My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

 

My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

Where I grew up elephants had trunks and cars had boots, old ladies and cars both had bonnets. I apprenticed as a mechanic in the British system and when I moved to Canada, I brought my spanners, called wrenches here. I purchased North American wrenches. Later with the influx of European and Japanese vehicles I bought metric sized wrenches. While basic principles remained the same the advancement of technology made manuals I used as an apprentice obsolete. Today if I look under the hood of my vehicle, I’m lucky if I can find the dip stick, presuming its not electric.

I still have my driver’s license for the country I lived in. When visiting that country, I showed my Canadian drivers license if required. Laws have changed, government has changed, in fact the country I lived no longer exists – it’s the same place, but everything is different. My citizenship is not recognized by the present country. You are likely thinking, “so what?” Or you might ask, “what did you expect?” My response would be – “nothing different.” In a global context, the UN records that 80 territories have transitioned from colonial status to self-governance. No one expects countries that have opted for independence to continue with the same systems they followed as a colony.

Why is it that in the most important relationship of our lives we choose to live according to regulations and practices which belonged to a time and a kingdom that ceased to exist over two thousand years ago? I am a Canadian citizen by choice; a citizen of three countries before becoming Canadian. I live under Canadian rules, and my allegiance is to Canada. The benefits and regulations granted to citizens of those countries in which I previously lived no longer apply to me.

The British museum has eleven curatorial sections listed by areas of interest. There is a section for Asia, another for Egypt, and sections for other countries as well as areas of science. The experience of visiting the British Museum would be confusing if all the artifacts were in one large hall with little designation. Something like that has been done by dumping religious scriptures into one volume. Reading the Bible from Genises to Revelation is like walking through a hall full of artifacts from various countries and different time periods.

The primary theme of scriptures is God reconciling humanity to himself. There are any number of offshoots and sub-themes one can follow, but if they are not consistent with the main theme, they are human opinions. It is possible to find a scripture for any doctrine if you look hard enough and are not concerned about context. The scriptures are not religious textbooks; combined they are God’s story of reconciliation. Through the twists and turns of history God unfolded his plan culminating with Jesus dying on a cross. From when God made the promise of bringing Jesus through the family of Abraham to the prime event of reconciliation was almost two thousand years.

God made a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. Years later Jeremiah prophesied that God would make a new covenant with his people. The new covenant would be different to the one he established at Sinai. The new covenant would be personal not national. It would not be based on law, but grace. There would be no temple structure since individuals are the temple of God. The second covenant is not a religious contract but a personal relationship with God. The kingdom of Israel formed at Sinai was material with the tabernacle/temple being the centerpiece of its religion. The new kingdom is spiritual with God’s family as its centerpiece. “In speaking of 'a new covenant', he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.” The earthy kingdom, the law, and the first covenant were discarded at the time of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, they ceased to exist except as history. The religion and practices of Israel stopped at the same time. Salvation did not come through the Sanai covenant, and it was not a product of Law.

Four hundred plus years before making his covenant with Israel God called Abraham to leave his ancestral country and go to a land that he would give him as an inheritance. The Hebrew letter states that Abraham went not knowing where he was going. Abraham’s connection with God was not religious it was personal. Melchizedek priest of God Most High met Abraham returning from the battle with the four kings. The bread and wine he brought were not religiously symbolic but customary hospitality. Melchizedek blessed Abraham saying “blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils of war. In the Ancient Near East the tithe represented a voluntary cultic gift acknowledging that victory came from God. The Hebrew letter speaks of Melchizedek’s priesthood stating the priesthood of Jesus is according to the same order, “not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life.”

