In it a beautiful queen looks intently at a glowing white stone with an inscription on it. Smallenberg's inspiration for that painting came from Revelation 2 (Revelation 2:17) and Isaiah 62. She says of her depiction:

"This woman representing the overcoming church in Revelations 2 is given a white stone with a new name written on it. The white stone is symbolic of priestly revelation, the new name reveals her true calling and destiny. Isaiah 62 speaks of her shining like the dawn, of being a crown of beauty in the Lord's hand..."

What was her old name? "Forsaken." "Desolate" - Isaiah 62:4.

Her new name is "Hephzibah"—"My delight is in her," and "Beulah"—"married," and a "Holy People," "The Redeemed of the Lord," "Sought Out," and "A City Not forsaken" - Isaiah 62:4,12.

This new name promise is repeated in Revelation 3:12:

"He who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem... And I will write on him My new name."

Neil Anderson, in an appendix to the book The Bondage Breaker lists statements that summarize our identity in Christ—our new names. Below are a few from a much longer list. Let's ponder them today and thank God again for the wonderful thing He did when He sent Jesus to earth to adopt us and make us His own.

• I am a new creation - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
• I am a child of God - John 1:12.
• I am a son/daughter of light not of darkness - 1 Thessalonians 5:5.
• I am Christ's friend, chosen and appointed to bear His fruit - John 15:15,16.
• I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life - John 15:1,5.
• I am God's workmanship—His handiwork - Ephesians 2:10.
• I am one of God's living stones - 1 Peter 2:5.
• I am a joint heir with Christ - Romans 8:17.
• I am a citizen of heaven - Philippians 3:20, Ephesians 2:6.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that I am Yours and have a new identity in You. Help me to live true to the names You call me. Amen.

MORE: Our thanks back to God

In the last few days I've been listening to Robin Mark's 2009 Year of Grace CD while cooking dinner. One song I can't hear enough times is his rendition of "Greater the One." As we ponder Jesus' coming to earth as a baby and all His life means for us now (our new names and all the benefits of new life in Him),  this song is the perfect response. Sing along with Robin Mark these words of appreciation and thankfulness to our beautiful Saviour.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Acknowledge the past before transformation

Jacob Wrestles - Matthaeus Merian I (1593-1650)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 32:6-32

TO CHEW ON: “So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’
He said, ‘Jacob’ (supplanter, deceiver).
And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel (Prince with God)…’” - Genesis 32:27,28


We left Jacob yesterday alone and determined to deal with his past. For not only had he broken with Laban, but he sent servants to tell Esau, his estranged twin brother, that he was passing through (Genesis 32:1-5).

The servants returned with the news that Esau was on his way to meet Jacob, accompanied by 400 men.

That put the scare into Jacob!

He did all he could to prepare for this meeting that he feared would end badly.
- He prayed - reminding God of His promise to him - Genesis 32:9-12.
- He prepared and sent on ahead herds of animals as gifts for Esau - Genesis 32:13-15.
- He separated his most precious possessions, his wives and children, from the main company and sent them to the other side of the Jabbok River.

In the fear-filled and sleepless night before the meeting, Jacob experienced perhaps the greatest preparation for the day ahead (and the rest of his life). He met a mysterious stranger who wrestled with him. This man (a theophany? an angel?) made Jacob say his name (acknowledge his identity, Jacob—deceiver, supplanter) before He would pronounce the blessing for which Jacob begged.

Then God blessed him with a new name (identity): Israel—Prince with God, a reminder of the encounter (a lifelong limp), and a formal blessing (Genesis 32:26-29)

Perhaps what happened to Jacob may also be applicable to us. Before we get God’s blessing of transformation, we may also need to admit what we were, to acknowledge the human means we’ve used to this point to make our way in life. This so we can forsake them and in their stead lean on God and trust His ways of working.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for faithfully bringing me face to face with my human coping mechanisms in order to transform me into a person who relies on You.

MORE: The rest of the story…

To read how Jacob and Esau’s meeting went, read Genesis 33:1-16.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Night wrestling

"Jacob and the Angel at Peniel" 
by William Brassey Hole

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 32:13-32


TO CHEW ON: "And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me.'" Genesis 32:26

The mysterious story of Jacob wrestling with a Man (God) needs a little context.

Jacob and his family had finally broken free of Laban. Jacob's entourage of flocks, servants, wives, and children were making their way back to the home of Jacob's youth. Their trek took them into Esau's territory. Why Jacob dreaded meeting the brother he had cheated, and because of whose death threats he had left home, is obvious.

As he neared the land of Seir, he sent messengers ahead to tell Esau of his approach. The messengers returned with the news that Esau was coming to meet them — with four hundred men! (Fighting men?!)

Jacob in a desperate attempt to placate his brother sent ahead a lavish gift (Genesis 32:13-15). In today's reading we see how he separated his troupe, putting his family on the safe side of a body of water, and then went out alone to face his fears.

I wonder what was going on in Jacob's mind. No doubt he was reliving his treatment of Esau and their last interactions. Was he feeling undeserving of the blessings God had showered on him, knowing that deception had characterized his life? Did he fear that the day of reckoning was here and Esau would get his revenge?

