Today’s Agenda
“Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done, as it is in heaven, also on earth.” Matthew 6:10
Earth – When we follow the pattern of prayer taught by our Lord, we endorse the Hebrew view of deliverance. Praying “Your kingdom come on earth” focuses our attention of the Hebrew verb yasa’. Of course, this verb doesn’t appear in our text, not even when we translate the Greek expression back into Yeshua’s native tongue. But the context of the coming Kingdom is exactly what we would expect from the Hebrew worldview. What God is doing He is doing here and now. The focus of our attention is His Kingdom on earth. Soulen writes, “Redemption does not mean deliverance from this history but liberation within and for it.”[1] Maybe we need to read that again. We are not adopted into the Kingdom in order to wait at the bus stop until the Heaven Express pulls up to take us away. For the follower of YHWH, there is no escape plan. Rapture isn’t escape. It’s “job well done.” If we’re not part of restoring the Kingdom here and now, we won’t be ready for His return. God is not waiting for the end to make a change.
Christian preaching in the last one hundred years has been so preoccupied with “getting to heaven” that it lost urgency about the Kingdom here and now, where God is at work. The new heaven and the new earth don’t happen until God is finished with His restoration work, delivering this earth from the forces of destruction. Deliverance puts us into the battle for restoration, not for removal. Perhaps this is why Yeshua chose the days of Noah as the context of “one taken and one left.” We stay. The wicked go. God does not give up on this place and opt to leave. Re-creation comes when His will is finished on earth.
Adopting this upside-down view of involvement in His Kingdom changes things. We have been focused on getting people “saved.” Saved from what? Saved from the threat of hell? That pushes the good news into a box labeled, “Open after I die.” But the good news is peace with God now. Discipleship is doing the Father’s will on this battlefield. Dying is a sad affair because I can no longer carry on the fight for His righteousness. Instead of hoping to get out, I should be anxious to remain in (remember Sha’ul’s dilemma?). Today’s agenda is “Your will done here, Lord.”
If the gospel message is removed from its context on this earth, if it ignores what God is doing in this concrete history with real people and real nations, then our lives become merely a test – and a rather pointless one at that. When we realize our need for a deliverer, we embrace His grace and mercy. We are ready to live for Him. So, why not just take us home? Why make us struggle through the valley of the shadow of death if the purpose is to get us into heaven? Let’s just board the bus. But that isn’t the purpose, is it? Life is not a test. It is the place where the Kingdom comes. It’s where you work out your deliverance because He is working in His restoration. Better stick around, huh?
[1] R. Kendall Soulen, The God of Israel and Christian Theology (Fortress Press, 1996), p. 176.
Topical Index: earth, heaven, gospel, Matthew 6:10, Soulen, deliverance, yasa’
I find it strange to talk to people whose focus is getting into heaven. The life that is shown me seems so empty and meaningless. I also tend to find that kind of focus offensive. This article helps me see why I have experienced it that way. It just has no substance. At least now that I have increased my understanding, maybe I will be able to find words to express my concern for their lives that seem to be wasting away.
I am going to lift the “heavy hammer” and let it fall once again. -It’s now “either/or” it’s both.= Boys and girls, He is LORD of heaven AND earth. Not one or the other.. “both”. Get it? Got it? Good. LORD of yesterday. LORD of tomorrow and LORD of today. Yes, He is the one living G-d of the “right-now”. The very same G-d of Abraham, and of Moses, and of Abraham, and you and me. “It is written”.. “LORD of all.” LORD of the Jews! Praise G-d!! LORD of the Gentiles! Praise G-d!! He is LORD!! I believe in heaven. I believe in hell. I believe Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life and that more abundantly.” Why? Because dear friends.. “it is written”. Because of the testimony and witness of thousands upon thousands. Because of a changed life-(mine!). We (all) are headed toward the door marked “EXIT”. I’m rather looking forward to it. Not that I want to die,- I just know it goin’ to be good, that’s all. Yes, I’ve got stuff to do today. There will be things to do, people to meet, and a life to live. I met with the Master this morning to align myself with Him, and have asked Him to guide and to guard my pathways today. I must be awake and aware to the opportunities my Father will bring into my view. I ask Him for eyes to see these “kairos” moments and then to repond as He would have me to do. I’m listening for instructions from the Day-Runner. This I know.. G-d is good and He does all things well. I know He is fully able to set a table in the wildnerness. My hope and confidence is in my G-d who is both willing and able. He will provide exactly what I need and exactly when I need it. I will strive to stay in constant communication with His Holy Breath and have asked for help in remembering His words of instruction. This I will say with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.. =Blessed be the Name of the LORD. (“Both” now AND forevermore..)
