2012-03-23
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We’ve been looking at MT 27: 51 [MK 15: 38] the significance of the veil [curtain between the Holy Place and Holy of Holies in God’s temple] being rent [torn] from top to bottom-not by human hands. This happened the moment Christ died on the cross. It had been dark even though it was during the day, and an earthquake happened simultaneously. At that moment, the centurion standing guard at the base of the cross realized Christ was indeed Who He had said He was, God’s Son! The Holy Spirit brought this man and many others to faith. But the significance of the veil rent is much more than that. The way had been opened to the Holy of Holies for us all-anyone who would come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Never before in mankind’s history had ordinary people had this kind of access to God!
A covenant, the Covenant of Grace, is fulfilled when a person walks through the torn veil into God’s presence by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is an irreversible and unconditional covenant, one that makes true RO 8: 38-39, which tells us nothing can separate a true believer from the love of God. It is appropriate at this time to look at IS 42: 6 and it’s ramifications for a better understanding. “I, the Lord , have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.” The same phrase, “calling you in righteousness…” is used in IS 41: 2 in regard to God calling Cyrus, king of Persia (559-530 BC) to release the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity to return to Israel and fulfill His purposes. This was done after Cyrus had conquered Babylonia in 539 BC. Cyrus was to “subdue kings…”, e.g. Croesus, king of Lydia in Asia Minor, who opposed this release. The phrase in IS 41: 6, “take hold of your hand…” is important, as it recalls IS 41: 13, “For I am the Lord, your God, Who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’” This gives us insight into the love God has in His heart for His people. It’s good encouragement in time of trials then and now.
We gain further illumination by looking at IS 49: 8-9, “This is what the Lord says, ‘In the time of My favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’” This helps us to better understand what is meant in IS 42: 6 by “will make you to be a covenant for the people.” If we look at IS 49: 6, this crucial statement is made, “He says: ‘It is too small a thing for you to be My servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” How huge is this! The Jews were to know the truth, bring it not only among themselves, but to witness to all Gentiles to it. The suggestion here is for all the rest of human history, not just for a few years while Jerusalem is being rebuilt. The Messiah, Who will arise out of the Jewish nation [IS 9: 6 and 11: 1] will fulfill the Davidic covenant [2 SAM 7: 12-13], in which God promises a Seed [Descendant] of David will rule forever over all. The Messiah [the Lord Jesus Christ] will establish a new covenant upon His death [JER 31: 31-34]. HE 8: 6-13 and HE 9: 15 reveal Christ as the Messiah and how He brings to us this new covenant which replaces the old covenant of the law that hasn’t worked.
The use of the word, people, in IS 42: 6 refers to the Israelites, and the word light, is parallel to salvation. IS 49: 8 [above] shows the people to be the Jews. AC 26: 17-18, a part of Paul’s conversion story, in which Christ is speaking to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus also illuminates this point. “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” The parallelism between light and salvation is illuminated by IS 49: 6 [above] and IS 51: 4. “Listen to Me, My people; hear Me, My nation: The law will go out from Me; My justice will become a light to the nations.” At this point, it is right to cite Christ’s words in JN 14: 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Me.” If it surprised anyone reading this devotion that there is so much to consider in IS 42: 6, then it is my hope that God’s consistency in keeping His promises and in revealing His will for our lives-that we should come alive and live by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ-has thoroughly convinced all of us God means business. He is the only One and True God, and it is by faith in His Son that we are saved [DT 6: 4-5; JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. Rest assured that the Father and the Son want nothing more than for each of us to return to God’s side in heaven for a blissful eternal life with Him [JN 6: 29-40; EPH 1: 4-5]. I can guarantee my readers will be blessed by taking the time to research each citation in today’s devotion. Know that this is written due to my love and the Lord’s for each of you.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your mighty throne with confidence and freedom, knowing that You are listening to each of us [EPH 3: 12]. We pledge our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross, so that we might enjoy this never-had-before access to You. We have walked through the veil rent, confessed our sins, and placed our faith in Him. We know that You care deeply about us and that we are humbled by Your love and wisdom. 1 PET 5: 6-7 is on our minds and in our hearts. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” You have advised us to cast away the workings of Satan and his temptations. JAS 4: 7, “Submit yourselves , then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” What a great reminder of the power given to us by Your Son, Jesus Christ-that same power that You used to raise Him from death to eternal life [EPH 1: 18-20]! The devil is cunning and sly. He tempts us in places where we are vulnerable, sometimes even through our own children. But we must see him for what he is and for the evil game he plays. We offer you thanks and praise every day for giving us Your word, which allows us, when we study it, to gain the discernment we need. So, we pray PS 51: 6 and PS 119: 125 for wisdom and discernment. “Sincerity and truth are what You require; fill my mind with wisdom…I am Your servant; give me understanding, so that I may know Your teachings.” You, Dearest Father, have given us this commission, in 1 PET 2: 9, “But you are the chosen race, the Kings’ own priests, the holy nation, God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, Who called you out of darkness into His own marvelous light.” By virtue of being either born and raised Jewish or being grafted in to the cultured olive tree [a Gentile believer-RO 11: 17-24], each of us is a part of this commission by You- due to our participation in the Covenant of Grace. What a great God You are! We pray to You in the holy/mighty name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: We will continue this “The Veil Rent” segment of these “Our Covenant” messages, as I am charged by the Holy Spirit. He tells me to write about HE 10: 20-22, which tells us God’s will in the context of what Christ’s death on the cross has done for us. Each week that I write to you, I ask the Holy Spirit to settle His words on me, and He answers my prayer. I believe that God is definitely in charge of this, and that all I’m doing is to lend him my time and my typing skills. The Holy Spirit does the rest. This is necessary for each of us to know, i.e. if we ask for God’s direction through the Holy Spirit, He will give it to us. This applies to any context of our lives. His love for us can’t be matched by any human, even our spouse or our very closest friend. PS 146: 5, “But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their Helper; whose hope is in the Lord their God.” There are times when we must face what seem like enormous trials or we must place ourselves where others can view what we believe and/or what we do. These are times when we can be a young David facing the giant, Goliath [1 SAM 17: 45-46] and succeed, because we can have confidence that God is directing what we do and will give us victory. Because we are living by Scriptural truth, we will not take unwarranted chances or live by foolish, greedy, or worldly beliefs. Our God loves us and cares for us beyond measure, and His Son died on the cross, making it possible for us to step up to His throne, through the torn veil, and reverently take direction from Him to victory over our troubles. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15