The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 13:1,
"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity."
After observing the mourning and bereavement of the Jews over their prior rejection of their Messiah, (a yet future event for those of us today), Zechariah's prophecy suddenly, and dramatically, turns in a direction that should bring all creation to a standstill. A fountain of forgiveness! A fountain that will cleanse from all sin and impurity!
The book of Zechariah has as its ultimate focus, the Lord Jesus Christ. This fountain is none other than the Son of God who, some 550 or so years later, will pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind. While the "house of David" and "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" are articulated here, (due to the focus of judgment on these very ones in this book), the remainder of the Scriptures make abundantly clear that this "fountain" of cleansing, of forgiveness, is for all mankind!
When Jesus Christ died on that miserable cross, he paid the penalty for every sin ever committed. That is, every sin committed by every man. woman and child from the dawn of creation to the return of Jesus Christ to Planet Earth. All sins for all time! This is the fountain Zechariah speaks of! A true fountain! Not a little wimpy squirt of a fountain, but a massive flow of forgiveness that is complete and thorough for all who will embrace Jesus Christ in faith!
While simple-minded mankind goes about looking for second-rate solutions to its plight of infirmity, sickness and death (all due to God's judgment for our sins), the Lord has a magnificent plan! A remarkable and grand plan! He will provide us with renewed bodies, resurrected bodies that do not suffer the weaknesses and shelf-life our current bodies have.
While Ponce de Leon looked for a mythical fountain of youth, this fountain is real! This fountain flows! This fountain is not hidden! This fountain is not for a few but for all! This fountain does not merely bring youth, but brings eternal life! It brings new capabilities! It brings things we can only imagine!
Paul tells us what this fountain brings: "The body [our current bodies] that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.
This fountain of forgiveness provides so much for us. Not just religion, not just do-gooderism, not just the spiritual component of a healthy lifestyle! This fountain brings eternity to us! This fountain brings power to us! This fountain brings us directly into the presence of our Creator!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity."
After observing the mourning and bereavement of the Jews over their prior rejection of their Messiah, (a yet future event for those of us today), Zechariah's prophecy suddenly, and dramatically, turns in a direction that should bring all creation to a standstill. A fountain of forgiveness! A fountain that will cleanse from all sin and impurity!
The book of Zechariah has as its ultimate focus, the Lord Jesus Christ. This fountain is none other than the Son of God who, some 550 or so years later, will pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind. While the "house of David" and "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" are articulated here, (due to the focus of judgment on these very ones in this book), the remainder of the Scriptures make abundantly clear that this "fountain" of cleansing, of forgiveness, is for all mankind!
When Jesus Christ died on that miserable cross, he paid the penalty for every sin ever committed. That is, every sin committed by every man. woman and child from the dawn of creation to the return of Jesus Christ to Planet Earth. All sins for all time! This is the fountain Zechariah speaks of! A true fountain! Not a little wimpy squirt of a fountain, but a massive flow of forgiveness that is complete and thorough for all who will embrace Jesus Christ in faith!
While simple-minded mankind goes about looking for second-rate solutions to its plight of infirmity, sickness and death (all due to God's judgment for our sins), the Lord has a magnificent plan! A remarkable and grand plan! He will provide us with renewed bodies, resurrected bodies that do not suffer the weaknesses and shelf-life our current bodies have.
While Ponce de Leon looked for a mythical fountain of youth, this fountain is real! This fountain flows! This fountain is not hidden! This fountain is not for a few but for all! This fountain does not merely bring youth, but brings eternal life! It brings new capabilities! It brings things we can only imagine!
Paul tells us what this fountain brings: "The body [our current bodies] that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.
This fountain of forgiveness provides so much for us. Not just religion, not just do-gooderism, not just the spiritual component of a healthy lifestyle! This fountain brings eternity to us! This fountain brings power to us! This fountain brings us directly into the presence of our Creator!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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