"The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for
you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes," ~ Deuteronomy 1:30
I’d been studying in Leviticus and Numbers and about the
old law and the sacrifices required to cover sin. Leviticus and Numbers can be
monotonous reading but one cannot come away from such reading without a sense
of the exquisite order in those books, often repeated for emphasis … true
evidence that the Creator is a God of deliberate order and structure and
provision to the finest detail. He is in the farthest reaches of the past, He
is here now and in the farthest reaches of the future. He anticipates all
things. He goes before all things.
I had been immersed in my study all day recently and that
evening my wife and I sat to rest after dinner in our backyard. It’s early
spring and the birds are back and up to their mating antics. It’s a cacophony
of chirping and ruffling of feathers and pairs whirling about. We’ve lived in
our home for 30 years and we recognize the returning Sparrows, Cardinals, Blue Jays,
Robins and Mocking Birds (my favorite). They make nests in the same bushes –
and leave droppings on our cars in the same places. Heaven knows how many
generations of the same family of birds we have seen hatch, grow and return
here each year.
We have Red Tailed Hawks now too. Something ominously new. This
has added a dimension of drama to our little backyard nature show. Once in a
while all the birds, quite suddenly, will take frantic flight and disappear. A
scrambling mass evacuation. Moments later the spectre of a soaring hawk will
appear; wings spread and rigid, banking and weaving a pattern like a fighter
plane just above the canopy of trees - a shark patrolling its reef.
As my wife and I sat in our lawn chairs two Morning Doves
flew just above our heads and perched on our stockade fence not ten feet away. They
startled us. Then they moved closer and perched atop our back door awning. They
seemed completely at ease and tame so close to us. The little couple faced each other,
necking and preening. I sensed that their proximity to us gave them a sort of protection
from the threats orbiting above. Or maybe they were just curious. Or maybe the were a sign. They had come to rest so naturally and so close.
Doves are a sign of peace and considered by many to be a good
omen. Doves, a relative of the pigeon, were also a suitable blood offering to
cover the sins of a poor man under the old covenant. A bird, plentiful and easily
caught, they were prescribed as an acceptable offering if a ram or other such animal
were not procurable due to one's limited means. Imagine seeing these creatures as something
to be caught and split in half and burnt – to cover one’s sins. How many would
have to be caught over-and-over again and slain to make restitution for my repeated
sins?
As I looked at these two beautiful, sweet, gentle, innocent
doves and thought about my willful, rebellious sin I could not help but
consider my callous disregard for the pollution of my sins on me and the
creation all around me. Perhaps the need for the slaughter of innocence every
time one sinned might heighten mankind’s conviction and turn him from it. But
apparently that didn’t work – the history in the Bible documents that.
So, as with the creation, as with the entire Israelite generation
that wandered to their deaths in the wilderness led by a pillar of fire by
night and of cloud by day and the new generation who knew nothing of Egypt’s bondage
and who strayed nonetheless – He led. As with the victories and the prophesies
all promised and fulfilled despite our lack of faith; God went before us, once
again, once and for all, as the last blood sacrifice – sparing the animals and
the birds and most importantly us. Sparing us so we might have fellowship with Him
and acknowledge His glory. The worse we behaved the more graciously He endured
His beloved creation and He always led. He always leads. He must lead.
"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be
with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8
Seeing those doves not as food and not as an offering is
seeing those doves as God created them and intended us to see them – innocent,
dependent, beautiful, wonderfully made, loved.
God – go before us. Go before me.
"I will go
before you
and make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
and cut the bars of iron."
and make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
and cut the bars of iron."
Isaiah 45:2
Blessings,
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment