Thursday, March 1, 2012

Sewing on the robes, pouring the oil out

In ancient times when a king conquered a kingdom he would have the garment of the dominated ruler sewn onto the hem of his robe. It was a living symbol of his victories and far reaching power.

Recently, I’ve been meditating on Isaiah 6. “In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD…” The passage speaks of the anguish of mans state when measured up against the holiness of the awesome, all magnificent God. Even Isaiah, probably one of the most righteous men to walk the earth wanted to claw his way under the tiles of that temple floor when he saw the vision of the LORD.

Isaiah describes that the Lord was seated on the throne high and exalted. Further he adds, “The train of his robe filled the temple…” Aside from being an impressively long robe, how is this significant? Because it is a symbol of his authority, victory, and power, every nation is under his feet.

Scripture often refers to God’s people as “temples”. 1 Corinthians says that our “bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit”. Therefore, I ask myself, am I allowing Christ reign perfectly supreme in my heart? Is every “robe” (so to speak) sewn onto His? Or are there areas of sin (some of us like to call them “things” because it sounds nicer) that I have not surrendered? I can only be used at the level that I am willing to surrender. Until I see surrender as a beautiful gain, I will still be losing.

Reading through John 12 I came across another passage that made me stop and examine my own heart in regard to this. Mary of Bethany lavishly pours a jar of pure nard onto Christ’s feet. Her unashamed love for her Savior is expressed in this one simple act. “And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” John 12:3b.

When we love Christ with all our hearts it is our lavish offering to Him. A fragrance poured out. Loving Christ looks exactly like what Mary of Bethany displayed. Unembarrassed. Pure. Worshiping. Intent on only the approval of One. When we truly grasp the sanctity of this kind of love everything else follows. Our “house” or “temple” is filled with the fragrance of a life poured out. A life of worship. A life where Christ sits enthroned.


1 comment:

  1. That's very interesting. I've never heard about the robe custom before, so it was an interesting comparison with the scripture. This had some great reminders! :)
    I loved your statement. "Until I see surrender as a beautiful gain, I will still be losing." So true! He is so good and patient with us hey!

    Thanks for sharing! :)

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