On another "heart" note: Been thinking for a few days about Isaiah 56 . In particular, the statement about the eunuchs and the foreigner. He says that if they keep/possess/value His sabbaths and hold dear His commitment and His covenant of love, to those He will give a better name than sons and daughters. It's a name BETTER than sons and daughters. Imagine that.
4For thus says the LORD,
"To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
6"Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD,
To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath
And holds fast My covenant;
7Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."
8The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
"Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered."
Are the "walls" where there is a memorial actually the "walls" of God's heart? Is it a place that especially touches God's heart that He is referring to - a place that "pleases" HIM ? Is that you and I as well ? Those who choose love, who choose to minister to HIM, who understand and rest in His love and enter the Sabbath rest of Hebrews 4, who are after the little things that are actually big things that please His heart like doing "justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with their God" - who know their righteousness is in Him alone and out of that overflow express that "Rightness", that place of blessing and wholeness because Papa enjoys it SO and therefore, so do we. Because our Husband/Our Bridegroom king loves and enjoys this. Are these the sweet things we give as true romance, true overtures of our love and meeting together with Him and each other in true love and affection? Below is a devotional that landed in front of me in the midst of my ponderings and I just thought I'd pass it on. There's something about praying in/from "this" posture and from this place in and toward God's heart that is worth ruminating over. Love, t
The Special Treasure
Thought for the Week
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Commentary
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. (Exodus 19:5)
In Exodus 6:7, the LORD told the children of Israel, "I will take you for My people, and I will be your God." This phrase was an adaptation of an expression from the sphere of marriage. The ancient Near Eastern wedding formulation was "You will be my wife; I will be your husband." In the Hebrew Bible, it is common to speak of marriage as "taking" a wife. God likened Himself to a suitor and the people of Israel to the young woman He was courting. He was not content to simply redeem them from slavery; He wanted to take them as His very own people and enjoy an intimate relationship with them, like that of a husband to a wife.
This is covenantal language. God wanted to enter into a covenant with Israel. A covenant is a contractual arrangement that specifies the terms and conditions of a relationship. The marriage metaphor is a good way to understand the covenant at Sinai. The sages speak of Exodus 19 as God's betrothal of Israel. At the foot of Mount Sinai, God officially asked for Israel's hand in marriage.
He spoke to her lovingly. He reminded the people of how He had carried them out of Egypt, as if on the wings of an eagle, and how he had brought them to Himself. He promised to make them His own special treasure above all other peoples. He said, "You shall be my own possession" (Exodus 19:5). The Hebrew word that the NASB translates as "possession" is the word segulah (סגלה). Some versions translate it as "beloved treasure" or "peculiar treasure."
In the ancient Near East, the term segulah was used to describe a king's prized trophy. When a king's army vanquished an enemy, the king kept the most valuable items for his own treasure. A precious object like this was called a segulah. In Exodus 19:5, the word is used as a term of endearment for Israel. God says that He will make the Israelites into His specially prized treasure. He says that even though He owns the entire earth, Israel will always be His special people.
This can be compared to a king who had conquered many lands and possessed great wealth. His treasuries were filled with valuables, but he had one precious gemstone that he valued above all others. Rather than leave it in the treasury with the other valuables, he had it hung on a golden chain and wore it around his neck every day.
That's the way God looks at Israel and each of us. Every person who turns to Him in faith and love is added to His special treasure, His holy people.
