What’s In A Name
Monday, October 14, 2019
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were all under and protected by the cloud [in which God’s Presence went before them], and every one of them passed safely through the [Red] Sea, And each one of them [allowed himself also] to be baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea [they were thus brought under obligation to the Law, to Moses, and to the covenant, consecrated and set apart to the service of God]; And all [of them] ate the same spiritual (supernaturally given) food, And they all drank the same spiritual (supernaturally given) drink. For they drank from a spiritual Rock which followed them [produced by the sole power of God Himself without natural instrumentality], and the Rock was Christ.
Modern Christians get all bent out of shape when you speak of Scripture as having an allegorical interpretation, fearful, that heresy will erupt onto the landscape of the Church. But truth be known, the writers of the New Testament were right at home with seeing Scripture symbolically and allegorically. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 is a case in point. In this passage the literal crossing of the Red Sea was also a prophetic symbol of baptism, the manna was a symbol of the Bread of Heaven, and the supernatural drink from the Rock is none other than the Holy Spirit. But what’s crazy is that not only does Paul allude to the Rock of the Wilderness wanderings as Jesus but states that the Rock led them. Which is a throwback to Exodus 33 when God the Father informs Moses that He’s leaving the “camp” providing His Angel to “lead the way.” Just in case you haven’t figured it out that “Angel” is the Rock to Whom Paul is referring, and the Rock is none other than Jesus.
In todays blog I want you to understand from the allegorical way of interpreting Scripture that you are being molded into God’s Purpose – Jesus. When you begin studying all the parallels Jesus and Scripture makes connecting us to Jesus it’s quite astounding. Take the Scripture above. Obviously, Jesus is the Rock, but did you know that Scripture says that we are rocks? 1 Peter 2:5 [Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
In John 2:19-21 Jesus refers to Himself as the Temple but Paul follows that statement by making the connection: 1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,..
Jesus referred to Himself as the Light of the World in John 8:12 but then goes on to say in Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world.
Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Heaven but 1 Corinthians 10:17 states: For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Jesus is called the High Priest of God in Hebrews 3:1 yet we are called priests in 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Jesus is referred to as the Living Word of God but you and I are His letters in 2 Corinthians 3:3 You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
In Isaiah 53:11 Jesus is referred to as the Righteous One: He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself [which He possesses and imparts to others] shall My [uncompromisingly] righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God), for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt [with the consequences, says the Lord]. Yet 2 Corinthians 5:21 states: For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].
Finally, but not the last of these parallels, Jesus is referred to as the Christ, the Anointed One. Yet in Acts 11:26 it states:… and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christ-ians. 1 John 2:27 states: But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do].
You and I, and every truly born-again Child of the Most High God, have more in common with Jesus than we realize. We are “rocks,” temples, lights, bread, priests, living words, righteousness, and little Jesus.’ Is it any wonder that we are being made in the Image of Jesus?
At the very top of the page along with the title for this blog you have the Name of God, Yahveh, spelled out vertically in Hebrew letters. Typically Hebrew is written horizontally, and from right to left. When written vertically, though, what do you see? It looks like a stick figure to me. Am I saying that Yahveh is us? Absolutely not. But the Father’s Name reminds us Whose Image we bear. Of course, those who eat from the knowledge of the “Do To Be” Tree would confuse the image with themselves (self-centeredness being crowned king by those who eat it’s fruit). But we’re not the Center. Jesus is the Center, and we reclaim His image through beholding our Beloved. Thus we crown the King of kings with many crowns.
