God is moving towards restoration
Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:
What did I like about today’s passage?
So you’ve thought about moving. Are you serious? Moving is a massive hassle, packing your life into boxes, trying to decide what moves and what gets thrown away, a zillion stressful things to sort out at once, and that’s all before the massive challenge of rearranging into a new space, in a new place, different neighbours, different shops, different life.
Sure, it’s easy to talk about moving. Fun to imagine it. If we could just magically transport ourselves somewhere nicer, that would be amazing. But the hassle, the practicalities…
At least this can give you a clue if you’re considering moving, maybe with a partner. If it’s all chatter about how amazing it could be, you’re still a long way off. If they’re looking at estate agents and school websites, mapping the commute on Google and asking about churches on forums, maybe it’s looking serious. You’re starting to visualise this new life, running it through your mind. And if your partner hands you a list of precise dimensions for the carpets and curtains, you’d better start getting ready to go!
Isn’t this what God is doing here? Can you see how serious he is about moving everyone back in together? We’ve come a long way with Ezekiel from the downfall of God’s people, through the trauma of rebellion and exile, the mind-changing reflections on life and relationships from God’s point of view, and now into the hope of restoration to come. Finally that hope takes on some physical shape. We can see a life with God, with priests who can approach him directly and with God’s recognisable, glorious presence flooding back to wash away guilt and pain.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God wants us to know that life with him is not just an idea in our heads but a practical reality. He is serious about restoring people into his presence – Israel then through regulated worship, us now and more to come, we pray, through life in Jesus.
God also uses physical pictures to describe mysterious things. It turns out that no-one has ever built this temple exactly. We don’t know if it might get constructed in the future, or whether it’s enough to stand in our minds as a symbol of restored relationships, order and holiness. If that’s the case, it still makes a point that God needs us to listen to him and live his way, not just drag the idea and symbols of him along as accessories in life lived our own way. God is serious about moving towards restored relationships. Will we accept the disruption of packing away our old lives and moving too?
What am I going to do differently as a result?
We still have stuff in boxes from the last time we packed and moved over a decade ago! There’s a bunch of stuff to go through and give or throw away, not to mention lots of clearing our son’s outgrown toys and clothes. Next time I’m on a sorting batch, I want to approach it more prayerfully, giving God the chance to speak about things – beyond the stuff – he wants me to hold onto or let go of. In whatever ways he wants us to move, we’ll be more ready!
Who am I going to share this with?
My family.