JEHOVAH SHOWED MOSES WOOD

(Exodus 15: 25)
 
Jehovah showed Moses wood

Because

Without God showing us

We would not discern

The distinctiveness of His Man.

Jehovah showed Moses wood

Not distinguishing the variety

Because

No species can encompass

The distinctiveness of His Man.

Jehovah showed Moses wood

Because

Our bitterness

Would only be dispelled by

The distinctiveness of His Man.

Jehovah showed Moses wood

Because

It has always been His delight

To see, and to bring to our sight,

The distinctiveness of His Man.

TREE

Amid man’s constant grappling,

His insolence and fraud

Christ was a tender sapling

Before the eye of God.

He did not take resources

From man’s domain of dearth -

But drew from heavenly sources

Untrammelled by this earth.

And God’s heart was observant

Of that exotic Shoot,

The One who was His Servant,

Who rendered God His fruit.

Here He was the Succeeder

In God’s eternal plan -

His bearing as the cedar,

Our Bridegroom, and God’s Man.

Nations will find Him tender

As He returns to stanch

Their wounds when come in splendour -

“The Man whose name is Branch”.

In power He will have finished

Man’s wilfulness and strife;

Men will taste undiminished

Fruit from the Tree of Life.

"MY WORD"

Isaiah 55: 11; Thess 3: 1

Let me, I pray thee, run,

Begged Ahimaaz. And he went,

Dove to its cote. He ran well

But with no news

Suited to him. Turn aside,

David said. Void.

But when the word ran,

A cheetah fixed towards its prey,

From a dying Saviour

To a dying thief, it accomplished

Glory.

A dog runs patiently, wearing down

Its prey. Saul fled the word

Worrying him, snapping

At him. Grounding him

It accomplished glory.

That which God pleased

Pleased God.

AM I A STONE ...

AM I a stone and not a sheep
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy Cross,
To number drop by drop Thy Blood’s slow loss,
And yet not weep?
Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved;
Not so the Sun and Moon
Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon—
I, only I.
Yet give not o’er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
And smite a rock.		Christina Rossetti

HYMN

STRICKEN, smitten and afflicted,

See Him dying on the tree;

'Tis the Christ by man rejected;

Yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He!

Mark the Sacrifine appointed,

See who bears the awful load!

'Tis the Word, 'tis God's Anointed,

Son of man and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,

Here the refuge of the lost;

Christ, the Rock of our salvation,

His the Name of which we boast.

Lamb of God! for sinners wounded,

Sacrifice to cancel guilt,

None shall ever be confounded

Who on Thee their hope have built.

 

Hymn by T Kelly

THE HOUSE OF GOD

For the support of such a grand creation
As God's own house only one Rock is sure
To uphold all God's structure and endure
Attacks and storms ‑ and Christ is that foundation.

There is one glorious pattern which alone
Can gratify God's heart ‑ not a mere plan
From which to measure, but the glorious Man
Who pleased God well: Christ is that Corner Stone.

As patterned on that Man we can be built
As living stones each into his own place,
According to the riches of God's grace,
Freed from the stain and penalty of guilt.

The work continues. Soon God will present
His masterpiece ‑ yet we already know
Enjoyment of it ‑ and that work will show
The Headstone, Christ, its finest ornament!

ROCK

Be unto us a Rock of habitation
To which we may continually resort;
Like hyraxes who relish elevation
Here may thy people happily consort;
Help us gain honey from the Rock's recesses
And taste the oil that Thou wouldst have us find,
Having our blessing in the God who blesses
With copper in the mountains to be mined.

But may we not forget the Rock was smitten
For us to enjoy the water flowing out;
May thoughts of Christ indelibly be written
Upon the hearts He cleared from sin and doubt.

May high-placed and hind-footed singers raise
Hymns, through the Chief Musician, to Thy praise.


This reverts to a favourite theme.

LUKE 15

What the shepherd looked for

Was one who would recognise

His voice, one who would follow

His feet, one to enjoy

His pastures, one who was suitable

To be brought to the house.

What the woman sought

Was one who would shimmer to

Her lamp, one who would show

The Master’s face, one to enhance

Value within the house.

And what the father looked out for

Was one who could wear

The best robe with dignity, act

According to the gold ring, dance

Like a son in the sandals. One

With whom, in his house, he could share.

CLOTHING

Among the just, as clothed
In the Best Robe, the righteousness
Of another.

