Lenten Devotional, Day 8: Ballad Poem, Self-Description of God, Cut & Uncut Stones, Guardian Angels

Dear Saints,

The Scriptures are Psalm 32; Exodus 34:1–9, 27–28; Matthew 18:10–14.

Why Lent again?  Maybe you have a personal reason(s).  I'd like to encourage in Christians the rhythm of a daily check-in with Jesus.  Since our relationship with Him can be described spiritually as a marriage (rf. Ephesians 5:31–32), I'd love for us to be able to say more dearly: "I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine." (Song of Songs 2:16, 6:3, 7:10).  To love & be loved, to know & be known — O to enjoy that in ever-increasing glory!

A TAKE ON PSALM 32 IN BALLAD MEASURE:

As others have wish I could claim

A good greater than sin,

But I must settle — yet with joy —

That I am forgiven!

His hand was heavy upon me,

As anguish yet a gift,

And His eviscerating eye

Gave light in piercing rifts.

As to an adversary, I,

In groaning words confessed,

And yet as if I vanguished Him,

He cheered me and He blessed.

I asked to be after His heart —

This One who set me free —

And so we'd never be apart,

He gave His heart to me!

WHO AM I?

Who Am I?  If God asked us, what would we say?  He gives a self-description in Exodus 34:6–7.  His answer is both wow, and, hmm, can I ask a question?  (So many thoughts, but I've been getting out over my skis — going to try and say less).

CUT & UNCUT STONES:

This is thick theology, so I'll simply point in what I believe is the right direction.  See if this bears witness:

Moses was told: "Cut for yourself two tablets of stone" (Exodus 34:1, rf. 4).  This was for the holy Ten Commandments (sometimes called the Decalogue).  But now notice this Verse: "If you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it." (Exodus 20:25).  Now another Verse: "A Stone [it has to be Jesus] was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces." (Daniel 2:34).  Finally: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a Stone of Stumbling, and a Rock of Offense; and whoever believes in HIM will not be put to shame." (Romans 9:33, also 1 Peter 2:6–8, Isaiah 28:16, and o another dozen references, so a big deal).

Ok, keeping it simple.  As to the Old & New Testaments: The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.  I believe the idea behind cut v. uncut stones is an early, veiled foreshadow of the Gospel.  The idea being that the Ten Commandmants cannot save, because we cannot "cut it" to use a wordplay.  No matter how hard we try, we fail given our fallen, sin nature.  So our salvation had to be by the perfect sacrifice of Christ — unaided by human effort or ingenuity or improvement.  Romans 7:3 sums up the idea: "For what the law was powerless to do [for us] in that it was weakened by the flesh [our sin nature], God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin."

There are many so-called protoevangelions, the earliest is Genesis 3:7 v. 3:21.  The idea is to contrast the work of Adam-Eve's hands to cover or hide their shame with fig leaves versus the sacrifice made by the Lord to truly forgive and clothe them.

Anyway, seeing these and many more is a reminder that the Old & New Testaments wonderfully cohere and Jesus is portended everywhere from Genesis to Malachi.  So when He came as Messiah/Christ we can countlessly say: See how He is the substance behind every Old Testament shadow!!!

GUARDIAN ANGELS:

"What do you think?" (Matthew 18:12).  Do we have guardian angels personally assigned to us?  We could certainly read the Passage that way.  I do know with certainty: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to serve them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).  Sounds fanciful, but I am convinced that 3x I have seen and been aided by angels.  Just think the account of our lives as someday will be told us by angels, perhaps one particular guardian for each of us.  And presumably that angel's good and mighty stewardship will continue forever, "new" world without end.  I think mine drew a short stick; I'm trying to give him much time off to make up for the early years :)

The Only Best is/in Christ,

tIM