The Hebrew Slave
The
Hebrew Slave…
By
Pastor F. M. Riley
February 27, 2014
“Now these are the judgments which thou
shalt set before them.
If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he
shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
If he came in by himself, he shall go out
by himself: if he were married, then his
wife shall go out with him.
If his master have given him a wife, and
she hath born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her
master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
And if the servant shall plainly say, I
love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
Then his master shall bring him unto the
judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his
master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him
forever.”
Exodus 21:1-6
“And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or a Hebrew
woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh
year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
And when thou sendest him out from thee,
thou shalt not let him go away empty:
Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy
flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I
command thee this thing today.
And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I
will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he
is well with thee;
Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it
through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant forever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do
likewise.
It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou
sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in
all that thou doest.”
Deuteronomy
15:12-18
Introduction
These two text passages in the Law set forth one of the most
precious truths in the entire Bible, but sadly, these texts are overlooked and
ignored by most Christians today, including many preachers. In this study I propose to expound the great
truths set forth in these Scripture passages, for the benefit and blessing of
my readers who are true believers, and hopefully to encourage the lost to come
to Christ for salvation. My readers will
be the judges of whether my purpose has been accomplished…..
The
Background or Setting
What these two passages of Scripture set forth are the inspired laws
dealing with relations between the Jewish people, particularly between a Hebrew
man and his Hebrew slave. One of the
meanings of the Hebrew word translated as “servant” in the Old Testament is “slave.”
See Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, page 599, Strong’s No.
5650. Throughout human history nearly
every nation and
1
people on earth have had slaves at one
time or another. The Hebrew or Jewish
people were no exception. They, just
like other nations, made slaves of those they defeated in war. But these laws do not deal with foreign
slaves, but rather with those of their “brethren,” who for whatever reason, had
to sell themselves into bondage in order to survive.
When the Israelites entered into the promised land under the leadership
of Joshua, every head of a household in Israel was given a piece of land as an
inheritance from the Lord for their family.
If they had used wisdom and carefully taken care of their inheritance,
farming it for themselves and their families, then there would have been no
need for them to place themselves in bondage as a slave in order to survive.
But the Lord God knew human nature!
He knew that invariably some of those Israelites would foolishly lose
their inheritance through their own laziness or bad judgment, or some
unforeseen calamity, and then would be forced to place themselves in bondage to
their fellow Israelites in order to survive. Because the Lord was aware of the
failures of “human nature,” He made provision in advance for just such a
situation. Never forget that the Hebrew
people are God’s chosen people by an everlasting covenant, therefore the Lord
God wanted those who had become servants or slaves to be treated kindly and compassionately
by those they had agreed to serve.
Therefore He gave these inspired Laws to Moses to give to the nation and
people of Israel, instructing them as to how they were to deal with their own
“brethren” who had become their slaves.
The
Law of the Hebrew Slave
Like most of the Old Testament Scriptures, especially those dealing with
Israel and the Jewish people, there are types
of Christ hidden in these Laws in plain sight [1 Corinthians 10:1-11], but they are only seen by those true believers who have been
given spiritual discernment, 1 Corinthians 2:14-16. Many
Christians today seem to have forgotten that the early Apostles were preaching the
gospel of the grace of God in Christ using the Old Testament Scriptures as proof
texts for their preaching, for at the time the Apostles went forth the New
Testament had not yet even been written.
Yet many preachers today never preach from the Old Testament because “we are New Testament believers!” Yes
indeed we are, but that gives us no reason to discard or ignore any portion of
God’s inspired Word. 2
Timothy 3:16-17 is still in the Bible, in case some preachers haven’t read
it lately. Hello!
A
Right Perspective of the Law
First, notice that the Scripture texts chosen for this study are a part
of the Divinely Inspired Law of God.
This is important for two reasons…..
[1] God’s Law was given as a
rule for men to live by, for the Laws of God reveal the mind of God in regards to righteousness. Under the Old Covenant dispensation God’s Law
was written on Tables of Stone, and the Jewish people were given no choice
about obeying those Laws. They were obligated
to obey the Law on penalty of death for disobedience, Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23. However,
in this present “dispensation of grace” [Ephesians
3:2] God’s Law is written in the
fleshly tables of the heart of New Covenant believers, and we who are true
believers choose to respect and obey God’s Laws and live righteous and
holy lives because of our love for Him who died for us. The claim that New Testament believers do
not respect the Law of God is a foolish claim on the part of Jewish unbelievers, and a few other “legalists,”
who do not know how to “rightly divide the Word of truth,” 2
Timothy 2:15. Read this truth
for yourself in Romans 3:28-31.
The Old Covenant of Law was specifically addressed
and given to the nation and people of Israel, therefore New Covenant
believers only observe the righteousness of the Law which is compatible
with the New Covenant of Grace which the Lord Jesus Christ made with New
Covenant believers, Matthew 26:27-28. How
do we recognize which principles of the Law apply to us today? Through serious Bible study and prayer and
the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God which guides the true
believer “into all truth,” John 16:12-15.
2
[2] The Lord
Jesus Christ Himself explicitly stated in Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Christ Jesus fulfilled
the Law in His own life of sinless innocence, every jot and tittle of it, Matthew
5:18; Colossians 2:14.
Since Christ Jesus Himself fulfilled the Law in His own life and person,
then it should be obvious to any reader that types of Christ can be found all through the Old Testament
Laws given to Israel. Sadly, many
Christians today cannot find Christ in the Old Testament, simply because when
they read the Old Testament they are not looking for Christ. Folks, the Lord Jesus Christ permeates every
page of God’s inspired Word. Wake up to
this truth!
The
Exposition
The Master
The “Master”
in these Scriptures dealing with the Hebrew slave obviously typifies God the Father
Himself. Father God is the “Master”
whom Christ Jesus, during His personal ministry, repeatedly stated that
He had come into the world to serve and carry out His will. See John 5:19, 5:30, and 8:28.
Christ also explicitly told the Jewish people and
His own disciples not to call any man on earth “Master,” for upon the
earth only Christ Himself is our “Master,” and in Heaven only God the
Father is the “Master.” See Malachi
1:6, Matthew 23:10, Ephesians 6:9, and Colossians
4:1.
The Servant or Slave
The Lord Jesus
Christ Himself is the “Hebrew servant” [slave] being typified in these
Scriptures. How do I know this to be
true? For two Scriptural
reasons…..
[1] Because such is explicitly stated
in the New Testament. In Philippians
2:5-7 the inspired Word instructs New Covenant believers,
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being [existing] in
the form of God, [John 1:1-2;
4:24] thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a
servant [slave], and
was made in the likeness of men.”
These Scriptures tell us plainly that the
Lord Jesus Christ, who once was co-equal
in the Godhead [Acts 17:29], living
as a Spirit being in the form of God, Philippians 2:5-6; John
1:1-2; 4:24, humbled Himself and gave up that former position. At some point in eternity past, even before
the world was, the Lord Jesus Christ made the choice to step down
from His position of co-equality in the Godhead, and take upon Himself humanity.
I am well aware that it is
commonly taught and believed in the ranks of Christianity that God, Christ, and
the Holy Spirit are all co-equal.
However, I also KNOW that God’s inspired Word explicitly and plainly
teaches that such a claim is not true!
Read it for yourself. The
inspired Word explicitly states that when Christ became man, He “was
made a little lower than the angels,” Hebrews 2:9; Psalm 8:3-6, for the
specific purpose of dying in fallen man’s place as the “innocent man.” Also in 1 Corinthians 11:3, when discussing
positions of authority, the inspired Word explicitly
states, “But I would have you know, that the the head of every man is
Christ, and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of
Christ is God.” This
inspired statement does not indicate co-equality in the Godhead, but
rather that Christ is subject to the will of the Heavenly Father. Glory to God!
Christ willingly made the choice to step down from His position
of co-equality in the Godhead in order to carry out the plan of redemption for
fallen mankind, who, with their fallen “sin nature” inherited from Adam [Romans 5:12] could never have redeemed
themselves. That means me and you! Does any true believer reading this fail to
see how much the Lord God loved us in willingly choosing to make such a
change in His position, glory, and power?
