The Rosetta Stone
“When
He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you
into all truth; for He will not speak on His own
authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and
He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me
for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to
you” (John 16:13-14)
You can get a lot
of information about the “Rosetta
Stone” on various websites, or if you prefer,
go to a library and read about it – I recommend
that you do, for it’s an interesting story. The
Rosetta Stone is a monument that was accidentally
discovered in 1798, at Rosetta (Rashid), near the
mouth of the Nile River, in Egypt. It was stumbled
upon by an officer who was participating in
Napoleon’s Egyptian Expedition. The Rosetta Stone
is a black basalt slab inscribed in three languages,
including the form of Greek that was commonly used
in 200 BC, and it also contained inscriptions in two
distinct forms of Egyptian writing – the older, more
complicated hieroglyphics and the simpler
communication
of the Egyptian people. The Greek language on the
Rosetta Stone was well-known in 1898, when the Stone
was discovered, but the Egyptian languages depicted
on it had been “dead” to our understanding for
hundreds of years. The Greek words on the monument
were painstakingly compared with the Egyptian
writing – all three said the same thing, and within
a few decades, the literature and history on other
stones of Egypt became open to the understanding of
the modern world. Now humanity understood those
languages; and the OTHER writings of Egypt, in the
tombs and elsewhere, could be translated.
The Rosetta Stone,
though it was not itself alive, brought an ancient
culture to “life,” one which had been “dead” for a
very long time. In a somewhat similar manner, God
has given the world a way to understand much that
has been lost to mankind. This is not a stone or
something like a genie’s lamp, but instead God has
presented us a Person, Himself God, who is given to
the people of God, bringing understanding. He
is called the Holy Spirit. It is humanity that
was "dead" and the Spirit of God gives us life. Isaiah the Prophet
referred to the Spirit in Isaiah 61:1, as the Person
who came “upon” Isaiah,
enabling him to understand that which he could not
otherwise know. In Acts 5:3-4, Peter the Apostle
refers to the Spirit as a Person, calling Him, “God.”
This is the same
Holy Spirit who has been with humanity from the
beginning, for we find Him at creation, “hovering
over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
He fills a need in us not unlike the “Rosetta
Stone,” letting us understand that which is
otherwise unknowable. But He’s not an inanimate
object like that monument and He’s much more than a
mere source of information like a computer
program. He’s indeed a Person, the One who “will
guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
The world is full
of information, probably too much, and you have to
wonder: How much of it is true? We learn through
our five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and
hearing, and we are given minds that can combine
sensory input into new ideas. Some say there is a
“sixth sense,” an “extra-sensory” ability to
comprehend reality, but that is not the truth needed.
“Extra-sensory” experiences actually come from the
supernatural and the person who seeks them can ruin
themselves and the lives of others.
Jesus said, “I
am the way, the truth and the life” (John
14:6) and He is the One who sends “the
Spirit of truth” to us from the Father - the
Holy Spirit of God (John 15:26). “Extra-sensory”
experiences lead us astray, but to trust in Jesus
Christ is to receive the Holy Spirit of God and find
the truth.
The armies of
Napoleon had no intention of opening the culture of
ancient Egypt when they traveled to North Africa.
All they were trying to do was carry out the wishes
of Napoleon Bonaparte of France, who wanted
to conquer the world. It’s interesting that the
most lasting accomplishment of those armies was to
find the Rosetta Stone.
Saul of Tarsus,
who later became Paul the Apostle, was not seeking
the Lord when he traveled the Damascus Road, “breathing
threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”
(Acts 9:1-2). Not unlike the French officer who
found the Rosetta Stone, Saul found something
infinitely better than his original intention. The
Lord literally knocked Saul to the ground (Acts
9:4), spoke to him (Acts 9:5-6) and permanently
changed him, enabling him to receive the Holy Spirit
of God (Acts 9:17).
What “road” are
you on today? What intention is central to your
life? Do you aim to conquer that which belongs to
someone else? Saul wanted to change the thinking of
Christ’s disciples, people who were far happier than
he was. Are you like that? Are you “breathing
threats and murder” against something or
someone, not unlike Saul or the armies that were
invading Egypt in 1798?
Please note, and
this is very important: any “conquest” you might
achieve in life is only temporary. Whatever or
whoever you conquer will just be lost to you
eventually, and when you think about it, you already
know it. Additionally, you also know that any threats and murderous thoughts
you have will
ultimately rebound back upon you.
Down inside, you
want the truth. You are tired of the maze of
information that is partial at best, filled with
errors and is often misleading. Jesus said, “You
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free” (John 8:32), going on to describe “sin”
as the force in this world that enslaves us (John
8:34). “The Son (Jesus
Christ) makes you free”
from sin, and He is the Source of the Holy Spirit of
God, who “will guide you into
all truth” (John 16:13).
The French officer
thought he was in North Africa to kill some people,
win a few campaigns and conquer Egypt. Instead he
found the Rosetta Stone, opening a whole
civilization and a “new” way of looking at life to
mankind. Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus
to beat up a few people, kill them if necessary,
divide families and send them into prison or
slavery. Instead he encountered the Risen Christ,
who saved him, gave him the Holy Spirit and through
this reluctant, surprised man, revolutionized the
world.
Where are you
“going” today? It’s time to consider that the Lord
has a different direction for your life, one that is
far greater than anything you ever expected. Let’s
pray:
Father, let me be
like Saul of Tarsus, who found the Risen Christ and
was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Do this for
me out of Your love. Forgive me of my sins and save
me, fill me now. Give me YOUR direction for my
life. Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
