"Beast of Burden"

"My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes." (Psalms 119:171)

  Not exactly what I thought I would end up speaking about today; or was it? This could be a subject of many hours of debate; the more you peel back the layers upon layers of what grace looks like, the more fascinating the story becomes. Matthew Henry sums up this verse saying, "Those that pray for God's grace must aim at God's glory," and then he places the address of Ephesians 1:12 at the end of his statement. Defining what grace actually means, it is said to be the free and unmerited favor of God; getting that which we do not deserve! I heard a pastor speaking yesterday, talking about God giving man and angels free will, saying, "What kind of a God would create something that was willing to turn around and tell Him off?" or something to that effect. One command was all that Adam was given to not do something; only one! The word, "Taught," is a word that speaks of chastisement, to strike, to beat with a rod, especially beasts of burden. Something happen on that day, the day when Adam sinned and did the one thing that God told him not to do: separation from the glory of God! Scared and blackened by the power of sin, God immediately covered them with skins; a blood sacrifice was made to provide some kind of fellowship between their fallen state and God's great glory. The one thing that kept Jesus marching forward towards the cross was doing the will of the Father; it was the manifestation of God's glory that gave Him strength and commitment. It also didn't hurt to know how everything would work out; no matter want might happen to His body, it was all going to be restored! As amazing as it all was, Jesus took our place on many different levels; not just dying for our sins, but taking the beating that we deserved. I love that portion of Scripture in Luke 24:13-35; it is where Jesus meets a couple of men talking about the terrible things that had happened to Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem. He walks along with them for what must have been several hours, listening to the concerning stories that they told each other, and seeing how upset they were; until He finally says, "What manner of communication are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" They seriously could not understand how He did not know, saying, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" I love Jesus' answer, "What things?" And then they poured out the terrible story and how this wonderful prophet was crucified; and to make matters worse, someone had stolen his body! What we expect to happen is not always what really happens; what we think that happened, is not always the way it appeared. This is the point to what is being said; because when we see the truth of God's "Prescribed Statutes" our lips will utter praise...

"And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures? And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of bread." (Luke 24:32-35)