December 2002

Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Forty-six

“LO and BEHOLD”

“Guarding our garments” (K)

             Why did God choose a girl named, Mary, to birth His Son, Jesus? Why not a virgin named Ruth, Esther, Rebekkah, Rachel, Hannah or Sarah, since it was the custom of that day for Hebrew children to be named after one of their illustrious ancestors; and the name, Mary, is not in the OT! Genealogy plays a vital role in human history since the meaning of names provide an insight into the nature of people. More importantly, names reveal a spiritual typology! Mary was the daughter of Heli [Heb 5941 (same root for high priest, Eli): “Lofty, high, ascended”] of the tribe of Judah [Heb 3063 “praise”] of the royal line of David [Heb 1732 “love”]. This lineage befits the mother of Messiah! Surely her name equally supports this high calling! But Mary stems from Heb 4813 (same root for Miriam, sister of Moses) meaning: “MOST REBELLIOUS, UNPLEASANT, BITTER, GRIEVOUS, PROVOKING and DISOBEDIENT!” [Selah! Pause and think of this!] Many religions would balk at this disclosure, but they can read the Hebrew for themselves!
              Scripture says nothing about Mary’s life before her divine conception; but her name reveals why she cried, “God my Savior...has regarded the LOW ESTATE of his handmaiden; for behold, all future generations will call me blessed.” (Lk 1:48) The term “low estate” Gk 5014 is defined: “DEPRESSION (in rank or feeling), HUMILIATION, MADE LOW, CAST DOWN, VILE!” No wonder Mary was awestruck by the supreme honor bestowed on her! She continues in v. 52, “(God) has put down the mighty from their thrones; and exalted them of LOW DEGREE!” This acknowledgment of Mary’s elevation from natural to spiritual- i.e., from death to Life- is restated in Jas 1:9-10, “Let the brother of LOW DEGREE rejoice in that he is exalted; but let the rich rejoice in that he is made low; for he will pass away as the flower of the grass!”
              God deliberately birthed His Son of HIGH DEGREE through a vessel of LOW DEGREE to demonstrate His great Love and Mercy! The negative meanings of Mary’s name depict perfectly MAN’S SINFUL, CARNAL NATURE which is: most rebellious, bitter, disobedient, unpleasant, grievous, provoking, depressed, humiliated, made low, cast down vile and of LOW DEGREE! Without the intervention of the Holy Spirit and the dispensation of God’s Grace all would be lost eternally! Only as God’s Mercy sends His Saving Anointing (Jesus Christ) into each heart to raise the level of awareness up from the LOWLY, UNHOLY HUMAN NATURE to God’s HIGH AND HOLY, SPIRITUAL NATURE, can a man be saved!
              Rev 19:13 says the Name of this Anointed Savior is “THE WORD OF GOD”! Behold, it does not say “a“ Word of God; but “the” Word of God! What singular Word of God could create a world; then subject that world to sin and death; and finally. SAVE THAT WORLD BY LAYING DOWN HIS OWN LIFE ON A CROSS? And what is that singular Word of God? “T-H-E WORD WAS G-O-D” (Jn 1:1) and “G-O-D IS L-O-V-E” (1 Jn 4:8); so therefore, “T-H-E” WORD OF GOD that is both CREATOR and SAVIOR of the world is “L-O-V-E”!

“FOR GOD SO L-O-V-E-D THE WHOLE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON; SO WHOEVER *BELIEVED IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT WOULD HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE! FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIS SON!” (Jn 3:16-17)

[*This word, “believe”, causes great conflict between man’s SELF-WILL and GOD’S PERFECT WILL! But Ro 11:32 says “God concluded (terminated as by death, also shut up, imprisoned) A-L-L in UNBELIEF; so He could demonstrate His Mercy on ALL!!” That is, without God’s Mercy no man can believe in His Son; but also, when God releases His Mercy, no man can refuse to believe in His Son! Man’s self-will worships the false god of FREE CHOICE as he believes the lie that he can accept or reject God’s great Salvation! Unbelief shuts up the spiritual ear to the hear God proclaim, “YOU HAVE N-O-T CHOSEN ME; BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU! I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THIS WORLD!” (Jn 15:16, 19)

             Do you hear this? This is GOOD NEWS, the True Gospel, to the spiritual man! But to the carnal man, it is the worst possible news!! In fact, it is so high and holy, he cannot hear or accept it!!
This is Spiritual Truth and “The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit!” (1 Cor 2:14)
             My fervent prayer is that God’s “Mercy” will speak to your heart with these words and release you from your prison of unbelief! But if you cannot receive them now, be encouraged that in His time, “YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE!” (Jn 8:32)

[TO BE CONTINUED]