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.