With the ability to foreknow all things, God knew that the man, Adam,
who would be created in a state of sinless innocence with his own freewill, would
use his freewill to disobey God and fall
3
from the original state of sinless
innocence in which he was created. His fall would bring death and destruction
upon all mankind and upon the whole creation of God, Romans 5:12; 6:23; 8:19-23.
Therefore, even before the world was, the plan of redemption for fallen mankind
was worked out by the Godhead in the council halls of eternity, Ephesians
1:3-4. In this plan ONE of the
Godhead would step down and become a man Himself, a second Adam [1 Corinthians 15:45], in order to redeem
everything that Adam lost when he disobeyed God. The Lord Jesus Christ was the ONE who made
the choice to step down from His exalted position and become man, being made “a
little lower than the angels,” and taking upon Himself “the
form of a servant [slave],” Psalm
8:3-5; Hebrews 2:6-9.
I can almost
hear some short fused “Christian” saying, “This
cannot be true, for it would mean that Christ is no longer God.” Someone
once said, “Ignorance is bliss,” and
some “professing Christians,” today, by their own choice, must be literally
reveling in “bliss”.
Tell me…..what is your name?
Whose son are you? Are you a
Jones or a Smith or a Wilson or a Scott or a Koch, or any one of ten thousand
other names men use? Well tell me…..did
you cease to be the son of your father when you left home, or does your name
indicate that you are still related to your father as his son? Hello!
Has the brain power kicked in yet?
Just because the Lord Jesus Christ willingly chose to step down from His
position of co-equality with God, and place Himself in submission to His
Heavenly Father, does not mean that He ceased to be “…the only begotten Son of God,”
John 3:16, and is therefore still “Immanuel,” Isaiah 7:14. The word “Immanuel” literally
means “God with us” or “God in flesh.” Therefore we who are true believers honor Him as God clothed in humanity. Clear enough?
[2] Because
it is glaringly obvious that Christ Jesus was born to a Jewish virgin in
fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23. As a Jewish male He was born into the
tribe of Judah, Luke 1:26-27; Revelation 5:5. As such He was “the
seed of the woman” [Genesis 3:15],
the promised “seed” of Abraham [Genesis
15:1-6], and the “root of David,” Isaiah 11:1-5. So
Christ is indeed the fulfillment of the type
set forth in these Laws dealing with the “Hebrew slave.”
The Period of His Servitude
Notice that it is clearly stated, right at the
beginning of both of our text passages,
that the servant was to serve only six years, Exodus
21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12. These
six years are typical of the
6,000 years of human history in which the Lord Jesus Christ was to carry out
the will of His Heavenly Father in redeeming fallen mankind and the fallen
creation, John 6:38. Once this
redemption had been accomplished, then it is also clearly stated that in the
seventh year the “Hebrew slave” was to be set free. More on this later.
The Marital State
No, the Lord God did not overlook even this matter in His Law. If the “Hebrew slave” was unmarried when he
became a “slave,” then after the six years of his servitude, he was to
be set free in the same marital state in which he had become a slave. On the other hand, if during the course of
his servitude his Master gave him a wife, then he was still to be set
free at the end of the six years, but the wife given him, and any children born
to their union, would belong to His master.
It should be glaringly obvious to our readers that when Christ came into
this world as a man to carry out the will of His Heavenly Father, Christ was
not married. Under the ancient
Jewish customs a Jewish male did not even seek a wife until he was near 30
years of age. By that age the Jewish
man was expected to have a sense of responsibility and be able to provide for a
wife and children. Now how old was
Christ when He began His ministry of “…seeking and saving that which was
lost...?” Read Luke
3:23 and marvel at the majesty of God’s Word.
The Wife or Bride of Christ
The Scriptural truth is that God the Father did give to Christ a Gentile
bride; the church of the Lord
4
Jesus Christ. Read it for yourself. “All that the Father giveth Me shall
come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine
own will, but the will of Him that sent Me,” John 6:37-38.
It is therefore obvious that during the ministry of
Christ, God’s Hebrew “slave,” His “Master” gave Him a wife
or bride. Just as Adam loved Eve and
sacrificed himself in order to save her [Genesis
2:18; 2:21-24; 3:6; 1 Timothy 2:14], so Christ Jesus loves His church and
purchased her to Himself with His own life’s blood, Acts 20:26-28.
