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A journey through Lent - 2016
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Day Five - The Lion and Lamb.
As on Saturday we thought of God's provision of the sacrificial ram for Abram, today we think specifically of the sacrifice of Jesus.
In this section of Genesis Jacob prophesies over his children. In this particular passage, over Judah.
For Judah, Jacob gives a prophecy of great abundance.
We perhaps can not easily understand the meaning of this prophecy without understanding the time at which it was made.
For a nomadic people the amount of care required to tend vines would have been enormous.
So these expressions of abundance are indeed stupendous beyond belief.
A colt could be tethered to a vine, not any vine but the very best, without any worry over any possible damage this might cause.
The wine and grape juice could be used for washing because there was such an abundance of it.
Not that they would do this of course!
In this short passage we are given a fanstastic image of the abundance God has prepared for us. An abundance which has been made available through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Bible Passage: - Genesis Chapter 9 Verses 8 - 17 (NIV)
'Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons will bow down to you.
You are a lion's cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness - who dares to rouse him?
The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.
Hymn: Singing the Faith 481 - "The Lord's my shepherd I'll not want"
Let us pray together.
Twitter Prayer.
Father we thank you for your promise, that we will have so much of your love, that there will be more than we could ever need.
Facebook Prayer
Father we thank you for that promise and your foretelling that we will have so much of you, that there will be more than we could ever need. That we will be filled to overflowing with your love.
Help us in this season of Lent to connect again with that promise. To be energised to share your world changing good news with everyone we meet. To serve and to sacrifice ourselves in your creation. Amen
Full Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are amazed that you reign not through power, but service; not through might, but sacrifice. Help us to see that you were the Lion who was slain like a lamb, so that we might experience that wonderous relationship with our God.
Lord we come before you in our poverty. We come to claim the riches of your kingdom promised to us in your Son Jesus. Not because we deserve them but because you call us to freely receive them.
We know we are not worthy of these gifts. If we truly looked at ourselves we would not always like what we see. If our reward was to be in line with what we deserve, we would receive a poor reward indeed.
We thank you that, like Jacob, you have foretold a future laden with good things. Possibly in this life but surely in the life to come. We thank you that when we have come through the darkness of the world, we shall behold your glory face to face in your heavenly kingdom.
Father we thank you for that promise and that foretelling that we will have so much of you that there will be more than we could ever need. We will be filled to overflowing with your love.
Help us in this season of Lent to connect again with that promise. To be energised again to share that world changing good news with everyone we meet. To serve and to sacrifice ourselves in your creation.
May we set aside everything which distracts us from you. Help us place our difficult times and emotions in your loving hands and continue on your path never looking back. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Lamb Image source: Cliparts.co.uk.