DRAWING NEAR
November 27
Bearing the Reproach of Christ
Moses considered "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith
he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he
endured, as seeing Him who is unseen" (Heb. 11:26-27).
When you suffer for Christ, you bear His reproach.
How could Moses, who lived 1,500 years before Christ, bear His
reproach? Christ is the Greek form of the Hebrew title Messiah, the
Anointed One. Many Old Testament personalities were spoken of as
being anointed for special service to the Lord. Some have suggested
that Moses was thinking of himself as a type of messiah, for he
delivered his people from the Egyptian bondage. They would translate
verse 26 as, "Considering the reproach of his own messiahship as
God's deliverer."
However, it seems best to see this verse as a reference to Jesus
Himself, the future great Deliverer. We don't know how much knowledge
Moses had of Jesus, but certainly it was more than Abraham, of whom
Jesus said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was
glad" (John 8:56).
The Messiah has always been identified with His people. When they
suffer for righteousness' sake, they suffer in His place. That's why
David said, "The reproaches of those who reproach Thee have fallen on
me" (Ps. 69:9). Speaking from a New Testament perspective, Paul made
a similar statement: "I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus"
(Gal. 6:17).
There's also a sense in which Christ suffers with His people. When
Jesus confronted Paul, who was heavily persecuting the church, He
said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? . . . I am Jesus whom
you are persecuting" (Acts 9:4-5).
Moses chose to turn his back on Pharaoh's household and identify with
God's people because he knew that suffering for Christ was far better
than enjoying the riches of Egypt. At some point in time you too will
be persecuted for Christ's sake (2 Tim. 3:12), so be prepared. When
that time comes, follow Moses' example of faith and courage, knowing
that God will be your shield and your reward (cf. Gen. 15:1).
Suggestions for Prayer:
Follow the examples of the apostles by thanking God for the privilege
of bearing a small portion of the reproach that the world aims at
Christ (Acts 5:27-41).
For Further Study:
Memorize Psalm 27:1 as a source of encouragement when facing
difficulty.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
2 Timothy 3:12
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution.
Genesis 15:1
15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a
vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward."
Acts 5:27-41
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council.
And the high priest asked them,
28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this
name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and
intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to
obey God rather than men.
30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by
hanging on a tree.
31 "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior,
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
32 "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the
Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."
33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.
34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a
teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded
them to put the apostles outside for a little while.
35 And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what
you intend to do regarding these men.
36 "For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A
number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all
who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.
37 "After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the
census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and
all who obeyed him were dispersed.
38 "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them
alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to
nothing;
39 "but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest you even be
found to fight against God."
40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the
apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak
in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that
they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Psalm 27:1
27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The
LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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