The Shoulder of Christ | Ep10

What is Meditating On The Word?

Join Wayne Burger each week as he explores various topics and scriptures and challenges listeners to meditate on God's Word more deeply.

Job said, man who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil. Even though we may not have suffered as Job did, we can testify to the truth of Job's statement. Their physical struggles in life, as well as mental struggles, sometimes there are attacks from friends and foes.

Sometimes we have serious, ongoing health issues. Sometimes we have financial setbacks, and sometimes we have spiritual setbacks. We want a place to escape, and Christ is that place.

The writer of the book of Hebrews spoke about those who had fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

That's Hebrews 6, verse 18, King James Version. This is a reference to the six cities of refuge God had established in the Promised Land where one who accidentally killed someone could find refuge from the avenger of blood, the nearest of kin to the deceased. The idea was this, that when they moved into the Promised Land, God set up six cities, three on each side of the Jordan River, and if someone accidentally killed someone, he was to go to one of those cities which there was nearest to him.

If he did not go quickly, the nearest of kin of the man he died had the right to kill the man who had committed the murder. Now when he got to that city of refuge, it wasn't that they just protected murderers. He would be tried.

If it was proven that this was an accidental death, then he lived in that city until the high priest died. But if he left that city, that avenger of blood could take his life, and there would be no crime committed, no investigation, no punishment for that man. These were called the cities of refuge.

And as the Hebrew writer says, he makes reference to the cities of refuge by speaking of Christ as those of us who have fled to Christ, our refuge. Because of the situation in the world and the problems we have, we need a place of refuge. Besides seeing the comparisons that can be made by simply thinking about those cities, we can also see the blessings that these cities of refuge, figuratively speaking, can offer about the very term and the word and what it meant.

Each of those cities had a name, and each name had a message, and the message tells us something about that refuge that we can find in Jesus Christ. I want us to look at some of those cities and what they mean, and the message of refuge that we receive. I want us to think this time about the city of Shechem.

Shechem was located in the middle of Israel on the west side of the Jordan River. The Hebrew word shechem literally means shoulder or back, and it conveys the idea of strength. Isn't that what we need in a refuge? Strength.

That word shechem and that word for shoulder can be used figuratively and also literally. For example, when Abraham was sending Hagar away, he gave her some food. Let me read that passage about that in Genesis 21, verse 14.

The text says, he took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. And that's that word shechem. It can be used as a literal shoulder.

When the Israelites had left Egypt quickly, the text says they took their dough before it was leavened with their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. Again, this word shechem, it's the word shoulder, literally speaking. That was Exodus 12, verse 34.

It is also used figuratively in the Old Testament. When Job was pleading his case for his innocence, he wanted a letter of acquittal that said, I'm innocent. And he said, surely I would carry it on my shoulder.

I would bind it to myself like a crown. Job 31, 36. In those examples that we're looking at, the word literally means a physical shoulder.

And we understand that idea. The shoulder is considered strength and you put something on your shoulder or you put your shoulder to the task. It is a physical idea of strength is there.

Well, it also conveys the idea not just of strength, but it can also symbolize the strength that authority carries with it. We're going to see this idea expressed in the Old Testament several times. It's going to be speaking about Jesus Christ and his shoulder.

And he's going to be speaking about the authority that he's going to have. Let's look at it this way. Isaiah spoke of a region near where Jesus was raised as a child.

Because the people in that area had departed from God, he was a place of darkness and gloom. Because God had allowed the Assyrian Empire to conquer and punish it. Isaiah went on to say, but later on he, God, shall make it glorious.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. That's chapters 9, Isaiah 9, 1 and 2. Now a little further on, we may be familiar with this text. In the text of Isaiah, he said, you, God, shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders.

But the passage has a double meaning. Not only were they going to be relieved of the burden that they had, they were going to have a spiritual blessing from that area. The great prophecy of hope is found beginning in verse 6. We've looked at verses 1 and 2 and verse 4. Now we're going to look at verse 6. You may be familiar with this verse.

It says, for a child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders.

And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace. On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Notice that familiar passage. It says that Jesus Christ or someone is coming and is going to be Christ.

For a child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders.

The idea there is strength and power. It carries with it the authority that Jesus was going to have. Jesus was going to have authority.

As it were, he was going to put his kingdom on his shoulders. He has strength to hold it. He has strength to guide it and direct it.

And the shoulder, the government of his would be on his shoulder and he would guide and direct. This, of course, as we said, is speaking about Jesus Christ and the coming of God's Son. And he is now sitting on David's throne at the right hand of God the Father.

That was foretold in several Old Testament passages, particularly in the book of Psalms. Notice that the phrase, the government will rest on his shoulders. Christ is the seed of David and he is king of his kingdom and he's the head of the church.

You see in Ephesians 2, 22 and 23, it says, God the Father has given him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body. God the Father gave Jesus Christ to be head over the church, as it were his shoulder. He's putting this kingdom on his shoulder, giving him authority because he has the strength in that shoulder to carry out that kingdom and to spread that kingdom.

Only the government of Christ will stand. We should never put our trust in any earthly government. I know we like to receive the benefits that our physical government give us, but all empires of the past have fallen and disintegrated into the dust of the earth.

But the government of Christ's kingdom will stand the test of time and the onslaught of all of its enemies until Christ finally delivers his kingdom over to the Father and the Father then will reign. That's 1 Corinthians 15, 24 through 26. So today, Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father.