With noble footsteps,
Beautiful in sandals, given
Heavenly dignity.

With that ring, showing,
Among the beloved ones, God
Sees you as amiable.

Your pure mind known
In that you are decked in
A pure turban.

Being true since
Your loins are girded
With truth.

WALK WORTHY

That coat of skin God 
Designed suits you for
Your thorned path: walk worthy
Of the glad tidings.

Your festival robe, your
Holy turban, remake you
For priestliness: walk worthy
Of God.

Truth-girt, helmeted
With salvation, in your full
Equipage: walk worthy
Of the Lord.

Dapper in your best
Robe, ring on hand,
Sandalled: walk worthy
Of the calling.

Philippians 1: 27
1 Thessalonians 2: 12
Colossians 1: 10
Ephesians 4: 1 

STATELY STEP

Advancing, undaunted,
Jesus, portrayed by John,
Face down the Pharisees,
Faced Pilate, went forth - to
Golgotha - bearing the cross; lion
Turning not aside for any.

But Mark shows Him advancing
In service; forthright still
For God's will and men's blessing,
Bound to bondmanship, caring,
Doing all things well - one
Girt in the loins.

Reverting to prayer, reverting,
As custom, to the mount of Olives
He went - in Luke's account -
Separated from sinners, yet for them,
With the stately step right
For the he-goat.

On the royal line,
Legally and morally, goes
In divinely chosen comeliness
Through Matthew's account: a king -
Then, now, and coming - against whom
None can rise up.

KING

The magi came to bow before the child

“King of the Jews”, although His nation scorned

His royalty, and were not reconciled.

The regal grace by which He was adorned

Was not of man; His glory was unique,

When He was entering Jerusalem,

Acclaimed by man, borne on an ass, but meek

And ready to lay down His life for them.

None can rise up against Him: Satan's spear

Is broken, and He quelled the sword of death:

The righteous King shall, when He shall appear

Consume the lawless one with His mouth's breath.

He will arise with healing in His wings

For men, the Lord of lords and King of kings.

1 May 2015

HE-GOAT

“Into the mountain” Jesus went to pray

Before His choosing of the twelve, as when

The he-goat picks its solitary way

Among the heights; and He went thus again

To be transfigured, shining as the light

For chosen ones to see. And was abroad

Upon the mount of Olives that He might

Have undisturbed communion with His God.

A he-goat is a sacrificial beast

Fit for a prince, who would be covered by

Atonement through its blood made by the priest:

For our atonement Jesus walked to die.

But now He draws us to those heights apart

Where His joy leaps, to satisfy His heart.

(Leviticus 4: 22-26; Song of Songs 2: 8)

HORSE

A horse girt in the loins goes by the will

Of him who caused it to be harness. He

Live on the principle of hearing till,

Moved by the Father's purpose and decree,

He suffered on the cross. But He had served

The weakest and most needy of mankind,

While in His life below He never swerved

From doing what was in the Father's mind.

And still He serves: He serves as Advocate

Before the Father, as Priest for all our days

Of need, and for the Father's heart: how great

That it is He who leads the Father's praise!

And while we wait for Him the Spirit joins

His help to faithful saints “girt in the loins”.

26 May 2015 Worcester

LION

So as a lion mighty among beasts,

Which turneth not aside for any, Christ

Walked here, and, shunning pharisaic feasts,

Pursued the way that set His people free:

He did not turn away from Satan's wiles

Or enmity, or men's assaults, the cross,

Death, or the grave: the way that reconciles

To God entailed such triumph and such loss.

The Father honours Him, and thus He sits

Upon the throne of Him, who has delight

To choose the entourage of men He fits

To share the portion of the saints in light.

While He gives grace that in an evil day

His lion-hearted men won't turn away.

19 April 2015 Bedford

COMELY IN GOING

Proverbs 30: 29-31

(John 19: 17)

“And he went out” -

“A lion … which turneth not away

For any” - bearing his cross”.

(Mark 10: 45)

“For also the Son of man” -

“A horse girt in the loins” -

Came “to minister”.

(Luke 9: 28)

“He went up” - “the he-goat” -

“into the mountain

To pray”.

(Matt 24: 30)

“And they shall see the Son of man”

-”A king

Against whom none can rise up” -

“Coming in the clouds of heaven

With power and great glory”

20 April 2015

Having written this I called to mind that I had earlier written this:

http://dcbverse.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/stately-step.html