As always, you’re heart for the things of God comes through loud and clear. My emphasis on the “here and now” is only to counteract the enormous problems associated with the preoccupation with heaven. Actually, we are not all headed for the exit. The only exit out of this place is death and that doesn’t exit us from life with Him at all. The point is the heaven is not the point. Being in Christ, that is eternal life and it doesn’t start with heaven. So, this isn’t practice. It’s reality – reality in a broken world. But the relationship we foster here will continue forever. The biblical emphasis is on the quality of the relationship, not on the geography. Remember, the Kingdom of God isn’t a place. It’s the reign and rule of God wherever His will is done.
“Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done, as it is in heaven, also on earth.” Matthew 6:10
For me, if we were going to have a meeting on the meaning of life, and we wanted to put “first things first,” I would put Matthew 6:10 at the top of the list.
For me, it is not only at the heart of most of the great metaphors, it is literally the key to the Kingdom.
“He will provide exactly what I need and exactly when I need it.”
Hi Carl,
As Neil Mc Cauley (Robert De Niro) says in the movie Heat:
“That’s the discipline.”
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Greetings Michael.. yes, it is. G-d does have a way of “stretching” us. But really, once you lay hold of the pattern, it reveals itself to be a rather adventurous way of living. “Walking by faith” is anything but boring and that’s a “fer sure”. How many times do we need to “prove Him faithful” before we finally come around to the rock-ribbed fact.. “G-d is faithful”. Maybe that’s why we have to go through the trials and tribs of life so we too may know this (experientially). I believe the sooner we catch hold of this and learn to “cooperate” with the program, the better off we’ll be. Our Father does have a way of garnering our focused attention. Abba’s blessings to you and to your household today. -carl
“I believe the sooner we catch hold of this and learn to “cooperate” with the program, the better off we’ll be.”
Hi Carl,
Thanks for the blessings. Yes, I agree with your statement above. The problem is that the “program” can sometimes look like the proverbial 800 lb Gorilla, and we just want to get out of the room 🙂
Pretty interesting the dual concept, as it is in heaven, in earth. We can see this “theme” in Magen Dawid two triangles. One is pointing toward heaven and the other one in pointing toward earth. Even more interesting, is the reconciliation of the opposites….just to think a little bit so that we can be inspired to move beyond what is obvious.
Shalom
“Pretty interesting the dual concept, as it is in heaven, in earth.”
Hi Ismael,
I think the “dual concept” is key to understanding so many important things.
Language can be understood as a system of signs and a sign is two things {sound + concept}.
We use binary math to translate human language into computer language, so that a machine can understand and act upon a human word.
Paul’s project was binary: to bridge the gap between Gentiles and Jews.
Some believe that Jesus said if you want to enter the Kingdom, “make the two things one.”
Quite interesting, isn’t it?? What else can we learn if we take in consideration that in Hebrew we don’t have numericals characters as it is in the Indo-Arabic System. As soon we can perceive this information, the Bible show us a lot of things that go beyond what is in the surface. For example, the use of the number ten. Why this number is so important?? Just a little bit of research will show us how many times Yeshua used it…..
Blessings
“the use of the number ten”
Hi Ismael,
I have not really had much time to read the edition of Sefer Yetzirah by Aryeh Kaplan, but thanks for recommending it to me.
Having only read a few pages, I can already tell that it is an amazing book.
For example, on page 8, Table 3 shows us how in the Hebrew alphabet (22 letters), the numerical value 10 is represented by y (i), sounds like Yodh, and signifies the name “Hand.”
IMO in this usage, Hand is both another word for God (metaphor) and functions in a part-to-whole relationship to God (metonymy).
Roman Jakobson found a comparable dichotomy between metaphor and metonymy in his seminal paper, “Two Aspects of Language and Two Types of Aphasic Disturbances.”
The other thing that I found extraordinary, on page 10, was the explanation of the difference between Netivot/Derekh and Nativ.
I always wondered where the psychologist Jung came up with some of his more fascinating ideas, but now it clear to me that he had be reading the Sefer Yetzirah.
