5 November 2010
Psalm 69; Ecclus 50.1, 11-24; Rev 17.1-18; Luke 13.31-35

As a pastor myself it is humbling to hear the writer proclaim the glories of the priest in the leading of worship. Sometimes it is easy to forget that you aren’t performing the worship but instead you are actually participating in worship as you read the liturgy. There is a delicate balance between being fully engaged in the worship and leading others simultaneously and sometimes I want to rest in the words and contemplate what I am saying but I can’t allow my private reverie to keep me from the work. The goal of the work is to lead others into the presence of God which means that we will truly glory in Him. The worship described here sounds glorious. Let us resolve this day to worship the One who sits on the throne.

The Pharisees, in an attempt to get Jesus to leave Jerusalem tell Him Herod is out to kill Him. Jesus speaks briefly about Herod, calling him that fox. It is impossible to tell for certain what this particular reference may mean, today it would mean clever but in Jesus’ time it also meant something on the order of insignificant. Herod is not, however, Jesus’ target here but rather the Pharisees themselves. It is not Gentiles who stone the prophets, it is the Jewish people themselves and the leaders in particular and Jesus is lining these contemporary leaders up with those in the past as He knows it is they and not Herod who are looking to kill Him.

The angel shows John the truth about what is to come, when the nations will gather themselves together and submit themselves to one power, the beast. Contrast this with the picture of the New Jerusalem which comes later in the book where the city is arrayed in splendor with God as her light and Jesus as the lamp through which the light shines and into the city the nations bring their glory to be subsumed into the glory of the city. Here we see the city of man as the great prostitute and the beast and the dragon hate her for she steals the hearts of men to herself and so the forces of evil are at war with one another for glory. After her destruction will come the unity of the nations arrayed against the Lord yet we are told that ultimately the Lamb will triumph. Hallelujah!

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.