That the Lord’s church or churches are “the
bride of Christ” is beyond dispute because the inspired Apostle clearly stated
to “the
church of God….at Corinth,” “…..for I have espoused you to one husband, that I
may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ,” 2 Corinthians 11:2. Those churches then, which have
remained true and faithful to Christ and His Word, are the “espoused” bride of
Christ. And out of the spiritual
union between Christ and His church have been born many spiritual
children over these past 2,000 years; true New Covenant believers. Glory to God!
The Choice to be made by the Slave
“And
if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I
will not go out free,” Exodus 21:5.
“And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee;
because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;”
Deuteronomy 15:16.
These laws clearly state that during the course of
his servitude, or at the end of his six years of servitude, the slave could choose
to remain a slave to his master. He would make this choice by a public
declaration of love for his master, and for his wife and children. The Law then stated that, having made such a
public declaration, he would remain as his master’s slave “forever.”
It ought to be glaringly obvious to any reader that
this reaches far beyond a Master-slave relationship among men. All human slavery and servitude ceases
when one dies. Yet the inspired Word
clearly states that when the slave has chosen to remain his master’s slave, “…he
shall serve him forever” and “…he shall be thy servant
forever.”
That this statement in the Law has to apply to the eternal
relationship between the Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus is beyond
question. It can apply to no others.
Application of these Laws to Christ
The Law states
that the slave, having made the choice, was to be taken to the judges, and a
judge would bring him to a door or doorpost where his ear would be bored
through with an aul. His blood would be
shed as a sign of a blood covenant that the slave was agreeing to remain his
master’s slave “forever.” Glory to God!
More on this later.
The Betrothal
Folks, the Lord Jesus Christ, during His personal ministry, repeatedly
stated and demonstrated His love for His Heavenly Father, and for His disciples
who would be used as the foundation for His church, Ephesians 2:19-22.
According to Jewish wedding customs, when a young man was seeking to
marry a young woman, a chaperoned meeting of the two would be arranged around a
supper. At that supper the young man
would offer his prospective bride a glass of wine. If she received the wineglass from his hand
and drank of it, she was consenting to become the man’s wife. Now read Matthew 26:26-30 and rejoice in the
love of Christ Jesus for His church; and for your soul and mine.
The Covenant of Blood
After Christ Jesus had observed the supper with His disciples, He then
went to Gethsemane to pray.
5
There in the garden He was arrested and
taken to the judges, exactly according to the Law of the Hebrew slave. During that night He was given three illegal
trials, and was declared totally innocent by none other than Pilate, the Roman
Governor, Luke 23:4; 23:14. . Yet
Pilate, in order to please the Jews, consented to His being put to death.
In the suffering of Christ which followed, a crown of thorns was
placed on the head of Christ, and then was beaten down into his scalp and ear
lobes by the rod of some Roman soldier.
Read it for yourself in Matthew 27:27-31. Now listen to the Prophet Isaiah
writing centuries before of the suffering of Christ, “The Lord God hath opened Mine
ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks
to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting,”
Isaiah 50:5-6.
The Law said that the Hebrew slave’s ear would be
pierced with an aul. And what did the
ancient Jewish people use for a aul?
Huge thorns! Coincidence? Not hardly!
Christ Jesus was then taken to Calvary and nailed to the old rugged
cross. The Law of the Hebrew slave said
that the slave should be taken to a door or a doorpost. And so Christ was indeed nailed to the
doorpost of salvation for all who will believe, “For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the
power of God,” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Folks, after all
of these centuries, it is still true that
“The way of the cross leads
home.” There has never been a person
saved that did not come to God through faith in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus
on the bloodstained cross of Calvary, and no one will ever be saved without
coming to God through faith in the precious blood of Christ. The sacrifice of Christ Jesus on that
bloodstained cross is indeed the ONLY door of salvation. You cannot be saved separate and apart from
faith in the precious blood of Christ.
There at Calvary Christ Jesus redeemed and purchased His bride with His
own precious blood, Acts 20:28. 1 Peter 1:18-19. Glory
to God! Praise the Lord! Thank you Lord Jesus!
