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` OH, REMNANT OF JUDAH . . . DO NOT GO TO EGYPT ' Our title comes from the Book of Jeremiah: The 40 year probation period of that time was drawing to a close and the people of the kingdom of Judah were experiencing their own `anxiety factor' as they saw the destructive power of Nebuchadnezzar's armies drawing closer.

Sadly they could not see the chastening hand of God in this appalling danger, and so Egypt, as in the past, appeared to them to be a place of safety until the danger was averted. The apostacy of the nation was now full blown, and therefore they could not hear the voice of the prophet who had continually warned the nation of the results of their idolatry. Now, the `remnant of Judah', those faithful people who had heeded the warnings of the prophet, those who had wanted to separate themselves from the apostacy, were warned by God through the prophet Jeremiah: `Do not go to Egypt . . . My chastening hand will reach even there'. The WHOLE kingdom of Judah must be taken into captivity, and this included the remnant, for there in Babylon they would be needed to speak to a people who had lost their way but who would be kept intact in the `womb of Babylon' so that once the refining work of God was completed within them.`a remnant would return'.

The `prophets' in the Church today need to remember that God often takes His people into captivity in order to deliver them. To `go into Egypt' is, to use modern jargon. the soft option! Keeping in mind our suggestion that since 1967 the Church in the West has entered into its own 40 year probation period - the testing of its character - our purpose here is to pause and reflect on what is unfolding in our natural lives in the national life of the country in which we live out our spiritual lives. But just as the Israelites in Jeremiah's time could not see the chastening hand of God in the advancing hordes of Nebuchadnezzar, so today God's people, as they experience their own `anxiety factor', often fail to see the chastening hand of God - He who shapes and forms everything in conformity with His will and purpose.

Some ministries point to the breakdown in the family unit as the root of the problem. Others look for more apocalyptic reasons. Many others seek to separate themselves from the growing apostacy amongst the brethren and `go down to Egypt', whilst others of a more `enlightened' liberal view within the Church seek to move the goal posts in order to accomodate the `new realities of life'! Upon reflection, we have no doubt that most would agree that these solutions and condemnations are peripherals and a means of not facing up to what the Lord God is saying as we see the advancing hordes of today's Nebuchadnezzars, thus causing a real anxiety factor within our national lives in this offshore island of the continent of Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As events unfold, the church in this country could well be led into a `captivity' as real as that experienced by the secular kingdom in which it lives. But we need to keep firmly in mind the knowledge that the Church is in the hands of God, and when He allowed the kingdom of Judah to go into captivity as a `whole people', it was in order that He might deliver them - once the refining work had been completed - and take them back into the land! The faithful remnant of Judah was warned not to go to Egypt. They were needed in the captivity to speak to a people who were devastated, who were broken and at a total loss to understand how their God could have allowed such a calamity. The faithful remnant needed to be in the same captivity for they were one people, one nation, called to be a people separated unto God, and without such people as Ezekiel and Nehemiah there would have been no return!

If we are indeed living in the last years of a 40 year probation period the message that God spoke through Jeremiah to those who were steadfast in their trust in God will be the same today:

" Oh, remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you: `Do not go to Egypt'. "

There will be many who will speak of separation . . `Come out from among them' . . `Go to Egypt' . . but if we truly are one Body, and that Body is being taken into captivity, then the faithful `remnant of Judah' will be obedient and wait and pray for the deliverance they know a faithful God will bring about for His beloved people called into Christ Jesus.

* Extracted from our `Winds of Change' No.7 Please E-mail or telephone for a complete copy.

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It is all too easy when reading or hearing the Scriptures whilst sitting in the comfort of our homes or church buildings, to miss the sometimes dramatic impact that the spoken word would have had on those who first heard it. And whilst we are now led by the inward conviction of the Holy Spirit, and must at all times be careful of compulsive actions, perhaps we have in some way lost a sense of the dramatic. Think for a moment what an impact the words of Jesus would have had when He stood up to speak:

" On the last and greatest day of the Feast . . and said, `If a man is thirsty let him come to Me and drink. "

Consider for a moment how Jeremiah must have felt after his first feelings of elation (mixed with anxiety) on hearing the word of God spoken to him: (Jeremiah 1:7-8)

" Do not say, `I am only a child'. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you . . . . "

It will always be so for those who have a call of God to speak on His behalf to His people: (Jeremiah 1:19)

" They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, says the LORD your God. "

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

" Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah, who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says:

Reform your ways and your actions and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, `This is the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD. Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen. "

As we look at the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah, we need to catch a glimpse of the drama involved in order to understand the severity of the message which he spoke. It is difficult to describe the scene because we have no comparative setting to hold in our minds. The nearest we can get to it is to imagine a grand national occasion centered around our capital city's great cathedral, with the Queen and her family there, attended by her courtiers and dignitaries. Awaiting her inside the cathedral would be her Government and the Opposition parties, her Lords and Gentlemen, clothed in rich robes embroidered with the emblems of their positions, and the Judges in their ceremonial robes, attended by their assistants. The dignitaries of the Church, in their splendid robes of scarlet and gold, with their mitres of authority and their shepherds staffs, would be waiting respectfully at the door for their Queen to arrive. Finally, all would join in the great procession to their seats in the cathedral to the fanfare of the silver trumpets of the heralds. Outside, the cheering and jostling crowds would be cut off for a while from the pomp and ceremony that was taking place within the nation's foremost religious centre.

