The Mount Of Olives

Taken from the daily devotional, "Days of Praise."  This meditational though is written byHenry Morris of the Institute for Creation Research.  Learn more at www.icr.org


“And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.” (2 Samuel 15:30)

 

The Mount of Olives overlooks Jerusalem from the east. This first reference to it notes the sad occasion when King David had to flee Jerusalem for his life, escaping the conspiracy of his estranged son Absalom.

 

Just as David wept over Jerusalem as he left it, so would his greater son, Jesus, a thousand years later, weep over the city as He entered it from Mount Olivet (Luke 19:37, 41). It was there that He gave the great prophecy of His second coming (Matthew 24:3). It was also there He went with His disciples after the last supper, and there He agonized in prayer, alone, in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:26, 32). Finally, after His death and resurrection, it was from the Mount of Olives that He ascended back into heaven (Acts 1:10-12).

 

This is far from the end of the story, however. The Mount of Olives has an amazing role yet to play in the world’s future, according to a prophecy given long ago. “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, . . . And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:1, 4). Instead of a mountain there will be a valley, and “living waters shall go out from Jerusalem” (v. 8). Instead of a mountain for weeping there will be a stream of rejoicing, and “the LORD shall be king over all the earth” (v. 9).

By The Blood Of Christ

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say 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.  Hebrews 10:19-22

In Hebrews 4, we also have God tell us this,  "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  How can we have such boldness before an all holy and truly great God?  There is only one way:  through the blood of Christ.  Without this we could have no boldness at all.  We could only come before Him with horror at what might befall us.  In the times of the Tabernacle and Temple of God in Jerusalem.  The high priest would enter into the holiest once a year.  This room separated by a thick veil was where the Ark of the Covenant was located.  Seated upon this Ark was God himself.  At one point during King David's reign the Ark was being brought back upon a cart.  The cart was shaken by the oxen and David's friend, Uzzah, took hold of it and he died.  This is what the high priest would face in this once a year entering in.  It is said that they would tie a rope and to the priest that if he were to die as Uzzah did, others could pull him out without entering in!  It is hard for us to

How different it is for us now that Jesus has shed His blood for us!  We can enter boldly, and not once a year but all the time!  Why do we hesitate to enter into this holy place with God?  It is not horror as the high priest of old.  It is sadly our own lack of interest in our great God and creator.  May this year be a year not of occasional time with God but oftentimes with Him!  The veil is torn in two and there is no longer a barrier to keep us from Him for those who have trusted Him, the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Humble yourselves in the sight of God and come! You are accepted not because of what you have done, but because of what He has done for you!  When you enter in you can ask for mercy because of sins and He will give it!  You can ask for grace to help, He will give it!  There is no fear of God killing you off because you enter into His presence for His glory and your help. 

Come boldly!

Question:  What keeps you from coming boldly to the throne of Christ?

He Hath Quickened

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" ~ Ephesians 2:1

You - Paul is the scribe of this letter and he is writing it to the church in Ephesus.  This by extension would mean that God is speaking to all who are saved today as well.

he hath - this wonderful word!  This speaks of God's great ability.  It means the past work, in this case of God.  There is nothing that God is incapable of doing and in this case it is a miracle what he has done!

quickened - in this instance this means that God gave us our being, "we are, when we weren't."  God is able to take something that isn't and make it something that is.  Quickening is always a miracle because nothing and no one but God can take nothing and make something.  Here God makes us alive from the dead.  He by saving us makes us alive!

who were - there is a proper description of who we were before God did this quickening work...

dead - we were dead.   We were without God or apart from Him.  We were not joined with God, we were without.  We were dead.

in trespasses - the reason for our being without is trespasses.  I have committed trespasses.  I have deviated from God.  I have decided to leave Him and His way.  I was dead because of me.

and sins - again it is my sins that have separated me from God.  I have missed the mark.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful work.  I was dead and now I am alive by His work.  I trespassed against Him and yet he loved me (vs. 4) and made me alive!  Today, if you have come to Jesus Christ, would you remember this great work he has done.  It is a true miracle! Also remember that all that we are is because of Him.  We have nothing to boast in except Him.  We have free entrance into His presence because of what He did for us.  If he did not we would be forever and perilously barred from Him.  In thinking about these verses, Oswald Chambers wrote,

"We must never allow the idea that because we have been obedient, because our need is great, because we long for it, therefore God will hear us.  There is only one way into the holiest, and that is by the blood of Jesus."

He has made us a being, not dead but alive, and therefore we can enter boldly before Him.  Enter boldly today brethren!

Wood River Baptist