A burning bush, and a burning tree

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

As Moses was commanded to take off his shoes, the place of the burning bush that was not consumed declared by God holy ground—there was yet to come a far holier ground, this time a tree with a burning on it that was not consumed, for on this tree, immeasurably brighter than what Moses saw, the Son of David, made by YHWH high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4), gave Himself an offering—an atoning sacrifice—for the sins of all His elect, in the passion born of love for His faithful people.

On that tree, publicly, before all Jerusalem, the divine presence aflame within the body and soul of Messiah, He bore the eternal wrath due His chosen remnant for their sins—the fire of eternal judgment, and the fire of infinite love, both relentless in accomplishing their purposes, the one to punish, the other to save.

Involved in this must be the understanding of His nature, true deity and true human—two natures, though not confused or mingled—yet one Person.  His divine nature upheld His human nature while receiving the wrath of God as He punished the sin-bearer bearing our sin.  The infinite dignity of His Person gave infinite worth to His priestly sacrifice.  This was the true Passover Lamb, no type or symbol as were those sacrifices of old.

In the soul of His human nature the man Christ Jesus—Yeshua Ha’Mashiach—suffered, and endured, the wrath due untold millions of us, not being overcome by it, bearing its punishment—this called the “second death”—to the last drop, triumphing in obtaining our redemption; then bodily bearing the death-penalty, and died.  One cannot compare even the nuclear devastation of entire vast lands with hundreds of millions destroyed to such agony, pain, and suffering as the Saviour endured for believing humankind.  We underestimate the expanse and depth of His being, and the wrath due us. 

Back in the day this occurred many walked by this burning tree and laughed, scoffed.  My own family among these, the children of Levi instrumental in His nailing to that tree, cold-hearted.  Even millennia later, in my youth, I also so scoffed.

But I was arrested in the act, as a look from His eye shone in the darkness and my heart was lit with His presence and glory—for He is alive, and saves whom He will, even such wretches as I.

He speaks His living word even today: 

    “All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will
     in no wise cast out . . . Come to me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and
     I will give you rest . . . My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
     follow me: And I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
     shall any pluck them out of my hand.” (John 6:37; Matthew 11:28; John 10:27,
     28).

Don’t wait — terrible storms are coming, if they haven’t already arrived near you.