Mornings of Scripture

Dear brothers and sisters;

On STEM on the internet there is a short meditation by Mr. J. G. Bellett that is entitled "The Mornings of Scripture." I would like to copy some and comment on more of what he has to say.
He begins by stating the following - The soul is the dwelling place of the truth of God. The ear and the mind are but the gate and the avenue; the soul is its home or dwelling place.
The beauty and the joy of the truth may have unduly occupied the out-posts, filled the avenues, and crowded the gates - but it is only in the soul that its reality can be known. And it is by meditation that the truth takes its journey from the gate along the avenue to its proper dwelling place.

The Mornings of Scripture

In scripture there are seven Mornings or new beginnings that are worth meditating upon.

FIRST, Is creation. That was a new beginning from the chaos that it came out of. It was a new beginning or morning of God's work here on earth. In Job 38 it says, "And when the foundations, in that season, were laid, the morning stars sang together." God said, "It was very good." We know however, the sad news - man ruined it by sin (disobedience).

SECOND, Is the Exodus - Moses and the children of Israel went down into the Red Sea on dry land - and came up on the wilderness shore as though in resurrection. Their enemy was drowned in the Red Sea. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel, "The Lord has triumphed gloriously." It was a new beginning for them. They had left the slavery of Egypt behind, and were now free to follow the Lord. What was their experience like now? They murmured and complained all the way. When they came to Kadesh Barnea they sent 12 spies to spy out the land of Canaan. 10 spies came back with a negative report. They said that the land had giants, and walled cities and they would never be able to posses it. There were 2 Caleb and Joshua who said that they were well able to posses it. As a result the Lord made them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years so that they would all die in the wilderness. However their children would be allowed into the land along with Caleb and Joshua. So again that which started out so well on the shore of the Red Sea ended with disaster for most of them through unbelief. What a lesson for us today. Do you limit God and what He can do in your life? With God ALL things are possible.
Well the children of Israel did eventually get into the land. How well did things go there? They drove out most of the inhabitants, and carried on for a while, then they wanted to have a king like the other nations around them. They chose Saul, but God wanted then to have David, who later became king. His reign was wonderful, then followed his son Solomon. He started out well, but then in his later end he became idolatrous. When he died his son Rehoboam reigned, but he only reigned over 2 tribes, Judah and Benjamin. Another man came along by the name of Jeroboam and he reigned over 10 tribes in the north. He made 2 calves of gold and told the people that these were their gods. The children of Israel are now divided into 2 groups, which God never intended them to be. Thes are the 10 tribes in the north called Israel, and the 2 tribes in the south called Judah. This carried on for some years, but eventually they became so bad that God allowed them to be carried away by other rulers. Judah in the south was carried away by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the year 606BC, while those in Israel were carried away by King Hoshea of Assyria in the year 721BC. So all the hopes of the children of Israel are dashed to pieces because of unfaithfulness. Another lesson for us today. Cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart. Does God give up on His people? No, His grace and His purpose would not let that happen.

THIRD, Is the return of Ezra to Jerusalem. This was surely a New Morning - a fresh beginning. It began when Cyrus king of Persia, in his first year (535BC) made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, that those Jews who wished could return to Jerusalem, to build the house of the Lord God of Israel. The first group (49,897) that left for Jerusalem were led by Zerubbael. When they began to work, the first thing they did, in the 7th month, was to build the altar of the God of Israel. In 535BC work on the temple began and then stopped. In the year 520BC the prophets Haggai and Zechariah spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem and the building of the temple resumed. Then in the year 516BC the temple was completed. Ezra chapter 6.

Back in Persia in the year 478BC Esther becomes queen. Then the activities in the Book of Esther begin to unfold.

The year of 457BC was when Ezra the scribe left Babylon and came to Jerusalem. Ezra chapter 7. It was brought to Ezra's attention that some of the people had married some of the enemy of the land. Ezra was much dismayed and besought the Lord for forgiveness. Then he brought the matter before the people, and they repented and put away their pagan wives. So the remnant was purged.