But even this picture can only catch in part the grandeur of the occasion into which Jeremiah was now called to speak. Our national event would be centered around the nations monarch, whereas in the time of Jeremiah the ceremony would have centered on the magnificent Temple of Solomon - drawing all eyes towards the God who had chosen this place in which to show His Glory to His chosen people Israel. Into this setting a command was spoken! Jeremiah 7:1-15 records:

" This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: `Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message': Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say. `This is the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD'! If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this land, in the land I gave to your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless!

Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this House, which bears My Name, and say, `We are safe' - safe to do all these detestable things? Has this House, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.

Go now to Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. While you were doing these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen. I called you, but you did not answer. Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the House that bears My Name, the Temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. I will thrust you from My presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim. "

What shocking words these must have been to the listening people! How dare he? Who does he think he is? Ignore him! Away with him! How Jeremiah needed to cling to the words given to him earlier:

" They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you . . . "

If the ordinary people thought the words of Jeremiah were shocking, that was nothing to the indignation of the princes and dignitaries who were attending this assembly. Who was this fellow Jeremiah? Did they not attend more than the obligatory three Festivals that the Law commanded? Did they not offer more sacrifices than anyone else? The indignant cries of the Priests and Levites were even louder - Jeremiah was threatening their very livelihood! Did they not regularly perform their ministry in the Temple? Did they not correctly read the Law to the assembled people on the prescribed days? Were they not the anointed successors to Aaron and his sons? Did not the Levites continuously perform their duties in the Temple with dedication and a sense of purpose? The Temple, built by Solomon, had been there for 300 years, a faithful witness to God being maintained by the Priests and Levites over those years. No doubt they reminded themselves of the descending Shechinah Glory at the dedication of the Temple - confirmation of God's Presence with the nation of Israel! And was not the Presence of God still there in the Most Holy Place over the Ark of the Covenant? The Temple still stood there . . . shimmering gold in the bright sunlight . . . still standing in the same glory that had once made even the Queen of Sheba marvel at the sight of it!

But the taunting words of Jeremiah came: `The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD' . . . and the Priests, the princes, the dignitaries and the people were shocked at his words, so shocked and indignant that they may have missed God's word to them:

" But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless . . . `We are safe' - safe to do all these detestable things. Has this House, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching, declares the LORD. "

Perhaps their indignation gave way to self- righteous examination: `We may have slipped away from the commitment shown in King Solomon's days, but after all, 300 years is a long time. True, the nation of Israel has been torn in two, but we in Judah have the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the . . . the Temple of . . . Those words of Jeremiah may well have pricked some of us, but it is those in the northern kingdom who are in idolatry! It is they who have set up altars to false gods and offer sacrifices in a place other than the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD'.

But the words of Jeremiah persisted: There were others before you who said similar things . . . `We have the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of God's Presence . . .':

" Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel . . . Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the House that bears My Name, the Temple you trust in . . . Go now to the place in Shiloh . . . "

The Priests and Levites would remember this . . . they were well versed in the Scriptures. But that was over 400 years ago! Memories fade after such a long time . . . but God has recorded His will and purposes in the Scriptures, lest any man says that he forgets!

Go now to Shiloh! Back to the Tabernacle of Moses! `But they were different people. We are more sophisicated than they were. We have developed a culture, a more sensible way of expressing our devotion to God. For sure they were godly men . . Samuel the prophet and Eli the priest . . after all, we remember them from Scripture, but they were barely removed from being a nomadic tribal people. They were only just beginning to be a recognisable nation, and they had not even appointed their first king. We have an ancient line springing from King David himself . . we have progressed . . we have godly King Josiah . . we have the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD!

But God said: `Go back to Shiloh, and understand how far you have gone away from Me'. For that we must look at chapter 1 of the first Book of Samuel. After Joshua and the people of Israel had crossed the border into the land, a place called Shiloh became the centre of their activities, the place where the Tabernacle of Moses was set up and maintained. Up until the time of Samuel Shiloh had been the central city of the Israelites, where life centered around the sacrificial system which had been established by Moses and maintained by the priestly Aaronic line and the faithful Levites: (1 Samuel 1:3)

" Year after year this man (Elkanah) went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh "

It was here that his wife Hannah cried out to the LORD for a son - and later where she brought that child, Samuel: (v 24)

" After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three year old bull, and ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. "

The land was more or less settled. The people remembered the events read out at the Feasts, as set by Moses, of the mighty deliverance of their forefathers out of Egypt. They also observed the Feast of Passover with a sense of awe, for they were not too far removed from the people who had experienced those things. They kept the Feast of Weeks (known as Pentecost) when they remembered how Moses had received the Law on Mount Sinai. They observed the Day of Atonement with a sense of awe and fear - would the High Priest make an acceptable sacrifice to the LORD and come out alive from the Presence of God in the Most Holy Place? Each year he did! They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with great joy, for they knew that God was dwelling among them - after all, within the Tabernacle of the LORD was the Ark of the Covenant of God's Presence! The Ark was safe . . so they were safe. God's Presence was with them, and they could conduct their affairs with confidence.

