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REFRESHMENT

And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there refreshed himself. 2 Samuel 16:14

The crossing of the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land is a type and foreshadow of our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. God promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years due to their rebellious disobedience to enter, by a miraculous parting of the river waters, Israel entered into that promise. The River Jordan, then, is a type of the cross of Jesus Christ. As Christ’s atoning sacrifice is the access to the promises of Christ and inheritance in Christ.

After Absalom usurped the throne in Jerusalem, David fled instead of fighting his son. He encountered difficulties along the way. He received heartbreaking news from Ziba that Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, whom David treated as his own son, betrayed him. Then Shimei hurled curses at David and threw stones at him. Moreover, his nephew, Abishai, wanted to shed Shimei’s blood on behalf of David, and the fleeing king knew that kind of retaliation was wrong. Wearied from the journey and all he suffered along the way, in reaching the river bank, he was refreshed. Though we have been saved by God’s grace, we encounter various trials along the way in our spiritual sojourn. While David refreshed himself at the west bank of the river, we also refresh ourselves at the foot of the cross where we first received salvation. At Mount Calvary, when we look up with spiritual eyes, we do not see our battered, bloodied Lord Jesus hanging upon that tree. He has already suffered and died, was buried, has risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven. This is our victory. The cross is blood-stained, but empty. The borrowed tomb is also empty. Yet, heaven is filled with all joy, as the trials we suffer produce patience in us at the cross (Jas 1:2-4); and the wisdom we need, which we ask for by faith (Jas 1:5-8), is found at an empty, blood-stained cross, so by heavenly wisdom, we may see the victory of atoning grace time and again with the eyes of our hearts. This is true, spiritual refreshment in Christ. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

9/20 Reading Portions: 2 Samuel 16; 2 Corinthians 9; Ezekiel 23; Psalm 70-71