Salvation's Eternal Design of God (poem)

Salvation's Eternal Design of God

A plan beyond the mind of man,

Only that Divine.

It pleased our God, and blessed us men;

A design that is sublime.

It centred in a glorious place:

A man upon a cross.

Compared to it all other plans

Of men are all but dross.

Sons of God and heirs too,

"Placed as sons" by God,

Predestined 'fore the ages past,

There in the mind of God.

Not only sons but children too 

By call to family.

He could elect each foreknown

Because of Calvary.

Propitiation has been made, 

A God who needs to be.

If only man would turn to Him,

Sins forgiven they would see.

But how could then a God who's just,

Declare such pardon free?

"God set forth a Mercy Seat,"

In Christ at Calvary.

Faith in His blood, His witness too,

The Holy Lamb of God,

Faith in a living Man above,

Whom saints and angels laud.

But what of those so far away

And enemies at odds?

Peace was made for Christ has died;

Reconciled to God.

Set apart for our God, 

Like angels long ago

Now we're free to live for Him

E'en while we live below.

What of bondage, trapped in sin? 

Some law and darkness too?

Redemption by the blood of Christ,

Available for you.

We wait and watch and live for Him

As purpose comes to sum,

We now do say like John of old,

"Lord Jesus, quickly come."

Titles of the Hope of Israel

Isaiah ch1-12 opens one of the prophecies that is a center piece of the Scriptures.  Yahweh pleads with His people to return to Him, offering forgiveness of sins if they repent, be willing and obedient.  The remnant who would turn back, would find their hope in Emmanuel - God with Us. The names of this one are plentiful in these opening chapters, depicting who Emmanuel would be, born in Bethlehem of Judaea 750 years later.

The following is not a great study, but simply a list of the names of the one who is the Promised One, omitting the frequent use of the LORD in solo (Yahweh):

ch1 - The LORD of hosts - The Holy One of Israel - Mighty One of Israel
ch2 - The Lord - the LORD of Hosts
ch3 - The Lord GOD of Hosts
ch4 - The Branch of the LORD
ch5 - My Beloved - The Holy One of Israel - The God that is Holy - The LORD of hosts
ch6 - the Lord, high and lifted up
ch7 - 8 - Immanuel [God with us]
ch9 - Wonderful Counsellor - the Mighty God - the Father of Eternity - The Prince of Peace
ch10 - The Mighty God - The Holy One
ch11 - The Branch - Root of Jesse
ch12 - the Holy One of Israel

A Certain Samaritan

Luke 10:30-37 - My Neighbour, A Certain Samaritan

The Lord spoke to a lawyer one day in response to a question: What must I do to inherit eternal life? The answer the Lord Jesus gave was going to mean that this man, devoted to the Law of Moses, was going to fall short. Bordering on the craftiness of today's lawyer, who study another type of law, the question came: Who is my neighbour?

The example of the man going beyond what the Jewish man would consider thinking would be possible, crossing tense cultural borders, must have in some ways been repulsive to the lawyer. Yet one, the Lord Jesus, did this very thing. He is the pictured "certain Samaritan," identifying himself with a people that were hated by the Jews for their place of worship, reducing the quantity of Scripture, and having Gentile blood flowing through their veins. We in our sins viewed God as repulsive, an enemy of His. Nevertheless, in my dead condition, the Saviour overlooked who I was, and took me up as His own to be cared for based on His own work as I lie in weakness.

This little poem exemplifies this:

Fell among thieves,

They robbed me, then leave.

The law and ritual can't aid; 

Hope of righteousness fade? 

A certain Samaritan drew near

He treated me so dear

Oil and wine poured in,

Righteousness! Saved from sin

Left in care to sustain,

Look now for him to come again.

Salvation through works not mine

That this glory and beauty might shine.

The Rose

This place seems to be like the "clean pages" of the Scriptures, much neglected. Nevertheless, the time has come for another publication.

The Song of Songs is a masterpiece even in English.  What makes it so precious to me is to see it in the light of me being the bride, the Shulamite (SS 6:13), and the bridegroom, Solomon, being my Saviour. The meditations which can be gathered from this Song is no doubt endless.

It is the "Song of songs." Solomon wrote 1 005 songs (1 Kings 4:32), yet this is the "song of sons, which is Solomon's." (SS 1:1) Apparently this phrase is of a Hebraic character, signifying that not only is this the greatest song that Solomon penned, but it is the greatest Song ever written. It must be so, as this 1 of 1 005 is the inspired word of God.