With this sense of settled security, because of the Ark of the Covenant placed in the Tabernacle, the nation was unaware of the slow but sure slide into apostacy. 1 Samuel 3:1 records the faithfulness of `the boy Samuel (who) ministered before the LORD under Eli'. But the apostacy was evident, for it is further recorded: (v 1b)

" In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. "

And in verse 3 it is recorded: `The lamp of God had not yet gone out'. The priests could not even be bothered to attend to their duties in the Holy Place - trimming the lamps - to the point where it is recorded that the lamp of God had not yet gone out! However, Psalm 78.60 records the eyes of the LORD watching:

" He abandoned the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the Tent He had set up among men . . . "

1 Samuel 2:12 records the extent of the wickedness of the ministering priests: `Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD'. Scripture tells us of Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phineas, who were taking for themselves the sacrifices offered to the LORD: (chapter 2:14-18)

". . . the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, `Give the priest some meat to roast; he won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw . . . hand it over now; if you don't, I will take it by force'. The sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's sight, for they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt. "

As High Priest Eli was responsible to the LORD for the people of Israel, but he had become very old and lazy and he had closed his eyes to the wickedness - after all, he had faithfully ministered to the LORD for many years. Year after year he had gone into the Presence of the LORD, and the yearly Feasts had been conducted correctly, no doubt with a sense of pomp and ceremony. The Tabernacle was well established and maintained, and sacrifices were brought by the people and offered to the LORD. No doubt Eli had thought that all was well . . . the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, the Ark of the Covenant . . the Ark of the Covenant . . . God's Presence was with them! But, as we have already seen, `God had abandoned the Tabernacle at Shiloh, the Tent He had set up among men'. 1 Samuel 4 records the desolation that was to come upon Israel because of their apostacy: (v 1-2)

" Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines . . . The Philistines deployed their force to meet Israel, and the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. "

It is difficult for us today to imagine the shock and horror that overcame the Israelites. They were God's chosen people! His Presence was in their midst, in the Ark of the Covenant! They were settled and prosperous, comfortable in their safety in the Land of Promise!

Now follows the result of their idolatrous presumption: The elders of Israel asked, `Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines?' There wasn't one bit of repentance here . . no questioning of why this had happened . . no understanding of their apostacy and wickedness; (verse 3)

" Let us bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hands of our enemies. "

We have the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant! Four hundred years later Jeremiah's words would reflect the same apostacy in the people's hearts . . . the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the LORD's Presence is with us! (verse 4)

" So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons Hophni and Phineas, were there with the Ark of the Covenant. "

As we read on we learn that the Philistines were very much afraid: `Be strong, Philistines! Be men, and fight' (v 10-11)

" So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The Ark of God was captured, and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phineas, died. "

God had removed His Presence from within the Tabernacle! As we continue to read on we find that the disaster becomes complete: (verses 14-22)

" Eli heard the outcry and asked, `What is the meaning of this uproar?' . . . The man who had brought the news replied, `Israel fled before the Philistines . . . Also you two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured'. When he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell backwards off his chair by the side of the gate . . . and he died . . . His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labour and gave birth, but was overcome by her labour pains. As she was dying . . . she named the boy Ichabod, saying, `The Glory has departed from Israel . . . "

The rest of the story is well known to us, and we know that the Ark of the Covenant never went back to Shiloh! God's Presence was no longer there. His dealings with His people are progressive, and He moves on. We also know that finally, David, who knew the place where God wanted His Name to be placed, had the privilege of bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem - the City of Peace and Righteousness - and placing it for a time into the Tent (the Shrine) he had made for it . . . the Tabernacle of David. It was from there that with the same joy and praise and worship it was finally carried into the Temple that King Solomon built for the LORD - and as it was placed into the Most Holy Place the poles were removed, so that the people could see that the long journey was finally over: (1 Kings 8:10-11)

" When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the Glory of the LORD filled His Temple! "

This, then, is the background to the taunting words of Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD . . . go back to Shiloh and see what I did there'. We know that there was a response, and later Hezekiah's God-fearing great grand-son, King Josiah, responded to the word the LORD spoken through Jeremiah: (2 Kings 23:25)

" Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with the Law of Moses. "

And yet after the death of King Josaih, on the succession of his son, King Jehoiakim, we read that Jeremiah is again commanded by the LORD to go and speak: `Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word'. (Jeremiah 26:7-9)

" The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD. But as soon as Jeremiah had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, `You must die. Why do you prophesy in the LORD's Name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?' And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD."

