"Bull of the woods" is a phrase I heard when I was growing up for people who like to think they are "in charge". This idea and spirit resides in those who have not yet crucified the flesh. Their whole attitude is:
I'M in charge!
You can't tell ME what to do!
This is MY territory!
They are totally SELF-centered. This person never thinks of others, or if they do, it's "what can THEY do for ME? I'm the ONE that's important".
A self-centered person will not learn the spirit of submission until they learn how to "crucify the flesh."
Exo 29:13 -14 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering. (NKJV)
Exo 29:36 And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement... (NKJV)
There are a few things I took note of in the scriptures above.
1. When the priests were given instruction on how to sacrifice animals, when it came to the "bullock" they were told to take the "inside parts" of the animal and sacrifice them on the altar, but to take the "outside of the animal" and take it "outside the camp" and burn it. Get rid of it. Don't let it come near the altar of sacrifice.
2. This sacrifice was made EVERYDAY!
The points I want to make are:
When it's time to pray our flesh will respond with resistance, it will kick-up and let you know, "I don't want to go to the altar today", but we learn to keep pushing ourselves and bringing ourselves to the altar of sacrifice.
The struggle within doesn't come from our soul, for the soul longs to be in His presence. The struggle comes from the busyness of life. We have things to do, places to go, people to see, schedules to meet, ideas to fulfill, and the world to contend with. It's not because we don't WANT to pray, because our heart draws us to a place of prayer where we commune with our great God. Whenever a child of God begins thinking about the Lord they want to go spend time with Him. It's just a struggle to drop everything and sit at His feet, therefore bringing a demand for us to "crucify the flesh outside the camp".
I've always thought I needed to "take my flesh to the altar" and crucify it there, but reading the scriptures this morning I saw it a little differently. On my way to the place of prayer I have to take my flesh, my earthly desires, my "me" attitude, outside of "Camp Devotion" and burn it and leave it in a heap of ashes in order to come into His presence. It's then, and only then I can come to the altar of sacrifice . It's here the Master Potter can "mold me and shape me after His will". My world then slips away and I enter into the Holy of Holies! When I've been in His presence my attitude changes to "not MY will, but THY will be done", and I forget that I was at one time the "bull of the woods".
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2 comments:
I needed to hear this today! I struggle getting into the pray mode and then into His presence. Now I realize that it begins outside the pray closet. I must take the skin of my present and past, hang it on the rusty nails of Calvary, enter His presence and take on his nature and His mind.
Bro. Merritt, I'm glad you enjoyed this. It was a difficult post for me to write, but I'm so glad to know it blessed someone out there in the "blogosphere". To God be the Glory!
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