You do not want sacrifices and offerings. But You have pierced my ear to show that my body and life are Yours. You do not ask for burnt offerings and sacrifices to take away sins.
Then I said: "Look I have come. It is written about me in the book. My God, I want to do what You want. Your teachings are in my heart." (vs. 6-8)
But if the slave says, "I love my master, my wife and my children, and I don't want to go free, then the slave's master must take him to God. The master is to take him to a door or doorframe and punch a hole in the slave's ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave must serve that master all of his life." God to Moses in Exodus 21
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened. And the Book of Life was opened. The dead were judged by what they had done. Rev 20
Now I belong to Jesus. Jesus belongs to me. Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity. Did you sing that in Sunday school? I did. The greater impact was lost on me at six years old, but I did get that I belonged to Christ - forever. "Those who win the victory will be dressed in white clothes..and I will not erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will say they belong to Me before the Father and before His angels. Jesus Revelation 3
What does it mean to belong to Him? There were several ways to become a slave in the Old Testament times. You could be born into it or be mandated to serve someone to whom you owed a debt. There were several ways to be freed, also. Someone could buy you out (sound familiar?) or you could work off the debt. But, if the slave loved his master and didn't want to leave him, the master brought the slave to God and they made a vow to stay with each other out of love. The master then pierced the slave's ear to show the world the slave belonged to him. My ear is pierced. Pierced by the hand scarred from His purchase of me from the other master.
What does Jesus want from me now that I am His bondservant? Everything. It is not mine. Nothing I have belongs to me. I signed it over to Him on that day when His piercing became mine. He did not take it from me. But when He gave me a new heart it came with new desires. I want what He wants. I am not His puppet, as some have accused. Nor is He my crutch. He is my iron lung! Jesus is not interested in my sacrifices or empty offerings of self-righteousness. My heart is what He is after.
Apparently there is a Book of Life. My name was inscribed in it before I was even one day old (Psalm 139). It is God's journal, prewritten, because He foreordains and predestines life on this planet as well as the universe and heaven. I have seen the cartoons of St. Peter at the door of heaven flipping pages frantically trying to find the name of some wayward saint recently deceased and knocking on the gates of heaven wanting entrance. Oops! Not here....sorry. Not funny, really. To be erased. To have never understood the import of belonging to Jesus.
What He wants is what the psalmist proclaims. Now! Before we get to the pearly gates with excuses instead of a piercing. Oh, how He wants us to stand in His presence today and announce: Look, Jesus!! Here I am...you know, me! You have my story written in Your book! I want to do everything You have dreamed for me! I want to experience every single moment You have plotted and planned for me in the Book! I don't want to miss a second of my purpose in the Story. You have my heart. Pierce my ear!
Then I said: "Look I have come. It is written about me in the book. My God, I want to do what You want. Your teachings are in my heart." (vs. 6-8)
But if the slave says, "I love my master, my wife and my children, and I don't want to go free, then the slave's master must take him to God. The master is to take him to a door or doorframe and punch a hole in the slave's ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave must serve that master all of his life." God to Moses in Exodus 21
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened. And the Book of Life was opened. The dead were judged by what they had done. Rev 20
Now I belong to Jesus. Jesus belongs to me. Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity. Did you sing that in Sunday school? I did. The greater impact was lost on me at six years old, but I did get that I belonged to Christ - forever. "Those who win the victory will be dressed in white clothes..and I will not erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will say they belong to Me before the Father and before His angels. Jesus Revelation 3
What does it mean to belong to Him? There were several ways to become a slave in the Old Testament times. You could be born into it or be mandated to serve someone to whom you owed a debt. There were several ways to be freed, also. Someone could buy you out (sound familiar?) or you could work off the debt. But, if the slave loved his master and didn't want to leave him, the master brought the slave to God and they made a vow to stay with each other out of love. The master then pierced the slave's ear to show the world the slave belonged to him. My ear is pierced. Pierced by the hand scarred from His purchase of me from the other master.
What does Jesus want from me now that I am His bondservant? Everything. It is not mine. Nothing I have belongs to me. I signed it over to Him on that day when His piercing became mine. He did not take it from me. But when He gave me a new heart it came with new desires. I want what He wants. I am not His puppet, as some have accused. Nor is He my crutch. He is my iron lung! Jesus is not interested in my sacrifices or empty offerings of self-righteousness. My heart is what He is after.
Apparently there is a Book of Life. My name was inscribed in it before I was even one day old (Psalm 139). It is God's journal, prewritten, because He foreordains and predestines life on this planet as well as the universe and heaven. I have seen the cartoons of St. Peter at the door of heaven flipping pages frantically trying to find the name of some wayward saint recently deceased and knocking on the gates of heaven wanting entrance. Oops! Not here....sorry. Not funny, really. To be erased. To have never understood the import of belonging to Jesus.
What He wants is what the psalmist proclaims. Now! Before we get to the pearly gates with excuses instead of a piercing. Oh, how He wants us to stand in His presence today and announce: Look, Jesus!! Here I am...you know, me! You have my story written in Your book! I want to do everything You have dreamed for me! I want to experience every single moment You have plotted and planned for me in the Book! I don't want to miss a second of my purpose in the Story. You have my heart. Pierce my ear!
No comments:
Post a Comment