Little had changed in the people's hearts! Shortly afterwards the armies of Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and the Temple, and led the people of Judah into long years in captivity. How the words of Jeremiah must have rung in their ears: `The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD . . . go back to Shiloh and see what I did there . . . see what I did because of the wickedness of My people'.

What had happened? To understand the reason we must read and understand what God was revealing in the Tabernacle of Moses and in the Temple of Solomon. Our imagination may well delight in the simple coverings of the Tabernacle of Moses, with the hidden Glory in the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. We may well be amazed at the magnificence of the glorious Temple of Solomon, overlaid with gold and adorned with precious stones, but in both, hidden from the eyes of the curious onlooker, was the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, the place where He had chosen to reveal Himself. The Israelites concerned themselves with these outward signs of His Presence, saying, `Surely, with such impressive signs of God's Presence, those disasters could never overtake us . . look at the Temple we have built . . think of the sacrifices we offer . . observe how the High Priest emerges each year unscathed from the Most Holy Place . . surely these disasters will never overtake God's people'. But they did overtake them, with disastrous consequences, but in it all God was moving forward into His `mysterious purposes' which would be finally revealed in His Son Jesus.

Let us take some time to look for God's purposes, as revealed in the Tabernacle of Moses, and later in the Temple of Solomon. Scripture clearly reveals that God was seeking a place in which His Name could dwell (tabernacle) amongst His chosen people. He chose a man called Abraham, that through him would come forth a nation amongst whom He could dwell. These people, the natural family of Jacob, were taken into Egypt because of the famine in the land of Canaan. Here they were prepared, growing in numbers and strength, until the time came for them to leave Egypt and move into the promises of God, which He had given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - a people prepared and matured to become a nation where God could dwell among them. We read in Deuteronomy 12 that God commanded them: (verse 5)

" But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put His Name there for a dwelling. "

Exodus 25 records His first dwelling among His people: (verses 8 and 22)

" Then have them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them. Make the Tabernacle exactly like the pattern I will show you . . . . . There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the Ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you . . . . "

The Tabernacle alone was the place where God choose to place His Name . . His Presence . . in His dealings with the early Israelites. All Israel was commanded to gather to the LORD in this one place to offer Him sacrifices: (Deut: 12:17-18)

" You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks. or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place where the LORD your God will choose. "

In the midst of the camp of the Israelites God choose the only place acceptable to Him, a place in which to dwell. All were commanded to attend the place where He choose to dwell, `above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the Ark of Testimony' - but we have seen the tragedy of the apostacy of His people during the time of Samuel while the Tabernacle of Moses was settled in Shiloh!
,br> The people had grown complacent, and the word of the LORD was rarely heard. They had forgotten the God who met with them above the Ark of the Covenant and they had transferred their security to the Ark itself. All the outward observances were still there: The Feasts were observed . . the sacrifices were offered . . the High Priest still went into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement . . but Ichabod was written over the House of the LORD! The Israelites no longer put their trust in the God of the Ark. Instead, they centered their superstitious belief in `magical power' on the materials of the Ark - `Let us bring the Ark of the LORD's Covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go well with us and save us from the hands of our enemies'. But we have seen that God had removed Himself . . He had ceased to tabernacle with them in the Ark of His Presence . . the Glory had departed . . His Presence was never seen again in the Tabernacle at Shiloh! All of this had been revealed to them by Moses himself: (Deut.12:8-9)

" You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you. "

There is progression in God's purposes! After Shiloh there were many dark days ahead for Israel, but God had prepared in advance those who would hear and understand His will, for in the midst of the apostacy at Shiloh there was a boy called Samuel. (1 Samuel 3:1-21 in part)

" The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli . . . . the LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and He let none of His words fall to the ground . . . . And all Israel from Dan to Beesheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His word. "

It took another boy - David, anointed by Samuel - to understand God's progressive purpose, and that after many years of darkness and despair for Israel he would bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem - the City of Peace and Righteousness. (2 Samuel 6:2)

" He (David) and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the Ark. "

David understood that the Ark was not to return to the Tabernacle of Moses. 1 Chronicles 15: 1- 3 clearly shows this:

" After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared the place for the Ark of God and pitched a Tent for it . . . . David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. "

In an earlier writing we showed the significance of David's Tent, where the Ark of the LORD's Covenant was now resting - pointing forward to David's Greater Son who, as Priest and King, is able to enter into the Presence of God and minister before Him. However, here we are looking towards the Temple of Solomon, and we can see even more clearly than before the place that God has chosen in which to place His Name. We read in 1 Kings 9:3 that after Solomon had built the Temple:

" The LORD said to him, `I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before Me; I have consecrated this Temple, which you have built, by putting My Name there for ever. My eyes and My heart will always be there. "

God's purpose, revealed to Solomon, is that He will have a place for His Name, a place where He will dwell for ever. This is a progression of revelation . . always pointing forward to the place where He would place His Name . . first placed in the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle of Moses . . progressing in the Ark of the Covenant to the Tent of David . . finally being brought into the glorious Temple of Solomon, with its poles removed - signifying a place of rest for God's Name: `My eyes and My heart will always be there'. With their knowledge of this it is little wonder that the people of Israel were shocked upon hearing the words of Jeremiah: `Go back to Shiloh and remember how the Presence of God was revealed in the Tabernacle'!

