24 April 2010
Psalm 30, 32; Exod. 25:1-22; Col. 3:1-17; Matt. 4:18-25

The purpose of the sanctuary is that God may dwell among His people and they are to make it according to his exact specifications. He provides the materials list and the precise instructions for how things are to be made, no detail is overlooked in these directions. The mercy seat, overshadowed by the cherubim, is the place where God will meet the representative of the people to give the commandments. In the mercy seat are to be placed initially the commandments, and the commands are sealed by the lid. The judgments of God are covered by the mercy of God, a requirement of dealing with sinful humanity if there is to be a covenant.

Things begin moving quickly as Jesus calls disciples to follow and they respond in obedience to His call and then the healings and miraculous signs begin. It didn’t take long for Jesus to attract a crowd based on His works among them. John’s work of preparing the people to receive Messiah had not been in vain, his message had been heard, received and believed. The people were prepared for the coming of the one of whom John spoke. Jesus’ works convinced them that He was the One and they were willing to follow. (At least for the time being.)

As John prepared the people for the coming of God in the Messiah, so is Paul preparing people for the coming of God by imploring them to look towards the heavenly things. The call is to live as those whose lives are no longer set on earthly passions and desires but to be set upon the things above. Ultimately what Paul is saying is love God, love your neighbor and then gives us the sense of those commands, how to live them out practically by putting to death the desires of the flesh by setting our minds on Christ, loving God with all that is within us, and by clothing ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” and bearing with one another and forgiving one another. We are to show what it means for a people to live as much as we are able according to God’s command and reveal what His kingdom looks like. That injunction should make us a people of prayer and be thankful for the Holy Spirit who makes it possible for such a life to even be a possibility.

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.