Christ: The Tent Peg (Nail)     

Scripture: Isaiah 22:21-23; Ezra 9:8

"From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler." Zech 10:4

"I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father. All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots--all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars. "In that day," declares the LORD Almighty, "the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down." The LORD has spoken." Isaiah 22: 21-25

Hang all your cares on the tent peg

Christ isn't only the cornerstone but he is a nail driven in a sure place upon which we can hang our burdens, and anxieties and worries. Christ is the one who bears all our grief and sorrows. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

David said in Psalm 37:1-7, Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

A reporter was interviewing a widow, who had successfully raised a very large family. In addition to six children of her own, she had adopted 12 other youngsters, and through it all she had maintained stability and confidence. When asked the secret of her outstanding accomplishment, her answer to the newsman was quite surprising. She said, "I managed so well because I'm in a partnership!" "What do you mean?" he inquired. The woman replied, "Many years ago I said, 'Lord, I'll do the work and you do the worrying.' And I haven't had an anxious care since."

We could all profit by following the example of that mother. When we carry our part of the load, we need not be disturbed by the demands of life that other people and circumstances impose on us.

"If we worry, we can't trust; if we trust, we can't worry." Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. You are not able to bear it and it overwhelms you, but it is as nothing to Christ. It will never overwhelm Him. He upholds everything by the Word of His power. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) Paul said in Philippians, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6,7

What a wonderful relationship we have with Christ represented by this figure of a nail or tent peg.

What should we do when the day is dark and the shadows of life are deep and our circumstances overwhelm us? First we must remember that before we can know Christ as our nail we must know Him as our foundation / cornerstone. Once we are inside the fold and built on the foundation then we can enjoy our relationship with Christ as our nail upon which we can hang all our anxieties and cares.

Hang all the glory on the tent peg.

All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots--all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars. (Isaiah 22:24)

A great portion of the wealth of people in the Middle East, consisted in gold and silver vessels and in changes of clothing. These as well as the shields, swords and suits of amour taken in battle were hung on a peg or nail on the wall in a conspicuous place. It was there for the admiration of any one who passed by.

Isn't this instructive? God wants us to hang all our possessions, talents, affections and our love on Christ. All our best belongs to the Lord, who purchased us by His precious blood on the cross. All of it must be consecrated to Him. Everything whether great of small is dedicated to Him. All our offerings large or small are His.

"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another." (Isaiah 42: 8,11)

The Prayer. (Ezra 9:8)

"And now for a little space, grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage." (KJV)

Ezra offers this prayer and praise to God. This should be our prayer as His people.

A Remnant

REMNANT is defined as something left over, especially the righteous people of God after divine judgment. Several Hebrew words express the remnant idea:

  • Yether, that which is left over

  • She'ar, that which remains.

  • She'rith, residue

  • Pelitah, one who escapes

  • Sarid, a survivor

  • Sheruth, one loosed from bondage.

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    Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and other O.T. writers spoke in glowing terms of how the remnant, the returned exiles to Jerusalem, would prosper (8:6-17; 9:9-17; 14:1-21). Ezra recognized the people who had returned to Jerusalem as members of the remnant, but in danger of re-enacting the sins of the past (9:7-15).

    In one sense Christians are a remnant, that which has escaped from judgment. Paul speaks of this in 1 Cor. 10: 13, where he said, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

    A Firm Place in His sanctuary.

    I will drive him like a peg into a firm place. he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father.

    What does this mean?

    To understand this you need to visualize the Jewish place of worship. The tabernacle and temple consisted in a courtyard in which was the brazen altar, the laver of washing. Then was the tabernacle in which there were two rooms. First the Holy place where was the golden lamp stand, the table of shew bread and the altar of incense. Oil was kept in the lamp stand, bread on the table and incense was kept burning in the alter. Assigned priests went into the holy place continually to keep the light burning and the prayers of the people going upward. It was all a picture of worship and communion with a holy God. In the most holy place, was the Ark of the Covenant in which was kept some Manna, Aaron's Rod that budded and the Tables of the Law. The high priest went into The Most Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people.

    We need to pray just as Ezra did that we will have a nail or a firm place of fellowship and communion with God. Do you have that kind of relationship with God?

    Light to the Eyes

    "And so our God gives light to our eyes." Ezra had just expressed his dismay and was not even able to lift up His face to the Lord. He said, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God. But when Ezra recognized the grace of God shown to them, he said that God had enlightened their eyes. What does this mean? It means that God had brought him from shame to cheerfulness or bright eyes. God had brought them from confusion of face to bright eyes or cheerfulness.

    Reviving and relief in our bondage

    One thing we can be sure of us that God does not want us to be in bondage. If the son of Man shall make you free, you will be free indeed.

    Reviving (Hebrew: michyah, mikh-yaw'); is preservation of life, sustained and refreshed.

    Do you see this today? When God gives is a nail or firm hold in fellowship He delivers us from shame and gives us a cheerful face and delivers us from the things that tend to hold us in bondage.

    Permanence (Isaiah 22:23,24)

    "I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father. All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots--all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars."

    When the Father drives His son like a peg into a firm place he will not or cannot be moved. It is permanent. He is there to stay.

    At a missionary meeting on the island of Raratonga, in the Pacific Ocean, an old man, who wished to join the Church, rose and said, "I have lived during the reign of four kings. In the first we were continually at war, and a fearful season, there was watching and hiding with fear. During the reign of the second we were overtaken with a severe famine, and all expected to perish; then we ate rats and grass and this wood and that wood. During the third we were conquered, and became the peck and prey of the two other settlements of the island; then if a man went to fish he rarely ever returned, or if a woman went far away to fetch food she was rarely ever seen again. But during the reign of this third king we were visited by another King, a great King, a good King, a peaceful King, a King of love, Jesus, the Lord from Heaven. He has gained the victory. He has conquered our hearts; therefore we now have peace and plenty in this world, and hope soon to dwell with Him in Heaven."

    This great King is the Lord of Glory. Because he lives and rules over us, we have peace and soon will live with Him in glory.

    Jesus Christ is not only the cornerstone upon which we are being built nut he is also the nail or peg driven in a sure place that can never be removed. My friends today, hang all your cares and burdens on Him, He will carry them for you. Hang all the glory on Christ. If you are successful in any Christian work, don't take the glory for yourself. Hang it all upon Him. He is the only peg in a sure place that can never be taken way.

    One time the nail was sheared off and fell. That happened at the cross when He died for your sins and became sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God. However, He arose again and is now the nail, driven by the father in a sure place so that we can never be ashamed again. Trust Him, rely upon His grace and power and he will sustain you.



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