Season of the INCARNATIONDay 3
Year of Our LORD,
12.27.2008
“Lift up your heads…”
Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
and be ye lift up,
ye everlasting doors;
and the King+ of Glory shall come in.
Who is this KING+ of Glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads,
O ye gates;
even lift them up,
ye everlasting doors;
and the KING+ of Glory shall come in.
Who is this KING+ of Glory?
The LORD of Hosts,
[ of divine, Heavenly Armies]
HE+ is the KING+ of Glory.
Psalm 24:7-10
<(((><
.
.
“Lift up your heads…” we can feel the marvelous victory of this elated phrase, but do we realize all that it entails?
The word head is ROSH in Hebrew. That word and its related form, RAYSH, appear about 596 times in the Old Covenant (Old Testament), according to William White, Jr.* Yes, it does mean a head of a body, animal, or statue, but it has several other usages in the Hebrew Bible.
Interestingly, to “lift up the head” is a figure of speech used often in the Psalms and indicating an intention to begin a war, the most violent kind of self-assertion, according to Mr. White.
With the coming of Emmanuel, GOD-with-us, The LORD declared war on the kingdom of darkness entrapping the human race. Even more, The LORD declared His means of victory: HIS+ Only-Begotten SON.
That… or more accurately stated, HE+… was HIS weapon of warfare. HE+ was all that was needed to deliver mankind from the traps and lies of the adversary… the same adversary who was walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
PEACE, yes, was announced to mankind upon the Birth of JESUS CHRIST, not simply to all men, but rather to all who would respond to His+ invitation to repent and follow HIM+.
But at His+ Birth, WAR was announced to His+ enemies, the enemies of GOD. WAR was announced to the rulers of the darkness of this age and to the keepers of the gates of hell [Hades].
Thus, at the remembrance of His+ Incarnation, we need to remember BOTH of His+ announcements: a promise of WAR and a promise of PEACE. Both promises are a matter of great rejoicing! Both promises are for our benefit. And indeed, we cannot have one without the other.
“Lift up your heads…” we can feel the marvelous victory of this elated phrase, but do we realize all that it entails?
The word head is ROSH in Hebrew. That word and its related form, RAYSH, appear about 596 times in the Old Covenant (Old Testament), according to William White, Jr.* Yes, it does mean a head of a body, animal, or statue, but it has several other usages in the Hebrew Bible.
Interestingly, to “lift up the head” is a figure of speech used often in the Psalms and indicating an intention to begin a war, the most violent kind of self-assertion, according to Mr. White.
With the coming of Emmanuel, GOD-with-us, The LORD declared war on the kingdom of darkness entrapping the human race. Even more, The LORD declared His means of victory: HIS+ Only-Begotten SON.
That… or more accurately stated, HE+… was HIS weapon of warfare. HE+ was all that was needed to deliver mankind from the traps and lies of the adversary… the same adversary who was walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
PEACE, yes, was announced to mankind upon the Birth of JESUS CHRIST, not simply to all men, but rather to all who would respond to His+ invitation to repent and follow HIM+.
But at His+ Birth, WAR was announced to His+ enemies, the enemies of GOD. WAR was announced to the rulers of the darkness of this age and to the keepers of the gates of hell [Hades].
Thus, at the remembrance of His+ Incarnation, we need to remember BOTH of His+ announcements: a promise of WAR and a promise of PEACE. Both promises are a matter of great rejoicing! Both promises are for our benefit. And indeed, we cannot have one without the other.
.
.
Bless GOD,
FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT!
Blessed be HIS+ Kingdom
forever and ever!
Amen.
+ + +
*Information about head is from William White Jr., editor of the Hebrew section of W.E. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, pp. 105-106; Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville; 1996.
Bless GOD,
FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT!
Blessed be HIS+ Kingdom
forever and ever!
Amen.
+ + +
*Information about head is from William White Jr., editor of the Hebrew section of W.E. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, pp. 105-106; Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville; 1996.
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