Two very different mounts

I have always been fascinated by horses. I have never really been mad keen to ride one although I have done it a couple of times but there is something about them and the image of the horse which captures my imaginination. They are a combination of power, grace and when content they convey a sense of tranquility.

The bible speaks a lot about horses. After God defeated the Egyptians
Miriam sang, "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea." Exodus 15v21. No ancient monarch would be without them. 1 Kings 4v26 tells us that "Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses". 1 Kings 10v28-29 shows that Solomon paid a pretty penny for these fine equine specimens, costing 150 shekels a piece. He charged his royal merchants which the task of buying them from Kue (Some he also bought from Egypt.)and this underlines how indispensible they were to the wise king.

Horses usually symbolise military might as evidenced by Psalm 20v7: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses,but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Other such passages include 2 Kings 6v17 and 1 Kings 20v1. There are many others.

The Scriptures also speak about donkeys too. Many will remember the occasion where God had to use Balaam's donkey so he got the message from heaven. It was Balaam who was the stubborn one and not his mule in this instance. (See Numbers 22)They were also valued as a mode of transportation and were given as presents so therefore must have been considered valuable.

As we approach Easter the image of the donkey also is prominent in our minds when we remember Palm Sunday and the Triumphal Entry. The Son of Man was humble enough to enter Jerusalem on this often ridiculed animal. Can you imagine the reaction nowadays if Prince Charles rode through the gates of Buckingham Palace to his coronation on a donkey? He would be a laughing stock. Much more believable if we imagine him on a prize stallion. Yet Jesus, the King of Kings did it! He humbled himself to enter to the applause of men (how short lived it was!) on this all to humble of creatures.

He will be astride another animal one day soon. This time, however, it will not be on a donkey. Revelation 19v11-19 is an astounding passage which portrays the Warrior King Jesus returning on his steed ready for battle and set on taking what is His by force. No more gentle Jesus meek and mild. We see Him deal out summary justice to His enemies, destroying them with the sword coming out of His mouth and feeding their flesh to the birds.

Oh on that day there will be no doubting who He is. There will be no excuses. Those who laughed at His children and scorned His Gospel will cower and call for the rocks to fall on them. They will run but not escape. They will seek a hiding place but will be found. Oh scoffer, oh mocker, oh you who despise Christ. Turn from your sin while you can or soon you will see Him pursue you with the heavenly cavalry and will feel the full force of His wrath. His Spirit will not always strive with you.

Those of us who are His saints, take comfort from this in your trials. Ask Him to fill your mind with His splendour. Take courage from this image of the One who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and who will one day be seen undeniably for who He is.

I close by citing the lyrics of Christian rock band Petra's take on this powerful piece of apocalyptic writing called "All the King's Horses".

All the King's Horses
Words and music by Bob Hartman
Based on Revelation 19:11-21

It's an age-old score that's got to be settled
It's an age-old debt that's got to be paid
When the King breaks through in all of His glory
To claim His throne and the world that He made
The nations wait with their armies gathered
With Jerusalem firmly under their thumbs
There will be no peace in Armageddon valley
Till the trumpet sounds and the cavalry comes
When He arrives He will conquer them all
Take back the ground given after the fall

(Chorus)
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Gonna ride down from heaven from where they've been
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Gonna put this world back together again
Gonna put this world back together

On a great white horse the King will come riding
He's the One they call Faithful and True
With His eyes of fire and blood dipped clothing
He had a name nobody else knew

And by His side ride the armies of heaven
Dressed in linen clean and white as the snow
Riding down to earth with a vengeance so holy
For a one-day battle that will trample their foe
And when the dust and the smoke disappears
The King will reign for a thousand years

When the lion lays down with the lamb
There'll be peace in the land of Abraham
They will beat their swords into plows
When every tongue declares and every knee bows

Insight on the blood of Christ

I recently heard an excellent explanation by R.C. Sproul of what the whole biblical emphasis of the blood of Christ means.

He said "What does this mean that we are saved by the blood of Jesus? Do we have some kind of primitive, animistic, magical view of the blood that flowed through the veins of Jesus that we think that it was that red liquid that saves us? Doesn’t that seem silly? ...When we talk about the blood of Christ that’s a kind of shorthand to talk about the life of Christ and when the Scriptures speak about the precious blood they realise that the blood is made precious by the man whose blood it is....John Guest asked the question... 'If Jesus would have come down from heaven and scratched His finger on a nail would that be enough to save us? ...It’s blood and it’s the blood of Jesus...' And of course the answer to that question...is “no”...because God required the sacrifice of a life." R.C. Sproul

Therefore we see that this whole idea refers to our Lord's sacrificial death and so I believe those who say that to preach the Gospel the word "blood" must be mentioned have made a mistake. That does not take away from this powerful image or detract from the fact that we should contemplate how gruesome the cross was and that Jesus died a painful, bloody death.

If it weren't for this powerful yet shocking imagery we would not have a lot of very famous hymns.

I think of the old black Gospel song "I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole". Also
"Nothing But The Blood of Jesus"
"There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood"
"There's Power In The Blood"
"Not all the Blood Of Bulls and Goats"

Let us not see Jesus' blood as some mystical totem but let us remember that the death He died was brutal and sacrificial and because of that our sins are forgiven.

Amen.