In the year 444BC Nehemiah travels from Babylon to Jerusalem. He is responsible for getting the people to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. It is interesting and profitable to observe how each person built. Some included the bolts and the bars. Others did not. Building the wall was important to keep the enemy out and to monitor who came in. For the child of God today, we need to build an invisible wall around ourselves to keep the world out, and be careful what we let in. This cannot be stressed too strongly, since we live in a very clever and deceiving world. One very clever tool of Satan today is television. With it we are leaving the gate wide open for all the wretchedness of the world to come flooding in. Sadly Satan is succeeding with this in many Christian homes.

Then in 397BC we have the days of Malachi the last messenger of the Lord. What happened to this Jewish remnant during this time? Sadly the priests are rebuked in Chapter 2 of Malachi, this in spite the covenant they made with God in Chapter 10 of Nehmiah. The people had robbed God, see Malachi 3, verse 8. There were however a few that loved the Lord in Malachi 3 verse 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon His name. What a bright spot in the midst of departure from the faith.
Malachi also foretells in chapter 3 verse 1 the coming of John the Baptist, and the coming of Jesus. In chapter 4 he foretells the coming of the Lord as the Sun of righteousness, when He will come to reign on this earth and His saints will reign over the earth with Him. This ends the Old Testament.

What follows is 400 years before the New Testament begins. Our Bible given to us by the Lord does not have any writings during that time.

FOURTH - Is the glorious morning of the birth of the Saviour. After darkness for 400 years Light came into the world. But the darkness comprehended it not- John 1. How the angels rejoiced to see God become man. That is something they had never seen before. Jesus lived his life for 30 years before He began His public ministry. During His public ministry He shined as a light in a dark world. He healed the sick, raised the dead, made the lame to walk, caused the deaf to hear, but in spite of that the Jews would not believe Him when He said He was the Son of God. As a result the Jews had Him crucified. When He died He was put in a dark tomb. The light of the world now held in darkness. What an end to that glorious morning, but wait was it the end? On the 3rd day He rose again.

FIFTH - Is the next bright morning - the morning the Lord arose from the grave. What a day! He had broken the bands of death that held us shackled in it's grip. That which sin brought in (death) was now abolished. Also by His resurrection He established a relationship with Himself and with His Father. He said those glorious words to Mary Magdelene "I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." All the previous mornings man damaged, but this one man could not damage. Praise God! Jesus had now purchased for Himself a Bride. A Bride to live with Him forever. A Bride in whom is no spot, or wrinkle or any such thing. This Bride is composed of every blood washed believer. Could this morning ever be surpassed? Yes there are two more to come.

SIXTH - Is the morning when the Lord will appear after the terrible Tribulation. He will appear in glory with His glorious bride. He will set up His Kingdom on earth, reigning on the throne of David. We the Bride will reign over the earth. It will be a reign of righteousness. In II Samuel 23:3 It says,"He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God; and He shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after the rain." It will be a thousand years of a glorious reign. Nothing has ever been like it before.

SEVENTH - Is the morning of the New Heaven and the New Earth. The Apostle John says in Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." The earth and heaven as we know it now will be put in God's crucible of heat and drastically changed. It will not disappear. God is not going to recreate the earth and heaven, but He will use what He has already created and rearrange it to suit His eternal purposes. In this scene Righteousness will dwell, not just reign like in the millennium. The Bride will be with her Bridegroom in the new heaven. The new earth will be peopled by those who have come to believe the gospel of the kingdom and have come out of the millennium. This will be God's rest. We will enjoy it forever. Everything will be according to His Divine purpose and standard.

Dear believer; As you meditate on these seven mornings, I trust it will help you to realize the beauty of our Heavenly Bridegroom. He is altogether lovely. Dwell on His prefect Glory and Righteousness. Let these things pervade your thoughts, and you will be transformed from glory to glory. He is worthy!