Bound Up Love
Today’s Verse:
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; ~Genesis 44:30
If you have ever sent a package by mail, you know the importance of wrapping it very securely so that the packaging does not come apart while it is in transit. Wrapping it securely requires extra heavy wrapping paper, a lot of tape, and, sometimes, tying strong strings around it. Our passage this morning describes the love that Jacob had for his youngest son, Benjamin. It describes his love as: “his life is bound up in the lad’s life.” This means his life was all about Benjamin. He lived for and would die for Benjamin. Would you meditate with me this morning on the thought that “his life is bound up in the lad’s life?”
There is the meaning.
Bound up means tied together. It is the same idea in 1 Samuel 18:1: “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.” It speaks of a relationship that is inseparable and unbreakable. In the context of the verse, Jacob’s soul was bound together with the soul of Benjamin. Jacob’s heart was for the wellbeing and best interest of Benjamin. Take away Benjamin and that would be taking away Jacob’s life! Take away Benjamin and Jacob would have no purpose.
There is the ministry.
Our Heavenly Father is bound up in our lives! He loves us with an inseparable love. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus! God knows our heartbeat! God knows our worries and concerns. His Spirit is bound up with our spirit. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. He pours Himself into us over and over again. He comforts us in our time of sorrow. He pours the salve of Heaven into our wounded soul. He calms us in our most anxious moments. His ministry is that of a Comforter Who comes alongside us.
There is the Mediator.
“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” The life of Jesus was bound up in one central thought: He had to lay down His life for every sinner. His soul was bound up in the life of every sinner. His entire ministry was to seek and to save that which was lost. He was the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world. His soul was bound up to bring every man to God through His death on the cross. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
There is the missionary.
All of us are missionaries, or representatives, of the gospel message for every sinner. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We are to stand between the living and the dead. As a missionary, our soul is to be bound up in the life of the sinner. When we think that the love of Christ constraineth us, it is a compelling consideration that our soul is to be bound up in the life of the sinner. To be bound up in the soul of another is to say, like Paul, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” It is to pray, “My prayer and heart’s desire is that they might be saved!”
Is your soul bound up in anger, anxiety, or trouble? Or is it bound up in the life of another? Find your life in serving and ministering to others. Are you discouraged? Be comforted that the Father’s heart is bound up within your life!
Have a confident God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Judges 3-5