The Press of Love
Part One
“A bundle of myrrh [is] my beloved to me,
Between my breasts it lodges.”
Song of Songs 1:13 (LSV)
These are the words of the Shunamite woman, depicted in this love sonnet as a type and a shadow of the Bride of Christ; words borne of relationship as she describes who HE IS to her. To her, He is more than a redeemer, more than a means of forgiveness. He is her Beloved, the Pearl of Great Price for which she will forsake all other things:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45-46 (HCSB)
We glibly speak of the Kingdom of God, but Jesus in His many Parables presents to us the character and spirit of those who will enter its narrow gate and walk in the straightness of its way. There is within His own a deep-rooted sense of need, a longing, a pervasive pining for Him. It is a phenomenon that men cannot teach; it is an attitude of the heart that can only be known via relationship. It is an ache of desire for union. This longing is expressed as a “bundle of myrrh” or, as another translation conveys, “a sachet of myrrh” that dwells in the bosom of His Beloved.
In the scriptures, myrrh represents bitterness and suffering. It was one of the gifts of the three Magi who came from afar with offerings for the Christ child.
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:11
There is much to be shared of all that myrrh speaks to us of Him, and of Him in us. The above scripture speaks to us of a grace and evidential longing and desire in the hearts of those who have received “the firstfruits of the Spirit.”
“For we have known that all the creation groans together, and travails in pain together until now. And not only [so], but also we ourselves, having the first-fruit of the Spirit, we also ourselves groan in ourselves, expecting adoption…”
Romans 8:22-23 (LSV) (Note: Pentecost is the Feast of Firstfruits)
In much of the “Pentecostal” realm of today, where gifts are often exalted at the expense of character and humility, there is an absence of this groaning and longing for union with Him. The truth of the “anointing oil”, for those who have received its wonder, is revealed to us in the Word of God. Its composition is found in Exodus 30:23-25:
“Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.”
Exodus 30:23-25 (NKJV)
The enormity of all that His Word speaks to us concerning His anointing oil is, as His Word declares, “past finding out.” It is sufficient here to note that the myrrh is a chief spice and the first ingredient of this “Anointing Oil.”
In receiving the Baptism of His Spirit, we are brought to places of suffering, longing and sorrows. He who IS THE MAN of Sorrows must bring those who aspire to bear His image, His likeness, and His wonder, to walk the same path of obedience and the outworkings of the Cross. A cross-less life is an unanointed life.
He who is “the Way” will cause those who are His disciples to walk the same path as He. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him.
“And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost,
whom God hath given to them that obey Him.”
Acts 5:32
The church at Corinth excelled in the gifts of the Spirit, yet Paul rebuked them for being carnal, unable to receive the deeper things of God. Because of this, his ministry to them was limited to the “milk” of the Word.
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”
1 Corinthians 3:1-2
A frivolous spirit has crept into the church in our land, where many exalt in His gifts but are devoid of the sense of His Holiness and Glory. The Baptism of the early church was accompanied by flaming tongues of fire that purified and humbled all who touched His Glory.
One of the characteristics of the “Pentecostal” experience was the groaning and intensity of spirit to know God more deeply and to live within His fire; to grow in purity of heart where every action, word and thought would be pleasing to HIM.
“A bundle of myrrh [is] my beloved to me,
Between my breasts it lodges.”
The Evidence of the “first-fruit” of the Spirit, as revealed in Paul, produced an insatiable pursuit to know Him and the “fellowship of His sufferings.”
“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
Philippians 3:10-11
May we, along with our brothers and sisters, seek the fragrance of the myrrh and the evident fire OF God.
Myrrh is the fragrance of
those in whom His Love dwells.
Related Post: The Holy Spirit Fire Within
“There is one thing that makes life mighty in its veriest trifles, worthy in its smallest deeds, that delivers it from monotony, that delivers it from insignificance. All will be great, nothing will be overpowering, when, living in communion with Jesus Christ, we say as He says, ” My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me.”
— Alexander Maclaren
Brian Troxel
Deception, Another Dream
I had the dream below back in October of 2016. The reason I re-post it is because of a dream I had last night 06/14/2017 that I will post below this dream.
I had a dream the morning of 10/15/2016. In the dream I saw a crowd of people gathered around a man The people were holding their Bibles. The man appeared to be a healing evangelist and he appeared to have healed a person crippled in a wheel chair. Then he went to those gathered around who had witnessed this so called miracle and tried to take their Bibles and exchange them for the ones he had. From what I remember in the dream, no one gave up his/her Bible. This so called healing evangelist gave me the creeps. I was shown the so called Bible that this man was trying to give people. It was as thick as a Bible that I am accustomed to seeing but the many of the pages were blank. It seemed to only have a few scriptures in it.
The Lord warned us about these times.
Matthew 24:24
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
The people gathered around this person didn’t give up their Bibles which tells me that they weren’t deceived. However, Jesus also said the following:
Matthew 12:39
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
These people should not have not been gathered around this man as believers. We are told not to chase after signs but instead signs should follow believers.
Mar 16:17 — Mar 16:18
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The dream warns of deception. If signs point to anyone other than Jesus then I would say they are not from God.
In this latest dream I was seeing a sermon that I had gotten ready to preach some 20 years ago but ended up giving it to my then pastor. In the sermon I was dealing with Abraham, Issac and their servant who was sent to seek a bride for Issac .
In this story, Laban is the character who I want to deal with.
Gen 24:29-31 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. (30) So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. (31) And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”
Rebekah’s brother Laban is a picture of many Christians today in that they, as was Laban, are enamored by gifts. In this case the wealth of Abraham and Issac that the servant displayed in the giving of the nose ring and bracelets given to his sister Rebekah is what caught Laban’s attention.
Today, many Christians chase after those who have gifts, i.e., prophecy, healing, etc. Note that it was after seeing the visible gifts displayed by the servant of Abraham that Laban welcomed him into his home calling him blessed of the Lord.
Herein lies a grave danger for believers to be led astray. Jesus had this to say about those chasing after signs and wonders.
Matthew 12:39
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Jesus never said that you would know them by their gifts but rather you would know them by their fruits.
Mat 7:15-16 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (16) You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
It is worthy of note that after speaking this in verses 15 & 16 of Matthew chapter 7, He says the following in Verses 21-23 of Matthew chapter 7.
Mat 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Should any think that Jesus is speaking to non believers I off the following:
Act 19:13-15 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (14) Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. (15) And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
It is not the gifts of an individual that will give him/her entrance into the kingdom of heaven but rather their fruits and how Christ has been formed in them, i.e. can Jesus be seen in them.
Note that the demon did not recognize the Jewish exorcists because they had no relationship with Jesus.
What is worthy of note is that Rebekah was not enamored by the gifts as was her brother Laban. She, who is a type of the bride of Christ left all to become the bride of Issac as the true body of Christ will leave all to become the bride of Christ
https://tpuccio.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/4411/
Understanding that the church today really doesn’t understand this concept of devotion gives us the realization that we have much ground to take back.
The idea of an unanointed life is much more reasonable about followers in the church today because no one wants to suffer.
We don’t really understand what worship looks like, because like the anointing oil, the scent lingers, it follows and it affects others around us. Our modern worship doesn’t feel like that, does it?
Thank you, Brian, for this intense word.
Blessings