A Change Through Clothing

We have come with faith and trust, ready to take the even deeper plunge into the hope we have in Jesus.  

The word, conferred, was used yesterday, when we said that Jesus conferred a new name on the twelve chosen disciples. If to confer, is to bestow something that is greater or better upon someone, if it is to give a person an honour, a name, a title, then we are on the right track in saying that Jesus conferred a new name or title, when He named them apostles.

We now look at what Jonathan has done in his putting his robe, his clothes, on David. Here are facts to keep ever in mind.

• Jonathan is royalty. David is ordinary.

• Jonathan is the flesh and blood son of the king. David is the flesh and blood son of a peasant, Jesse.

• Jonathan is used to life in a palace, with servants waiting on him. David is used to life as a shepherd’s son, serving sheep.

• Jonathan only wore clothes befitting a king’s son. David only wore clothes befitting a shepherd’s son.

  
  

We can go on and on, but suffice it to say, David was not like Jonathan. It means that when he put his robe on David, in a very sweet, loving and deeply inclusive way, in spirit really, he conferred on David what he was not before. Think with your heart, soul, mind and strength. Hasn’t Jonathan, in this one single act, even, of dressing David like himself, conferred a new name, a new image, a new personality if you like, which came strictly, as the visible joining of their love covenant? Is it not deeply humbling, deftly sobering and absolutely demanding of self-denial, when these very deep facts hit you, as you delve further and further down?

David NEVER asked to share Jonathan’s title, clothes, or anything else. It was all Jonathan’s covenant acts. 

David NEVER ever refused to accept all the self-offering of covenant love, which Jonathan gave to him.

Is it not true, in a covered, almost hidden kind of way that David became like Jonathan? Look at David now! Is he not wearing his covenant partner’s robe? Doesn’t he look like Jonathan now? But lift your minds’ eye higher, let faith take you on higher ground and what do your eyes of faith see? The very love that Jonathan bore for David, the love wherewith he loved him as himself, the covenant spirit of love is now seen in David, as they become one in spirit.

Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

Now, because of the intimacy of it all, we are proceeding, making everything personally yours.  

Holy, Enabling Spirit, You who love me with an everlasting love, grant me, even now, in my poor, low, unworthy state, Your unbending Truth. You are the Spirit of Hope and Truth. Please capture me, clothe me, comfort me, and control me, that I may be still and silent before You to receive all that is given to me. Let, no fighting, no resisting, no gainsaying, no excusing, no defying and no self-piety be found in me. As unworthy as I am, teach me to look at Jesus’ Sacrificial Love and His Love only that I may die to me and be clothed with His clothes. Amen! 

With the covenant picture before us, where Jonathan loved David as his own soul, we saw how Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David. Don’t miss these four most intimately personal and totally giving words, where the honesty of love just takes your breath away. Jonathan, the king’s son, took off the robe that was on him. Jonathan had many robes, I can assure you. He had many servants also, and could have easily ordered one of them to go fetch one of his many robes, to give to David. O how this covenant relationship love gave of himself. He gave the very robe that was on his back to David, who had no such robe and who never ever had such a robe of spiritual, covenant love. O how this moves me in ways I can’t even begin to express. What about you?

When you look at Jonathan, don’t you see Jesus? When you look at David, don’t you see you? Hasn’t Jesus done the same, for you? He took the clothes that He was wearing and placed them on you, so that you could take off your worn garments and wear His worn garments.  You never asked Jesus for His clothes. He offered them to you. He gave them to you when you made covenant with Him. When you loved Him, because He loved you and you remained in Him and He in you, you became different as He conferred on you Himself.

We must carry on with this tomorrow! However, I am deeply constrained to leave you with this altogether, breath-taking honesty of love. May it leave you victoriously and beautifully dead, as it has done to me, so that I might live. Ponder this!

Jesus, Son of Sovereign God, took off His Robe of Righteousness that was on Him. Jesus had many robes, I can assure you. He had many servants also, and could have easily ordered one of them to go fetch one of His many robes, to give to you.  O how this covenant relationship love gave of Himself. He gave the very Robe that was on His back to you, who had no such robe and who never ever had such a robe of Spiritual, covenant love. You became like Jesus, when He gave you His Righteousness.

A sinner am I of utter wretchedness,

Now Love has clothed me in His righteousness.