Leah: The Bride of Christ: A Nation of Kings and Priests

Leah:  The Bride of Christ:  A Nation of Kings and Priests

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in scripture picture the attributes of the church as that Bride. None is flawless, but each is beloved. Even so, the church, the Bride of the Lamb, though not without flaw, is dearly loved of our Lord.

The story of Leah, the first wife of the patriarch Jacob, begins in Genesis 29:16:  “Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Now Jacob loved Rachel” (Genesis 29:16-18 NKJV).  Jacob loved Rachel, but Leban, because it was the custom for the older sister to marry first, tricked Jacob into marrying Leah.  Seven years later, Jacob was allowed to marry Rachel as well.  Rachel was loved, but barren for many years.  Though unloved, Leah was fruitful.

Scriptures tell us, “When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren” (Genesis 29:31 NKJV).  Jacob’s sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Leah was the mother of six of those tribes:  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun .  She and Jacob also had a daughter, Dinah.  Later, Leah gave her handmaiden, Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.  As was the custom, the children of Zilpah were considered the children of Leah.  The two sons from that union were Gad and Asher.  Asher means “happiness.”  At last Leah was happy.

Through the life of Leah, God teaches that the joy and blessing of the Lord can be ours, not necessarily, because of our circumstances.  In truth, the joy and the blessing of the Lord can be often ours, in spite, of our circumstances.  The blessings on Leah’s life include eternal blessings for those choosing to walk with the Lord.

In Exodus 19:5-6 (NKJV), the Lord spoke to Moses about the divine plan for the twelve tribes, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."  This prophecy had significance for the sons of Leah.

When the tribe of Levi stood with Moses after the incident of the golden calf, God blessed them with the priesthood.  Thereafter, all the priests and temple workers were from the tribe of Levi, the son of Leah.

On his death bed, Jacob blessed the tribe of Judah with the kingship. "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”(Genesis 49:8-10 NKJV).   In that blessing is the promise that the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah, the son of Leah.  Leah’s blessings are not just for time but for all eternity.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) establishes these blessings on the Church: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

In his salutation to the seven churches in Asia, John the Revelator wrote, “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 

In Jesus Christ, we receive the fruitful blessings of Leah.  

Amen and amen.

Rebekah: The Bride of Christ in the Beauty of Holiness

Rebekah: The Bride of Christ in the Beauty of Holiness

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in scripture picture the attributes of the church as that Bride. None is flawless, but each is beloved. Even so, the church, the Bride of the Lamb, though not without flaw, is dearly loved of our Lord.

After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham sent his servant to hand Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.  The purpose of the journey was to acquire a bride for Abraham’s son Issac. 

The servant asked God for a specific sign to guide his choice of the intended bride.  ^“Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.  Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink'--let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."  (Genesis 24:12-14 NKJV)
 

Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the daughter of Nabor came to the well.  When the servant asked her for water, she fulfilled the request by offering to water the camels as well.  ^“Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.” (Genesis 24:16 NKJV)

In this short passage, we see Rebekah demonstrating several qualities of a mature Christian:  beauty, purity, servanthood, and hospitality.

▪ beauty:  We are to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  (1 Chronicles 16:29, 2 Chronicals 20:21, Psalm 29:2, and Psalm 96:9) Pretty is superficial.  Beauty emanates from within, from holiness.

▪ purity:  “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV) It is in purity of heart that we are able to discern the heart and hand of God.   

 ▪ servanthood: “But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:34-35 NKJV).  We are called to serve not to be served.  Everything we do for the Lord has value in the Kingdom of God.  God’s blessings are on those who clean the toilets the same as on those who stand in the pulpit.

▪ hospitality: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2 NKJV).  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”(Matthew 11:28 NKJV). We, too, are to offer rest and comfort to those in need.

Later in Rebekah’s life, out of her favoritism for her son Jacob, she stepped out of the beauty of holiness and sought to fulfill the promises of God in her own time.  She brought strife and dissension into her family.  What a powerful warning this is for the church!  Christians too often seek to fulfill the promises of God through selfish ambition and political intrigue both in the secular world and in the congregation and the domination.  We, too, can move out of the beauty of holiness and into selfish desires.  It happened to Eve when she ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  It happened to Sarah when she offered Hagar to Abraham as a wife.  “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2 NKJV).

The Abrahamic Covenant—4

The Abrahamic Covenant—4

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

We must understand that God relates to His people through covenants.  A covenant is greater than a promise.  A covenant is a bond in which each of those involved in the matter say, “Everything I have is yours.”  Covenant is total commitment.  In covenant with God, even though we are not totally committed to Him, He is totally committed to us. 

Each of God’s covenants contains a message for the time when it was established, a message for the Church today and a message for the future. 

The essentials of the Abrahamic covenant are outlined in Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV): “Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."  

