December 19, 2010
Prayer
Hymn 61 - Behold the Lamb! tis he who loves
Prayer
We are going to continue looking at animals in the Bible.
Cormorant - Leviticus 11:17 and Deuteronomy 14:17
The Cormorant is one of the birds that was considered unclean to Israel. Cormorant means plunger. The Cormorant plunges into the water to catch fish. One time, I was at Neys Provincial Park and I saw a Cormorant shoot out of the water. Water speaks of judgment and this bird plunges into the water and comes out again. This reminds me of the Lord Jesus. In the Old Testament, there are verses about the Lord going into judgment. Just like this bird, the Lord Jesus came out of the waters of judgment victorious.
Cow - Leviticus 22:28 and Isaiah 7:21
A cow, in the Old Testament, represented a person’s wealth. If someone had a herd of cattle, they were rich. A young male cow is called a bullock; they were used often in the sacrifices. Bullocks are also a picture of strength. The sacrifices were a picture of the Lord, dying on the cross for our sins. Did the Lord go to the cross in strength? No, He went in weakness. The Lord’s strength was in His love. The nails on the cross didn’t hold the Lord to the cross; His love did.
Cranes - Jeremiah 8:7 and Isaiah 38:14
The crane is a large bird; it is remarkable for its call and its migratory patterns. We as Christians should have a call: “Lord, help me.” We should also flock to meeting :).
We have looked at the cormorant, which is a picture of the Lord going into death and conquering it, which gives us salvation. Then, the bullock shows us the strength of the Lord’s love for us. I hope it strengthens our love for Him!
In this chapter we read three songs of praise; Elisabeth’s, Mary’s and Zachariah’s. Like Malachi said, “They that feared the Lord spoke often one to another”. It seems that as soon as Mary got the message about Elisabeth, she went to see her. When Mary arrives, the babe leaps at the sound of her voice and Elisabeth is filled with the Holy Ghost. Mary was of a lower class (she was espoused to a carpenter, not a priest) and lived far away, so they might not have seen each other often; it was the Holy Spirit that brought them together. It’s the same with us. Many of us wouldn’t have ever met, except that the Holy Spirit brought us together.
Mary’s visit to Elisabeth brought signs and wonder. At Mary’s salutation, the babe leaped in Elisabeth’s womb and she was filled with the Holy Ghost. This awakened faith and understanding, as she burst forth in blessing upon Mary and the fruit of her womb.
Back in 400 A.D. doctrine was fought over, and there was a big dispute over people calling Mary “the mother of God”, and some got thrown out of the church for opposing this. In the Roman Catholic Church today they still say, “Hail Mary, mother of God”. The Word tells us that she was the mother of the Lord, not of God. Elisabeth blesses her and the baby, taking the lowly place and asking, “Why is the mother of my Lord come to me?”
Following this we get Mary’s response, her hymn of praise, which is sometimes called the “Magnificat” because she is magnifying the Lord. She rejoiced in what the Lord had done. “My soul doth magnify the Lord”, is a precious expression. Psalm 70:4, 40:16 and 34:3 all echo this sentiment. Mary’s inner man, her soul and spirit, were rejoicing in God, Whom she knew as a Saviour, even as she brought the Saviour into the world. She wasn’t bragging about herself, but praising God. May we be occupied doing the same.
Hymn 261 - Lord Jesus, are we one with Thee?
Prayer