We know of the events which then unfolded, resulting in the destruction of the Temple, with all of its contents either being destroyed or taken to Babylon. And yet God had said: `My eyes and My heart will always be there'! What can this mean? Apart from an interesting Bible study, what do we have here? Interesting typology? Patterns and types of no real consequence in our modern civilization . . in our contemporary church life? Do we perhaps not think: `After all, in Jesus the shadow has been done away with and the full substance is revealed in Him. We have the Truth, the Truth, the Truth . . .'? But the words of God still speak through Jeremiah: `Go back to Shiloh and seek afresh the place where My Name is to dwell . . where My eyes and My heart will always be'.

To understand this we have to find out where God has chosen to place His Name in our day, and once we understand that we too are called to gather there with our `sacrifices'. The Scriptures are very clear concerning this place! No typology here, no patterns or shadows, but the clearly revealed Presence of God dwelling in all His fulness and beauty here on earth. This is recorded for us in Scripture in John 1: (Verses 1 and 14)

" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. . . . The Word became flesh and lived (tabernacled) for a while among us. We have seen His Glory, the Glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. "

The Presence of God! The Name of God, revealed to the Israelites in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, and the place where He chose to dwell was revealed in the bloodstained seat of the cover of the Ark of the Covenant! The Name of the Word of God - always pointing forward to the final revelation of the Word who became flesh and lived for a while among us! The glorious Ark of the Covenant had above it the two golden cherubim, whose wings touched each other and whose faces always looked down upon the bloodstained Mercy Seat. Above this Ark the Presence of God was revealed - but only revealed above the bloodstained seat of the Atonement cover!

It was always God's intention to reveal Himself in His Name in a Person! This is revealed in Numbers 7:89:

" When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the Atonement cover on the Ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with Him. "

That Bloodstained Cover is revealed to us as Jesus, for we are told:

Colossians 1:19-20
" For God was pleased to have all His fulness dwell in Him . . . making peace through His Blood shed on a cross. "

Colossians 2:9:
" For in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form. "

The New Testament Scriptures are full of this glorious truth: The Name above all names, Jesus, He is the Temple of God. . the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the New Covenant . . all the fulness of the Deity dwells in Him . . He is the place where God chooses to dwell! `We have seen His Glory, and we proclaim it,' says John, concerning the Word of Life! Yet in the substance of the shadow there is still more to be seen in the lives of the believers who gather in His Name! God is still requiring a Temple in which to place His Name . . the Name revealed in His Son, Jesus. Individual believers are now called temples of the Holy Spirit . . containing the Name of God, `. . . and you have been given fulness in Christ'. Ephesians 2:22 tells us:

" And in Him, you too are being built to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. "

These are all glorious truths that individual believers have been discovering for themselves as the Holy Spirit has moved in power during our lifetime. And yet we need to understand the progressive purposes of God, lest we also hear the words of Jeremiah: `Go back to Shiloh'!

A further revealed truth is that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is building a Temple out of living stones, a place where He may dwell. We call it simply, the Church, but in doing so we fall into the same trap as the early Israelites, whom we have been studying. In pride we may see ourselves as the Temple of the Lord, and miss the truth that God's Presence was in His Name - in both the Tabernacle and the Temple. We may see the Church as the Temple of the Lord, and we too may miss the truth that God's Presence is in His Name in the `Temple' of the Church! We may look at our own traditions - and many of the `new churches' are already establishing new traditions! We may look with pride at our revealed truth, our sound doctrine, our caring outreach and busy programmes, and like the Israelites of old we too may forget that the Presence of God was in His Name, in the Ark of His Covenant - and still today it is in His Name, in the Church.

Concerning much of our church life and activities, we too may hear the words of God spoken through a latter-day Jeremiah: `The Temple of the LORD . . . Go back to Shiloh . . '! We too need to constantly check to ensure that we are understanding the progressive revelation of the purposes of God and are indeed assembling in His Name. This is more than a mere recitation of words, for that was the problem with the Israelites! They were very concerned with the procedures, with the sacrifices! They assembled for their prescribed Feasts! They met every outward demand of the Law of Moses, and yet we have seen that they were not meeting in His Name, for His Glory and His Presence were removed!

