CHRIST’S TITLES HIDDEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 2.

Isaiah 40 introduces John the Baptist as the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the ‘Voice of One crying in the wilderness. Hence they must ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God‘ (v2) then the exultant cry ‘The glory of the Lord shall be revealed; and wonderfully, ‘All flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.’

Our Lord Jesus is the Shekinah glory ( or heavenly splendour ) of the eternal God.

‘We beheld His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

He quelled the storm and showed His creative splendour. He raised the only son, an only daughter and an only brother from the dead. His grandeur shone through these marvellous demonstrations of his true BEING. When we follow the Lamb where He leads, the beauty and majesty of our dear Lord gloriously shines through.

How often has that glorious truth encouraged us, namely YOU will keep him in perfect peace who trusts in YOU? ( Isaiah 26:3 ) The title of our Lord, who bestows His peace on us is presumed. ’Trust in the Lord for ever, for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.’ (v4) God’s Son deserves such a majestic designation. The Israelite people could not pronounce this title, reducing it to YAH. Yet, they crucified their Jehovah when they stretched the body of Jesus Christ on that heartless cross. It was a colossal rejection of the MAN Christ Jesus. We are truly strong when resting in His strong, eternal arms

Many of God’s people do not recognise His true Being. ‘The Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our Law-giver; the Lord is our King. (Isaiah 33:22)’ Our Australian legislation is formulated in parliament; our Courts try those who infringe the law; our state Governor or governor General rules our nation. Our beloved Saviour has the triple entitlement of Judge, Law-giver and King. Hence, we recognise and honour Him for these rich resources. We will love Him more when we learn Who He really is. Search His Word zealously to add to our knowledge of HIM.

Isaiah 6 shows the ’Lord is enthroned, high and lifted up, whose train filled the temple.’. contrast this with Calvary when they cried, ’If you are the King of Israel come down from the cross. He was enthroned at Calvary, becoming our Saviour and Rescuer. He is precious to millions of every country and of each era. Despised and rejected of men; yet promoted to the heights as Conqueror and Mediator.

‘Awake, awake, put on strength, oh, arm of the Lord’ (Isaiah. ( 51:9) The arm, controlled by the other side of the brain, executes the purpose of its owner. The pianist allows arms and fingers to make rapturous music; the mother nurses her babe on her arm, drawing it to her breast; the carpenter controls his fine tools with muscular arm; the artist dabs on the palate; the surgeon wields his instruments with dexterous arm and fingers . Our Lord Jesus is the Arm of our Lord, accomplishing His holy purpose, infinitely broader than each example I have suggested. His arm is extended to Israel ’All day long I have stretched out My hand.’ He embraces the lost sheep in His arm. He beckons with His arm, ‘Come to Me.’

In Isaiah 42:1, we glimpse the heavenly Father’s appreciation of our Lord Jesus. At His baptism and transfiguration, the father’s voice echoed from heaven with sweet approval,’ This is My beloved son with whom I am well pleased; and later ‘Hear you HIM.’ 670 years previously, the prophet intimated the Fathers’ assessment and love for His own Son, MY ELECT ONE. We christian fathers cherish our sons ( and our dear daughters ), but we now recognize this unique oneness. The Father and Holy Spirit had selected in the eternity past that the Chosen Son should be the Saviour of the world - and our beloved personal Redeemer. Elect- and precious.

He who embraced the little children saying, ’Let the little children come unto Me; and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven’ is described in Isaiah 53:3 very differently. He is the MAN OF SORROWS and acquainted with grief; He is despised and rejected of men.‘ Why should the ‘altogether lovely One’ be known as the man of sorrows? They were not His sorrows -but our’s. ‘We are healed by his stripes.’ WE bring our sorrows to the Lord Jesus and lay them at His pierced feet. He calms our troubled spirit; he cries ‘peace be still’’ and calms the storm, that ruffled the waters of our life.

The prophet assured us that ‘God would make us an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations’ (Isaiah 60:16 ) The guarantee depended on Him, who said, ‘You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Saviour, and your redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.‘ The Lord’s people must know how great He is; not only singing of His excellence, but recognising that Scripture strongly supports these truths, We rest securely when He is seen as Redeemer. He provides every need. His redemption covers all our sins. He paid the full price. Jacob needed the mighty One to rescue him from evil designs. The Lord gave him a new heart and a new name. Israel.

In Solomon’s Song, te wisest man entitles Him ‘The Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the valley. ‘ (2:1 ) While the branch has clusters of forbidding thorns, the rose bears its beauty, fragrance and form. They crowned the Rose of Sharon with thorns at His crucifixion. We devotedly crown Him for the beauty, order and fragrance He invested in our lives. I have just gathered an armful of garden roses for my dear wife and daughter for Mother’s Day, I am overwhelmed at their pure beauty. I will remind our grandsons and fiancee at the special dinner of the beauty of womanhood reflecting the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sharon’s Rose.

WE long for the days described in Jeremiah 23:6, ‘In His days Judah shall be Saved; and Israel will dwell safely; and this is His name, by which He shall be called, ‘THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Jehovah Tsidkenu. The besieged nation of Israel must yearn for them. Our Lord Jesus satisfied the just demands of a righteous God when he bore our sin in His body on the tree. Then He saved us and granted the generous gift of perfect righteousness, which no gold could secure. God freed Martin Luther when He accepted His Saviour’s righteousness as a glorious fact.