ARK OF BULRUSHES

This was the topic of the sermon i received in the church today given by the preacher.i’ve added some personal thoughts of mine too in this Notes presented here

The reference portion read was Exodus Chapter 2:1-6,Where the child Moses was put into a ark of bulrushes and floated in the Nile rever..The verse 2:3(in KJV the terms used in the verse for the plant are Bulrush,flags)  was taken for today’s Sermon and the preacher gave a good comparison of bulrush with our spiritual Life..There are many other terms used for this plant such as Rush,reed…

Bulrush is a wetland plant which grows mainly nearby the shores of rivers and it can grow more than 10 feet tall..There are many references of bulrush in Bible,especially in Matthew 11:7(the term used here synonymously is reed) where Jesus describes the nature of the plant as “swayed by every breath of wind”,and in Job 8:11(the term used here is Rush) which describes the plant grows in Myre…and in Job 40:21(reed is used here),The behomoth lies under the covert of the reed..

So,our Life before we knew and accepted Christ is like a Bulrush where we grew in Myre( of SIN),and gave Habitat and covert for Behomoth(satan),but then We were axed from the myre of sin ,through the Sword(The word of God) which also removes the Behomoth .After we’re axed from the Myre,we’re cleansed with Water(Baptism in name of Father,son and Holy spirit).

The preacher here elaborated regarding Baptism which means we must be completely dipped in water ,so that we die for sin and live for righteousness..The child baptism given in certain churches doesn’t conform to the original meaning of baptism and biblical ideology of baptism(i do personally agree with this view too)..

After cleansing the Bulrush flag is twined or combined with another Bulrush flag(Holy fellowship with other God’s people ) through which it gains strength.Then it is made into a Ark(or Box in local terms), which still has some pores in it(we still may’ve some defects though we would’ve come to God and not’ve realised them)coz of these pores the ark might sink when it is put insde water(these shortcomings may bring problems and judgement of God and make us sink in the sorrow in this  world) ,which is then daubed with with slime and then with pitch(Truthful sermons and criticisms fed in which makes us realise our shortcomings and rectify them and also receiving Holy spirit,who convicts our sin and make us to lead a life of purity).Here the preacher made it clear ,that it is mandatory to receive the Holy spirit.And also we must not make holy spirit regret  by doing sinful activities after we recieve Holy spirit,and must not Bring Blashpemy to the name of God and Holy spirit by our bad testimony of Life..

After the Ark is daubed,it is then dried up in the sun(persecution phase in christian life).Though it is made to dry up ,yet it doesnot perish coz this process is happening under the supervision of Sun(Sun of Righteousness-God)..So,whatever persecution,Tribulations,Temptations we might face and suffer,we will not perish .God allows them in our life to mould and shape us(I personally has experienced the trueness of this fact,But sometimes Sufferings do come because of our own mistakes and doing things which God had told not to do…That’s a different category).After the box is dried up,The child was put inside (in Exodus 2:3)..The child put in there was Moses,who was the redeemer of Israel.In the same way we’ve to take inside the Redeemer of World,Jesus Christ..Whose nature is like that of a Child and who can make our heart like that of a child,once we follow,trust and Love Him.As Jesus Himself as said “He who doesn’t become like a Child,shall not enter God’s Kingdom”..

So,after everything is over The box was  put into the river and carried to Pharoah’s daughter.She accepted the child because of it’s beauty(though it was a hebrew Child) and decided to adopt..In the same way we must be put in this world as a Testimony for God ,and by our way of living and Beautiness of our character,we must be accepted by everyone and make people accept God through Us too..Our Life Testimony  is the Best Gospel that can be shared anytime..

Finally the preacher gave the alter call,asking people to reassess themselves as in what stage they’re ..either as still raw bulrush dwelling in myre ,or as uncompleted ark..And asked to turn back to God.It really made me personally to reassess myself and to frankly accept there are still certain pores which needs to be filled and daubed in me..