When we read the Old Testament, we can usually find that its
truth, like a perfect crystal, rotates to be viewed in at least three facets. When we look straight at it, we see the black and white history of the writing, exactly as the Lord has preserved it over the centuries. This, in itself is no small miracle, considering all the attacks against so many of its guardians through the years. When the Spirit of the Lord permits the reader to rotate the multi-dimensional truth, what was hidden becomes visible to those to whom He has given eyes to read it. What once was a historical record, now becomes a pattern over which the life of Christ would lay. The third facet illuminates when the same truth is rotated toward the reader himself, providing direction, correction, guidance and communication directly to the reader, as a recipient of a love letter directly from his Father.
In between these three are sometimes found patterns that either allude to or dictate the outcomes of current and future events.
It is a true saying that God initiated order in a rotating fashion. What has happened, will in some similar pattern happen again. As God cleansed the world of sin once by immersion in water, so now, He cleanses the world by individual baptism. As Israel became enslaved to Egypt, as they were sustained through the famine, so we enslave ourselves to the sin that accompanies the provision that was meant to sustain us. As God, through Moses, delivered the slaves to the promised land, sparing them from the destroying angel by the blood of a lamb. So in the time of the Caesars, He provided the One, final Lamb, sparing all who would claim Him as their Savior, and will return to deliver those freed slaves to an eternal Promised Land, where we will live with Him forever.
The rotations are found when the pattern is turned over on itself. God gave us paradise of living with Him in Eden. We blew it, so he put us out of Eden and consigned us to labor, scattering us around the globe. God gave us the globe to populate, but we populated it with sin, so He washed it away, but planted the seed of one family. That family grew until God was crowded out, and He burned the rebellious towns with fire. God built His home with us in the Temple in Jerusalem, but we desecrated it, so he demolished it and laid waste everything anywhere near it. God came to us in the person of His Son, and paid an admission price granting us access to the originally intended condition, being together with Him. With that, we arrive at the present space and time. What will happen next depends on the answer to one question. It is the only question that matters in the grander scheme. It is not, "Why am I here?" or "What is my purpose?" but, "Whose am I?" The final rendering of the pattern will be similar to the first renderings. It was not the masses that received the benefit of God's paternity, but the eight on the ark built by Noah's obedience. It was not the masses who escaped the flames of Sodom and Gomorrah, but only Lot and his children. Even Lot's wife was lost to her lack of focus.
The condition of Man is fallen. We are as fallen today as when Adam ate of the forbidden tree.
The destination of Man is destruction. God made us for His own companions, to share with Him in person and in relationship. Those not conforming to His original purpose will be disposed of.
The need of man is Jesus. God Himself became, in the person of Jesus, the bridge between where we are and where He wants us. All that is required of us is to turn from the distractions of our provisions, back to the Creator who made us.
There will be two groups on the Great Day of the Lord. Those who are horrified and those who are ecstatic. We will not be separated by "good" and "evil" designations, as most of the world presumes. We will not be divided by "gave enough to charity" and "too stingy to deserve salvation." As we each walk to the Judgement Seat, we will not be entering a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty," but quite simply, "redeemed," or "not redeemed." As the reward is announced, and as eternity opens to receive its new recruits, the victory cry of the Bride of Christ will be that same plea, "Redeemed! Redeemed! By Christ's blood I've been redeemed!"
With the condition, destination, and need of Man in mind, and with the understanding that what happened to Jerusalem will happen to the Christian, and ultimately to the global Church of Christ Jesus, it becomes more of a challenge to read an Old Testament prayer from a man who was favored of God, and who was given insight into the many layers of history. Daniel prayed in Daniel 9:4-19:
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
"Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
"Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
Acknowledge that you are fallen, ask for Jesus' help getting up, and embrace a Father who only wants to love you. All else is distraction.
