Title: The Reconnection Which God Is Looking For
One of the biggest impacts of Covid-19 pandemic made to the church is an unprecedented online culture or social distance of work from home. We were recommended to be disconnected from each other for our safety although it was inevitable and online solution was provided.
We have learned about the time of Babylonian Captivity, showing the Ezekiel’s temple to give His people hope, and we have learned about the return from the Babylonian Captivity and rebuilding the Zerubbabel’s temple and Jerusalem city wall. Very interestingly, the time of Babylonian Captivity was the time when His people being disconnected from God but the return from Babylonian Captivity and rebuilding the temple and so on was the time when His people reconnected to God.
If we believe that God has been talking to us with the timely Word, I think toward the end of the pandemic, what He is teaching us is clear that it is to be reconnected with God.
- A Map of Reconnection
The return from Babylonian Captivity shows how God is going to restore His people from the worst to the best. Through the 1st return in 537BC, God allowed the temple to be rebuilt. Through the 2nd return in 458BC, God allowed the structure of the priests and worship service to be rebuilt. Through the 3rd return in 444BC, God allowed the city wall to be rebuilt.
This is God’s roadmap how to restore His people from being disconnected to being reconnected. Rebuilding God’s temple gives us a hope that His church and His presence will be restored. Restructuring the Levites and priests gives us a hope that the worship services will be restored and be filled with His Spirit. Rebuilding the city wall gives us a hope that He will protect where His people live.
- Importance of the rebuilding of city wall
- The purpose of wall is to divide between the holy and the profane (Ezek 42:20).
Hebrew word for ‘profane’ is ‘Hol’ which means ‘common, unholy.’ Profane is a common thing like our daily life. If you go to work to become a millionaire and to enjoy all the funs of this world, it is unholy. However, if you to go to work to serve and support the work of God, it is holy. So, if we divide the holy profane (daily life) and unholy profane (daily life), whatever inside the wall symbolizes the holy profane (daily life).
- The blessing of Jehovah Shammah (Ezek 48:35).
The Ezekiel’s Temple is located in the middle of ‘the allotment which you shall offer.’ This area is divided into 3 sections. The top part is called the ‘the land of the Levites’, the middle part where the temple is located is called ‘the land of the priests’ and the bottom part is called ‘the area for common use.’ This is the place where the Levites go and do daily work. However, in the middle of the bottom part is called ‘the Holy City’ and ‘Jehovah Shammah’ which means ‘the Lord is there.’
Jehovah Shammah is not the name of the temple but the name of the city, and it located in the middle of the common area. The Ezekiel’s Temple is the blueprint of New Jerusalem which shows the perfect and complete plan of God. Physically, rebuilding the city wall was to secure the land for His people and to protect His people from enemies’ attack. However, spiritually speaking, rebuilding the city wall symbolizes that God is wishing to come to our daily life where common things are happening, and He is willing to change our unholy profane life to holy profane life.
- New Jerusalem is the destination
(Rev 21:1-4)
New Jerusalem is the destination we will go and the figure of the heavenly kingdom.
God’s redemptive history, God’s saving plan never finishes at restoring or rebuilding the temple, but at rebuilding the city. Rev 21:22 says that there is no temple in New Jerusalem, because God Himself and the Lamb Himself is the temple.
The figure of the temple in New Jerusalem is not that God’s presence is limited to one place but is extended to the entire city. It is like the entire city is God’s holy temple. That is what exactly God wants to establish through the History of Redemption. We become His Holy Temple and our daily life becomes His Holy City.
4. The Result of Being Reconnected
If the final and complete image that God shows us in relation to being completely reconnected with God is God dwells in our daily life or our daily life becomes where God is (Jehovah Shammah), then we can find a person who had God in his daily life: that is Enoch (Gen 5:21-24).
Enoch had Methuselah at his age of 65 and he walked with God for the rest of this life. But what is more important is the second part of verse 22: “he had other sons and daughters.” It means that Enoch walked with God while he was having other sons and daughters. To have other sons and daughters, he had to make love with his wife, if a child was born, he had to go our and gather food for them. If enemy attached, he had to protect them.
Enoch walked with God in his daily life and received the blessing of transfiguration,
Conclusion:
How can we be reconnected with God?
(Jhn 14:15-20)
Verse 20 says that Jesus will be in Father, we will be in Jesus, and Father in us. This is another expression of God is in our daily life or walking with God. For this to happen, firstly, we have to keep His Word. Secondly, we have to receive His Spirit.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 