![]() Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day, today? We heard a sad news in this September that Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom passed away. I believe she is with the Lord, happier. Even though she was not my queen, I liked her. So, with the sad news, I watched some documentaries on her and watched the news on her funeral and mourners in YouTube. Looking at the royal family and the dignity, I thought of our King. Pastor John Fenn wrote and talked about Jesus being an Oriental King. He wrote in his book “Knowing the Ways of God”: You see the Lord rules as an Oriental King. The Bible is an Oriental book. In America we think of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia as the Orient, but the truth is, the Near and Middle East are just as much the Orient as the Far East. This truth is reflected in many of the customs found in the Bible: bowing or prostrating oneself before a king or honored person, dining customs and many more all reveal the Oriental roots in the Bible. Perhaps you have seen in documentaries, movies, or publications how Oriental kings were carried from place to place by servants: Their throne is lifted up on the shoulders of four men and carried wherever the potentate wishes to travel. Have you ever seen the movie The Road to Morocco with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour? There is a scene where Dorothy Lamour is carried past Bob Hope on a covered chair on the shoulders of four servants via poles on each side of her chair. The Father is carried in similar fashion on the arms and wings of cherubs around his throne. That is how He travels. This is why the Levites were commanded to move the Ark of the Covenant by inserting poles into the rings in the side of the Ark. The Ark was then carried on the shoulders of the Levites. The way they carried the Ark of the Covenant was an earthly type and shadow of the way the Father is carried around the universe! Ezekiel 1 describes this action, but I had never understood it until I saw it. The cherubs around the throne, the ones that call out, “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) are the ones who carry the throne platform wherever the Father wants to go. Just as an Oriental king has servants who pick him up throne and all, so the Father uses these cherubs to carry Him. When I read his book, I was able to understand why the Ark of the Covenant had two poles. I was reminded of the scenes in Korean shows where our king’s throne was lifted up on the shoulders of four men and carried, just as Pastor John described. We understand from the Old Testament that the Ark of the Covenant is in the Holy of Holies. And the high priest enters the holy of holies once a year only. But now, as Jesus died for us and has risen, we have access to our Father 24/7. He made us His dwelling place. Imagine that the Ark of the Covenant is in you. I think staying conscious of the Ark of the Covenant in us would change our thoughts, words and deeds. Recently, I re-read the last chapter of a Watchman Nee’s book, The Normal Christian Life. (I shared some from that book, in my previous blog, Waste.) In my second reading of the chapter, I found out another fascinating insight that I didn’t realize earlier from the story of Mary who anointed Jesus. “Let her alone; why trouble her ? She hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying” (Mark 14:6~8) In these verses the Lord Jesus introduces a time factor with the word “beforehand,” and this is something of which we can have a new application today, for it is as important to us now as it was to her then. We all know that in the age to come we shall be called to a greater work - not to inactivity. (Matthew 25:21, Matthew 24:47, Luke 19:17)….. I believe that in that day we shall all love him as we have never done now, but yet that it will be more blessed for those who have poured out their all upon the Lord today. When we see him face to face, I trust that we shall all break and pour out everything for him. But today - what are we doing today? …. Now I suggest that, in just such a way, the manner of time may be supremely important to us also, and that for us the question above all questions is: What am I doing to the Lord today? Have our eyes been opened to see the preciousness of the One whom we are serving? Friend, does this speak to you? I start my day on the sofa, praising Him by reading Psalms and with my own words. Sometimes, I kneel down on the sofa, to worship our King. And I do think it a great privilege for us to have King of kings and Lord of lords just in our home and in us. Not only that, He longs for us and woos us: And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5b) I thank Father, saying, “Who am I that You are so mindful of me?” I imagine He would long for our precious time alone together in the morning, watching over me sleeping at night. And I’d like to cherish it, worshipping Him and ministering to Him without ulterior motive, beforehand. I want to do that today, before the ages to come. Friend, if King Charles would like to meet you for five minutes today, how would you feel? The Creator of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords always wants to meet you. Would you like to break your alabaster jar, all that you have and all that you are today? It’s my prayer that our eyes are open and see the preciousness of our King. Have a bliss! Yunee I will extol You, my God, O King; Comments are closed.
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