My Trophies at Last I lay Down

Friday, January 18, 2013, 4:22 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 2 (quoting selected verses from the NIV 1984):

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

    as chief among the mountains;

it will be raised above the hills,

    and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the house of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

    so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations

    and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

    and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

    nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, O house of Jacob,

    let us walk in the light of the Lord.

…The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled

    and the pride of men brought low;

the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

The Lord Almighty has a day in store

    for all the proud and lofty,

    for all that is exalted

    (and they will be humbled),

…The arrogance of man will be brought low

    and the pride of men humbled;

the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,

    and the idols will totally disappear.

…In that day men will throw away

    to the rodents and bats

their idols of silver and idols of gold,

    which they made to worship.

…Stop trusting in man,

    who has but a breath in his nostrils.

Of what account is he?

The Mountain of the Lord’s Temple

Most Bible scholars agree that the “last days” began with Jesus’ earthly life and ministry and will end when Jesus Christ returns to judge and to rule the earth. I believe this passage in Isaiah 2 is a prophecy concerning the last days, which will end with the second coming of Christ when he comes to judge, to gather his elect, and to rule and to reign on the earth.

The Lord Jesus woke me up with the hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” playing in my mind, which begins, “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suff’ring and shame… for ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me.”

I had read Isaiah 1 last night, so I knew chapter 2 was next. As soon as I began reading about the mountain of the Lord’s temple being established as chief among the mountains in the last days, and of all nations streaming to it, immediately the Holy Spirit made a connection in my mind between the mountain of the Lord’s temple and Jesus Christ (the Lord’s temple) on that old rugged cross on Mount Calvary.

So, this mountain of the Lord’s temple represents Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb who died on the cross for our sins, and it represents the cross, which is a symbol of not only suffering and shame, but is a symbol of putting sin to death. As well, it represents the gospel of Jesus Christ. We no longer go to a physical mountain to worship God in a physical temple for Jesus Christ is the temple and he now dwells in the hearts and lives of his true followers, making the church (not the institutional church) his body and his temple.

Because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, we can now worship God in spirit and in truth, and we can boldly and confidently approach the throne of God to help us in our time of need. Jesus’ death tore that curtain in two that stood between us and the Holy of Holies, and now the presence of God dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit.

He Will Teach us His Ways

As I read these beginning verses concerning the mountain of the Lord’s temple being established as chief among the mountains, I could not help but notice the grammatical transition in the sentence, “He will teach us his ways.” The pronoun “he” appears to refer back to the subjects “mountain” and “house of the God of Jacob.” So, the sentence basically reads that the mountain of the Lord, the house of the God of Jacob will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

So, both the mountain of the temple (Jesus) and the house (temple) of God are Jesus Christ/God, as well as they signify what he did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, they represent the cross of Christ, and they symbolize the gospel of Christ, for when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we believe in the gospel, we come to the cross in dying to our old ways of living in sin, and we turn to faith in Jesus Christ to obey him with our lives (see Eph. 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-25). So, all nations will stream to our Lord Jesus Christ, to the cross of Christ, and to the true gospel of Jesus Christ, i.e. they will come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Many peoples will say “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…” When Jesus Christ was ready to leave this earth he told his disciples that when the Holy Spirit came upon them that they would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. He also commissioned his disciples to go and to make disciples (of Christ) of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded us. So, we, the followers of Christ, are the “many people” who are (or should be) saying, “Come, let us go…” so all nations may believe. We are the ones through whom the word of the Lord will go out.

Then, the Lord Jesus Christ can teach us his ways, so we can walk in his paths. His ways begin with the true gospel. Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny (disallow) himself, take up his cross daily (die daily to self and sin) and follow (obey) him. We read in Ephesians 4 that the way in which we come to know Christ Jesus is by putting off (dying to; forsaking) our old ways of living in sin, by being transformed in heart and mind via the working and power of the Holy Spirit of God within us, and by putting on the new person Christ has made us, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

If we don’t begin with this foundation, then how can our Lord teach us his ways? How can we walk in his truth if we have not forsaken our lives of sin, and if we have not made the conscious choice to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience and in surrender of our lives to his will for our lives? We have to first of all humble ourselves before God, repent of our sins, allow him to change us into new creatures in Christ Jesus, and we have to daily die to sin, and daily choose to walk in obedience to Christ if we are to hear him speak, if we are to be teachable to learn his ways, and if we are to walk in his truth. “Come… let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

The Spiritual Condition of God’s people

God’s people today are no longer the Jews, but are all people from all nations who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives (including believing Jews). Yet, just like the Jews of old, sometimes God’s people forget about him, they become complacent, busy, distracted or they even revert back to their old ways and sinful habits. And they, just like the Jews of old, become idolatrous and adulterous people who have forgotten the ways of God, and who have become followers of men and of the things of this world, instead. I believe that is where the church in America is today, and I believe these Biblical words of counsel, correction, rebuke and warning are intended for us today, too.

We are guilty of following superstitions and traditions of men. We are guilty of joining in with the world of sin and even becoming like the world in order to entice the world into our “worship” services. We are guilty of combining “worship” of God with the worship of men and earthly objects of affection. We are guilty of putting our hope and trust in men, in money, in our possessions, in prestige, honor, rewards of this life, in careers, houses, our constitution, our politicians, and our military, etc. We are guilty of worshiping the things we have made with our hands by giving to them our hearts’ devotion, praise and honor. We are guilty of being prideful and arrogant, especially when we think we should never have to suffer severe persecution for our faith, as believers from other nations have had to suffer.

God’s Remedy

God’s remedy for the spiritual condition of his church today in America, and perhaps in other nations, as well, is first and foremost and always the cross of Christ. God desires that each one of us willingly come to the cross of Christ, that we humble ourselves, that we repent of our sins, and that we choose to walk humbly in obedience to Christ and in surrender to his will for our lives. Yet, God has a day in store for all the proud and lofty and for all that is exalted of men to be humbled. Revelation 2-3 contains 7 letters to 7 churches, most of which have things for and things against the church. Jesus Christ warns his churches that if they do not repent, judgment will ensue. If we do not willingly come to the cross of Christ in revival in the church in our nation, I believe we will experience the judgment (divine discipline) of God upon us, which will then bring us to our knees.

When God/Jesus visits us in judgment in these final days upon the earth, revival will take place, I believe, for it says here in Isaiah 2 that men will throw away their idols which they made to worship, though certainly they could be tossing them merely because they are running for their lives, as it also says they will flee into caverns in the rocks to try to hide from the dread of the Lord. Yet, this passage also speaks of the nations streaming to the mountain of the Lord’s temple, and of a time when war will be no more when Jesus Christ comes to rule and to reign on the earth, so I believe these judgments of God will bring revival to the church, and will bring many people to Jesus Christ. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

So, if you are just coasting along in life thinking that you have plenty of time to accept Christ, or that it doesn’t matter to God what you do now that you are “saved,” so you are just living your life to please yourself, counting on heaven to be there for you when you need it most, then I pray that you will prayerfully consider what has been shared here, and that you will make that decision today to come to the mountain of the Lord’s temple, i.e. to come to faith in Jesus Christ via repentance and obedience, that you will make Jesus Christ the Lord (master) of your life, and that you will put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ and not in men, believing the truth of his word instead of the lies of men. Come to the cross today while you still have today. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

The Old Rugged Cross / George Bennard

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see,

For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;

Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,

Where His glory forever I’ll share.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.