One more comment about the Magen Dawid…In Kabbalah, the two triangles represent the dichotomies inherent in man: good vs. evil, spiritual vs. physical, etc. The two triangles may also represent the reciprocal relationship between the Jewish people and God. The triangle pointing “up” symbolizes our good deeds which go up to heaven, and then activate a flow of goodness back down to the world, symbolized by the triangle pointing down.
Thank you!!!!
Hello again Ishmael,
Speaking of the Magen Dawid, as I recall, in The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown says that the two triangles represent a symbol of Androgyny; the unified masculine-feminine soul before the Fall (Alienation).
Any thoughts?
Some Jewish legends, and some older commentaries, suggest an androgynous creation before the building of Havvah, but there isn’t any real textual evidence for this – unless, like so many times, we read into the verse a theology we bring to the verse.
Hello Dr. Moen
It is pretty interesting how we use our capacity to select what goes in harmony with our worldview. Let’s ask some questions that can help us to look at places that may be we haven’t perceive already. For example. If Adam is tzelem demut of Elohim; is God ONE or is He/She two as many people think about the human being of Genesis 1? If that human being is tzelem demut of Elohim and Elohim is ONE, I think that we must give space to the possibility that the first human being is a perfect image and likeness of God and, of course, include being one as HE/SHE is. This is just to think a little bit beyond what is commonly accepted. Thank you….again.
IGS
There is a difference between androgenous and “without gender.” While the Scripture certainly stands in opposition to the idea that the gods are sexual beings, it does not follow that the image of God is both male and female. Scripture seems to indicate, in spite of the anthropomorphic language, that God is neither male nor female, not both male and female. God is not a sexual being. Whatever His nature actually is (and this is hidden from us), it is not sexual. Sex is a created function, not a reflection of the divine image. One of the polemics of Genesis is to contradict the other cosmologies that suggest the world came into being through some sexual activity of the gods.
Hi Skip.
Thanks. I understand. My question is more “history of ideas” than “theology of androgyny.”
🙂
My translation says:
Gen 1:27
God created man in the image of himself,
in the image of God he created him,
male and female he created them.
Gen 2:22
Yahweh God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman
and brought her to the man.
In my reading, it is the same bone, different flesh, but no mention of soul.
But it would seem logical to conclude that the soul would be in the image of God.
And although God is 1, our image of Him is 2 (masculine and feminine).
Ah, but Michael, you’re thinking in Greek. There is no “soul” in Hebrew because there is only embodied person. Nephesh. The nephesh hayah, created by God, is the whole person. The idea that God adds a “soul” is part of the Greek metaphysical dualism that we have so often mentioned.
Just an observation…many that are overtly focused on heaven appear to be self absorbed. Of course, we look at heaven as our final destination, BUT, in the meantime, or until that time, our Lord said to occupy til I return (Luke 19:13). This entails a wide range of activity, dependent upon the Spirit’s direction and gifting while we are HERE. Another word for occupy could be called “trading”. We often hear “trading” in the stock market referred to as “activity”. So with this in mind, how could we “get saved”, “accept Christ as Savior”, get “born again” and then sit down and become just pew potatoes, waiting to die or be raptured? I read of MUCH activity in heaven…continual worship, praise, honor, bowing, singing,…all to Jesus! WOW, I need to be getting into shape NOW! DOING the will of the Father. Listening for His calling and marching orders, and then obeying those orders! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Hallelujah to the Lamb! I will adore Him!
Blessings….The triangle pointing “up” symbolizes our good deeds which go up to heaven, and then activate a flow of goodness back down to the world, symbolized by the triangle pointing down.
Skip, VERY good point. I couldn’t help thinking it was written like an ad campaign for ‘Real Life’. They are good at this.
Greetings again, Dr. Moen
Well, this is one of the limitations that we have to learn to live with: the use and the meanings of words, sentences, paragraphs,etc. …Of course, we know that God does not have gender as we know it and define it. But we can observe, clearly, that God does have sexual characteristics. Let’s take as an example, the shekinah. (feminine aspect of God) Another example is the Tetragramaton, with the feminine ending in the letters vav and hei. I’m not talking about genitalia, of course; I’m talking about characteristics. Even if we talk from genetics perspective, male have both chromosomes X and Y. (cf. Hugh Ross’book, The Genesis Question) Is the chromosome composition of man evidence that at the beggining we were an androgynous creation?? As theologians we must keep in mind, Albert Einstein words: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” (cf “Science, Philosophy and Religion: a Symposium”, 1941)
Thank you very much…