Post by Mark on Oct 18, 2008 8:25:14 GMT -8
Something that we miss in our various celebrations of the festival of Sukkot is the sense of closure that it brings to our journey. Sukkot is not commanded as a festival which we participate in at our own homeland. It is to be brought to the foothills surrounding Mount Zion, where all the world who loves the God of Israel is to share together in common worship of Him. It is a celebration of crossing over and coming to be in, and participating with, as the congregation of Israel. It is to be fully engaged within the relationship of the Covenant of our God and King at this, His Holy mountain.
Deuteronomy 33 is a declaration of blessings by Moses of the tribes of Israel, what they will possess in the land, how they will relate with one another as a community. It is worth noting that not all are the same. It starts with the blessing upon Reuben, that he should be grateful simply to be alive! Simeon is not mentioned at all. And the blessings upon the others have various elements of prominence or submission. There is not a sense that everyone is going to cross over into a land where everyone will share equally at the same table. Yet, at the same time, there is no compromise in the promise that this is the land that has been chosen to be inhabited by the people of Adonai.
I think there are a lot of misconceptions about heaven, about our future state of relationship between each other and with our Messiah and King. We have been taught that Messiah is our ticket in. Once in, we assume that our status and role will be equal with everyone else in kingdom. This is not consistent with what we are told in Scripture, stating that there will be rulers and kingdoms (Matthew 19:28-29).
Just as the conduct and relationships that tribes of Israel affected their status and role in the land of Israel, so our status and role in the eternal kingdom will be affected by how we have conducted ourselves in this life.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:19)
We spend our lives of faith, literally standing on the banks of the Jordan, looking over into the Promised Land of His glory. Yet, all that is over there, is not what we may each claim as our own. Not everyone gets to be king. Such statements shouldn’t suggest that the worst position in His glorious kingdom is not unimaginably better than what we might hope to experience here; but we should wonder what it is that we hope for: better than what we have, the hope of what He has potentially in store for us as reward for our obedience today.
Let us press on, not for the border, not for the land; but for the specific blessings and gifts He has in store for each of us.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
(2 Timothy 4:8)
Deuteronomy 33 is a declaration of blessings by Moses of the tribes of Israel, what they will possess in the land, how they will relate with one another as a community. It is worth noting that not all are the same. It starts with the blessing upon Reuben, that he should be grateful simply to be alive! Simeon is not mentioned at all. And the blessings upon the others have various elements of prominence or submission. There is not a sense that everyone is going to cross over into a land where everyone will share equally at the same table. Yet, at the same time, there is no compromise in the promise that this is the land that has been chosen to be inhabited by the people of Adonai.
I think there are a lot of misconceptions about heaven, about our future state of relationship between each other and with our Messiah and King. We have been taught that Messiah is our ticket in. Once in, we assume that our status and role will be equal with everyone else in kingdom. This is not consistent with what we are told in Scripture, stating that there will be rulers and kingdoms (Matthew 19:28-29).
Just as the conduct and relationships that tribes of Israel affected their status and role in the land of Israel, so our status and role in the eternal kingdom will be affected by how we have conducted ourselves in this life.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:19)
We spend our lives of faith, literally standing on the banks of the Jordan, looking over into the Promised Land of His glory. Yet, all that is over there, is not what we may each claim as our own. Not everyone gets to be king. Such statements shouldn’t suggest that the worst position in His glorious kingdom is not unimaginably better than what we might hope to experience here; but we should wonder what it is that we hope for: better than what we have, the hope of what He has potentially in store for us as reward for our obedience today.
Let us press on, not for the border, not for the land; but for the specific blessings and gifts He has in store for each of us.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
(2 Timothy 4:8)
