He is the Son of YHVH

By Yolandie Mostert (July 2023)

 

His body is inlaid with sapphires (Songs 5:14c) 

 

The facet discussed in the previous message referred to the ivory body of Jesus that represented His laid-down life. It’s important to have that context when we’ll look at the next piece of symbolism. In this part of verse 14, the body of Jesus is described as being adorned with sapphires.

 

We find the first reference in the Bible to sapphire in Exodus 24:10. It was when the seventy elders, together with Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu climbed the mountain to meet with God. We read that they were privileged to see the God of Israel. They described a clear sapphire stone pavement under the feet of YHVH.

Whenever we talk about something beneath our feet, it refers to victory over that object and the subjection of it. It refers to authority, victory and power over your enemies, if they are for example placed under your feet.

 

Two of the previous facets of the character of Jesus Christ were The Conqueror and The Head. This facet of Jesus as the Son, links with those two. What does Jesus do with His victory? He doesn’t keep it for Himself, but He subjects both His victory and Himself to the Father.

For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.  (1 Cor 15:25-28)

The last enemy of Jesus, death, will be destroyed when he will be casted into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14). Then all of the enemies of Jesus will be subjected. After that Jesus places Himself on the sapphire pavement as the Son of God and will submit Himself to the Father. He presents His victory to the Father in humble submission.

 

There is so much to learn from this facet of the character of our Heavenly Bridegroom. Even though He is the Son of God, His focus was and still is the will of the Father. When He walked on earth, He always gave the glory to the Father. And He didn’t change. He never received honour from man, but gave honour to the Father.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—in the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, o God.’ (Heb 10:7)

 

Paul discusses this principle of humble submission in Philippians 2. After He explained Jesus as our example, he wrote the following:

Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility]. (Fil 2:5) 

We have to follow the example of Jesus subjecting Himself in everything, also in His victory, to the Father. We tend to want our plan, our will and our honour. It shouldn’t be that way. Jesus doesn’t have a grain of pride in Him. Pride and submission are not friends. We will find it very difficult to completely lay down our will on the beautiful sapphire pavement at the feet of the Father if we haven’t received deliverance from our prideful nature. Every time when we submit to the authority and leading of the Holy Spirit, when we repent of whatever He shows us and implement the necessary changes in our lives, we are submitting ourselves to the Father according the example set by Jesus.

 

The following Scripture is very popular: ‘resist the devil and he will flee from you’. But it’s only half quoted. The verse starts with: ‘submit yourselves to God’. We can actually also read the previous verse:

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:6-7) 

Context are really important when we study the Scriptures. We cannot read a verse here and a verse there and then use that one verse like a secret weapon. There is always an ‘if’. We have a part to play in order for a promise to apply to us. The enemy will not flee from us just because we resist him. Lots of times people also use ‘in the Name of Jesus’ like a magic formula. It doesn’t work that way. First, we need to submit ourselves to God. This means that we have to lay down our will, desires, sinful nature and fleshliness bit by bit. Obedience moves us into a position of authority. Then we will have boldness to resist the enemy and the promise that he will flee from us will come into fulfilment. When we live in willful disobedience, we can resist as much as we like, the enemy will laugh at us. This is unfortunately the truth.

 

It is no coincidence that the previous verse shows the contrast between pride and humility. Pride cannot submit. It will ask: ‘why is this also wrong?’ or ‘why must my fleshly nature die?’. Pride likes to reason and to justify himself with sayings like: ‘this is just how I am’. Humility on the other hand asks: ‘Lord, which parts of me are not fully surrendered yet?’. Humility prays: ‘please help me to lay down everything at your feet without holding back anything’.

 

The Son of YHVH’s body is adorned with sapphires. In obedience, He submitted to the will of the Father; obedience unto death. Let us follow His example every day in humble obedience and lay down our fleshly nature with the help and leading of the Holy Spirit.

How awesome will that day be when it can also be said of the bride of Christ: ‘her body is adorned and inlaid with sapphires. That she didn’t love her life, even unto death. She took up her cross and walked willingly to the place of sacrifice where her fleshly nature could die.

 

Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him. (Ps 45:10-11) 

 

Links

To listen to the introduction, as well as the Word I’ve received by the Holy Spirit concerning this series, please click here.

The audio version of this message is availalbe on our telegram channel: https://t.me/+1hYU7h46Jj1hZDc8

Part 1 – Who is the Bridegroom (background)

Part 2 – Who is your beloved?

Part 3 – He is my beloved

Part 4 – Hy is Light

Part 5 – Hy is Holy

Part 6 – Hy is the Warrior and Avenger

Part 7 – He is the Conqueror

Part 8 – He is the Head

Part 9 – The Set-Apart One

Part 10 – He is Unchanging

Part 11 – He is the Zealous One

Part 12 – He is the Judge

Part 13 – He is Love

Part 14 – He is Unfathomable

Part 15 – Hy is the High Priest

Part 16 – He is the Creator

Part 17 – He is the Lamb of God