God is beautiful(Ps 27:4).
Beauty comes from Him and His name is beautiful(Ps 8:1), and
He brings beauty to perfection(Eze 27:11).
Faith is knowing him and loving Him.
The life of this faith is willingly taking on lowly image while on earth, in order to bear the image of perfect beauty(He 11:35-37).
While the world is moved by the beauty of women, flowers, sceneries, lands, jewels etc,
All things, all lives are changing and dying(1Pe 1:24), for
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting(Pr 31:30)
But the word of God is beautiful forever(1Pe 1:25).
In heaven was the archangel Luciel(Eze 28:17; Is 14:14) who was
Intoxicated with his own beauty and attempted to challenge God out of pride.
God, thus, considered him vile and threw him down into Hades.
Adam, made in the image of God(Ge 1:27), was
Deceived by the devil and tempted by the beauty of the forbidden fruit and ate it(Ge 3:6).
As a result, the living being died and bore the most vile image.
God led the Israelites into the desert after Egypt, for them to
Long for the beautiful land where milk and honey flowed(Nu 14:7; Dt 3:25; Eze 20:15).
The land of Canaan, however, was beautiful not because of its soil but
Because it was where the beautiful temple of God was built, where
His beautiful name Jehovah was(Ps 8:1).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-22), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would tear down the name Jehovah delivered through angels(Ex 3:2, Ex 3:4, Ex 3:15) and
Raise the Father's name that the Son brought(Jn 5:43, Jn 17:11) - Yeshua -
The name superior, more beautiful than the angels'(He 1:4).
Yet when He came in flesh,
There was no beauty or majesty to attract men to Him(Is 53:2-3).
He was eventually abandoned by them and
Died on the cross, becoming the most vile image(Ps 22:6-7).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Willingly bore the most vile image and died, testifying that the Father alone is beautiful and that He was bringing beauty to perfection(Ps 50:2; Jn 10:17-18);
2. Condemned the origin of sin(Eze 28:17; 1Jn 3:8); and
3. With His blood redeemed all men's sins that are more vile than anything(Job 15:16; Jer 17:9).
The Father raised Him up and
Gave Him the most beautiful name Yeshua as inheritance(Php 2:9-11).
Jesus is seated on the throne as the beautiful one(Rev 4:2-3).
Christians are those who received the beautiful name, Jesus(Jas 2:7; He 1:4) and
Through His blood, their souls have gained life and were made beautiful.
The Holy Spirit dwells in them and
Let's them guard that beauty(2Ti 1:14).
Therefore, the men of the Spirit
Endure suffering(1Pe 2:20),
Carry out their duties(1Ti 3:13), and
Bring good news(Is 52:7; Rm 10:15),
Until they stand as the bride beautifully prepared
For the groom Jesus when He comes back(Rev 21:2, Rev 21:9).
The men of faith did not adorn their flesh.
But rather, they accepted the most brutal punishment and
Took on the most beautiful image with their flesh.
O Lord,
We spent so much time, materials and interests to
Adorn this dying flesh.
Let us now beautifully dress our souls! Amen.
