Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Psalm 114: His Sacrifice Moves Mountains and Heaves Hills

"The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs." (Psalm 114: 4)

Rams and lambs (literally, sons of the flock) speak of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1: 29)

The first mention of "ram" features in the Covenant which God cut with Abraham through His Son Jesus (Genesis 15: 8-11)

As for sons of the flock, the first mention of flock appears in connection Abel, who kept flocks, and who brought the sacrifice which God respected.

Jesus is the once, for all, forever sacrifice which God accepts, that we may be accepted before God in the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6)

Because of the blood of Jesus, we overcome the condemnation of the devil, and when this root is removed completely, we find that all the mountains in our lives, and the hills in our way, flees as well.

Everything in the Bible, every victory promised to us in the Scriptures, begins and ends with all that Jesus has done for us at the Cross.

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11: 23)

The context of this verse, often quoted in the Word of Faith circles, connects with "Have God's faith" in Mark 11: 22.

We do not get God's faith through our efforts, but as a gift from God through His Son (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

We need Jesus, who through His body and blood took away our sins and was crucified in the flesh for us, that we may live by His faith in our lives:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2: 20)

The greatest barrier in our lives to God's goodness is sin in our flesh, the condemnation which afflicts every person born a child of Adam.

With the perfect, precious blood of Jesus, we are set free from this body of death, that we may walk in the Spirit of God:

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7: 24)

Then Paul declares:

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7: 25)

Followed by:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8: 1, NIV)

Because we are set free from sin, from death, and brought into the blessed standing of our Jesus Christ (1 John 4: 17), we will see mountains depart and hills removed from us, that nothing can stop the blessed work which Christ Jesus is working in our lives:

"Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." (Colossians 1: 29)

and

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

and

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15: 10)

His life moves us, and also moves the mountains and heaves the hills away from us.

This year, grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, that He has put away your sins forever, and in this grace watch the mountains in your path pass out of your way, in a dance (the full meaning of "skipped") which will entertain you.

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