Last time we looked at the meaning of ‘The Law of First Mention’ and how the first time a thing is mentioned in the Bible it provides us with the original meaning of that thing. The next time you read about that thing, you’ll already have a basic understanding of what the text is saying.
We looked at an example in Genesis 37 regarding Joseph’s dream about his family (Israel) being represented symbolically by the sun, moon and stars and how this helps us understand that the sun, moon and stars mentioned in Revelation 12 also symbolically identifying Joseph’s ancestors, the Israeli people. We also looked at Jesus teaching about the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4, and how His disciples didn’t understand it; Jesus explained to them that without understanding this first parable, they wouldn’t be able to understand any of the others. So the first mention of the Parable of the Sower was the key to understanding all the other parables.
Then we looked at the first mention of thorns in Genesis 3 which revealed that thorns and thistles are a result of sin and are part of the curse that mankind now has to live with. And after that we learned about another parable that was given in Judges 9 that described many trees that were native to Israel, valuable and worthy trees who refused to govern themselves until the worthless and destructive bramble (thorn) tree was handed the leadership which would lead to their destruction.
Again, the thorn was represented as being cursed, part of the fall and without value and worth.
Now I want to share with you an amazing verse in Isaiah 55.
Isaiah 55:13, “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, and it’ll be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”
There isn’t time to read the entire chapter of Isaiah 55, even though it’s only 13 verses long, but there are a number of very well-known lines in it. Here are a few of them.
V1 – “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…” (the Messiah)
V3 – “Listen to Me that you may live, and I’ll make an everlasting covenant with you…” (through the Messiah)
V4-5 – “I’ve made Him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you’ll call a nation you don’t know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.” (the future role of Messiah)
V7 – “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord and He’ll have compassion on him…He’ll abundantly pardon.” (the actions Messiah)
V8 – “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.” (the way of Messiah) He atoned for us on our behalf. No other god could or would do such a thing!
V9 – “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (the mission of Messiah)
V11 – “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It won’t return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (the promise of Messiah)
V12 – “You’ll go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and hills will break forth into shouts of joy…and the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (because of Messiah)
V13 – “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up…instead of the nettle, the myrtle will come up…it’ll be a memorial to the Lord for an everlasting sign which won’t be cut off.” The result of the ministry and sacrifice of Messiah)
The entire 55th chapter of Isaiah is calling people to repent and come into a joyful, celebratory relationship with their God and the end result is a reversal of sorts of the corruption of sin. Sin resulted in thorns, briars, thistles, nettles and weeds that choked the good and valuable vegetation, making the earth a harsh and often desolate place. But after this covenant – through the ministry of the Messiah – God would call those who weren’t His and who didn’t know Him to Himself, they’d have their thirst quenched and instead of the thorns and brambles, the valuable and worthy trees such as the cypress and the myrtle would come forth and they would be an eternal memorial to God.
Usually, when Christians think of thorns, our first thought is the crown of thorns that Jesus wore to His execution.
Matthew 27:27-30, ‘Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort (500-800 soldiers) around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.’
The reed was a staff made out of woven reeds, it wasn’t a soft, bendy piece of grass. This ‘reed’ was hard.
2 Corinthians 5:21, “He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
When Jesus was crowned with thorns, He wore the symbol of the curse He was to become on our behalf and as Isaiah 55:13 prophesied, He reversed the curse of sin. Instead of thorns, the cypress would grow. Instead of nettles, the myrtle would grow. Instead of death and judgment, forgiveness and eternal life would grow. A people that didn’t know God, would come to know Him because of the covenant that God would make with them through the ministry and work of the Messiah.
From the curse would come eternal life.
Shalom
Mandy
Based in part on an article from oneforisrael.org
