The God who Can Melt Stone
(This is a follow on to the 1/26 post, entitled, “Fall on the Stone and be broken.”)
“Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence! When Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, Thou camest down, the mountins flowed down at Thy presence.” Is. 64:1-3.
If God can melt stone before writing into it His Ten Commandments, then He can melt my stubborn, hard heart too and write in it the principles of His Law. I’ve heard the illustration, that there are two types of people represented by clay and wax. The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay.
But if God can melt stone, can’t He melt hardened clay too? Here’s hoping He can do something with my hard heart.
I can see that He melted the stone, wrote into it, and then let it cool again, thus forever containing the words. So with sufficient intense heat and pressure, He softens us enough and gives us a lesson and forever that lesson abides in our heart. Once we are removed from the heat and then we harden again, this time we do so thinking differently, from that day onward.
Our forehead becomes as hard as an adamant stone─harder than flint. (Ez. 3:7.) We are qualified as His witnesses, commissioned to stand fearlessly against falsehood. His seal is branded on our character.
The memory of that event will never be effaced. The letters might one day fill with dust and ashes, but God doesn’t forget that He put them there. And one day when He comes to receive His own, that heart with His inscribed words will be brought up and dusted off, and that lesson and the hope in it, will be the ticket that makes our redemption happen. And in heaven we will all receive a new stone, an appreciation for God’s great love, that no one will understand but the one who received its precursor in this life.
“The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” 2Pet. 3:10, 11.
“Who among us shall dwell in the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.” Is. 33:14-17.
“And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” Rev. 22:4.
“Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence! When Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, Thou camest down, the mountins flowed down at Thy presence.” Is. 64:1-3.
If God can melt stone before writing into it His Ten Commandments, then He can melt my stubborn, hard heart too and write in it the principles of His Law. I’ve heard the illustration, that there are two types of people represented by clay and wax. The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay.
But if God can melt stone, can’t He melt hardened clay too? Here’s hoping He can do something with my hard heart.
I can see that He melted the stone, wrote into it, and then let it cool again, thus forever containing the words. So with sufficient intense heat and pressure, He softens us enough and gives us a lesson and forever that lesson abides in our heart. Once we are removed from the heat and then we harden again, this time we do so thinking differently, from that day onward.
Our forehead becomes as hard as an adamant stone─harder than flint. (Ez. 3:7.) We are qualified as His witnesses, commissioned to stand fearlessly against falsehood. His seal is branded on our character.
The memory of that event will never be effaced. The letters might one day fill with dust and ashes, but God doesn’t forget that He put them there. And one day when He comes to receive His own, that heart with His inscribed words will be brought up and dusted off, and that lesson and the hope in it, will be the ticket that makes our redemption happen. And in heaven we will all receive a new stone, an appreciation for God’s great love, that no one will understand but the one who received its precursor in this life.
“The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” 2Pet. 3:10, 11.
“Who among us shall dwell in the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.” Is. 33:14-17.
“And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” Rev. 22:4.
posted by David | 6:06 PM
2 Comments:
"I will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh"? Not only does this mean God will soften us, this means He will take our focus off loving the law and help us learn to love The Lawgiver.
There are 2 covenants. The first by the law, the second by grace. Abraham's first son, Ishmael- son of the bondservant represents the first covenant God made with man. Isaac, son of the free woman, Sarai represents the new covenant of Grace. If we love God, we will keep His law- not because it's carved in stone, but because it is written into our hearts in the form of Love.
Yes Trailady,
And that Law of love in our hearts will make us peculiar, giving us many facets flashing out in our words and actions, in our lifestyle and in the private halls of our heart and mind. Flashing out to convict! Love in action. Sounds great, doesn't it!
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