Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (Hebrews 12:24)

Morning Thoughts,

Hebrews 12:24, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

This morning, the rapid decay of the world sometimes lends to improper perspectives about God-honouring subjects. Quite often today, people mistake lust for love, happiness for joy, wishes for hopes, and even revenge for justice. Whenever people today talk about something they want done or would like to see done, they quite often reason it this way, “It should be done cause that’s just making me so mad!” The ultimate reason that someone wants the change is not so that justice will be served (as they might convince themselves) but rather their own personal vengeance or revenge on the situation. Further still, magnanimous compassion for vain show and glory does not constitute mercy. Rather, justice is the true and correct rendering of consequences executed by a person of authority. Mercy is sincere pity being executed by one capable of extending it. Modern society’s mindset of personal feelings and outward show fail in the most basic of ways to measure up to the Biblical standard of these two subjects.

Before we launch into the waters of thoughts on God’s mercy and God’s justice, let us consider the context of our study verse above. Paul is winding down His epistle to the Hebrew brethren on the “better things” of Christ. He has already shown in vivid detail about the better priesthood of Christ, the better sacrifice of Christ, and the better covenant of Christ. As he brings it home in the 12th chapter, the verses in the immediate context of ours show the better mountain (Sion), better city, etc. that we have today as compared to the Old Testament saints. Notice the singularity of Paul’s language. Jesus as our High Priest and sacrifice is “the” mediator, of “the” new covenant, to “the” blood of sprinkling. Without knowing anything else, Paul makes it crystal clear that Jesus Christ is not only better than anything else, He is the one and only that did, does, and will do these better things.

Who is our Mediator? Paul says there is one and only: Jesus Christ. (I Timothy 2:5) What about our new covenant? Paul said that we have one that will serve us well forever (nothing new after this one). What about blood to cover us? Paul says that the blood of Jesus is the satisfaction of what God required. (Hebrews 9:12, 10:14) These singular points serve to show us not only the better aspects of Christ but also the singularity of His work that was His to accomplish with the help of no one else. (Hebrews 1:3)

Moving into the main thoughts that we have upon this verse, notice what Paul compares the blood of Christ’s sprinkling to. He compares it to the blood of Abel. While Abel’s blood showed something significant, Paul esteems what Christ’s blood shows even better. Abel’s death constituted the first murder ever witnessed upon the earth. (Genesis 4) When his brother Cain rose up against him, God declared that Abel’s blood cried unto Him from the ground. While we understand that blood does not really have a voice, the blood on the ground that God saw spoke of something. Innocent blood shed by the hand of another cries out for righteous justice. Abel’s blood cried out that day to God, “Innocent blood has been spilled! Let justice be served!”

This is the same vein of thought as those souls in Revelation 6 that were slain for the testimony of Christ. (Revelation 6:9-10) People who have died in the service to Christ (such as Stephen did) have blood that must be answered for. Their blood cries to the Holy God how long it shall be before justice is righteously served for the transgression. The best that our natural blood can cry for is veritable justice if our lives have been snuffed out in innocency. Courts of law judge based upon those very matters. Sometimes, our blood can answer for mercy should we sacrifice ourselves in the stead of another, but even that mercy has a problem: real justice did not happen.

However, Paul makes the case that Christ’s blood of sprinkling cried so much more and better than Abel’s did. Looking at the type in Leviticus 16, we see the high priest enter behind the veil into the holiest of all with the blood of a goat to sprinkle before God. What he sprinkled the blood’s goat upon was the mercy seat where God had promised to dwell between the wings of the cherubims. By sprinkling the blood, the symbology pointed to the mercy of God being extended for the sins of the people that they had committed against Him.

Moving forward to the anti-type – Jesus Christ – we see that instead of the blood of another, He entered with His own blood for this great and noble work. His own blood being sprinkled cries out for mercy at the behest of sinners and vile traitors before God. Though our own blood rightly deserved the highest order of condemnation from the just hand of God, Christ’s blood comes forth to say, “Mercy, mercy in the name of my righteousness.” Abel’s blood could only cry, “Justice, justice in the name of my innocence.” How much better is the blood of Christ than that of Abel.

