A Vision of and for ‘Today’

“If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;” 1 Kings 8:46

I don’t understand why Solomon would mention the future captivity of God’s people at this time of wondrous celebration. This was the moment when Solomon completed the temple, and all Israel gathered to praise God for His habitation in Zion. Wasn’t it just written a few verses earlier that the glory of the Lord filled the house as a cloud? Why would Solomon speak of those events to come; especially those of such dire and tragic results? Did Solomon see the days of Sennacherib of the Assyrians or of Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians? Did Solomon see Daniel, kneeling in his tower towards Jerusalem as he prayed for God’s forgiveness of his people and pleaded for their deliverance from  their captivity?

How is it that Moses; before Israel entered into the promised land, saw a day that Israel would fall away to worship false gods? Joshua was no different. He feared the same when he was soon to die and called for Israel to serve the living God, even as he and his house would serve the Lord. How is it that Daniel saw the future world governments of the Greeks and Romans, which foreshadowed the end time powers—those governments spoken of as being made of clay and iron, and at the end, could not be joined. Are we seeing this fulfilled today as our country (which as clay and a democratic form of government, is pliable) and the former Soviet Union (as iron and unbendable) separate in their ways and goals? You tell me. What do you see?

There are two groups of people within the Church: those who speak and those who hear. Those who speak, such as the patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, and Christ Jesus; who is the chief cornerstone, spoke with an understanding of the past, present and future. In their own time, they lived each day in God’s presence, and in God’s presence, they lived and spoke of the ‘eternal now’ or ‘today.’ Even before Jesus was born, David prophesied, “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” How can that be? Consider next the teaching of Jesus in the synagogue, “Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’   Therefore, David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?” (Luke 20:42-44) Ask yourself: was the mention of ‘today’ foretold and of the future, or was ‘today’ that day that David made his declaration? In fact, wasn’t Christ with God at creation? Did Jesus not walk with Adam in the garden?  

For the majority of us, we who truly hear what was spoken live too in God’s presence, and in God’s presence, we live and hear in the ‘today.’  When we read God’s Word, and heed the counsel of His Spirit, we are joined to those who spoke. We together are pilgrims, and we  know that the earth is not our final home. Heaven is our final destination. All of the stops along the way; including our days of celebration and captivity; our sins and pleadings for deliverance; our deliverance and the demonstration of God’s tender mercies are ‘today.’ And today, we are told, “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”