Sometime during the night a mysterious Man appeared. He and Jacob wrestled and Jacob, sinewy creature that he was, managed to hold his own. As dawn paled the horizon, the Man asked to be released but Jacob wouldn't let Him go until He gave him His blessing.

The Man asked Jacob his name, made him say it: "Jacob" = supplanter, deceiver. Then He gave Jacob a new name/identity: Israel = prince with God, "...for you have struggled with God and with man and have prevailed." But the altercation left Jacob with a limp.

Some things this story says to me:

1. Unresolved issues from the past have a way of reappearing.

2. The best way to deal with any troubling issue is to wrestle it out before God in prayer. When we do this, we show that we're at the end of our own devices. We don't know what effect Jacob's night of prayer had. Maybe Esau was coming with bad intentions. Maybe Jacob's night of contending changed more than just him.

3. Whatever flaws he had, Jacob was a fighter. The Man commended him for his determination. This story of Jacob wrestling with God became part of Israel's legacy. Hosea refers to it as an example of how his contemporaries should prevail with God: "...he struggled with the Angel...He wept and sought favor... So you by the help of your God return / Observe mercy and justice / and wait on your God continually" Hosea 12:2-6.


4. The incident left Jacob permanently changed. He received a new identity, along with a new humiliation. I love how my Bible's footnote explains "He limped: This symbolizes that character transformation costs God's people in terms of ego death" -R. Russell Bixler, commentary on Genesis,  New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 49.

Let's let Jacob's example mentor us in how to handle our issues from the past, how we need to  bring them to God, wrestle with them before Him, and accept the changes that He instigates - especially within us - in the process.

PRAYER: Dear God help me to deal with unresolved issues by working them out with You in prayer. Please help me to be teachable and learn the lessons You have for me. Amen.

MORE: Battles of the Secret Place

"The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world. The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God; but it must be wrestled out alone before God, and I must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before God. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there" - Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest, December 27th reading.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Not your usual naming ceremony

Birth of John the Baptist - Alexandre Bida

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 1:57-80

TO CHEW ON: "And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote saying, 'His name is John.' So they all marvelled. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke praising God." Luke 1:63,64

A person's name in Bible times held more significance for them than our names do for us. A Holman Bible Dictionary article explains:

"The biblical concept of naming was rooted in the ancient world's understanding that a name expressed essence. To know the name of a person was to know that person's total character and nature. Revealing character and destiny, personal namrs might express hopes for the child's future…" Kandy Queen-Sutherland, "Naming," Holman Bible Dictionary - read entire article.

Mother Elizabeth was the first to demur when the person responsible for the mechanics of registering the baby's name assumed everything would go as normal. This illustrates two more customs around naming in the Bible:
1] the task of naming generally fell to the mother.
2] it was a practice to give the baby the name of a relative, often the grandfather or father.

When father Zacharias supported Elizabeth's surprising name choice of John, the bystanders "all marveled." But an even greater surprise was just moments away. For no sooner had Zacharias written "His name is John," than "Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed."

It was as if God had held Zacharias' power of speech hostage until he demonstrated he truly believed what the angel had said (Luke 1:13) by getting out of the rut of what everyone expected.

Does God still work that way today, testing our willingness to believe and obey by asking us to leave the rut of the ordinary, the safe, and the comfortable? To go on that mission trip? To accept that assignment that feels beyond our ability? To work towards fulfilling that dream that seems way too big to come true?

I love how Zacharias' compliance led to his speech not only returning but returning in a river of praise, adoration, and prophecy. Who knows what will be unleashed when we step out in unquestioning obedience?

PRAYER: Dear God, please strengthen my trust in You so I am unafraid to step out of familiar ruts when You tell me to. Amen.

MORE: Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Today the church celebrates John the Baptist's birth. The liturgy for this day begins with this collect:

"Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Just for interest's sake, I looked up the meaning of the two names at play here:

Zacharias means the Lord recalled, or the Lord remembered.

John means Yahweh is gracious.

What does your name mean? 

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Crowd psychology

"Jesus Entering Jerusalem"
by William Brassey Hole

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 12:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him and cried out,

"Hosanna!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The King of Israel!" - John 12:12,13

Jesus was famous. News spread that He who raised Lazarus from the dead was in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. He and Lazarus attracted crowds (John 12:9,12).

The gawkers concluded, rightly, that Jesus was THE ONE—the "He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!"

The word "name" in the phrase "name of the Lord" is loaded with meaning.

Name - onoma in general signifies the name or term by which a person or thing is called (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:16; Luke 1:63).

However, it was quite common both in Hebrew and Hellenistic Greek to use onoma for all that the name implies such as:

rank or authority (Matthew 7:22; John 14:13; Acts 3:6, 4:7),

character (Luke 1:49; 11:2; Acts 26:9),

reputation (Mark 6:14; Luke 6:22),

representative (Matthew 7:22; Mark 9:37)" - Dick Mills, "Word Wealth," New Spirit-Filled Bible, p. 1465.