Further still, consider that God never acts in one regard to the expense of something else in His Person. For example, God never acts graciously or mercifully at the expense of being just. Nor does He act justly at the expense of also exhibiting the love that His Person embodies. When He justly chastises His children, love does not stand in the corner, but rather, the love is in sweet unison and accord with the just chastisement. Dear friends, when the blood of Christ, speaking those sweet tones of mercy at the behest of vile and wretched sinners, was shed, God’s justice did not stand in the corner while the transaction of mercy took place.

Even though man’s lips can cry for mercy while his innocent blood is being shed (like Stephen did), man’s blood cannot cry for mercy. Even if it could, the mercy could not satisfy the justice that the person deserved. However, when Christ’s precious blood was shed, sprinkled upon the alter, through the Eternal Spirit, mercy indeed cried out in the ears of Almighty God. However, what also cried out that day from His own blood was, “Justice thou art served!” His blood of sprinkling did not just give us mercy, but it satisfied the justice that God’s law required. We deserved to die, and yet He died for us. That death brings the sweet fruit of mercy unto us that says, “Live forevermore.” That death likewise brings the sweet fruit of perfection to God’s law that says, “Satisfied forevermore.”
One might ask, “How could God justly receive vile reprobates into heaven?” Fair question. Biblical answer, “Christ blood speaks to the honour and satisfaction of justice and the magnanimous extension of mercy.” In the past, I have been guilty of saying something like this from the pulpit, “Give me mercy, but don’t give me what I deserve.” While the statement was uttered sincerely, there is a better way to say it. We should rather say, “Give me mercy, but don’t give me what I deserved.” We did deserve something far worse, but due to the merciful hand of God through His Son, we now deserve exactly what Christ deserves (eternal life and immortality) as He justly satisfied what it took by His blood to bring us there.

In Hope,
Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts (Matthew 6:9)

Morning Thoughts,
Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”This morning, society still enjoys and prefers image and attitude rather than substance and character. Have you ever heard someone say, “Well I may not like the way he is, but I sure like the way he does it?” Many years ago, my natural father was conversing with a woman while discussing her tax return. She complained about all the “extra” governmental taxes that were not there a few years before. Since the last year or so had seen a presidential transition, my father asked her if she voted for the new president. She responded that she had. He asked her why she voted for him only now to complain about his policies. Her response was classic, “Oh, but I just love the way that he smiles!” She was enamored over the new president’s image more than his character. Sadly, that attitude reflects not only in politics, but in most every venue of life sometimes – regrettably so – even into the endeavours of the church as well.

When considering a subject as important as prayer, it behooves us to consider not just the performance of it but the manner of the performance as well. In the political analogy above, we remarked that the manner of the man meant more to the woman than his character or substance. While our character and substance of prayer is pivotally important, God requires that our manner match our substance. Politicians are expected to be smooth, polite, cheerful, etc. while representing us. Police officers are expected to be firm, professional, and courteous while enforcing the law. God’s children are expected, by God, to have a certain manner while addressing Him and approaching Him in prayer. Whether considering our manner or our substance of prayer, they should reflect one another and complement each other fully.

Consider the words of Christ right before and right after our verse. In verses 5-8, Christ gives the manner or “image” of prayer. In verses 9-13, He gives the substance of prayer. Whether one considers the substance of prayer from the succeeding verses and reflects that onto the manner of prayer from the preceding verses or vice versa, both what we say and how we say it should go together. Let us, in our examination, consider the substance in light of the manner of prayer. The manner of the prayer from Christ’s words in verses 5-8 shows that we should have humility, discretion, and an understanding of who we are addressing. We should understand going into prayer that we are not “acquainting” God with anything, nor are we doing so publicly for publicity sake. Rather, our prayers are the honest, heart-felt yearnings of our inner man, and the reaching out to God in prayer that our hearts feel shows the submission and expectation that we have before an all-powerful and all-knowing Lord and Master.

Knowing then that our manner of prayer should reflect knowledge of who we are addressing, what is, logically, the first thing that prayer should entail? Verses 9-10 show in our address and opening remarks that we exalt and understand the power and authority of God. Have you ever heard someone pray and felt that they “demanded” of God rather than requested of God? Their prayer may not have had the words “you have to give me” but their spirit seemed to show that. Perhaps their spirit showed that by simply lacking the words that exalted the One they spoke to. In verses 9-10, we see God addressed in the highest of tones. His name is revered, and His power magnified.

Obviously, we are neither speaking these words to make them so, or saying them to “butter God up.” Rather, we say them showing our understanding of the reality of God’s greatness and fervent desire to exalt that in our lives. Some of the older brethren have encouraged the younger like me from time to time, “Son, when you pray, just tell God how you feel.” That is sound and sage advice, and one of the things that we should feel is heart-felt gladness that our God is He that doeth whatsoever He pleases with all power in heaven and in earth. (Psalm 115) I like to pray with the reiteration of those wonderful, powerful thoughts, for they encourage me yet again in the knowledge that this One can do what we ask and has promised to be merciful to us when we ask. (John 14:13) Do we repeat our address to God vainly repeating what we have said before out of show? No, for that is what the heathen do. Do we repeat our address out of sincere thanksgiving for having a God so powerful, wonderful, and merciful? Absolutely.

Verses 11-12 deal with an aspect of prayer that fully considering might honestly frighten someone. As with the aspect of prayer above that someone fails to understand who they are addressing by making demands of God, have you ever heard someone pray that seemed to think better of himself than others around him? The Pharisee in Luke 18 had that mindset against the publican, and probably treated the publican accordingly. Looking at the Pharisees in Christ’s day, their disdain for those “lower than they were” was manifestly seen. Look at the Saviour’s words. “Forgive us as we…” The previous verse shows us that we beseech Him for our natural needs – daily bread – and verse 12 for our conduct and behaviour (spiritual needs).

Since we have daily needs – such as daily bread – our prayers to God need to ascend daily. Since our conduct with others need correction on a regular basis, our petitions to our Master should go up repeatedly. (I Thessalonians 5:17) How have we been lately? Have we asked God for what we need? Have we treated others the way we would desire He treat us? Sadly, my record is filled with black marks and demerits. The Saviour commands us to pray asking God to treat us the way we treat others and consistently pray that our needs be met. Quite a far cry from making demands of the Almighty, but earnest seeking of these things brings the peaceable fruit of righteousness forth in our manner and way of life.

Verse 13 closes the prayer with a petition for our future and reinforced remarks about the power and might of God. Sometimes we pray for things about our future that we really should not. Sometimes those prayers ask Him for specific things in the future that perhaps we really do not need. Maybe the petition is for something that we are not yet ready for. There are any number of faulty prayers for our future. However, it is never faulty to pray that our future be led away from temptation. It is never faulty to exalt God’s power and will in the future with the sincere prayer that we be more attuned to it. Some of the hoary heads from my youth were fond of praying, “May we be more faithful to thee in the future than we have in the past. May our steps be brighter going forward than they have been behind us.”

What do we most desire going forward? Our prayers should reflect an honest longing to be better servants, more faithful stewards, and more upright children in our walk. What will our circumstances be? That is of far less importance than the understanding of Who it is that goes with us. So what if the circumstances are not pleasant or we have stormy seasons? He has the kingdom, the power, and the glory “for ever.” What more could we desire for the future than to serve Him better knowing that the Omnipotent One goes with us always? What better thought for tomorrow can there be than He is there, whether in life or in death? What more could we want for our friends, family, and acquaintances than the knowledge that the One with us also goes with them?

Looking at the substance of the model prayer that Christ gives, how does it reflect the manner in which we pray? By exalting the power, might, and will of God in the address, it reflects the manner of humility that we should exhibit as inferiors addressing our superior. By petitioning Him for our daily needs and behavioral correction, it reflects our dependence upon His power and mercy. By beseeching Him properly for the future, it reflects our understanding of His unchangeableness, granting peace going forward. This manner stands in stark contrast to those that would demand from God or scoff at others around them. This manner stands polar opposite to prayers made out of show or convenience. Does this prayer reflect what we truly feel? It should, for our very Lord Himself used this model to show how our feelings should be when approaching the glorious throne of grace. May our manner and substance of prayer reflect one another, and may our outward steps of service from prayer show that with our every action and course.

In Hope,

Bro Philip