Look into the Real Mirror
In
a dream on the 18th of May 2011, the Lord woke me up with an amazing
revelation. In that dream I saw my wife admonishing me to “Look
into the Real Mirror.”
I woke up troubled and worried. Since I could not sleep anymore, I fled my bed
to the study room and began to ponder on what that meant. The first thing that
came to my mind is the fact that there is danger in not constantly, daily and
progressively looking into the mirror of God’s word. How often do I look into
the mirror? Do I look more often into other materials that explains the Book
than the real mirror? Have I considered
humans as model more than Jesus the Master? There is danger in not looking into
the real mirror. Today in our age there are several other substitutes to the
real mirror and many even zealous believers have been deceived by them. It is
my desire that as you take the next few minutes to interact with this paper,
the Lord will help you to constantly “Look into the real mirror.”
I found out that only a few verses in the Bible talked about the mirror. But since I was interested in finding the meaning of this revelation, I consulted other Bible Dictionaries: The Holman Bible Dictionary defines a mirror as a polished or smooth surface that produces images by reflection. Throughout the Biblical period, mirrors were made of polished metals (bronze) (Exo. 38:8). Glass mirrors became available only in the late Roman period. Paul’s readers could be expected to appreciate the illustration of the unclear image of a metal mirror when he said:
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Cor 13:12 KJV
“For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].” 1 Cor 13:12 AMP
The Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary 6th Edition defines the mirror, as a piece of special glass that reflects images so that you can see yourself when you look into it. It is possible to listen to the word without accepting it. If we do not pay attention to what we are hearing or listen only to the part that pleases us. The Image of a mirror then illustrates the point well.
“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:23-25 NIV
When James wrote this letter like it was in Paul’s days, mirrors were made of highly polished metals, not glass, and so a persons’ reflection was not as clear and sharp as it is in modern mirrors. That is why someone looking at their face in the mirror would have to do so intently. A mirror only gives a flat image, never a three-dimensional one that shows all the sides of the object being reflected. If we only glance at the Scriptures in a superficial manner, we will not be able to see what God is showing us there or get a good enough grasps of what God is really saying to be able to put His will into practice. Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo
There will always be room for growth in the Church, and while we are growing, we will know and see imperfectly. Corinth was famous for its metal mirrors, so Paul used that as an illustration. One saw only a dim reflection of the real person in those mirrors, just as we see only a dim reflection of God today. But when Christ comes, we shall know Him as we are known by Him! And we shall be like Him!
He who looked into and, as it seemed, through the brazen disc saw a dim reflection of his own or his brother's features or a misty representation of the landscape. But he who sees face to face sees, as by immediate intuition, with nothing to hinder a perfect knowledge of perception. The comparison opens up to us a wonderful and most inspiring view of the perfection of the future, the heavenly state.
Beloved, let me challenge you to reconsider which mirror you are really looking at! I call upon you to “look at the real mirror.” The real mirror is the word of God. The book of James uses the symbol of the mirror to illustrate the word of God.
THE MIRROR PRINCIPLE
“The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain
town, one rich and the other
poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor
man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it
grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and
even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
"Now a traveler came to the
rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle
to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the
ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come
to him." David burned with anger
against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man
who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over,
because he did such a thing and had no pity." Then Nathan said to David, "You are the
man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over
Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house
to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel
and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even
more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his
eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be
your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the
sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the
wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.”
2 Sam 12:1-10 NIV
Nathan was a prophet who had a deep understanding of spiritual concepts. He knew if he approached David directly, he might not take it easy with him. So God gave him the wisdom of presenting a parable to David. It was a mirror of David’s life, but his eyes were not set on the mirror so he could not sense the message immediately. When Nathan finished declaring the message David in anger said, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." David was thinking away from himself and about others and then shamelessly passed his judgment. But he was however shocked when Nathan said to him, “Look into the real mirror.” “Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!” This was a shock to the King, but those piercing words brought David to his senses and then for once in a long time David put his eyes back to the mirror. God reminded him of so many great miracles he had done for him.
“I anointed you king over Israel,
I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
I gave your master's house to you,
and your master's wives into your arms.
I gave you the house of Israel and Judah.
And if all this had been too little,
I would have given you even more.”
Today many of us are like David. God has done so many wonderful things for us and we have suddenly forgotten them all and are no more looking into the real mirror, but into what the world has brought up as a standard. God’s word, the Bible is no longer our focus. We no longer consider it to be of any worth. It has become our last resort. When we are at our wit's end, when we are confronted with challenges and difficulties, we look unto other sources for help and not the Mirror of the word of God. I like to challenge you, dear friend, do not keep your eyes off the real mirror, set your gaze on it daily and you will not lose hope. God has so much to give you if only you can let Him know that you are in need.
He made David King, protected him from angry and jealous Saul, gave him the house of Saul and all his wives, and most of all gave him Israel and Judah. God was ready to even give him more. Hear what he said, “And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.” The good thing about David was that he
repented so quickly of his error and cried out to the Lord.
“Then
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." 2 Sam 12:13
NIV
If
you are going to be frank with yourself, assess your life and find out for sure
which mirror you are looking at. Remember the call here is for you to look into
the real mirror. Have you been overtaken by the mirror of popular opinion, the
mirror of self-gratification, the mirror of it-doesn’t- matter” or the mirror
of willful ignorance? Whatever has deceived you and deviated your focus from
the Master can be treated today. There is a balm in Gilead. God is ready to help
you redirect your interest, your passion, your zeal and your commitment to a fresh
genuine study of the word. It is in them that we find life.
Jesus
admonishes us to, “Search the Scriptures;
for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of
me.” Jn. 5:39
Paul
the Apostle in his old age advised, “Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15
Why
are we constantly leaving in error? We have not made the word our friend. “And
Jesus answering said unto them, “Do ye
not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of
God?” Mrk.12:24 We cannot behave our
becoming when we do not know the truth of God’s promises unto us. Men with
correct knowledge of God’s purposes behave abnormally toward sinful men. It is that
abnormal quality that makes us special and
strange in a world that is full of iniquity and perplexity. My friend the
mystery of iniquity is already working, but those who look daily into the real
mirror will continue conquering and to conquer. As you commit yourself to
look into the real mirror of the word of God, something new will little by
little begin to burn within your heart, as the Scripture is unfolded to you by
the author Himself. When Jesus met those
two hopeless disciples on the way to Emmaus, they had the same experience and, “Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the Scriptures.” Lk. 24:45 Remember, “For whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope.” Ro:15:4:
“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” Gen 37:5-11 NIV
In spite of Joseph’s mistakes, God watched over his word to perfect it. Many years down the road, when Joseph himself has become old and he had the opportunity to look into the mirror of destiny and he saw practically what he had dreamt about years ago. His brothers who sold him out came falling down before his face and saying, “Behold we are your servants.”
Lastly,
let me draw your attention to one very important conclusion. A mirror is a pattern an exemplar, that on which men
ought to fix their eyes, that which gives a true representation or in which a
true image may be seen.
Honestly, many great patriarchs came lived and
went, but none of them is a perfect example as Jesus the pattern Son. I challenge you to make him
your example, to fix your eyes on him who is the true representation of the
Father. It is in Him alone that we can see in the dark, confused, and rotten
generation a complete example of success, victory over sin, wisdom for living, etc. He himself said, ‘For I have given
you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.” Jn.13:15 Paul in
two of his letter said this:
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