And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. Exodus 2:22
Do you know anyone by the name of Gershom? If so, that person is most likely Jewish. Some 10,700 people in the world have the name Gershom, and most if not all are Jewish. The name comes from Moses’ eldest son after he married Zipporah in Midian, as our text relates. The name means exile, or directly translated, ‘a stranger there’. When he gave his son that name, Moses was no doubt reflecting on the sharp contrast between his shepherd life in Midian and his former life in Egypt’s royal palace. In this, we can see how the Lord Jesus could relate to this name when He ‘was made flesh and dwelt among us’.
No humans language contains the words to accurately and fully describe the magnificence and glory of Heaven, although the latter chapters of Revelation are some help. The words ‘though He was rich’ refer to wealth and power far beyond our grasp. The communion with His Father, the adoration of angelic beings, the splendour of that sinless and radiant place are just words compared to their reality. And that is what the Lord Jesus left behind when He ‘was made flesh and dwelt among us’.
Recall the words of 2 Corinthians 8:9: ‘For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich’. How poor He became! A childhood in a carpenter’s home in Nazareth would have been humble at best. An itinerant Preacher seeking no remuneration for His preaching and miracles would have nothing but the gifts of faithful followers. As a Prisoner and execution Victim in the hands of the Roman soldiers, He would be deprived of all but the cross He carried and the crown of thorns He wore. What a contrast to His home above!
Today we appreciate how our Saviour stepped into strangerhood in this world, that He might save us to share His eternal glories. – Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/o_gjejllJMY