I've always been fond of the word Liberty. And I've always been a lover of the Old Testament books.
The Israelites were so...Relatable. I mean, they were a completely miserable people most of the time (check out David or Jeremiah's poetry next time you're feeling sad), but you can't help but feel sorry for them every time they make a new mess for themselves.
Why were they so miserable if they were God's Chosen People?
They had a bad habit of Self-Sabotage.
After their miraculous Freedom from Egyptian slavery, the Israelites continued to live in their Bondage of Fear (despite their Commands not to) and tried to control the outcome instead of Trusting their Handler. A stubborn, prideful, and adulterous nation (in this context, meaning they worshipped other gods) and yet, Yahweh Chose to Love them in their mess. He found them quite Beautiful, in fact.
Ask me to run with a sermon topic, and I will 100% of the time run with a passage from one of the History books, most likely something from Exodus, Joshua or one of the books of Kings. Makes sense - it's what I know. I can be a pretty miserable, adulterous and Self-Sabotaging person at times, and there is something comforting about Yahweh's miraculous rescue missions to the Desperate. Never underestimate the pull towards the Familiar, even when that Familiar is keeping you stuck in old patterns.
When I think of the word Liberty, I am taken back to a hot and swampy July day in 2011. I wore a dress, as I wanted to make a good impression stepping foot on my new campus for the first time. My thighs were chafing from the heat and humidity, and my hair was sticking to my neck; nothing like the desert back home. Despite my excitement, I felt a bit...uncomfortable in my new environment. It was hard to breathe the thick air, and any breath I had left was taken away when I first stepped inside and saw these words emblazoned on the stone lobby wall:
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The Spirit of the Lord was surely there, but my Liberty didn't come until many years later - about 14 years later.
As I opened my Bible to write this post, Jesus so kindly Reminded me of the parts I had Forgotten before and after the verse that has been tattooed on my heart the last 14 years.
Before we read it together, here's some brief Context:
When Yahweh gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he told him to write them down on stone tablets. When he returned to the Israelites, his face was glowing for having seen just a glimpse of God's Glory on the mountaintop. Naturally, the Israelites were a bit freaked out. I would be, too. So, Moses covered his face with a veil.
Let's pick up in 2 Corinthians 3:7:
"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the Old Covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
(Side Note: Paul was an incredible Author, but unless you can read Greek, we may only get a glimpse of the Artistry behind his intentional choice of words. The passage above is the New International Version Translation, but I also love this Paraphrase. Comparing translations is sort of like looking at different Artists' renditions of the same image. Check out this New Lego release - same concept).
Have you ever walked out of a really dark room, say a movie theatre, and into intensely bright sunlight? What do you naturally do? You close your eyes. Your eyes can't handle that amount of light streaming into your dilated pupils and need a moment to adjust.
I think my relationship with Jesus was like that.
The Gospel is Good. It is so Good that sometimes it feels too Good and we close our eyes. The evidence of the sun is there - you can feel its warmth on your skin, see the reddish-orange color behind your eyelids. It's okay if your eyes are still adjusting. After all, it would quite hurt to walk out of a dark movie theatre and stare directly into the sun. Adjustment periods are necessary.
But Beloved, when you are ready, Open Your Eyes. The Son is Beautiful. Catch a Glimpse.
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