OVemLogo
June 9th, 2008, 06:03 PM
I don't believe it's only the Old Testament that contains deep symbols and typologies, the New Testament has this as well. The NT is not so plain to understand. Yes there are lessons you can take away from the surface reading - and God's general revelation. But ultimately the Holy Spirit must open up these scriptures as well. The social gospel and focusing on the material ahead of the Spiritual is a perfect of example of man stuck in the "letter" which kills. The religion of the antichrist will latch on to the letter, and many will be deceived as a result. Let's take an example here and dig a little.
Let's talk about the different ways Jesus healed blind men in the bible.
QUESTION: Why not just do it the same way each time? Why did He heal so many different ways? There must have been a deeper lesson there. Let's explore:
Example 1: The blind beggar Bartimaeus who sat by the way in Jericho crying out for Jesus to heal (Mark 10:45-47). In this case all Jesus had to do was say "Your faith has saved you," and without any other action this man we given sight.
Example 2: In Mark 8, however, Jesus was in another place where he took another blind man, this time by the hand and led him outside the village. Once they reached that place, Jesus then spat on his eyes. Next He asked the blind man what he could see. The response: he saw people like "trees walking." So Jesus prayed again (the only time where Jesus prayed for someone twice) . Next He laid His hands on the man's eyes, and THEN the not-so-blind man could see without any further obstacles.
Example 3: In Jerusalem, Jesus healed another by spitting on the ground, making mud, which He then applied to the blind man's eyes. However before the man was healed, Jesus sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. After this the man could now see again (John 9).
So what's going here? Is God trying to teach us something - or do we treat the bible like a static lifeless creed or statement of faith?
Indeed there are three spiritual lessons about His Project of Salvation being taught here. Before explaining it's important to understand what the "blind" represent in the bible. They are one's who cannot see - who cannot perceive the light. Who is the light? Jesus is the light of the world, and we need His light. There's many passage in the bible that talk about light, such as one which says:
Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
Matthew 4:16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."
Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light
2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
That was pointing to Jesus.
Let's revisit those examples now in the light of this:
Example 1: Bartimaeus needed light - and speaks of someone who needs Jesus in their life. His situation speaks of when we receive new life and SPIRITUAL sight from Christ - the INSTANT we believe.
Example 2: This blind man's situation of being led outside the village talks about the process of sanctification for those who are saved - that gradual separation from the worldly things (the village). This is not something instantaneous, some progress faster than others. Jesus taking him by the hand speaks about the necessary connection with the Body of Christ - to be part of the faithful church. Only in this context can people see. Quite often new converts have only a partial understanding and see men as trees. See things through man's eyes, and not according to God's. They receive the water from the mouth of Jesus (the Word) - but they still harbor worldly practices they are still accustomed to. Often times they don't even notice the problem. So it takes time for them to develop this sensitivity and clear vision of what things grieve the Holy Spirit. New believers quite often look at many things from a human perspective – that is to be seeing "people as trees."
Example 3: This story covers the evangelistic aspect of our salvation. Jesus uses people in evangelism. We are the dirt, but with the spit (water - what comes from the mouth of Jesus) are used to carry this word of hope to others. We are like clay vessels, molded into lamps to carry the oil of the Spirit to shine brightly in the night. Jesus uses this clay - or this mud for His Project.
Jeremiah 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
Romans 9:21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
Job 4:19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before a moth?
Yet this mud must be washed way. They are to have an experience with Jesus, not fawn over that "Great preacher" or "man of God" who witnessed to them. Take for example the Samaritan woman's neighbors in John 4
John 4:42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
The focus must be Jesus instead of the human evangelist used to bring him/her to Christ. They need to know Jesus personally. They too need to have an experience with Him, through the Holy Spirit (the water he was washing in). Our gratitude and blessing goes to Jesus alone - not to fallible human's. Religious books and advice from self appointed teachers are not the answer. They need to be in the Body of Christ, where they can receive the Blood which flows from member to member, that brings the nutrients, while removing the impurities. They need the Holy Spirit to show them the way in this context.
Let's talk about the different ways Jesus healed blind men in the bible.
QUESTION: Why not just do it the same way each time? Why did He heal so many different ways? There must have been a deeper lesson there. Let's explore:
Example 1: The blind beggar Bartimaeus who sat by the way in Jericho crying out for Jesus to heal (Mark 10:45-47). In this case all Jesus had to do was say "Your faith has saved you," and without any other action this man we given sight.
Example 2: In Mark 8, however, Jesus was in another place where he took another blind man, this time by the hand and led him outside the village. Once they reached that place, Jesus then spat on his eyes. Next He asked the blind man what he could see. The response: he saw people like "trees walking." So Jesus prayed again (the only time where Jesus prayed for someone twice) . Next He laid His hands on the man's eyes, and THEN the not-so-blind man could see without any further obstacles.
Example 3: In Jerusalem, Jesus healed another by spitting on the ground, making mud, which He then applied to the blind man's eyes. However before the man was healed, Jesus sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. After this the man could now see again (John 9).
So what's going here? Is God trying to teach us something - or do we treat the bible like a static lifeless creed or statement of faith?
Indeed there are three spiritual lessons about His Project of Salvation being taught here. Before explaining it's important to understand what the "blind" represent in the bible. They are one's who cannot see - who cannot perceive the light. Who is the light? Jesus is the light of the world, and we need His light. There's many passage in the bible that talk about light, such as one which says:
Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
Matthew 4:16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."
Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light
2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
That was pointing to Jesus.
Let's revisit those examples now in the light of this:
Example 1: Bartimaeus needed light - and speaks of someone who needs Jesus in their life. His situation speaks of when we receive new life and SPIRITUAL sight from Christ - the INSTANT we believe.
Example 2: This blind man's situation of being led outside the village talks about the process of sanctification for those who are saved - that gradual separation from the worldly things (the village). This is not something instantaneous, some progress faster than others. Jesus taking him by the hand speaks about the necessary connection with the Body of Christ - to be part of the faithful church. Only in this context can people see. Quite often new converts have only a partial understanding and see men as trees. See things through man's eyes, and not according to God's. They receive the water from the mouth of Jesus (the Word) - but they still harbor worldly practices they are still accustomed to. Often times they don't even notice the problem. So it takes time for them to develop this sensitivity and clear vision of what things grieve the Holy Spirit. New believers quite often look at many things from a human perspective – that is to be seeing "people as trees."
Example 3: This story covers the evangelistic aspect of our salvation. Jesus uses people in evangelism. We are the dirt, but with the spit (water - what comes from the mouth of Jesus) are used to carry this word of hope to others. We are like clay vessels, molded into lamps to carry the oil of the Spirit to shine brightly in the night. Jesus uses this clay - or this mud for His Project.
Jeremiah 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
Romans 9:21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
Job 4:19 How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before a moth?
Yet this mud must be washed way. They are to have an experience with Jesus, not fawn over that "Great preacher" or "man of God" who witnessed to them. Take for example the Samaritan woman's neighbors in John 4
John 4:42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
The focus must be Jesus instead of the human evangelist used to bring him/her to Christ. They need to know Jesus personally. They too need to have an experience with Him, through the Holy Spirit (the water he was washing in). Our gratitude and blessing goes to Jesus alone - not to fallible human's. Religious books and advice from self appointed teachers are not the answer. They need to be in the Body of Christ, where they can receive the Blood which flows from member to member, that brings the nutrients, while removing the impurities. They need the Holy Spirit to show them the way in this context.