May 17, 2010 Seeing the King

I've long known that David was a fore-shadowing of the Kingship of Christ.  Today, the Lord pointed out a parallel in the Scriptures that I have never noticed before.  The Old and New Testaments both concur that there are two reactions to the revelation of the true King.  It seems when you are confronted with the King, you either love him or hate him.

From all that I have read about them, I have come to the conclusion that David and Jesus were both totally lovable.  Not in a "popularity contest" sort of way, but winsome because they were righteous, powerful, wise and serving.  Really, it was only the proud and envious leaders that hated them and stirred people up against them.  David was celebrated in Israel from the start, but Saul was fearful of him taking the throne from himself and his son Jonathan.  He "saw" the true king, but refused to see what he saw.  He tried to kill him instead.  It's easy to see the parallels in Jesus' life.

The Pharisees "saw" Jesus and His Kingship but willfully refused to see what they saw.  After Jesus gave the blind beggar his sight, He said:
“Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains." John 9: 35-41 NKJV

The beggar couldn't see at first, physically or spiritually, but when confronted with the King, he saw, believed what he saw, and worshipped Him.  I believe the Pharisees, like Saul, could see Who Jesus was, but refused to believe what they saw, out of fear, pride and envy.  They refused to acknowledge God.  The Pharisees' and Saul's iniquity caused them to see their savior as an evil usurper rather than the rightful King.  Once confronted with the Light, rebellious, selfish darkness will try to extinguish it.

Jonathan "saw" the kingship in David, and covenanted with him in loyal friendship.  He did not try to fight for his own "rights".  It says Jonathan loved him as his own soul.   This is the kind of love Christians should have for one another, because we see the King.  We don't worship each other, but we worship the King in one another, and we give one another the loyalty, love and honor that are due the children and vessels of the King. 

How we respond to one another really reveals our heart toward God.  If we allow ourselves to be blinded by heart-sin (iniquity), we will throw spears at our brothers and sisters (probably not actually, but verbally).  We are actually throwing them at the Lord.  If, and when, we find ourselves on the receiving end of this kind of blindness, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and defend us, as Jonathan defended David.  If we love the King, we will honor His brothers and sisters, even to the point of risking our own lives.

David escaped from the presence of the earthly king, but returned in power.  The beggar was sent out, first by Jesus to wash his eyes (he probably had to get out of the presence of the rabid unbelief in order to be able to receive his sight), and then he was expelled from the congregation by the leaders.  Perhaps he was a great witness for the Lord "outside the camp."  David's followers were "outlaws" for many years.  We too, have to follow the Lord and bear His reproach "outside the camp." (Hebrews 13:13)

If we get rejected by people-- whether our natural family, self-righteous leaders, or a particular group-- be assured that righteousness will eventually be vindicated.  Jesus was sent out of this world (by His own choice of course: He laid down His life), rejected by His own.  But He will be returning in power to claim His throne in the glory of the Father.  I wouldn't want to be one of His enemies!!  (read Revelation 19).  But His reward will be with Him for His loyal, faithful servants!

April 19, 2010

All the passages today, from Luke on, seemed to speak to me of the consequences of rejecting the Word of God.  Jesus wept over Jerusalem, prophesying that “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:41-44

As I read Psalm 88, it seemed like the psalmist (not David) was seeing ahead to that day of destruction and expressing the feelings of a people who had experienced that destruction.  He seemed not to see the restoration, but that doesn't mean there was not to be one.  It reminds me of the times I have been in the throes of deep depression and hopelessness.  It does truly feel like a waking death.  However, I can testify that if we will continue to cry out to the Lord, He will come to us, and again reveal Himself to us and restore us, if we will respond to Him and believe His word to us.  He will come with whatever we need-- conviction, correction, healing-- but He always comes with love.

How often, I wonder, does our Lord visit our life with His presence and weep for our lack of response to Him?  It does not give Him pleasure to have to bring discipline, or to have to allow us to "hit bottom" so that we will turn to Him.  But one thing is certain, when we do realize we are in need of Him, He will answer our cry for help.  He will come with "the things that make for our peace."

April 17, 2010

I want to challenge you to grapple with those Scriptures that you tend to "gloss over," especially the things that Jesus said in the Gospels.  The Lord delights in explaining Himself to us, all we have to do is ask and listen.  It's right to ask the Lord, "What is it that hinders me from following you?"  He will always answer you, but you have to be willing to receive the answer and let Him help you with it.

Jesus is always going to put His finger on the core issue of our heart.  When He said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God," He wasn't just talking about money.  Money is a big issue, but there are many other things that can have a hold on us.  Whatever we value the most is the thing that can keep us from entering in.  Although it's quite impossible for us to let go of our idols by our own willpower, the Lord made it clear that He would help us.  All we have to do is cry out to Him the way the blind beggar did. 

Why is it so hard for us to let go?  Jesus promised to give us "very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."  I can testify that no matter how many times I've laid the things down that my heart clung to, the Lord has more than made up for it.  Our only issue is not seeing Him for who He really is, and not understanding His heart towards us. 

If you really want to follow Jesus into the Kingdom, then go out on a limb and ask Him to help you.  He most certainly will.

February 1, 2010

God, give us the eyes to see the glory cloud that goes before us and sometimes becomes our rear-guard. We have nothing to fear, and everything to praise God for. He magnificently delivers us!

From yesterday's reading: "Lord, let our eyes be opened." Matthew 20:33

January 12, 2010

OYB: Genesis 27:24, Matthew 9:2-8  Today I saw examples of the contrast between blindness and sight (speaking spiritually here). Isaac was physically blind, but he could have exercised discernment. Instead, he allowed himself to be deceived. Jesus as the Son of Man, on the other hand, was always perceptive-- nothing could fool Him or deceive Him-- He always knew the truth. He could see faith; he knew men's thoughts and motivations, and of course, he knew the Father's heart and could always see what the Father was doing. Because of this, He had authority. He had the authority to forgive sins and he had the power to issue a blessing. He is the example we are to follow.