The following two verses is what is on my mind:

Bride - "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."
Bridegroom - "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." (SS2:1-2)

The bride sees herself in the eyes of her beloved as the images of two flowers, the rose and the lily.  The location of these flowers is in two different places, Sharon or the Plain, and the valleys.  The bride gives some worth to herself by stating that she is a rose of Sharon.  Sharon, or literally "the Plain" was a plain in northern Israel actually known as "the Plain." There must have been a countless number of roses in Sharon, even as there must have been countless lilies in the valleys of Israel.  Due to the love that has been bestowed upon her, she sees some value in herself.

The Bridegroom gives aid to what she really is in the eyes, "a lily among thorns." To her all around are lilies, but to him all around are thorns and she the only lily.  She, his love, is the lily and the rest of the daughters are thorns.  How lovely!

Surely we can look at this from our perspective.  How we are able to see that there is value in us now because of the Son.  Our value is based upon our standing in Christ,  "we have been made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor 5:21) Yet we don't understand how much our Saviour and our God actually loves us. We may get glimpses and think we know in some measure.  We are a rose among roses and a lily among lilies, but to Him we are actually"the lily among thorns."

Let us bathe in his love, submerge ourselves in His kindness.  He loves us in a way that we cannot comprehend.  May we dwell upon His words, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love." (John 15:9)

Kingdom of God

I thought I'd just pass along a couple points that W.E. Vine wrote in the forward of Fred Cundick's book on "The Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew" concerning the Kingdom of God:

- The Kingdom of God, firstly, is the sphere of God's rule (Psa 22:28, 145:13; Luke 1:52)

- The Kingdom of God, secondly, is the sphere, at any given time, where His rule is acknowledged.

- The Kingdom of God is viewed in two ways. First at the present where enterance requires suffering for those who enter (2 Thes 1:5), and second in the future where it is associated with glory and reward (Matt 13:43, 25:34)

- The Kingdom of God is entered by new birth (John 3:3)

- The nature resulting from new birth is made evident by obedience and therefore it is said that only such as do the will of God shall enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21).

- As to the future, the Lord taught His disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come." (Matthew 6:10). The verb there is in the aorist tense, where the author may be depicting an event that will not be a process but which will bring a catastrophe in the world without movement of time, followed by the establishment of righteousness and peace. Thus the character of the individual in the Kingdom of God is demonstrated by these two things, "righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17).

Cundick, Fredrick. The Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew. John Ritchie Limited: Kilmarnock.

Beholding of Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2

Second blog post of the year. I was just reminded that I never seem to blog anymore. I thought I would share a connection given by the Spirit of God for your enjoyment and for His glory.

I am planning on speaking on Psalm 8 tomorrow at our local church. A thought just came to me connecting Hebrews 2:9 and Psalm 8:3. Psalm 8 is quoted over in Hebrews 2 where the writer is explaining the place that God gave man and Adam, and how our Lord Jesus took up that position that was abandoned by man when sin entered into the world.

The simple connection is in the "beholding." Psalm 8:3 it is David looking up into the starry sky, and beholding what God has revealed to Him of His glory. David is only seeing a glimpse of God's glory, because verse 1 has said that God "set His glory ABOVE the heavens." What is the writer of the Hebrews able to behold? "But we see JESUS..." We are able to get more than a glimpse. As we enjoy the person of Christ who has been revealed to us. As we meditate on the sweetness of His person, the impeccability of His sacrifice, and the splendour of His glorification.

John said that He beheld His glory (John 1:14). It is as if the glory that He set above the heavens came down, and thus in response to the fall of Adam and what God intended man to be we are able to see not only the perfect man but also the glory of God revealed... "But we see Jesus."

Man on Trial

Job 7:17-18 - What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him? And that Thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that Thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

Job was feeling the burden of his affliction. He knew that he was but a sinful man, needing pardon and iniquity removed; he desired his life even to end. Yet he continued on.

God has indeed magnified men. He has visited them, set His heart upon them, and tried them. The results of each inquiry have proved consistent and conclusive. Mankind falls short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), and there is none righteous no not one (Romans 3:10). Yet Romans 5:18-19 would go on to tell of the righteousness of one, and by one man's obedience shall many be made righteous.

There was another who would come much later than Job, the Lord Jesus Christ, who under the intense magnifying glass of God would only look the more beautiful to the Father. He was the only perfect and beloved of God, and yet He was lovingly sent for those whom God set His heart upon. He was the one visited each morning, and thereby enjoyed always sweet fellowship with His God. In Him was and is light, and is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). He was tried and was the triumphant always. Truly the Father ever delighted to set His heart upon the Son, yet thank Him that He would set His heart upon man as an individual. Through the ages of the trials of men, God only found one man ever who was righteous, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1).