"The LORD is my strength and song,
and He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father's God, and I will exalt Him."
The Song of Moses, Ex. 15:2
"Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation."
Isa. 12:2
The beautiful verses above teach us the concept that God, our Father has become a song to us. He becomes a song because He has become our "Yeshuwah", our salvation. The root of the word "song" refers to the white woolen fleece of sheep. This should have special meaning to all who know Christ.
There is a Book in the Bible called "Song of Songs", and it is attributed to King Solomon. The term "Song of Songs" means that it is the greatest song of all. It is read during Passover, when the blood of the Lamb became the salvation for Israel during the final plague of death, and ultimately, their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt.
The "Song of Songs" is about the beautiful relationship between a bride, referred to a The Shulamite, and her Beloved. To believers, it is a portrait of a believer's relationship with Jesus, our bridegroom. The word "Shulamite" used for the bride means, "the perfect, the peaceful" from a root that means "to be in a covenant of peace, to be compete, to be finished". How much this meaning reflects what the Bride of Christ has been ordained to be!
The bridegroom (Beloved) says of her:
"You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices."
Song 4:9-10
In addition the Bridegroom sings:
"A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices-
A fountain of gardens
A well of living waters,
And streams from Lebanon."
Song 4:12,14
Biblical brides wore special adornments, including necklaces (see v. 9, above) made of the finest, most precious materials the family could afford. It would be part of her "bride-price" or dowry. It was a most precious, and important thing to a prospective bride. It symbolized her status, and value as a bride.
The Bridegroom refers to his bride as being a sister and a spouse. The term sister refers to one born of the same parents, and to have a resemblance to another. We, who have been born again, have been born not by the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but by the will of God (Jn. 1:13). Our birth is from our Father, as Jesus was birthed into the natural realm supernaturally by the will of the Father (Mt. 1:20, Lk. 1:35). We are called to have a resemblance to Jesus: "...as He is, so are we in this world." (1 Jn. 3:2, 4:17).
The term "spouse" used by the Bridegroom means again "to complete, to perfect", as we are to be perfect, without spot or blemish.
The fragrance of the Bride, according to v. 14 above, is made up of many precious spices and aromas. Many of these same precious spices were used to compose the priests' holy anointing oil of the Tabernacle. The King referred to in Psalm 45:7-8 has His garments scented with these same spices. Christ's sacrifice carries a sweet-smelling aroma, pleasing to God (Eph. 5:2).
If this is the aroma of Christ, why is the Bride covered in this same aroma?
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are perishing."
2 Cor. 2:14-15
The Song of Songs is a beautiful gift from our Father to the Bridegroom, Jesus, and His Bride, saved by His sacrifice.
Our Father has become our song.
"Song of Solomon"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2urjlelpuM
"Holy Spirit (Your Presence)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diPBK5fsZyE
"I Surrender"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSgn-nmBpNY
One of the most mysterious positions in scripture is that of priest. We don't know much about this mystery, yet the Father has called us to manifest in these end times as priests and kings. Peter says that we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus is our "great High Priest", in Heb. 4:14, and we have been called to walk in His image and likeness, His ministry, in the earth. But, in short, we just don't get it. We don't realize what a wondrous work we are in the earth, in this time. Let us look into 1 Peter Chapter 1 for some understanding:
Peter calls us in v. 2, the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:"
Peter addresses us as pilgrims, or sojourners, strangers, or temporary residents. We are a people who are temporarily in earth, but our home is elsewhere. He says we are the elect.To be "elect" means to be picked or chosen for oneself (in this case, for God the Father), to be chosen for an office, to be chosen one out of many, to call by name. We were chosen and called by name in the foreknowledge of God, known by God, but not yet manifested. We were conceived in the knowledge of God. The Holy Spirit, Himself, sanctified and consecrated us. His anointing separated us from profane things, even as the priests separated themselves from the profane. This sanctification makes us "a most holy thing, purified and dedicated to God", according to the definition of the word. This sanctification comes from a root word that means "to cherish with tender love, to warm, to keep warm". We have been brought close to our Father by the Holy Spirit in a loving and cherishing manner. The holiness connected with the Holy Spirit anointing is so powerful, that Aaron and his sons were warned not to go out into the profane people still covered in the anointing oil of their Tabernacle service. If the priests did so, they would die (Lev. 10:7). That anointing set them apart, and they had to wash it off before they left the Tabernacle.