Have we really understood the implications of Jeremiah's remarks concerning our outward ceremonies . . our `sacrifices' of praise and worship? Our doctrine - even our endtime doctrine - may well be correct and sound, but is it all in the Name of the Person, in the actual life of the risen Lord Jesus, working and being revealed in this modern-day Temple we are seeking to build? Have we understood, like David, where God has chosen to place His Name today? Have we understood how He would have His Name revealed today? What a tragedy it would be if once again those words rang out: `Go back to Shiloh'. Make no mistake. God's Name is not in our denominations - but neither is His Name in narrow sectarian groups. What, then, is His progressive revelation for our time, the place where He has determined that His Name shall be manifest? We shall now pick up a verse from 1 Kings 9: (verse 3)

" I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before Me: I have consecrated this Temple, which you have built, by putting My Name there for ever. My eyes and My heart will always be there. "

This turns our thoughts towards the words of Jesus: (John 17:20-22)

" My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. "

Do you not think that God the Father heard the prayer and plea of His beloved Son, Jesus? Do you not think that it is in this Temple, being built out of living stones by the Holy Spirit, where God's Name, His personal Presence, is now being revealed? Do you not think that His eyes and His heart will always be there? Indeed, God's people do know in their hearts that the continuous work of the Holy Spirit is bringing this living Temple into being! The Tabernacle was placed in the midst of the people of Israel; the people were called to assemble together at the Temple; God's Name was placed in the midst of the people of God. We are not called to gather in the name of our church, whether that is a well-established denomination or a new fellowship, for these merely divide and separate God's people into tribal camps.

God's Presence is in His Name - the believers gathering together in unity in His Name. The Holy Spirit is calling, perhaps for the last time before the Bridegroom comes for His Bride, for us to build the New Testament Temple where God's Presence can abide and where He will reveal Himself. Moses was told to make the Tabernacle `exactly like the pattern I will show you'. Solomon was told to build the Temple `according to the pattern his father David had shown him'. We are told in Scripture that the only way to build this New Testament Temple is according to the pattern shown us in the Word of God. God's blessing (His Shechinah Glory) can only fall in all its fulness on the Temple which is built exactly to the pattern shown, where `His eyes and His heart will always be'.

This call of God, through His Holy Spirit, is the answer to His Son's prayer and plea, `that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You'. Unity in the Spirit through the purity of the Word can only come as we see our narrow denominational and sectarian groups being broken down so that the pure Word of God can build `exactly like the pattern I will show you'. Where are the modern- day Nehemiah's who, today, will cry out to the King: (Nehemiah 2:5-6)

" If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it. "

Make no mistake! If the Presence of God has departed from our narrow concept of what He requires (our denominational and sectarian groupings, which we grandly call our church, our fellowship) they will not have the protection of God's Presence in His Name! If our eyes are still on `our church' - in whatever form that may take - do not be surprised if the `Philistines' capture it. And in the ensuing defeat and the capture of our ark' do not attempt to rebuild it. The Ark of the Covenant was never returned to Shiloh. It required David to look beyond what he had built and look forward to a Temple. (Even though it would result in the destruction of the Tent he had built for the Ark, David knew that what he had built was only for a period of time.) He was prepared to let it fall in order that the Temple could be built for a resting place for the Ark of God's Presence where His eyes and His heart would always be. There is little point in fixing our eyes on the Temple we have built if God is requiring a progressive move towards the final building of His Temple - His Bride, where His Presence will always be!

Make no mistake! These are no empty etheral phrases concerning the New Covenant Temple yet to be built in all its fulness. It was the leaders of Israel who called the priests together with the people to carry the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines. Jeremiah spoke to the king, the princes, the priests and all the people, at the gate to the LORD's Temple. God will not by-pass authority, whether it is self-appointed or His own delegated authority. Those who stand in positions of leadership (no matter how they acquired their positions) need to hear and understand what God is saying, and together with the people repent and seek the place where God wants His Name to dwell in these latter days. Meeting together in unity in His Name is more than an enjoyable meeting. It is meeting together in lawful assembly in the Name of Jesus - the Church of the new-born. These are not merely words: This Temple is as real as the Temple of Solomon, but it will be more glorious as it is finally built and God fills it with His Presence, with the fire of His Glory, as He did before!

If we do not respond to this call of the Holy Spirit to be built into this New Covenant Temple as one people under one Head, then do not be surprised to hear the words of a latter-day Jeremiah ring out:

" Hear the words of the LORD, you people of Judah . . . This is that the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says . . . Do not trust in deceptive words and say, `This is the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD . . . But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless . . . Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel . . . Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears My Name, the Temple you trust in . . . "

There is no other way if God's people will not respond! All that we seek to build that is not `exactly like the pattern I show you', has to be swept away in order that we can understand and then respond to God's call in these days. But when we see it happen . . . do not attempt to take the Ark back to Shiloh. Instead, remember that God heard the prayers and pleas that His Son Jesus made before Him, and He is preparing in us that glorious Temple . . the Bride of Christ . . where `His eyes and His heart will always be.'

" And in Him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. "

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* Review
A commentary on Psalm 1.1 in the Jewish Midrash says:

" As Moses gave the five Books of Torah, so David gave the corresponding five Books of Psalms. "

In viewing the Psalms in this manner the five Books of Psalms open up a new understanding of their place in Scripture, and without losing the personal impact, which has been a continual blessing to many over the centuries, give a new depth of understanding of the times in which we live.

