The LORD of Armies...and My Living Room

Spanning the Historical Time Gap

Original image credit to Tim Gouw

My Dear Lovelians & Lifers,

Today whilst showering, I quietly reflected on what it means for God to be the same yesterday and today. From Deuteronomy to Isaiah I have now read, though not entirely finished, and with this the experience of His longing, anger, pain, and deep compassion with each step in the wrong direction His people took. The ‘LORD of Armies’ Isaiah frequently calls Him; the One who repays evil deeds with the sword and/or the removal of His favor, even if this includes His own people. And yet He keeps His promises and rescues the faithful remnant, those who turn back and cry out to Him for help. The One whose invisible forces (made visible to a servant and us readers by Elisha) laughably outnumber any army on this earth.

This LORD of Armies ---- I sit with in my living room and talk to in the shower. I don’t know why it took this long to span the historical time gap in my mind and drop my jaw to the floor in awe. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I’m not just reading about the tendencies of the human heart and learning about the Person of God. I am in fact reading about deeds He has already done. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is in fact the same God I plead with to protect my family when they take a road trip or have a bad dream.

I am what the Bible calls a ‘Gentile’, a non-Jew. This relationship is what Jesus’ sacrifice enables me to have. When God turned Himself into a human being, He not only fulfilled every rule, law, and orthodoxy He laid down at the beginning, but He also enabled the choseness of the Israelites to be extended to all people through faith, completely redefining the original definition of the word. Now, I get to choose Him back.

Because of my deep dive into the Old Testament, I have never been more grateful nor looked forward to celebrating the Coming of my Jesus more than I do right now. The God of the Old Testament...the God of my living room...

Welcome to the Christmas season my friends!

You have my Sword,

Olivia

P.S. Hershey’s chocolate candy canes kind of remind me of play-dough for some reason...and yet I keep eating them.