27 September 2013 - peaced together

27 September 2013 - peaced together

And take courage, all you people of the land,
says the LORD, and work!

We can take courage and have the strength to work because the LORD of Hosts is with us.  His promise to the people coming forth from Egypt is that he will be with them as their God and they will be his people.  He promises the same thing to those of us coming forth from our own Egypt of sinfulness.  He will be with us.  We will be his.  He will be ours.

And my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!

He promises to be with us always, unto the end of the age (cf. Mat 28:20).  If we look at house of God in the world and it seems like nothing in our eyes we don't need to fear. We look for signs of his presence and find ruins.  We find structures that don't nearly do his glory justice.  Fear not!  He isn't finished yet.

One moment yet, a little while,
and I will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.

This earthquake is the one which shakes the ground at the crucifixion of Jesus.  This is when the veil of the temple is torn in two.  The tearing of this veil represents the wall between Jew and gentile being broken down (cf. Eph 2).  This is indeed the wall between all human selfishness and separation.  It cannot withstand the power of the king.  This is why the "treasures of all the nations will come in" and with the psalmist we will rejoice.  There is now no barrier keeping us from his presence.

And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!

We need to fix our hearts on the dwelling place of God.  Our only true joy and peace is in his presence.  Knowing this joy, we will magnify him and reveal his glory.  The human family will be united around our heavenly Father.  This unity reveals God and his glory to the world.  Hence we see Jesus prayer in the Gospel of John:

The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. 

This glorious unity which Jesus gives us is the unity which shakes the earth and tears the veil.  It is for this reason that the glory of God's house will be greater than ever before.

Greater will be the future glory of this house
than the former, says the LORD of hosts;

The resurrection of Jesus is the inbreaking of the kingdom into a world under the dominion of darkness. But all is not yet complete.  As we await his return we must remember above all that Jesus is "The Christ of God" as Peter confesses.  No servant is greater than his master and we too must bear our crosses.  But now, trusting in him, the resurrection is now more than a wish, it is an assurance.

He himself is the new temple where we are all united.  He himself is our victory over death.  He gives us peace but not as the world gives it.  And for this reason it is the only true peace to be found.

And in this place I will give you peace,
says the LORD of hosts!