In spite of overwhelming odds and overwhelming forces, Judas
and his rag-tag army move against the Gentiles.
As they do, a portion of the Gentile army, a division led by Gorgias,
comes against them by another route. Finding
the camp vacated they come to the conclusion that they have fled and go off
toward the wilderness in search of the Israelites. Meanwhile, the Israelites are remembering
what God did at the Red Sea in a similarly hopeless situation and asking Him to
act this day on their behalf. They take
the fight to their opponents and, although they are greatly outnumbered, win
the day and the ratio of those killed to soldiers in the Israeli army is 1:1,
three thousand soldiers, three thousand enemy killed. The lost patrol led by Gorgias sees the smoke
of the carnage and flees itself, allowing the Israelis to plunder the camp. What they take is what they will need to
restore the temple. God indeed acted on
their behalf as He had done for their ancestors in providing for the tabernacle
by moving the Egyptians to offer lovely parting gifts in order to get them to
leave after the plague of the first-born.
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” This is a wonderful question. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is
something to be pursued but it can't be pursued unless you know the definition
of greatness. Jesus says that greatness
is one who humbles himself like a little child.
A child knows his/her own vulnerability, that she is unable to provide
for herself and is dependent on one who can.
A child knows she doesn't know everything and needs a teacher. A child knows that her wisdom is limited and
therefore needs one who is older and wiser to guide her in wisdom. Jesus says that greatness is one who humbles
himself like a child. It is a choice we
must make to know that there is one who is greater in wisdom and knowledge but
who is also provider of all things, we are helpless in comparison to this
one. Humility is choosing to trust that
One. Greatness of the kingdom is attained
by constantly and relentlessly making the choice to humble yourself before Him
and trust Him that not only is He great but He is also good.
The city of God contains no temple, there is no need for
one. The temple was based on a simple
concept, God's holiness. In order to
move close to God sacrifice was required.
In the outer court of the temple, where all Jews could go, stood the
altar of sacrifice, and there they made sacrifices for sin and thanksgiving
among others, and that allowed them access to that court, as near to God as
most could ever go. One step further in
was the holy place where the priests who served the Lord could go on the rare
occasions that their lot was drawn for this great honor. Even then they had to make sacrifice to enter,
their own sacrifices in the outer court but even here they placed the showbread
and the offerings of incense for the prayers of the saints and the lights that
burned there. In the innermost chamber,
the Holy of holies, was the footstool of God, the mercy seat, the ark of the
covenant. Once a year one man could
enter with the blood of a sacrifice, having made all the necessary sacrifices
and other preparation, and with great fear and trembling, and throw the blood
of that sacrifice on the ark in order to keep the judgments sealed. As he did this, the entire nation was in
prayer and mourning for their sins individually and collectively. Here, in the new Jerusalem, men see the face
of God without sacrifice, that one has been made once and for all and there is
no sin in the city. Greatness is now
immaterial, only He is great.
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