"Portrait of God's Love" -2

"I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me." (Psalms 22:17) They say that seeing is believing, but do we always see with eyes of understanding? If you have ever visited an art gallery and just hung out and listened to comments that people share about particular paintings or sculptures, then you would see how many people interpret things based upon what they believe, not necessarily upon what the artist might have wanted to get across in their work. Sure; today's verse is one of a simplistic message about Jesus stretched out on that cross with all his rib bones protruding out as if they were almost without skin; and every bone in His body was aching and screaming with pain; while the crowds below, gazed upon Him, each with there own interpretation of that day's event. Good, then I guess I am done... Not so fast! Because I do believe that there is a message here hidden between those 'bones'; something that we need to consider about what we are to look upon, and how we are to see with eyes of understanding. Many artist, especially those that perform art in the abstract, create something that is made for us to make up our own interpretation as we gaze upon it; something that will meet us where we are coming from, and then a piece of their work will build upon an emotion with the viewer. In a way, that is what God has done; but not the way you might think. What God has done, is to portray His love in one certain prissiest way, by which there is no variance of interpretation, because there is only one way that we are to be saved from our sins; which is to believe in His Son that was nailed upon that cross, and to receive His free offer of Salvation! Now, how we get there, that is a different story all in it's self. Because some of us get there through going almost to the gates of hell, while others may have been raised proper, in a Christian home where they kept clear of the darkness of this world. But, no matter who you are, or what you might have been through, we all are in need of a Saviour; we all have fallen short and are in need of God's gift of Salvation. Looking at the word "bones", it is the Hebrew word 'estem, which is a word that means bone, essence, or substance; body, or bodily form; same, selfsame; life, strength. An example of 'same' would be, "in that very day"; and selfsame would be, "as the heaven itself". The word "tell" is a word that means to account, reckon; to count accurately; to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related. An accountant would be someone that would practice such things, as they would account for what has transpired, or what has taken place; much like a scribe, who has charge of keeping the account of the king's business. The basic message that I am getting at, is that Jesus Christ did come from heaven, He was born of a virgin, He did live among us in the flesh, He was God in the flesh, He did lay His own life down for the sins of this world, He did die upon that cross, He was buried in a borrowed tomb for three days, He did go to hell and set the captives free, He rose from the grave on the third day (just as He said He would), He did walk among them and was counted by at least five hundred souls, He did ascend up into the clouds, He does sit at the right hand of the Father, and He is coming back really really soon for His bride (the church). No if you have a problem with anything that I just said, then you are not seeing the true Portrait of God's Love; that which He gave for us to "look and stare upon", that we would see our need to be saved from sin, and that we might understand the price that was paid for that forgiveness...