As with all our publications, these five booklets are free of charge upon request.

` A Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet. On shigionoth. '
The Book of Habakkuk, which consists of three chapters, finds itself standing towards the end of the Old Testament section of the Christian Canon of Scripture. Grouped with eleven other such books, it comes under the collective title of `the Minor Prophets' - minor, that is, regarding its length rather than its importance, for all Scripture is God- breathed! Within the Hebrew Canon of Scripture it is included in the Latter Prophets, which commence with the Book of Isaiah - as inferred by a verse in the Book of Zechariah: (7:7)

" Are not these the words of the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when . . . . "

Again, in the Hebrew Canon of Scripture the books of these Twelve Minor Prophets are written as one unbroken sequential Book, which reveals in its structure yet another prophetic message to the nation of Israel.

The apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, says: (Romans 9:4-5)

" Theirs is the adoption as sons, theirs the Divine Glory, the Covenants, the receiving of the Law, the Temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the Patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, for ever praised! Amen. "

Just as each of the twelve tribes of Israel were unique, so too are these twelve Minor Prophets, and yet together they form one nation and one prophetic book! And as such, within the Scriptural understanding of the number `twelve', they reveal the full authority of God's dealings with, and His promises to, the nation of Israel. In the Book of Eccesiasticus (not to be confused with the Book of Ecclesiastes in our Bible) the writer says:

" . . . and of the twelve prophets, let their memorial be blessed, and let their lines flourish again from out of their place; for they comforted Jacob (that is, the nation of Israel) and delivered them by assured hope. "

With this background established we come at last to the Book of Habakkuk, which takes the form of a colloquy between the prophet and God. (The word `colloquy' has the meaning `a familiar conversation, but one which found its place in judicial and legislative courts' - thereby implying a familiar but respectful conversation.) Not for Habakkuk was God the indulgent `daddy' of many of our contemporary preachers, but One who is (according to the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews) `a consuming fire'. (12:29) And yet One who is known and with whom the prophet could have a familiar conversation! This Book can be separated into two parts: Firstly, the Burden of Habakkuk, which secondly leads to the Prayer of Habakkuk in chapter 3 - and it is this last chapter which concerns us here and forms the opening title, `The Prayer of Habakkuk. On shigionoth'.

The opening words give us an under- standing of what will follow. The Hebrew word `shigionoth' has a meaning of `crying aloud', and used in the plural form it reveals `a cry and a continuous crying aloud to the LORD God of Israel' concerning the destruction which Habakkuk saw coming upon the nation of Israel. In verse 16 we can feel the pain contained in Habakkuk's crying aloud:

" I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. "

Yet we can also see in verse 18 the sure and certain outcome . . the joy the prophet could express in this familiar conversation with his God:

" Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. "

The first thing we notice in this Prayer of Habakkuk is the awesome, respectful cry of the prophet. Using the Covenanted name of God he cries: (verse 2a)

" LORD, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O LORD. "

In the face of what seems to be total disaster for the nation, he can cry out with certainty to the LORD: (verse 2b)

" Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in Your wrath remember mercy. "

With the same certainty Habakkuk dares to remind the LORD of His Covenanted relationship with Israel by the use of His names, and in verse 3 we see another of God's names used, thereby invoking another of His attributes. This is indeed a familiar conversation, as would be used in a judicial and legislative court, and it reveals the depth of the crying out aloud of the prophet:

" Eloah (God) came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. " The title `Eloah' used here, although springing from the title `Elohim', emphasizes God's will rather than His power. It is a title rarely used in Scripture and reveals the depth of the relationship the prophet has with God - One who alone is to be worshipped, with the certainty of knowing His will for His people - `Eloah who came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. "

Habakkuk's heart and mind are fixed on those events in the desert so many ages ago when the tribes of Israel were camped and ready to cross over the River Jordan into the Promised Land, and into the Promises of God! A Covenanted relationship has been formed - an unbreakable marriage relationship between God and the people of Israel - and in Deuteronomy chapter 33 we find recorded these words: (verses 1-4)

" This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. He said: The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from His mountain slopes. Surely it is You who love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand. At Your feet they all bow down, and from You they receive instruction, the Law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob. "

To understand the depth of the Prayer of Habakkuk the prophet we are called to `Selah' at this point, to pause and reverently consider the continuous deliverance that God had worked for His people . . with the certainty that He will deliver again. This is the first of three `Selahs' in this great intercessory Prayer of Habakkuk, and again, with our Scriptural knowledge of numbers, we can see in the number `three' the new life that is assured for the people of Israel when Eloah finally reveals to them `the One Whom they have pierced' - as recorded by the prophet Zechariah - and delivers them into salvation through their Messiah Jesus!

