97 THE LION AND THE LAMB F O O T ================================
- H O L D
READING
97 THE LION AND THE LAMB
PRAY Make the whole earth – and my life – be filled with your glory. (Psalm 72:19). —————————————————————- READ Revelation 5:1-14. —————————————————————- THINK What can we learn from this passage about praise and worship? —————————————————————- FOCUS ‘A scroll . . . covered with writing . . . sealed with seven seals’ (1). One commentator has called it, ‘a book of destiny, the Author of which is God.’ ‘Breaking the seals’ and ‘opening the scroll’ stands for human history, and ‘opening’ stands for being in charge of what happens. The ‘lion’ reminds us of jesus’ supreme strength; his kingly authority and his victories. This conqueror is called ‘the Lion of Judah’ – he is the fulfilment of Genesis 49:9. But John saw not only a lion; he also saw a lamb, which speaks of Jesus’ supreme sacrifice on the cross. It recalls the Passover lamb whose blood was the means of deliverance: the sacrificial lamb who takes away sin (John 1:29) and the picture of Isaiah 53. What was the Lamb able to do that no one else could? Why? There is another word picture and this is explained for us: in verse 8 we are told what ‘incense’ stands for; did you notice what it is? Then we read of the elders joining in a hymn of praise of Jesus Christ, which is taken up and re-echoed by the whole creation (9- 13). Their words show just how wonderful they think Jesus is. they are all about him and what he has done. Does your worship share the same glad note of thankfulness and joy? Just think, if Jesus’ victory is so great that he is the controller of the future, cannot we trust him with the care of our lives in the present? —————————————————————-
PRAY Make verses 9 and 10 your prayer today.