In previous posts, we have seen the importance of separation unto God, the purpose of our lives, and the favor (barak) of God towards believers.  The fourth essential element in the covenant is that “in you (Abraham) all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  Each of God’s covenants leads us to His Son Jesus. It is through the sacrifice of Jesus that all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed.  Simply put, the message of the gospel is to the Jew first and then to the gentile (to the non-Jew) (Romans 1:16).

Let’s follow the scripture path to our Savior.  In the genealogy of Jesus presented in Matthew 1, our Lord’s earthly lineage is traced to Abraham.  In that genealogy, Jesus descendancy from David is also recorded. That lineage was prophesized during the time of the Exodus more than 400 years after Abraham. 

 A pagan prophet, a gentile, Balaam, had been hired to curse the Israelites.  However, God intervened and allowed Balaam only to bless God’s people.  Part of that blessing can be found in Numbers 24:17 (NKJV): "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.”   

 A star generates is own light.  It does not reflect light from another source.  Many scriptures in the New Testament describe Jesus as Light and the Light of the World.  When Jesus was 8 days old, according to the custom, Joseph and Mary presented Him at the temple.  There Simeon, an aged man, blessed the Child, (Luke 2:29-32 (NKJV).  "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel."  Simeon prophesied that salvation is for both the Jew and the Gentile.

Other scriptures: 

▪John 1:4 (NKJV) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 8:12 (NKJV) Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

▪ John 1:9 (NKJV) That was the true Light which gives light to every person coming into the world.

▪ John 9:5 (NKJV) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Christians, too, are called to be light in the world:

Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV) "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Hundreds of years after Balaam, the prophet Isaiah spoke, (Isaiah 11:1-2 (NKJV): There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”  

Jesse is a descendant of Jacob, of the tribe of Judah, the father of King David and, thus, fulfillment of the prophecy of Balaam.

The prophecy of Isaiah continues, (Isaiah 11:10 (NKJV) "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."  Jesus brings the blessing of salvation to both the Jew and the non-Jew.

In the Revelation given to the apostle John, Jesus Himself confirms that He is the fulfillment of the prophecy.  Revelation 22:16 (NKJV) "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

In Him all the families of the earth can receive the blessing of salvation.  He is the same yesterday, today.  

 Scripture tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).   Believe that He is the Son of Jehovah God; believe that He paid the price for your sin; believe that He rose again from the dead.  Enter into the Kingdom of God.  Receive His blessings so that you may bless others.  

Baruch HaShem Hamacsiach Yeshua Baruch HaShem Adonai. Blessing in the name of Messiah Jesus.  Blessing in the name of the Lord.

Sarah: The Bride of Christ Fulfilled

Sarah:  The Bride of Christ Fulfilled

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in scripture picture the attributes of the church as that Bride. None is flawless, but each is beloved. Even so, the church, the Bride of the Lamb, though not without flaw, is dearly loved of our Lord.

Sarah, the beloved wife of the patriarch Abraham is such a picture.  Most of us know her story. Her name originally was Sarai (princess). Like many in her era, she was married to her half-brother Abram. Abram later became Abraham, the mighty patriarch of Israel.  As a young woman, Sarai traveled with Abram from Ur to Haran.  She was sixty-five years old when she and Abram entered the land that God had promised.  

Childless, Sarai’s heart ached to give Abram a child.  In that pain, she gave her handmaiden, Hagar, to Abram.  Her heart ached even more when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.  How often in our own lives have we taken what we thought were the right steps only to find that we were on the wrong path?

When Sarai was ninety and Abram was one hundred years old, God changed their names to Sarah and Abraham and renewed His promise to them.  In their advanced years, God’s promise was fulfilled in the birth of their son Isaac.  Issac means laughter.

Sarah’s life teaches the Church that we must wait patiently for God’s timing in the fulfillment of His promises to us.  God’s timing is impeccable.   Anything that we may do in an effort to hasten fulfillment can lead to grief and disappointment.  When we wait patiently for the Lord, we are walking in faith.  “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11 (NKJV)  It is our faith that gives birth to Issac, gives birth to our joy and laughter.

God has spoken promises over His own.  He who has promised is faithful to fulfill those promises.  Worry, doubt and unbelief rob us, like they robbed Sarah, of the peace and joy God desires for us.  The chorus of a hymn by Ira Stanphill says it so well:   “Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.” In her later years, Sarah walked in such faith.  It was not too late for Sarah, and it is not too late for us.

In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter penned a stirring description of wives, and because the Church is the Bride of Christ, the passage also describes all Christians, male and female, in our walk with our Lord.  “Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror” 1 Peter 3:3-6 (NKJV).

Like Sarah, we are to be submissive to our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The gentle, quiet spirits of the redeemed are an adornment that is precious to our God.  It is in that adornment that we find fulfillment and joy.