Lenten Devotional (23) & Typology Notes
From beginning to end, the Spirit christens our armor with his presence. Prayer is participation in the life of the Spirit.
…and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
God is for us because of the cross of Jesus. “He is for us!” Say those words out loud today like a father is for his child, like a mother who praises her daughter, like a satisfied teacher with his student; yes, in those ways, but so much more. He is for us even though it cost the life of his very Son. He is for us, even though it would shake the same universe he created. He is for us even though we were not for him: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
To answer Paul’s rhetorical question, nothing! There is nothing to say about these things. God’s glorious grace made us new. His electing love justified us, and now we have nothing to say except to boast on that glorious tree all our days. God is for us because of the cross of his Son!
Prayer: Our Father, you did not spare your own Son for us but delivered him up for our salvation. We cannot answer you, for our words would be too shallow to compare to the glories of your wisdom and power. But alas, we respond with our lives by serving you all our days in the knowledge that you are for us in Jesus Christ our Lord, amen!
Hymn of the Day: Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Notations
I will be joining a few guys on Eschatology Matters to do some ecclesial commentary in the next month or so. Stay tuned!
According to Paul, prayer is pneumatological, Spirit-oriented and directed. In the Bible, the Spirit hovers over all creation in Genesis, the direct rulers in Israel’s history; the Spirit keeps the church united in I Corinthians; the Spirit prays for us in Romans; the Spirit calls us to the throne of grace in Revelation. From beginning to end, the Spirit christens our armor with his presence. Prayer is participation in the life of the Spirit.
God likes to move stuff. Motion is life and beauty and productivity. As my friend, Mike Bull, writes, “Stillness is stagnation and corruption and death.”
When Genesis 1 & 2 fail to play a role in your ecclesiology and eschatology, the end result will be a schizophrenic hermeneutic that will take you to various places of independence (ecclesiology) and despair (eschatology).
I have been reading and listening about the priesthood in Exodus 28-29 and Leviticus. A couple of thoughts:
a) The priestly garment is metallic to some extent. Gold is a part of several interwoven elements. The armor of God in Ephesians 6 reflects the priestly garments.
b) Priests had a ministry of mercy. They didn’t kill the animal but collected the blood and sprinkled it on the altar's horns. Priestly officers show mercy to the people.
c) According to Peter Leithart, priests are the king’s confidants. They are liturgical servants in the holy place.
Find Me
Lots of my ecclesial meanderings are found at uribrito.com
The Kuyperian Commentary, which I founded over 18 years ago, continues to produce a whole lot of stuff. Our podcast, hosted by Rev. Rick Davis, displays some great material with great thinkers and writers.
My Twitter opinations, which are on pause during Lent, will pick up on Easter again.
I had to start a FB fan page since my personal page reached the 5,000 mark a few years ago. I hope you will check it out.
Easter is coming,
Uriesou Brito