December 2002

Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Forty-seven

“LO and BEHOLD”

“Guarding our garments” (L)

          To the soul, Truth can sometimes feel like an abrasive “garment of camel’s hair” (Mt 3:4) as worn by John the Baptist; while at other times, it can feel like velvety “royal apparel” (Es 5:1) as worn by Queen Esther! But as Bible history records, it can be as discomfiting to do God’s Will wrapped in royal robes- when Esther pleaded with the king for her life and all Jews in their realm; as it is to do God’s Will clad in a camel’s hair coat- when John confronted angry unbelievers at the Jordan River; and especially when he publically denounced Herod for marrying his brother’s wife! [Herod was a Jew by religion, but a heathen by practice! This despot was a monster in character, throughout his administration- exhibiting craftiness, jealousy, cruelty, revenge and a burning lust for his wife’s daughter, Salome, that finally forced him to behead the heralder and baptizer of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah!]
          We revealed a startling Truth in our last sharing that may have been “A Stone of stumbling and a Rock of Offense” (1 Pe 2:8) to some; but while we would never cast aspersions on the mother of our Lord; NAMES REVEAL PEOPLE’S CHARACTER [verified in Heb 8034 & Gk 3686]; and the name, “MARY”, is interpreted from Heb 4813: “MOST REBELLIOUS, GRIEVOUS, UNPLEASANT, PROVOKING, DISOBEDIENT and *BITTER!” Remember Mary’s grateful declaration in Lk 1:48, “God my Savior...has regarded the LOW ESTATE of his handmaiden; so all future generations will call me blessed.” (Lk 1:48) The term, low estate, from Gk 5014 means: “DEPRESSION (in rank or feeling), HUMILIATED, MADE LOW, CAST DOWN or VILE!”

*The word, “bitter”, twice refers to water! Jas 3:5-11,

“The tongue is a little member that boasts great things; but see what a huge blaze that little fire starts! The tongue is a fire and a world of iniquity in our members! It defiles the body and sets afire the whole course of nature; being itself set afire by HELL...No man can tame the tongue for it is an unruly evil, and full of deadly poison! With the same tongue we bless Father God then we curse men that are made in God’s likeness! Blessings and cursings emerge from the same mouth! But this should not be so, my brethren! Can the same fountain give forth both sweet and bitter waters?”

Ex 15:22-23 then reveals a prophetic miracle,

“Moses brought Israel up from the Red sea into the wilderness of Shur, where they went 3 days without finding water. When coming to Marah, they could not drink, for the waters of Marah were bitter! That is why its name was Marah [Heb 4784- the same root as Mary]! So the people murmured against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ Moses cried to the Lord Who pointed to a tree [typifying Christ’s Cross]; and when he cast the tree into the waters, the bitter waters became sweet!”

          Only the inworking of the Cross in our lives can the water of our word be transformed from bitter to sweet! From where is this water of the word derived? Lu 6:45 says,“The mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart!” 1 Sa 16:7 declares, “Man looks on the outward appearance; but God looks on the heart!” This is why the Lord condemned the pharisees’ self-righteous hypocrisy, “These people draw near Me with their mouth; and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me!” (Mt 15:8) God seeks a people to LOVE HIM enough to forfeit their lives to Him, as He did for us! He promises “All who love Him, who are called to His purpose that all things (good and evil) work together for good” (Ro 8:28); but only those who love Him can believe this!

[TO BE CONTINUED]