He is head of the church, which is his kingdom, and he is ruling over that with authority over his people, and that he will reign in that position until the end of the time of the world, and then he'll take that kingdom and deliver it back to the Father, and the Father will reign. And so this is what the Old Testament prophecies were saying, that the government will be upon his shoulders. He has that authority in guidance and direction.

Those who believe and who have been baptized into Christ are citizens of that heavenly kingdom. Paul said in Philippians 3 in verse 20, our citizenship is in heaven, which also we look for a Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord. That is a place of refuge from the struggles of life.

The church is that place that can give you Christ's refuge. He has the authority over the church. He will guide the church.

The church is spoken of as being his bride. He's going to lead his bride. He's going to give us the blessings that we need.

In the fellowship of fellow Christians, we can find a refuge from the attacks of Satan and the world. It can offer us protection. That's the reason we need to be a part of the church.

It is that government that Christ rules over. He is the authority of that church, and he's going to deliver that church back to the Father. He says in Ephesians 5 that he's going to deliver this church back to the Father, and those who are in the church will be taken into heaven.

That's the reason it's important to be a part of the church. That's the organization that God has established that Christ is head of, and that he is guiding the church and directing the church. It's through the church that we serve God and know how to carry out Christ's will.

It'll be a great day when that church is delivered over back to the Father, and we can enter into that eternal reward. Those who have been baptized for the correct reason are in that church. We're citizens of that kingdom, that place of refuge from the struggles of life.

We should want to be a part of the church, be involved in the church, because we live in a world that's corrupt, a world that attacks us, a world that believes differently than we do, and when we come together on the Lord's Day as the church assembly, we find the strength to go out into the world to live a holy life for God. We need to be a part of that church, knowing that it is established by Christ. He is the authority over it.

In that fellowship, we have fellow Christians who are struggling as we are, who can give strength to us from the attacks of Satan. Isaiah also said of Christ, then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens, no one will shut.

When he shuts, no one will open. That's Isaiah 22, 22, and we see in Revelation 3 and verse 7 that John applies that to Jesus Christ. He has the key of the house of David.

That was the house that was promised to be built, or that David wanted to build God a house. God said, no, I'm going to build you a house. It's the house of David.

Of course, Jesus Christ is the lineage of David. The church is that house of David as it exists today. We have that promise in Isaiah 22 and Revelation 3 and 7 that when God opens that door, nobody can shut it.

And when God closes that door, nobody can open it. It is a place of refuge because of the strength and power and authority that rests upon Christ's shoulders as he guides and directs the church. Anyone in fellowship with him will be protected and find comfort in whatever situation he or she finds himself or herself.

Christ is our authority and our God. But the shoulder of Christ can also stand for not only just authority, but it can also stand for compassion. You know, we see that idea quite often.

We need a shoulder to cry on. We need a shoulder to bear our burden with us. The wonderful blessing of the shoulder of Christ is not only that it should be our authority of his kingdom, but he also has a shoulder of compassion.

We not only need a shoulder for authority to lead us as we go, we also need a shoulder on which we can cry and to which we can go for help. Jesus has that kind of shoulder. Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. You see, the yoke is that which went around the animal's neck.

And usually there were dual yokes. Often there were dual yokes. And the picture here is that if we will become obedient to Jesus Christ, he will share our yoke of burden with us.

And so he says, Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. And so we see a yoke is worn on the shoulders, usually of animals, but here Jesus likens himself as an animal who will help you carry your burden.

It's a double yoke where he shares that burden with you. Peter also described the shoulder of Jesus, the compassion that he has, by saying, casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. First Peter 5 and verse 7. The writer of the book of Hebrews urges, Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Jesus is there.

He has that shoulder of compassion that we can go to him for comfort and strength. We can see the compassion of Jesus as we stop and think about how Jesus, while on earth, felt compassionately with so many people. You remember the woman that was caught in adultery and the leaders of the Jews brought her and cast her down before Jesus? Jesus knew they weren't concerned about truth.

They should have brought both that they were caught in adultery. But Jesus did not condone her sin, but he was not going to let her be used by those men. He did tell her, go and sin no more.

But he had compassion for her. Think about the compassion that he had for Mary and Martha as they grieved for their brother's death. This, we often say, is the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept.

He had that compassion. He still has that compassion to deal with you, to encourage you and strengthen you. Think about how he dealt with that sinful woman at the well, the Samaritan woman.

He dealt compassionately with her. And so we're thankful that we have a refuge in Jesus where his shoulder can be that for authority to guide and direct us and his shoulder can be that of compassion and tenderness that we can approach him with whatever problem we want. There's nothing too big or too small for what his shoulder is not there for us to cry upon.

Let's be blessed in finding that refuge in Jesus to find that shoulder of authority and compassion.

Thanks for joining us this week and spending time in God's Word. Special thanks to Mac Graham, John Kachelman, and Lightway Media for recording, producing, and making this podcast possible.

If you're ever in the Littleton, New Hampshire area, we'd love to have you join us for worship and Bible study on Sunday afternoons at 4 at the Senior Center. You're always welcome. For more information about this podcast, visit lightweightmedia.com/meditating-on-the-word and find the link there to email me to subscribe to my free weekly newsletter with more information you can use in your personal Bible study.

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Until next week, keep meditating on the Word.