(click image to enlarge) The Key of David
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens ...' "
~ Revelation 3:7 (NKJV)
"The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open."
~ Isaiah 22:22 (NKJV)
In ancient times, keys were worn upon the shoulder, similar to the manner in which insignia of military rank is worn today—a fitting indication of authority and control over something of value.
As Jesus addresses His church in the city of brotherly love, He reminds them that He holds keys to His kingdom, that He holds absolute authority and control over everything—and also that He is holy (Greek hagios – pure and perfect, ultimate goodness personified) and true (Greek alēthinos – genuine and reliable, utterly trustworthy).
Now then, what is that matter over which you are wrestling with the Lord right now? What is He asking you to endure, or overcome, or release? Will you trust His goodness and reliability?
If you trust Him for eternal life, how much more might He be trusted for the temporary stuff in the meantime?
Just asking ...
Lord, please forgive us for all the times we hesitate to live with faith in Your goodness and wisdom. Please help us to follow You through the doors You open, and accept the doors You shut.
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: ancientresource.com
Wow. Powerful sis, bless you.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved the symbolism of keys. Interesting how they were worn on the shoulder. Perspective is hard to grasp sometimes. I'm wrestling with something I hope shrinks down to its right size in my mind somtime soon.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
So glad He holds the keys... There is much going on in my life that can produce anxiety and attempts to throw my emotions into revolt. But I understand I'm going through, not staying in them. He is a great God--Savior, Deliverer, Comforter. I'm going to trust Him.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne.
I love learning facts that deepen the meaning of Scripture, love this! Glad I came by today....Lori
ReplyDeletetemporary, that's the word i need to (as you might say)....wrap my mind around it.
ReplyDeletelike a klutz-juggler in a circus that's tossing too many pins. you gave an apt description of'm too. it's chaos on the Rock. at least i'm on the Rock which gives me some peace of mind about all this.
that's interesting about the keys, too. ...am learning a lot here. you know, i never gave it a thought about thanking my teachers back in grade school. but i thank God and you for what i have learned/still learning about Him here on BHB.
Denise ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the prayers and kind words of encouragement.
Wendy ~
ReplyDeleteI'd be content to wrestle for just a night, once a lifetime. But I'm grateful to receive so many more blessings than Israel knew after his up-close-and-personal encounter with the Lord.
One of the best parts of writing a Bible blog is that I use spare moments to read the Bible and research details like this. They fascinate me as well.
Jason ~
ReplyDeleteI like that. I think of temptation as something we're supposed to go around or over or even through, but never into. So now I can apply that to trials. Cool. Thanks.
Lori ~
ReplyDeleteWow! Where have you been hiding? (Well, I actually do know where Apache Junction is, though it's been about 25 years since I've visited.) I LOVE your blog! I just added it to my RSS feed. I hope to see more of you.
Bud ~
ReplyDeleteJust take it in. Trust God to show you where to work it in. Shalom. : )
Amen! I pray DAILY for the Lord to keep me in the center of His will (per what I learned here) whether I like it or not.
ReplyDeleteT ~
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, you mean that no matter how long He's got you standing on a threshold?
I DO understand how not funny that is. But I just couldn't resist. I've been on the threshold too long to not enjoy company.
Hey Anne, thank you! Yes Apache Junction has changed a bit since then, we actually have an IMAX theater now....Thank you for your kind comments! Lori
ReplyDelete