CHARIOT

CHARIOT

“King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem”, the daughters of Jerusalem continue to speak about King Solomon in verses 9-10 of Chapter 3 in the Song of Songs. King Solomon made himself a chariot or a palanquin of state of the cedar wood of Lebanon. The palanquin carries the king. Spiritually, it means the very glory of God revealed to the lost men. Jesus received the glory of the Father. The glory of the Father appeared like devouring fire on the top of Mount Sinai to the Israelites and they were forbidden from touching the mountain. Under the New Testament, Jesus manifests the glory of the Father to us, and we can behold His glory in a way different from that appeared on the Mount Sinai. We can handle Christ, the glory of God and the Word of Life unlike the Israelites of the Old Covenant (I John 1:1). God in Christ Jesus made Himself a Chariot of His glory. The Chariot of Christ is the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant carries Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit Who reveals the glory of God and Christ to us was earned by Jesus Christ out of His Blood. This Holy Spirit is peculiar to us under the New Covenant and different from the Spirit of God Who manifested Himself under the Old Covenant. This Chariot does not destroy the sinners but goes in search of the lost sinners.

The Solomon’s car is made of the cedar wood of Lebanon. Cedar is an evergreen tree strong enough to build the temple. The righteous shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (Ps.92: 12). Cedar spiritually means strength. The glory of Christ Jesus is as strong as the cedar tree of Lebanon. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. His glory is greater and stronger than any mighty kingdom of this world. Are you frightened of any man? Are you oppressed by the devil? Don’t get disheartened. As the glory of Jesus rests on you or surrounds you, none can touch you unless allowed by God. Anybody harming you touches the apple of the eye of God and will never go unpunished. The glory of Jesus is a fire around you. He who touches you will be burned to ashes. In the midst of tempest-like-problems, you will stand like a cedar tree. You have the unique privilege of entering the Chariot and communing with Him. Solomon made its pillars out of silver. The pureness of the Word of God is likened to the silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over (Ps.12: 6). The glory of Jesus Christ rests on the pillars of the pure Word of God. The glory of Jesus is inseparable from the Word of God. If the words of God as revealed in the Bible were adulterated, the glory of Jesus would be eclipsed to the extent of such adulteration.

Solomon made its back of gold. Gold is figurative of the faith of saints refined through trials and tribulations (I Pet.1: 7). The glory of Jesus reflects on the refined faith of saints who have undergone manifold trials. The glory of Jesus is manifested through the lives of His saints who have endured great tribulations and temptations. You need refined faith – faith tested through fire. This is living faith, different from ordinary faith. By ordinary faith, you believe in God only for some miracles. But by living faith, you believe in Him under all circumstances, thinking that all things work together for good. This living faith thus manifests the glory of Jesus. Only those saints with the living faith will be able to see and handle the Chariot.

The seat of the Chariot is made of purple. The glory of Jesus is seated on holiness. Purple, a mixture of red (showing Christ’s sacrifice) and blue (Christ’s righteousness) vindicates the holiness of God. God’s holiness justified Christ’s Blood for the remission of our sins for our great salvation. We are justified before God not because of our own righteousness but because of the living Blood of Jesus and His righteousness. On our part, we have to lead a holy life separate from sin and a righteous life so that Christ’s sacrificial Blood may not be in vain.

The inside of the Chariot is wrought in needlework by the daughters of Jerusalem showing their love in action for the One Who loves them eternally. Many saints of God in the heaven who had accomplished great things for God have left their works of love on the Body of Christ. The saints still living on the earth are also manifesting their works of love for Jesus. The glory of Jesus is manifested through the works of love and the lives of these saints. In India, we still remember the ministry and life of Sadhu Sunder Singh. The glory of Jesus is being manifested through him as we read his biography. All over the world, people see the glory of Jesus in the life of Mother Teresa who said, “It is only Jesus I serve 24 hours a day…” The glory of Jesus reflects on the needlework made by Mother Teresa manifesting her love for the One Who died for her on the Cross and appointed her to the ministry of serving the poorest of the poor. Dearly beloved, can people see your works of love for Jesus and glorify God? Anybody getting a glimpse of the Chariot is attracted towards the beautiful needlework made by the saints of God.

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