The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"A Wise Son, a Glad Father"
Every letter, word, sentence, verse, passage, chapter, and book of the Bible centers in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether in history, doctrine, prophecy, promise, or warning, all Scripture commences, continues, and culminates with its great and glorious theme, namely, the great and glorious Christ.
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27).
We must establish in heart and mind the written Word's proclamation of the living Word, and the living Word's fulfillment of the written Word. We peruse the pages to seek the Person. Of course, much of Scripture does not directly declare the Lord Jesus. We will not find His full name and title in the Old Testament, and much of Christ's light throughout Scripture shines amid subjects, matters, and history that may not seem to address Him. He dwells there nonetheless, and the realization infuses the letters, words, sentences, verses, passages, chapters, and books of the Bible with the light of life they exist to reveal.
A reading of Proverbs 23 yesterday illustrated this truth in my heart and mind.
"My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things" (Proverbs 23:15-16).
At first glance, I thought of wise counsel, and how every son should read and heed Solomon's calling to please his father with a wise heart and corresponding words. Certainly, this is a proper response to the passage. However, in light of today's consideration, another thought occurred to me:
"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:13-17).
You see the point. Without naming Him, Solomon's counsel in Proverbs foreshadowed the wisest of all sons, and the pleasure His Father has in Him. For born again believers in the Lord Jesus, this serves as a blessed example to us since God calls us to "walk, even as He walked" (I John 2:6). However, the Christ-centered theme shines even more brightly when we remember our Lord dwells in believers through the Holy Spirit to guide and empower our own response as sons and daughters to our Heavenly Father.
"God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).
In this holy light, an Old Testament Scripture glimmers with New Testament illumination regarding the great theme of the entire Bible. Indeed, how could the thought of a son pleasing His Father fail to remind us of the Lord Jesus, and even more, fill and thrill our hearts in the remembrance of His indwelling presence in us whereby we can become the wise sons and daughters of a pleased Father? "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more" (I Thessalonians 4:1).
We will not always see how our Savior dwells and walks amid the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal and exalt Him. However, keeping in heart and mind this purpose of every letter, word, sentence, verse, passage, chapter, and book of the Bible will go far in preparing us to see Christ in the wonder of His Person and work. Thereby, God progressively changes us into the image of His Son, and thereby we become wise sons and daughters of whom our Father can say, "My heart shall rejoice."
"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me."
(John 5:39)
Weekly Memory Verse
"But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering."
(Psalm 86:15)
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