This crowd was telling the truth about Jesus. They were acknowledging that He was the Lord's representative with the Lord's rank, authority, character, and reputation.  It is a truth that still sounds a worship summons to our hearts.

The sobering thing is that a few days later another crowd shouted, "Crucify Him!" Were the same people involved? I hope not. I hate to face the fact that the human heart—my heart—could be, and often is, so fickle.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming as God's representative with His authority, character, and reputation. Help me to stay loyal to You, no matter what the crowd says or does. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

What's in a name?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 7:17-8:4

TO CHEW ON: "Then I went to the prophetess and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, 'Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.'" Isaiah 8:3

In yesterday's reading the new mother was to give her son the name Immanuel. In today's God tells Isaiah and his wife to name their newborn Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (meaning "speed the spoil, hasten the booty"—a prophecy that Assyria would soon plunder Syria and Israel, Judah's enemies).

Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible says about naming:

"Names were very important in the world of the Old Testament. Each Hebrew name has a meaning and it became an important part of the infant's life. Jewish people believed that they must first know a person's name before they could know the person himself. We only have to look at the name Jacob, which means "heel grabber" to see the importance of a name. To know Jacob's name was to know his basic character! Therefore the act of choosing a name for an infant was a serious responsibility." p. 445

Bible-time parents didn't choose names only to designate character traits. Ichabod's mother picked his name in memory of the events around his birth (1 Samuel 4:21).

Parents sometimes chose names of animals for their babies (Rachel = sheep; Deborah = bee), or gave them popular names (there are twelve Obadiah's in the Old Testament) and then had to distinguish their child from others by adding the child's father or hometown to the name (e.g. David's father was called Jesse the Bethlehemite).

Many Bible names are theophoric, i.e. have a divine name joined to a verb or noun thus making a descriptive phrase (Jonathan = the Lord has given; Elijah: my God is the Lord).

I don't recall women of my generation attaching a great deal of significance to name meanings. We picked names for our children that we liked the sound of and then checked their meanings more as a matter of curiosity than anything. Or we named our kids after significant people in our families or society. We certainly didn't make the naming of our children a huge prayer concern or pick their names by divine decree.

But Isaiah did. Giving his son the ungainly name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz was part of his obedience as a prophet. His willingness to listen to God in even the things that would normally be his own choice shows to what extent he had given himself to God.

I ask myself, have I committed my life to God with the same completeness? Is He Lord of even the tiniest details, the areas I would ordinarily assume are up to me?

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me areas in my life which I assume are my business. Help me acknowledge Your lordship over every aspect of life. Amen.

MORE: Feast of St. Mary the Virgin

Today the church celebrates the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin. The liturgy begins with this Collect:

O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

No one is a blockhead to God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 6:13-24

TO CHEW ON: "And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." Matthew 5:22b

I read this and hear a little voice in my head saying, 'Come on, Jesus, You can't mean this.' For who of us hasn't called someone "Blockhead" or "Stupid" — the modern equivalent of "Raca," or thought, if not spoken the label "Fool" over someone?

A. W. Tozer gives an explanation of this verse in his essay, "On Calling Our Brother a Fool":

"What our Lord is saying here is not that a man will be punished with hell fire for calling another a fool, but that a man who can say 'Thou fool' to a fellow man is revealing a state of heart which will fit him for hell in the end. Not the relatively slight offense of calling a brother a fool, but the serious sin of feeling contempt endangers a man's future...


Contempt for a human being is an affront to God almost as grave as idolatry, for while idolatry is disrespect for God Himself, contempt is disrespect for the being He made in His own image" - Of God and Men, p. 82-83.

Tozer goes on to say how contempt is really a mask for pride. The contemptuous person's high opinion of himself is based not on the fact he is made in God's image but because he fancies himself to have virtues he doesn't have. His error is actually moral as well as intellectual.

Tozer points out how readily contempt flourishes in the realm of religion and church-going. We easily look down on the person who is an outright sinner and readily call fellow Christians, with whom we disagree, fool-equivalent names.

However, that doesn't mean that the Christian closes his eyes to sin. Tozer explains:

"He cannot avoid rendering moral judgment on the deeds of men; and, indeed, he is accountable to do so. 'By their fruits ye shall know them.' 'From such turn away.' But his disapprobation of the evil ways of men must not betray him into contempt for them as human beings. He must reverence the humanity of every man, however degraded, out of appreciation for his divine origin. No one for whom Christ died can be common or worthless" p. 84.

I confess, I have been contemptuous and felt convicted about it. The next time my ugly pride rises as contempt, I will imagine Jesus standing beside me. I will ask, How does He view this person?

I will do a little realistic thinking about myself and my own potential for sin ("There but for the grace of God go I").

And I will remember that Jesus died for us both.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to see others and myself through Your eyes. Remind me of the infinite worth of each person. Help me to reflect that regard, not only in my actions and words, but even my thoughts. Amen.

MORE: The Image of God

Have you ever thought about what it means to carry the "Image of God" — that thing which we name as giving humanity its special dignity. I challenged myself to define it when I wrote Bible Drive-Thru (devotions for kids ages 8-12). Here is a link to the meditation with my definition: "Special Creation." Your thoughts?