“All your robes are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia.” (Psalm 45:8)
“Note that not only is Jesus most sweet, but even his garments are so; everything that he has to do with is perfumed by his person. All his garments are thus fragrant; not some of them, but all. To attempt to spiritualise each spice here mentioned would be unprofitable, the evident sense is that all sweetnesses meet in Jesus, and are poured forth wherever he is present. Oh, to behold him with his perfumed garments on! The very smell of him from afar ravishes our spirit.” (Charles Spurgeon)
The garments of our lives are infused with His aroma! From out of the dazzling whiteness of the inner walls of the palace inlaid with ivory, the Bridegroom arises to fetch His bride amidst the sound of celebration and song!
Those who belong to Him are saturated with His fragrance and eagerly await the moment of His coming! Their eyes are fixed upon the Author and Finisher of their faith; their ears alert to the sound of shofar, piercing the heavens to the beat of horses hooves. Let nothing detract from the living hope that abides within nor cast shadows, for the one who steals, kills and destroys knows that his time is short. Don’t wait, don’t wait…!
In the year 1490 there was a big gathering of the congregations of all the Jewish community in Spain, near Barcelona. This Jewish community flourished in positions in government, and prospered to the point where they were talking to each other,
asking, ‘What can we do to make our identity as Jews stronger?’ One of them suggested, ‘You know how rich we have become! Let’s send a message to Istanbul that we want to buy the land of Israel back from the Turks. We will pay whatever price they want. We’ll return to the Holy Land and rebuild the temple!’
There was complete unity and great excitement at this suggestion so they appointed three representatives from the community to go from Spain to Istanbul to negotiate terms with the Pasha in Turkey and return. Travel in those days was long and arduous and they set aside twelve months for this venture. In the meantime, they decided they would open new yeshivas for Kohanim (Priests) to learn Kedoshim (holiness) for Levi’im (Levites) to study music, and their joy was unbounded! They decided they would meet the following year on Rosh Chodesh Elul in the year 1491.
The year passed quickly and they all assembled again to receive feed back from the emissaries.
‘We got a great price! We are buying the Holy Land!’
Everyone was ecstatic until suddenly one in their midst stood up and said,
‘Who gave us the right to buy the Holy Land? The Lord drove us out from the Holy Land, so we don’t have the right to go back unless we have a sign from heaven!’
The people immediately responded with indignation.
‘Are you crazy? Do you need a bigger sign? We have the money! The Pasha wants to sell it to us, and we want to go!’
However, a wedge had been driven and the poison had found entrance. There were already two parties, one said, ‘White,’ and one said, ‘No! That’s red!’
They decided to wait another year, until Rosh Chodesh Elul, 1492, and everybody knows that on Tisha b’Av that year they were driven out of Spain. Do you know what the problem is? When the right moment arrives, Don’t wait, don’t wait . . .
