Each month this year, we have been studying the 12 stones on the breastplate of the High Priest. The New Testament tells us that we are living stones, so as the priest carried these stones and tribes over his heart, Jesus our high priest has us on his heart. Once we understand the significance of each stone, we can indeed shine for the Lord.
WHAT’S IN THE NAME?
Today you can go into any grocery store, as you wait in line you will see little books on baby’s names. We chose them after great deliberation. Yet in the days of the bible, a child’s named carried great weight. Joseph was Jacobs’s favorite son, because after many years the women he loved at first sight was able to conceive and bare the son they named Joseph. Due to his brothers envy they sold him into slavery and for over 13 years, Joseph was in some form of captivity. When his deliverance came, he was a man of 30 years old and the Pharaoh arranged a marriage for him. Gen.41:51 "before the years of famine came; two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh [a] and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and my entire father's household."
LET IT GO, PLEASE!
The name Manasseh means to forget the past, how awesome that Joseph would call his firstborn son this name. There was so much in his past, betrayal by his family, injustice, pain, suffering, sorrow, on, and on the list could go, yet he says God helped him to forget the past. We need God to help of us forget the past as well. One verse I have found to be very helpful in this is Philippians 3:13 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Isa.43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Moses had to forget that he was a murderer, when he wrote that shall not kill. Aaron had to forget his fear of man when he made a golden calf. Miriam had to forget her leprosy for speaking against leadership. Rahab had to forget a soiled past, Naomi had to forget Moab and overcome get loss in her life. Gideon had to forget his fear and intrepadation of the Midianites, Ruth had to forget foreign gods, Job had to overcome total loss, David had to forget adultery, Paul who wrote the book of Philippians, had to forget his anger, and cruelty to believers before his conversion. John Mark had to forget that he left the first missions trip he was on and that it caused Paul and Barabbas to have a church fight. The disciples lack of faith, Peter and his denial of the Lord, Martha had to forget her angry at her sister. I trust you have gotten my point by now. Each of us needs a Manasseh in our lives, so we can move forward into all that God has planned for our lives.
THE PRECIOUS AGATE STONE
Exodus 28:19 tells us of this stone in the third row of the breastplate. The word Agate means to be glowing, or sparkling. The color of this stone is blended, white, black, and brown and really just a beautiful array of colors. Much like our nationality’s today. That all of us together regardless of the color of our skin can glow and sparkle for the kingdom of God.
THE BLESSING OF MANASSEH
Deut.33:16-17 "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." Did you notice the phrase “he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth?" May the Lord push each of us together until we no longer notice black, brown, red or white but all we see is His glory upon each of us. Acts 17:24-27 "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:" May we each let go of the past, and sparkle with Gods presence in our lives.
Blessings in Jesus,
Gwen Mouliert