Verse 2 also tells us that we were manifested and set aside in this manner as the elect, for the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, even as the priests are consecrated by the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice. The whole God-head participated in our creation. There must be a special purpose for this creation.
In verse 5, Peter tells us that we are kept by the power of God. This word means that we are before the eyes of God, guarded and protected by military guard to prevent hostile invasion. Once we were manifested out of the knowledge of the Father, He made sure that we were preserved and protected from evil. We were kept to be "ready" for something in this verse, and that "to be revealed in the last time". We are a manifestation connected to the last times. If you are not sure if we are living in the last times, just look in the mirror. You and I are proof that we are in the last times. This creation, whom we are, brings praise, honor and glory at the revealing of Jesus Christ, both as He is revealed now, in us, and as He is revealed upon His return. The joy of this creation is supposed to be so great and glory-filled that it cannot even be expressed. Where is that joy? It is the definition of who we are. Where is it in us? Do others see it in us?
In verses 9-12, Peter tells us that this God-head creation and manifestation of us, the saints, was seen by the prophets, who wondered if it was for their time. They studied and meditated to discover the how and when of this wondrous thing. They found out it was not for their time, but for a later time. It was not for them and their people, but they were prophesying to us, for our benefit.
In verse 12, Peter tells us that this thing is so powerful, and so earth-shaking, that angels "desire to look into" it. We have a quaint picture on our minds of angels bowing down to peek into the wonders of human salvation, in order to try to understand it. But this is not the meaning of the words in Greek. First of all, the angels were the ones to announce this wonderful salvation to the shepherds when Jesus was born. They were rejoicing so greatly, the heavens opened, and they declared the fulness of salvation to all men. The angels therefore, seem to be fully acquainted with the glory of our salvation. But the word "desire" used in this verse has a darker meaning. It means to be so filled and overtaken with such an inflaming lust and covetousness for something that it drives you to the very edge of sanity. I would suggest that this may really mean that demons are enraged and tormented by this accomplishment of God in us, by this miraculous manifestation in the last times.
The sanctification that Peter talks to us about, is like the consecration, or setting apart, of the priesthood. If we are indeed to be royal priests, and priests in the likeness and image of Christ, we need to look more closely at the ministry of the priest. The Word of God has much to say about the priesthood. The holy priesthood of the Old Testament is described in one commentary as the ministry of reconciliation between Jehovah and His people by the sprinkling of atoning blood. We also have been called to the ministry of reconciliation:
"Now all things are of God, who has reconcoled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us, the word of reconciliation."
2 Cor. 5:18-19
After washing himself, and donning the clothing of priesthood, the priest entered the Holy of Holies wearing the names of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD (Ex. 28:29-30). He carried with him coals and holy incense to create a cloud of incense over the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. Over the mercy seat was where the glory of God appeared. Our prayers before God rise to Him as the incense of the priests (Rev. 5:8, 8:3-4).
In the Holy of Holies, the priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice over the mercy seat for the atonement of himself, the tabernacle, and the people, even as we have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:2).
Part of our ministry of reconciliation is to present ourselves before the mercy seat of the Father, and apply the sprinkling of the blood of the Lamb on behalf of ourselves and the people we represent before Him. Hebrews instructs us:
"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Heb. 10:19-22
We are commanded to enter the Holiest place for a reason. That reason is not just for ourselves, but for the forgiveness of others, as well.
Though some may think that forgiveness of sins is a matter only for God, it is, in fact, a ministry that has been commissioned to us by Jesus, Himself. We have been entrusted with His precious blood of atonement, not only to cleanse ourselves, but to carry others over our hearts, into His presence, as a priestly duty.
"And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Jn, 20:22-23
Jesus told the people that the power and authority to forgive sins is very much tied into the power and authority to heal and deliver those who suffer (Lk. 5:21-25).
We have been commissioned with the ministry of the priest, which is also the ministry of reconciliation. As mankind, in these last days, falls deeper and deeper into the condition, darkness and bondage of sin, this priestly ministry, manifested into the earth specifically for this last time, can no longer be neglected.
The study of the priesthood is too large for a blog entry, but we need to find out more, and pray about walking in this vital ministry.
Our Father is a priest.
"Take Me in"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuziDS_4EBI
"Holy of Holies"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXCFrtXJQV4
"Holy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwXHnbt9prc
