Christ in all the scriptures Ark of the Covenant part 2

 Christ in all the scriptures  

Ark of the Covenant part 2

INCORRUPTIBLE HUMANITY                 IRREFUTABLE DEITY

"And they shall make an ark of shittim wood...and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it..."   Exodus 25v10-11.

Shittim wood (acacia), not just any wood; pure gold, not just any gold.  The Acacia thorn tree is the tree of the desert.  It grows and flourishes where no other tree does.  It is the hardest, most durable wood, impenetrable by the environment of sand, birds, insects, or the burning desert sun.  It is the most perfect illustration of the Humanity of Christ.

Pure gold, the most valuable commodity on earth, refined to a standard beyond the normal, distinguished from ordinary gold (which is valuable enough).  Gold miners inform us that it takes the crushing of three tons of rock to produce, on average, one ounce of unrefined gold.  What an apt picture of something so very special to describe the Deity of Christ.

These are the material constituents of the Ark. presenting to us the GOD-MAN, the most unique person in all existence, "God manifest in flesh", combining perfect Humanity with absolute Deity.  This brings us to the bedrock of the doctrine of God, the very essence of Christianity, for the reality of who He is gives value to the wonder of what He has done.  This is what separates Christianity from all other religions.   This is the Rock on which all world religions perish.  Only Christ is God and Man in perfect harmony.  Any deviation from this constitutes any religion/group/individual as infidels.  The epistles of John makes this clear, the dividing line between profession and reality is in attitude to the unique Humanity and Deity of Christ.  Fundamental error in this regard raised its head in the first century A.D, and John refuted it, as we must refute it in our generation.

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?  He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son"-1st John2v22   Denial of His Deity is the hallmark of all world religions, including many that appear to be Christian.

"Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God"-1st John 4v3

Denial of Christ as God, or as Man, is in conflict with revealed scripture, at the most fundamental level.  Christianity is that He is both God and Man, and only this truth can save us from our fallen condition.  He is God, and He is Man, and He alone dealt with the human problem, by becoming one of us.  The most fundamental truth is depicted here in the Ark.

Incorruptible Humanity    As has been said, "He was truly man, but not merely man".   He came into the world by incarnation, not by generation, therefore He was sinless; "...that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God"-Luke 1v35; "...that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost"-Matthew 1v20; "...holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners"-Hebrews 7v26.  Peter said "He did no sin"; Paul said "He knew no sin"; John said "In Him is no sin".  The writer to the Hebrews said "He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (sin apart)".

Perfect humanity, untainted by the sin of the world in which He lived and moved.  He said as He moved to the end "The prince of this world cometh and HATH NOTHING IN ME"-John 14v30.  Every other man had succumbed to Satan in some way, but not Christ.  When He died, it was said of Him, "...through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God"-Hebrews 9v14.

Irrefutable Deity   The wood was to be overlaid with pure gold within and without.  Internally and externally, in thought and deed, emotionally and morally, He was God.  John spells it out at the beginning of his gospel-He existed before all creation; He was distinct in the Godhead yet one in counsel with them; He was, in all attributes, God; He created all things in existence, and is the source of all life, John 1v1-4.  

In every New Testament epistle, bar one, He is proclaimed, from the outset, to be God, commencing at Romans 1v7, "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ": again in 1st Cor. 1v3; 2nd Cor. 1v2; Galatians 1v1; Eph. 1v1; Phil. 1v2; Col. 1v2; 1st Thess. 1v2; 2nd Thess. 1v2; 1st Timothy 1v2; 2nd Timothy 1v2; Titus 1v4; Phil. 1v3; Heb. 1v1-3; James 1v1; 1st Peter 1v1-2; 2nd Peter 1v2; 1st John 1v3; 2nd John v3; Jude 1v1-2; Rev. 1v4.  In essence, in attributes, in counsels, in status He is God.

He is not two separate personalities, sometimes God, other times human.  He is at all times God and man in all situations and forever.  

When the babe of Bethlehem was cradled in His mother's arms, He cradled the universe by the word of His power (Heb. 1v3).  He was the child born, and He was the Son given, who will rule the universe in eternal harmony (Isaiah 9v6-7).  Fasting in the wilderness, in bodily weakness, He dismissed the tempter Satan from His presence (Matthew 4v10-11).   Weary with His journey at Sychar's well, He offered living water to the woman of Samaria.  Sleeping, exhausted in the boat on the Sea of Galilee, He arose to rebuke the storm, making a great calm (Mark 4v37-39).   Weeping at the grave of Lazarus, at the sorrow death brought to all, He stood and confronted it, commanding Lazarus to come forth (John 11v33-44).  He washed the disciples feet in deep humility (John 13v3-17); He will subject all under His feet without exception (1st Cor. 15v27-28; Eph. 1v22; Hebrews 1v13).  In extreme bodily pain on the cross, He pronounced salvation to the malefactor beside Him, (Luke 23v39-43).   On the cross He cried "I thirst", then with Divine command He dismissed His spirit to enter into death.  He is God, He is Man, at all times and in every situation.  He is the Lamb freshly slain, He is the Lion of Judah.  He humbled Himself to become a servant, He will reign supreme as King of kings, and Lord of lords.  

Only as God could He save humanity; only as Man could He die to save us.  "Verily God, yet become truly human", as the hymn says.  In the words of the hymn by Graham Kendrick, "This is our God, the Servant King; He calls us now to follow Him; to bring our lives as a daily offering. of worship to the Servant King".

Consider how the four gospels, proclaiming His worth, have been put together to describe Him:  Matthew/Mark....The King who is also a Servant!  Luke/Acts...The man who is also God!  This is the TRUTH, there is no other!  There is nothing else in all history that can ever compare to this!