God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. As Abraham raised the knife to kill his son God stopped him. He told Abraham that because he was willing to sacrifice his only son he would be the father of numerous people and all nations would be blessed because of his obedience. Paul wrote, “the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, 'And to offsprings', as of many; but it says, 'and to your offspring', that is, to one person, who is Christ.”  Israel, the Law, the covenant, and the lineage was the medium through which God kept his promise to Abraham. Paul refers to Abraham as the father of the faithful. God told Abraham to count the stars if he could; and then said, “So shall your descendants be.” Abraham believed the Lord and was accredited righteousness. “Just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness', so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.” Talking about the first covenant Moses said, “the LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. Jeremiah prophesied that the new covenant would not be like the Sinai covenant. Speaking of the covenant scripture says, “When he said, ‘a new’ he has made the first obsolete. And whatever is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.” Israel, the law, the covenant and the temple all were destroyed c 70 CE. God’s relationship with his people reverted to what it was at the time of Abraham.

The governing principles of the new covenant are to love God, and love your neighbour. Every aspect of the first covenant from Sinai to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem was cast off and replaced by God’s grace. “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” As Abraham was accredited righteousness through faith, believers in the new covenant walk by faith. There is no requirement for sacrifices in the new covenant, since Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice once for all time. There  is no need for rituals or works, since we’re saved through grace. There is no special place no physical land, those are replaced with the assurance of heaven. There is no one way of worship nor is there a single way of serving God, except that we are all in Christ. As individuals our relationship with God is as a child to a parent. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The last days of Israel began with the ministry of John the son of Zechariah and ended with the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. The highlight of that period was the ministry of Jesus, he came to proclaim the kingdom of God. His death on a cross was the final and complete sacrifice opening the way for humans to be reconciled to God. The veil of the temple tore apart from top to bottom at the death of Jesus signifying that the barrier between God and man had been removed by divine purpose. The author of Hebrews stated that the blood of Jesus opened the way into the sanctuary.

Some time ago we decided to downsize; I needed to get rid of books I no longer used. I gave books to anyone who would take them, I took a bunch to a thrift store, but still had a lot that did nothing more than take up space. Finaly I got to the recycle bin, I felt like I was breaking up with old friends as I deposited books into its dark chasm. My trauma became intense when I picked up a Bible, it was an old King James version with a loose cover and damaged pages. There I stood about to recycle the word of God… not really. When I was sure no one could see I placed the Bible gently into the bin. If I was Catholic I would have gone to confession. During the wilderness wanderings the people of Israel complained against God, on one occasion God put poisonous snake among them. The people asked Moses to have God remove the snakes. God told Moses to make a snake out of bronze and put it on a pole in the camp. Anyone bitten could look at the bronze snake and wouldn’t die. Over time the bronze snake was deified and people made offerings to it. About eight hundred years after the event king Hezekiah purged idolatrous objects including the bronze snake from Israel. Referring to the snake Hezekiah said it was “a mere piece of bronze.” The King James Bible I recycled was simply a  bunch of paper. John wrote that Jesus was the Word and “the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.” The prophets of Israel validated the source if their prophecy saying “thus says the LORD.” Jesus was the message; his life, his teaching, and his love. On the mountain where Jesus was transfigured Moses and Elijah appeared. Peter offered to honour Moses an Elijah on the same level as Jesus; the disciples were covered by a brilliant cloud and heard a voice say, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 

Jesus said to Pilate “My kingdom is not from this world.” In writing to the Philippians Paul said “our citizenship is in heaven,” that had significance to the Philippians because Philippi was a Roman city, they were citizens of the Roman Empire. Moffat’s translation says “we are a colony of heaven.” The kingdom of Jesus is spiritual, and believers have assurance that they belong to the heavenly kingdom even while they are on earth. The Philippians enjoyed Roman citizenship and its benefits; believers are promised an eternity with God in the everlasting kingdom. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we have the Spirit’s guarantee we are citizens of heaven. In the new covenant there is no future judgment to determine entrance into God’s kingdom – we are in it. It’s time believers submitted to God’s grace and gave up the attitude that we contribute to our own salvation – that’s not correct. We are saved by God’s grace. If we believe in Jesus we have complete assurance that God will do what he promised. Our duty is to love God and love our neighbour.

        My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.