Shalom to all,

The apostles Peter and John, touched by the love of Jesus, had their lives changed from one level of maturity to another. So changed were they that Peter eventually was martyred by crucifixion and he requested to be crucified upside down because he felt he was nothing compared to his master, our Lord Jesus Christ. So were each of the other disciples martyred one by one by the Emperor Nero (the mad emperor of Rome). The only apostle who was not martyred but was banished into exile on the Island of Patmos was John.

So touched was John that he became known in his old age as the apostle of love. I can imagine him, a graying old man in his nineties, preaching in the synagogue and saying, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1John 4: 10). The apostle who wanted Jesus to call for judgment from Heaven in the form of fire to burn up the Samaritan village which rejected Jesus, had learnt how much God loved us that he gave us the definition of love - love of the highest form.

Now in the Old Testament, we do have a picture of the love of Jesus for His children. In Exodus 28: 15 - 30, God gave specific instructions to Moses to make a breastplate for the high priest which he will wear whenever he goes into the Tabernacle and subsequently the Temple.

The breastplate was to be made with gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread and fine woven linen and it shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length and a span shall be its width. (A span is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger - about 18 - 20 inches?). In the square, Moses was to set four rows of precious stones in it; a total of 12 different jewels were to be set in gold on the breastplate. And on each stone, he was to carve the name of each tribe of Israel. To secure the breastplate on the high priest, Moses was to make two sets of gold rings, one set on the breastplate and the other set of rings on the two shoulder straps bearing one precious stone each and to fasten the rings on the breastplate with the rings on the shoulder straps with the two braided gold chains.

On each of the two precious stones on the shoulder straps, the names of six of the tribes of the sons of Israel were to be carved - six names on the stone on the left shoulder strap and the other six on the stone on the right shoulder strap. Notice that the names were to be carved and not written so that there is permanence to the place on the stone. The names of the tribes cannot be erased.

Now when the high priest goes before God wearing the breastplate as he served in the Temple, he will constantly bring remembrance to the Lord of His covenant with the children of Israel. Our Lord Jesus came to be the believer's High Priest before God the Father and He represents us before the Father. The breastplate that is symbolically over Jesus' heart has the precious stones with the names of all the sons of God engraved on it. Jesus bears us over His heart and each time He appears before the Father, the Father sees the jewels in the breastplate and remembers us. And Jesus is before the Father forever.

Do you know that there is another place on His body where Jesus inscribed our names so that He will remember us for eternity? In Isaiah 49: 15 - 16 we read,
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.

A nursing mother will not forget her child, how much more will God not forget us because we are His. How wonderful to know that God has us all on His heart and on His hands. When He looks at His body, God will see the hole in His side made when the spear ripped open His heart and there He will see our names carved there and remembers His love for us. And when He looks at His hands, He sees the nail-prints and around the hole, He sees our engraved names and He remembers us. Wouldn't that just thrilled ours hearts knowing how much He loves us?

My friends, Jesus loves us. He cannot deny us because we are carved so prominently on two places. The Bible says that, on the basis of two witnesses, the truth is established. Is your name inscribed on His Heart and on His Hands? Have you received Him into your heart and into your life? Only those who have received Jesus into their lives are truly called children of God. Would you want to be a child of God too? Would you want to receive Jesus into your heart?

Then just pray this prayer,
Our Heavenly Father, I want to thank You for the great love you have for us by Your sending of Jesus into this world to die for my sins and to rise again on the third day. I acknowledge my sin and my need for Your love and forgiveness. Come into my life, forgive my sins and give me eternal life. I confess You now as my Lord. Thank You that my name is now engraved on Your heart and on the palm of Your hands.
Jesus who knew no sin had become a curse for me so that I can receive His blessing. Thank You that I am greatly blessed, highly favored, deeply loved and completely protected. I thank You in Jesus Name.
Amen.

The Lord blesses you and keeps you;
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all your loved ones;
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace.
Numbers 6: 24 - 26

Shalom,
Andrew L W Lee

dated : 21 January 2002