For the Lord has chosen Zion. He has desired it for His dwelling place: "This is my resting place forever. Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions. I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. There I will make a horn to sprout for David. I have prepared a lamp for My anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on Him His crown will shine."
(Verses 13-18)
It's always God's choice whether we like it or not. He's God and gets to do whatever He wants. In light of that, God chose where He wanted to dwell on Earth. In a temple above the ark in the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem, which is also called Zion. But Zion is only a type--a picture of the eternal city of God. I marvel at the mind of God. When He threw the earth into space, He clearly decided to make it resemble in form and beauty, heaven, where there is a luscious garden through which a river pounds and fruit-bearing trees hang heavy with fruit. Earth was peopled first with perfection, and God walked there in holy fellowship with man and woman. We are not the preeminent and heaven a type. It's the other way round. Which means that from before the before, God chose a thing. To create humanity for fellowship with the Godhead. Made us body, soul and spirit--a triunity, like He is (Genesis 1:26). Of course, He knew what we would do with that kind of power. Had redemption to the real heaven in mind when He asked the man and the woman why they were hiding from Him after their rebellious act of crunching into sin. But our Father is stubborn. "It will be what I declare it to be!" And the Son knew He'd come to Earth to pronounce the will of the Father to be that we live forever with Him in the real Zion.
The divine plan promised a "horn" to rise up in Zion. A sprout from the seed of David. This powerful ruler would wear a shining crown and decimate His enemies. Who knew He'd be born in a manger and die on a cross? A strange choice. But God has desires. Think about that. Our God has yearnings like He created in us. Our hearts entwined with His aren't far from the passion that is the percussion of eternity--beating for us, thrumming His love. Our Father has chosen us out of His desire to be with us. And that is what Jesus came to do...be with us.
Zechariah was the priest chosen by the casting of lots to enter the Holy of Holies to plead for the sins of the people and burn incense. The glory of God was there. An awesome responsibility. Holy fear accompanied each priest who entered the holy place. The presence of God is enough to throw a man on his face. Kill him, even. So, with some trepidation, Zechariah approached the altar. Did he dare ask God for a son? His wife was barren. This was the one time in his life he would be in the Holy Presence. Perhaps he did, for suddenly, a mighty angel appeared at the right side of the altar. As Zechariah stood trembling with fear, the angel said: "Don't be afraid. Your prayers to God for a son have been heard. Name him John. He will be full of the Holy Spirit from the womb and he will prepare the way for Messiah." Zechariah doubted. He was made unable to speak until the birth of his child, John. God chose to do it this way. But when the priest could speak at the birth of his son, he knew what God had chosen: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David...that we should be saved from our enemies and all those who hate us, to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant...to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear (Luke 1)." At this dedication of John, Zechariah's infant son, the prophet raised the baby up to God: "And you, son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways." And so God answered the prayer of a fatherless priest at the same time He changed the course of history.
A few months later, Mary lay in a manger in Bethlehem where the horned sheep and goats rested on the hay that was scattered about her birthing room and delivered a Lamb. The same Lamb Who later walked into the throne room in the real Zion covered with the blood of His redeeming sacrifice. Heaven was waiting breathless. There was more redemptive work to be done. There was the rest of God's plan to be carried out. But there was no one in heaven worthy to do it. The Son, gone to Earth, was vacant from His place in Zion. Then an angel declared to John, the apostle who recorded this sight, to stop weeping and wailing because no one could be found to open the scrolls that record the story of the rest of earth's history. What would become of the planet after Jesus. "Weep no more. Look!! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered!"(Revelation 5) At that moment, a Lamb was standing there. And He looked as though He'd been slain as a sacrifice. It was He who took the scroll from the hand of God. Then heaven let loose! Sang a new song of praise. And Jesus took up the work of reigning over the rest of time.
As the rest of history plays out before us in our calamitous and amoral world and in our own little worlds, it's comforting to know that God has a plan. For me. For the world. For eternity. And it revolves around His choice to dwell with us in His kingdom forever. All that happens in the interim is about bringing us to the Holy City where He's chosen to reign forever. Down to the tiniest detail, God's sovereign will is worked out for us. The world in which we live is the surreal. The City to which we are destined by His love to inhabit is the real, the everlasting, the true Zion of which we are only a shadow. This God Who is in control of all of history, this God Whose will is the only thing driving the events of our planet, this God Who knows how it will all go down, this God loves me. This must be why Zechariah declared we would be able to "serve Him without fear." As the temple lamps were never extinguished, so heaven's Light, Jesus, illuminates the Holy City as it does the temples of our bodies in which He lives by the Holy Spirit. A lamp that never dims, showing us the way home. The Lamb now sits majestic on His throne in heaven, His crown reflecting the brilliance of the emerald rays of light that circle around Him. His resting place forever.