The Exalted Position of the Lord Jesus
When Christ Jesus made the choice to remain in a “glorified” human body,
and remain as a “servant” to His Heavenly Father “forever,” this meant
that He could not return to His former position in the Godhead. What therefore was the Heavenly Father to do
in relation to Christ? What the Father
then chose to do is clearly revealed in Philippians 2:9-11…..
“Wherefore [because
of Christ’s obedience] God also hath highly exalted Him, and given
Him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.”
Just as an earthly father is proud of his son, and
exalts him to a high position in the family business, so the Heavenly Father
was proud of His Son, Jesus, [Isaiah
53:10-11] and determined to exalt Him to the highest position in His
Kingdom, and He did! God the
Father appointed His Son, still living in a “glorified” human body, as the Lord
over His entire Kingdom. Read it for
yourself in Matthew 28:18, Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22, John 3:35,
5:22-23, 13:3, 17:2-3, Acts 2:36, Romans 14:9, 1 Corinthians 15:27, Ephesians
1:10, 1:19-22, Hebrews 1:2-3, 2:8, and 1 Peter 3:22.
The Heavenly Father even exalted the name of
Christ Jesus above His own name, Psalm 138:2; John 1:1-2. Have our readers ever noticed that we
are reminded repeatedly in the New Testament that even our prayers to the
Heavenly Father must be asked in the name of Jesus? Dear readers, the entire Kingdom of God has
been placed under the control and direction of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
Christ is right now administrating God’s entire Kingdom. Those “religious” people who think they can
circumvent or ignore Jesus Christ and be a “Christian,” are only deceiving
themselves. When the Philippian jailor
asked Paul what he must do to be saved, Paul’s answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house,” Acts 16:31. Read Acts 3:13-16 and let this
truth soak in.
Dear readers, the NAME of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the
most Holy name in the entire universe, and should be uttered only in deep
respect and with due reverence. One day
very soon, the
6
unbelieving, Christ rejecting wicked,
are going to find out just how Holy is the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, but then it will be too late for
them. “…now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation,” 2 Corinthians 6:2. If one doesn’t seek the Lord as their own
personal Savior today, then tomorrow may be entirely too late! And every person seeking salvation must
come to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14:6. Take heed!
The Love of Christ Jesus Revealed
Now what do these passages say about the Hebrew slave’s choice? These Laws plainly state that if the slave
makes the choice to remain with his master, then he is to be taken to the
judges, and a judge takes him to the doorpost, and placing him against the
doorpost, bores his ear through with an aul.
This having been done, then the slave continues to serve his master “forever.”
It should be glaringly obvious to any reader, that
the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all of these laws of the Hebrew slave to the
letter. Therefore at the end of these
6,000 years of human history, Christ Jesus had a perfect “legal” right to lay
aside His humanity, and return to His former position as spirit God [John 1:1-2], and a co-equal in the
Godhead. But will He? No!
Why not?
Because of His love for mankind, especially for His bride and for His
children. Notice that the Law of the
Hebrew slave specifically states, “And if the servant shall plainly say, I
love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not
go out free,” Exodus 21:5. Folks,
Christ Jesus, having taken upon Himself a human body and dwelling among men,
loved human kind so much that He willingly made the choice to renounce His
former position and remain in His human body “forever.” Notice also
that He did not make this choice at the end of the 6 years [6,000 years], but rather He made it some
2,000 years or more ago.
Many Christians today assume
that when Christ was raised from the dead and ascended back to Father God in
Heaven, He returned to His former state and position as spirit God and a
co-equal in the Godhead. But the
Scriptures do not teach this at all!
Rather, the Scriptures plainly teach that Christ Jesus is still living
in a “glorified” human body right to this present moment. Proof?
Gladly! Some 30 years after
Christ had ascended back to His Father, the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle
Paul to write, “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5. Oh glory to God! Folks, by the grace of God, we
believers have a Man; a true Kinsman Redeemer sitting at the right hand
of the Majesty on High today, making intercession for us according to the will
of God. Praise the Lord!
Yes, He lives in a “glorified” human body, but nevertheless the body of a
man. He willingly chose not to
sever His kinsman relationship with mankind, for the love of His God,
His bride, and His children. Oh,
glory to God! Thank you Lord Jesus! Because He is still a man is the
reason why He understands and is “…touched with the feeling of our
infirmities…,” Hebrews 4:15. When
we go to Him in prayer, we are not going to some unapproachable, superior being,
but rather to our fellow Kinsman Redeemer, who “…was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin.” We are going to the ONE who loves and understands us human beings, because
He has been and still is one of us, and knows and understands our innermost
feelings when we hurt and are wounded and in our trials and heartaches, and He
knows how to comfort us.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
The Scriptural Clincher
Christ Jesus came into this world to fulfill the role of “the
second Adam,” and thereby redeem everything “the first Adam” lost by
his disobedience, 1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 8:18-23.
It is interesting then, that 6,000 years ago the
first Adam clearly stated that for the love of a man’s wife, “Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his
wife, and they shall be one flesh,” Genesis 2:24.
Dear readers, this statement made by Adam is not
now and never has been the traditional practice in marriage. In fact, it is exactly reversed to
what has been traditionally practiced throughout human history. In marriage, it has always been the traditional
practice for the woman to leave her father and
7
mother and cleave to and follow her
husband. Any honest reader knows this to
be historical truth. So why did Adam
exactly reverse what has been the traditional practice throughout human
history? Could it be because he was
inspired of God to prophesy about what “the last Adam” was literally going
to do? The Lord Jesus Christ did make
the choice to leave His Father’s house and cleave to His blood bought
bride; His church. Glory to God! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord! Read Ephesians
5:21-33.
Our Meeting in Glory
Folks, “the blessed hope” of New Covenant believers is right at the
door, Titus 2:11-15. The resurrection and rapture could take place at
any minute of any day now. When it
occurs we will see our precious Lord Jesus face to face for ourselves and be
made like Him, 1 John 3:1-3; Philippians 3:20-21.
This means that we will receive a “glorified”
body. This “glorified” body is a new
species of mankind, James 1:18. In other words, our “glorified” bodies will be
different than our present human bodies, yet we will still be humans. Christ clearly stated that His resurrection
body was “flesh and bones,” Luke 24:39. Yet
His body could pass through the heavens, pass through solid objects such as the
walls of the room where the disciples were gathered, appear and disappear at
will, etc. In His resurrection body, by
His own choice, He retained the scars of His crucifixion in His hands and His
side, and likely on the brow of His head, John 20:19-20; 20:27. Why am I pointing out this truth?
Because when we meet our Lord in glory, we can see for ourselves the “marks”
of His love for us. At any time in the
future “ages to come,” when we are in the presence of Christ we will
be able to see those “marks,” and be reminded of His deep love for us.
Folks, for us who are true believers, Christ Jesus…..
[1] Gave up His glory with the
Father and took upon Himself our humanity, John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 8:9.
[2]
Endured the suffering and “shame” of the cross, Hebrews
12:2.
[3]
Shed His own life’s blood as a sacrifice for our sins, 1
Peter 1:18-19.
[4] Made
the choice to renounce His former position in the Godhead and “forever”
remain as His Father’s slave, and thereby He purchased His bride and His children
unto Himself, Acts 20:28. For a
glimpse into how much Christ really loves His bride, carefully read again Psalm
45 and The Song of Solomon.
Do our readers remember that children’s hymn that
some of us believers first learned as a little child in Sunday school? Now, if you truly believe God’s Word then you
should be able to understand the truth set forth in this little children’s hymn…..
Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so!
<<<<<<< O
>>>>>>>
Please do share this study with others as the Lord leads. May our gracious Lord God bless every reader
with salvation and spiritual growth is my prayer. I am looking forward to meeting all of you
dear brothers and sisters in Christ in glory REAL SOON. In the love of Christ
Jesus our beloved Savior and Lord.
Thanks again to every reader who has prayed for me and for this
ministry, and for those who have
been led of the Lord to bless us with
your gifts. I thank you from my
heart.
Please address all comments, questions, and correspondence to: Pastor
F. M. Riley, Last Call Gospel Ministry, 184 County Road 108, Harrisburg,
Missouri 65256, or I can be contacted by email at:
<<<<<<< O
>>>>>>>
Comments
Post a Comment