The worshipping cries of Habakkuk continue as he recalls how Eloah made himself known to the tribes that day in the desert `His Glory covered the heavens'. We can also feel the intensity of the man who understands the `wrath of God', but who also knows of `His mercy'. Habakkuk's cries continue as he recounts the works of the mighty Eloah of the Israelites: His work of creation; His work of delivering the Israelites in the Exodus; His work of delivering them from their enemies - which leads us to the second of the `Selahs'. As the prophet pauses, he remembers not only past events . . of the coming forth of Eloah . . but he holds to the certainty of the deliverance that will come from the latest threat of the destruction of the nation of Israel. And so he continues to pour out his cries of pain and joy for his people, and so we come to the third and last of the `Selahs'.

There is no official date for Habakkuk's prophecy, but the allusion is given in the first chapter that it was given at the time of the rising power of Babylon which, in time, would sweep through the empire of the Assyrians, leading to the destruction of Nineveh: (Chapter 1:5-6)

" Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your day that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling-places not their own. "

For prophecy to be understood it has to be based on a past reality and carried forward to a future date known only to God. As one commentator has said: `Prophecy is the sturdy rung of Scripture', and Scripture is based on historical facts so that those who read can have assurance for the future. Here Habakkuk, seeing even great Nineveh, the pride of the Assyrian Empire, falling to the rising power of the Chaldeans, had no doubt that that same pride would be the downfall of mighty Babylon: (Chapter 3:14)

" With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us . . . . "

History records how mighty Babylon did indeed fall: The armies of Cyrus cut off the head waters which filled the dykes surrounding Babylon (which had made them feel secure) and then passed under the city gates to conquer that proud empire - just as surely as the Chaldeans had themselves released Nineveh's water supply and the mighty River Koser had destroyed the sun-dried bricks with which that proud city had been built!

Little wonder that Habakkuk cried out: (Chapter 3:16)

" I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. "

The prophet knew that when `Eloah came forth', nothing could stand against His sovereign will! The three `Selahs' of Habaukkuk's Prayer, his crying aloud, were placed in Scripture so that those who followed on would indeed pause and know the faithfulness of God to His Word. His Covenant is sealed, complete in His Son, Jesus, for all who have been brought into that Covenanted relationship with Him. We see Habakkuk's certainty of this in the remaining verses of his prayer: `Though the fig-tree does not blossom . . '

This is no soft and trembling voice of doubt and uncertainty - as it is often read to people to reassure them that their trouble will come to an end one day. In the use of those words lay Habakkuk's trust in God's faithfulness. The word `bud' in some of the modern translations does not do justice to the certainty of Habakkuk. The edible fig comes from the blossom which contains myriads of seeds. But these seeds are what we would call today `unisex seeds' - they need no outside fertilization - so within the blossom is the certainty of the fig. With this knowledge Habakkuk could end his crying out aloud: (Chapter 3:18-19)

< " Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights. "

Habakkuk now disappears from any historical narrative. His work is done in proclaiming the faithfulness of God, his Eloah, Who when He comes forth will bring deliverance to His Covenanted people. What is certain is that whether he went into captivity in Babylon or was killed in the destruction of Jerusalem, his crying out to the LORD reveals the heart of a true intercessor who could express his joy as he endured the emotional and physical pain that was to fall upon the LORD's people.

Under the direction of the Holy Spirit the compilers of the Hebrew Canon of Scripture placed this prophecy within the twelve Books of the Minor Prophets, speaking to the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel, and all the LORD's Covenanted people, of His perfect will in the face of all adversity and apostacy, and to remind those who would follow on of the closing words of this prophecy: `To the Chief Singer - neginoth'. They understood that this prayer was for more than the immediate time. It was to be entrusted to the Chief Singer in charge of the Temple's repository of songs, to be brought out for future similar occasions in order to remind the people in those coming times of the faithfulness of Eloah, One who comes forth to strike deliverance for His people from whatever bondage they have been led into . . for such is the meaning of `neginoth'! Now, down through the corridors of time, Habakkuk's Prayer, his crying out aloud, will indeed be in the heart of many of God's people.

We hear recent news of His people Israel (still under the Law, which will eventually lead them to their Messiah) now passing, or proposing to pass, State laws to remove the religious element from their secular society. And in His redeemed people we see increasingly the Church distancing itself from its spiritual life and becoming an extension of the secular Social Services. Israel exists to reveal the faithfulness of God! The Church `exists' to proclaim the Salvation of God - and in removing the religious element of one and the spiritual element of the other, the purpose for their existence is removed, leaving them open to the `invading armies of Babylon' to take them into a captivity as real as that of Habakkuk's time!

At such times the `shigionoth of Habakkuk the prophet' will again be heard from the lips of others the LORD will raise up, those who, like the faithful prophet of old, will cry out the joy and the pain of a coming captivity for the LORD's people, but with the certainty of the coming forth of Eloah, Who will strike deliverance for His people - for the Prayer of Habakkuk has been entrusted to the Chief Singer in the LORD's Temple, the Messiah of Israel and the LORD of the Church!

Revelation 19:11-16 in part)

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war . . . . . On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
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