(Verses 13-18)
It's always God's choice whether we like it or not. He's God and gets to do whatever He wants. In light of that, God chose where He wanted to dwell on Earth. In a temple above the ark in the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem, which is also called Zion. But Zion is only a type--a picture of the eternal city of God. I marvel at the mind of God. When He threw the earth into space, He clearly decided to make it resemble in form and beauty, heaven, where there is a luscious garden through which a river pounds and fruit-bearing trees hang heavy with fruit. Earth was peopled first with perfection, and God walked there in holy fellowship with man and woman. We are not the preeminent and heaven a type. It's the other way round. Which means that from before the before, God chose a thing. To create humanity for fellowship with the Godhead. Made us body, soul and spirit--a triunity, like He is (Genesis 1:26). Of course, He knew what we would do with that kind of power. Had redemption to the real heaven in mind when He asked the man and the woman why they were hiding from Him after their rebellious act of crunching into sin. But our Father is stubborn. "It will be what I declare it to be!" And the Son knew He'd come to Earth to pronounce the will of the Father to be that we live forever with Him in the real Zion.
The divine plan promised a "horn" to rise up in Zion. A sprout from the seed of David. This powerful ruler would wear a shining crown and decimate His enemies. Who knew He'd be born in a manger and die on a cross? A strange choice. But God has desires. Think about that. Our God has yearnings like He created in us. Our hearts entwined with His aren't far from the passion that is the percussion of eternity--beating for us, thrumming His love. Our Father has chosen us out of His desire to be with us. And that is what Jesus came to do...be with us.
Zechariah was the priest chosen by the casting of lots to enter the Holy of Holies to plead for the sins of the people and burn incense. The glory of God was there. An awesome responsibility. Holy fear accompanied each priest who entered the holy place. The presence of God is enough to throw a man on his face. Kill him, even. So, with some trepidation, Zechariah approached the altar. Did he dare ask God for a son? His wife was barren. This was the one time in his life he would be in the Holy Presence. Perhaps he did, for suddenly, a mighty angel appeared at the right side of the altar. As Zechariah stood trembling with fear, the angel said: "Don't be afraid. Your prayers to God for a son have been heard. Name him John. He will be full of the Holy Spirit from the womb and he will prepare the way for Messiah." Zechariah doubted. He was made unable to speak until the birth of his child, John. God chose to do it this way. But when the priest could speak at the birth of his son, he knew what God had chosen: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David...that we should be saved from our enemies and all those who hate us, to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant...to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear (Luke 1)." At this dedication of John, Zechariah's infant son, the prophet raised the baby up to God: "And you, son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways." And so God answered the prayer of a fatherless priest at the same time He changed the course of history.
A few months later, Mary lay in a manger in Bethlehem where the horned sheep and goats rested on the hay that was scattered about her birthing room and delivered a Lamb. The same Lamb Who later walked into the throne room in the real Zion covered with the blood of His redeeming sacrifice. Heaven was waiting breathless. There was more redemptive work to be done. There was the rest of God's plan to be carried out. But there was no one in heaven worthy to do it. The Son, gone to Earth, was vacant from His place in Zion. Then an angel declared to John, the apostle who recorded this sight, to stop weeping and wailing because no one could be found to open the scrolls that record the story of the rest of earth's history. What would become of the planet after Jesus. "Weep no more. Look!! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered!"(Revelation 5) At that moment, a Lamb was standing there. And He looked as though He'd been slain as a sacrifice. It was He who took the scroll from the hand of God. Then heaven let loose! Sang a new song of praise. And Jesus took up the work of reigning over the rest of time.
As the rest of history plays out before us in our calamitous and amoral world and in our own little worlds, it's comforting to know that God has a plan. For me. For the world. For eternity. And it revolves around His choice to dwell with us in His kingdom forever. All that happens in the interim is about bringing us to the Holy City where He's chosen to reign forever. Down to the tiniest detail, God's sovereign will is worked out for us. The world in which we live is the surreal. The City to which we are destined by His love to inhabit is the real, the everlasting, the true Zion of which we are only a shadow. This God Who is in control of all of history, this God Whose will is the only thing driving the events of our planet, this God Who knows how it will all go down, this God loves me. This must be why Zechariah declared we would be able to "serve Him without fear." As the temple lamps were never extinguished, so heaven's Light, Jesus, illuminates the Holy City as it does the temples of our bodies in which He lives by the Holy Spirit. A lamp that never dims, showing us the way home. The Lamb now sits majestic on His throne in heaven, His crown reflecting the brilliance of the emerald rays of light that circle around Him. His resting place forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment