“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Ch.16:9
“Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord... (2 Chron. 12:1-2)
Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, 'Thus says the Lord: 'You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.' So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, 'The Lord is righteous.' Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, 'They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.'” (2 Chron. 12:5-8)
“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore he said to Judah, 'Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.' So they built and prospered.” (2 Chron. 14:2-7)
“Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: 'Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” (2 Chron. 15:1-2)
The difference between Rehoboam and Asa, is that Rehoboam forsook the Lord and Asa sought after the Lord. As Rehoboam turned from God and forsook Him, his actions were evil. In 2 Chronicles 12:14 it says about Rehoboam, “And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” The evil behaviors were the result of his failure to seek the Lord. The fruit was bad because the roots of the tree were bad.
Matthew 7:17-18 says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”
Rehoboam's forsaking the Lord resulted in the people of Israel suffering conflict and unrest. In 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 it says about the time that Rehoboam ruled:
Asa seeking after the Lord and doing away with evil in the land resulted in peace in the land and it was built up. In 2 Chronicles 15:10-15 it says about the time that Asa ruled:
He did not give them unrest to cause them harm in vengeance for them not responding to His love. Instead, He desired them to repent and turn back to Him. Often, as the people experienced adversity as a result of forsaking the Lord, they would humble themselves and cry out to God for deliverance.
As the people's hearts turned back to Him, He immediately responded by delivering them and helping them. God has consistently been the father who stands waiting, longing and looking for His prodigal son to return to Him. When he sees him yet far off, God runs toward him and embraces him. (Luke 15:11-32)
Even in their sin, rebellion, and turning away, God did not totally forsake His people. Time after time, God sent His prophets to speak and call the leaders and people to repent and turn back to God. What God desired was not their disaster, but their hearts to turn towards Him.
In 2 Chronicles, God was not standing back angrily judging the Israelites for their failure to get it all right and follow His commandments perfectly. What He was looking for in His people was a willingness to seek Him with their whole heart and to trust in and rely upon Him (faith).
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
This was spoken in the context of Asa, the king of Judah, trusting in the king of Syria for deliverance rather than God. After removing abominable idols from the land, restoring the altar of the Lord, and leading the people into making a covenant with the Lord to seek Him with their whole hearts and souls, Asa failed to finish well. Somewhere along the line he stopped relying on God. Asa looked to man to provide him strength and resources. Even when he later suffered severely in his health, he failed to seek the Lord but instead, sought his help from man.
Throughout the bible, God has made it clear that His desire and hope is that we would be a people that would seek after Him with our whole hearts.
In Deuteronomy 4:25-29, Moses says to the people of God, “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call on heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
And in Jeremiah 29:10-14, Jeremiah proclaims to the people as they carried away captive to Babylon for continually forsaking the Lord, “For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”
David proclaims in Psalm 27:8, “When you said, 'Seek My Face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'”
Seek is the Hebrew word baqash, Strongs #1245, and means to search out, strive after, desire, and inquire of. [1]
Dallas Willard notes that this seeking “is driven by the desire to be inwardly pure before God, to be wholly for Him, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” [2]
In the Song of Songs as an allegory, the bride of Christ is represented by the Shulamite who is longing for, chasing after and beholding her Beloved (representing Christ) to whom her heart belongs. In Song 3:2-4 she says, “By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. 'I will rise now,' I said, 'And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.' I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, 'Have you seen the one I love?' Scarcely had I passed them, when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go...”
Another thing that is evident in 2 Chronicles is that God desires to dwell with His people. Solomon asks in 2 Chronicles 6:18, “But will God indeed dwell with men on earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.”
And when Solomon finished his prayer, God answered him by sending fire down from heaven as the glory of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). God made in clear that indeed he had every intention to make His dwelling among man. It was His heart's desire to be among His people and be sought out by them.
God came to Solomon in a dream and told him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (2 Chronicles 7:12-16)
And in Deuteronomy 4:7, Moses says, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”
The Old Testament Tabernacle which God filled with His glory and where God dwelt among His people was a mere “shadow” of that which was to come. God so desired to be with and dwell among His people that He sent His Holy Presence to dwell within us as we receive Christ by faith.
Leanne Payne writes, “This Ark, like the Tabernacle itself, was also made according to the “shadow” of heavenly things. Inside the Ark dwelt the Uncreated, the Divine Presence, so powerfully that only the High Priest could enter in the inner sanctuary and live... After Christ, we as the new Israel are to know the Presence of God indwelling us. Individually and corporately we are the Body, the 'Ark' or the 'Temple' of the Presence -an idea almost staggering if we could truly comprehend it. We are the indwelt -the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” [3]
Moses treasured the presence of God and told Him in Exodus 33:15, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” We now have this same Presence in us and available to us where ever we go.
“Be filled with His glory, Be filled with His love, Be filled with His Spirit, sing Hallelujah!”
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. God has set Himself as a seal on our hearts out of His passionate love for us. Paul says in Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
It is the Holy Spirit “that awakens those 'dead in trespasses and sins' to the love of God and to the availability of life in His Kingdom” through one putting their confidence in Jesus Christ.[4] And it is God's Spirit as He awakens our hearts to love that stirs in us a desire to seek after Him. And it is in our wholehearted pursuit of Him that we find Him.
“I will say the words that my heart belongs to You for all eternity” sings.
Paul prays for the church in Ephesians 3:16-19 that they would be granted, “according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
“For me to live is Jesus and for me to die is gain. The path is set before me, my eyes are fixed on Him” seeks.
Our side is to pursue Him. It is to seek to know this God who loves us so deeply with our whole hearts, tossing aside everything that can so easily distract us and slow us down. Aand as we pursue Him, we find Him. We come to know Him more and more and become more like Him.
“You have ravished my heart with one look of Your eyes... You melt all that's inside” sings
Paul says in Philippians 3:10-11, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."
Dallas Willard notes that inseparable from the desire to seek God, to be wholly for Him, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the desire to be Christlike towards others: “to love our relatives, friends, and neighbors as he loves them, and to serve them with the powers of God's Kingdom.”
“I will celebrate Your love, I will celebrate Your gift to me” sings.
Paul says in Ephesians 1:19-20 (Phillips), “How tremendous is this power available to us who believe in God. That power is the same divine energy which was demonstrated in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.”
Leanne Payne goes on to write, “Incarnational Christianity is supernatural, and Christians are both called and empowered to be extensions of the Incarnation.”[5]
“Behold the Bridegroom comes. Prepare me for Your love... More than ever I long to be a bride that is pure and true” sings
Dallas Willard writes, “The presence of the Holy Spirit can always be recognized by the way He moves us toward what Jesus would be and do (John 16:7-15). The reality of the Spirit's presence in our lives is both the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Dallas notes that the Gifts of the Spirit enable us to serve God's purposes among His people, but they do not necessarily signify the state of our heart. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand are the result of transformed character. [6]
Often, when I think of character, I think of getting my actions in line with the Word of God. However, as Dallas Willard notes, my actions in line with the Word of God are the outcome of Christ living within us. [7]
“I will say the words forever, I will say the words I am Yours, I will say the words that my heart belongs to You for all eternity” sings
Revelation 19:8 says, “For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and His Bride has prepared herself -Fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear. ('Fine linen' means the righteous deeds of God's people.)”
The performance side of me thinks about 'fine linen, bright and clean' as behaviors demonstrating holiness. However, Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
And Paul says in Romans 4:2-3, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
“Wash me, cleanse me, and make me shine.... that I might stand as Your desire, complete on our wedding day” sings.
Dallas Willard writes, “Paul says in Philippians 3:3, 'For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.' That means we put confidence in the spiritual: our spirit together with His Spirit (Romans 8; 2 Corinthians 4,5).” [8]
“What will life be completely with Him?” sings
We were created to worship Him and we will worship Him for all eternity (Is. 66:23).
As I noted earlier, What He was looking for in His people was a willingness to seek Him with their whole heart and to trust in and rely upon Him (faith).
Dallas Willard writes, “But we have to remember that... God is spirit, and He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. I believe that that means people who in the core of their being, beyond all appearance in the physical world by means of their body, want to stand clear and right before God. And they are people who wholly devote their innermost being -the heart, will, or human spirit -to doing so. God is looking for such a people... He might just communicate with such a person and enliven his or her spirit with His Spirit. He might lead that person onward toward Himself, whereas there isn't much hope for one who is not seeking to worship Him in spirit and truth.” [9]
And as we put our confidence in Him, seeking Him with our whole hearts, we become more like the One we behold. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Dallas Willard mentioned about the Spirit inside of us: “He moves us toward what Jesus would be and do.”[10] And when Jesus came to the earth, it was to save sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.”
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
And in Matthew 9:12-13 Jesus says, “On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
It is not our responsibility to go out in the flesh and try to manipulate and arm twist every one we encounter to accept Christ – this would be a work of the flesh and not the Spirit. However, as we seek God with our whole hearts, and the Spirit inside of us transforms us more into Christlikeness, we have a desire to move towards others in love. And in loving others, we genuinely care about them knowing Christ and having life to the full. Paul wept over and deeply grieved his fellow Israelites who failed to know Christ.
Timothy mentions another trustworthy saying in 2 Timothy 2:11-13 when he notes,
One commentary makes the point about this passage that believers are identified with Jesus just as unbelief separates men from Him. This commentary writes about these verses, “Those who deny Christ will be denied by Him. Here the thought is not of a temporary denial of the Savior under duress, as in the case of Peter, but a permanent, habitual denial of Him. These words describe an unbeliever—one who has never embraced the Lord Jesus by faith. All such will be denied by the Lord in a coming day, no matter how pious their profession might have been.... Dinsdale Young explains: 'God cannot be inconsistent with Himself. It would be inconsistent with His character to treat the faithful and the unfaithful alike. He is evermore true to righteousness, whatever we are.' The words should not be interpreted to teach that God’s faithfulness will be demonstrated in upholding those who are unbelieving. Such is not the case. If men are unbelieving, He must be faithful to His own character and must treat them accordingly. As Van Oosterzee says, 'He is just as faithful in His threatenings as in His promises.'” [11]
“Awake oh North Wind... blow upon my garden... Rise up my fair one.... You have awakened my love with a glace of Your eyes, with a touch of Your hand” sings.
Lord, I hear You speaking that it is time to awake from our sleep and come fully alive to Your purposes for this hour. It is tempting for me to both want to panic and also try really hard to do your will in my own strength. Would You help us to seek You with our whole hearts and rest in Your loving care? That we would put our confidence in You and not the flesh. Thank you that You hold onto each one of us with a greater love than life. We have Your Holy Presence residing within us. Fill us and empower us to be Your witnesses. Awaken us and show us how to follow You.
1. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. 1245. baqash. Located at: http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/1245.htm Last Accessed: 1/25/10.
2, 4, 6-10. Willard, Dallas. The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Harper One, New York, NY. 2006
3, 5. Payne, Leanne. Real Presence: Glory of Christ With Us and Within Us. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI. 1995
11.MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (2 Ti 2:12). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, 'Thus says the Lord: 'You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.' So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, 'The Lord is righteous.' Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, 'They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.'” (2 Chron. 12:5-8)
“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore he said to Judah, 'Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.' So they built and prospered.” (2 Chron. 14:2-7)
“Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: 'Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” (2 Chron. 15:1-2)
The difference between Rehoboam and Asa, is that Rehoboam forsook the Lord and Asa sought after the Lord. As Rehoboam turned from God and forsook Him, his actions were evil. In 2 Chronicles 12:14 it says about Rehoboam, “And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” The evil behaviors were the result of his failure to seek the Lord. The fruit was bad because the roots of the tree were bad.
Matthew 7:17-18 says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”
Rehoboam's forsaking the Lord resulted in the people of Israel suffering conflict and unrest. In 2 Chronicles 15:3-6 it says about the time that Rehoboam ruled:
“For a long time Israel has been without a true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on the inhabitants of the lands. So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.” (2 Chron. 15:3-6)Asa, on the other hand, sought after God. Because he sought God with his whole heart, he desired to do what was right and good in the sight of God and he bore good fruit. He removed evil from the land and turned the people towards the Lord.
Asa seeking after the Lord and doing away with evil in the land resulted in peace in the land and it was built up. In 2 Chronicles 15:10-15 it says about the time that Asa ruled:
So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they offered to the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought. Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart, and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams' horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and they Lord gave them rest all around.”It is evident in the book of 2 Chronicles that God deeply cared and desired His people to seek Him with their whole hearts. When the people would turn to Him and seek Him, He would bless them and give them peace in their land. And when they forsook God, He forsook them and their land was full of conflict and unrest.
He did not give them unrest to cause them harm in vengeance for them not responding to His love. Instead, He desired them to repent and turn back to Him. Often, as the people experienced adversity as a result of forsaking the Lord, they would humble themselves and cry out to God for deliverance.
As the people's hearts turned back to Him, He immediately responded by delivering them and helping them. God has consistently been the father who stands waiting, longing and looking for His prodigal son to return to Him. When he sees him yet far off, God runs toward him and embraces him. (Luke 15:11-32)
Even in their sin, rebellion, and turning away, God did not totally forsake His people. Time after time, God sent His prophets to speak and call the leaders and people to repent and turn back to God. What God desired was not their disaster, but their hearts to turn towards Him.
In 2 Chronicles, God was not standing back angrily judging the Israelites for their failure to get it all right and follow His commandments perfectly. What He was looking for in His people was a willingness to seek Him with their whole heart and to trust in and rely upon Him (faith).
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
This was spoken in the context of Asa, the king of Judah, trusting in the king of Syria for deliverance rather than God. After removing abominable idols from the land, restoring the altar of the Lord, and leading the people into making a covenant with the Lord to seek Him with their whole hearts and souls, Asa failed to finish well. Somewhere along the line he stopped relying on God. Asa looked to man to provide him strength and resources. Even when he later suffered severely in his health, he failed to seek the Lord but instead, sought his help from man.
Throughout the bible, God has made it clear that His desire and hope is that we would be a people that would seek after Him with our whole hearts.
In Deuteronomy 4:25-29, Moses says to the people of God, “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call on heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
And in Jeremiah 29:10-14, Jeremiah proclaims to the people as they carried away captive to Babylon for continually forsaking the Lord, “For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”
David proclaims in Psalm 27:8, “When you said, 'Seek My Face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'”
Seek is the Hebrew word baqash, Strongs #1245, and means to search out, strive after, desire, and inquire of. [1]
Dallas Willard notes that this seeking “is driven by the desire to be inwardly pure before God, to be wholly for Him, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” [2]
In the Song of Songs as an allegory, the bride of Christ is represented by the Shulamite who is longing for, chasing after and beholding her Beloved (representing Christ) to whom her heart belongs. In Song 3:2-4 she says, “By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. 'I will rise now,' I said, 'And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.' I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, 'Have you seen the one I love?' Scarcely had I passed them, when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go...”
Another thing that is evident in 2 Chronicles is that God desires to dwell with His people. Solomon asks in 2 Chronicles 6:18, “But will God indeed dwell with men on earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.”
And when Solomon finished his prayer, God answered him by sending fire down from heaven as the glory of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). God made in clear that indeed he had every intention to make His dwelling among man. It was His heart's desire to be among His people and be sought out by them.
God came to Solomon in a dream and told him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (2 Chronicles 7:12-16)
And in Deuteronomy 4:7, Moses says, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”
The Old Testament Tabernacle which God filled with His glory and where God dwelt among His people was a mere “shadow” of that which was to come. God so desired to be with and dwell among His people that He sent His Holy Presence to dwell within us as we receive Christ by faith.
Leanne Payne writes, “This Ark, like the Tabernacle itself, was also made according to the “shadow” of heavenly things. Inside the Ark dwelt the Uncreated, the Divine Presence, so powerfully that only the High Priest could enter in the inner sanctuary and live... After Christ, we as the new Israel are to know the Presence of God indwelling us. Individually and corporately we are the Body, the 'Ark' or the 'Temple' of the Presence -an idea almost staggering if we could truly comprehend it. We are the indwelt -the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” [3]
Moses treasured the presence of God and told Him in Exodus 33:15, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” We now have this same Presence in us and available to us where ever we go.
“Be filled with His glory, Be filled with His love, Be filled with His Spirit, sing Hallelujah!”
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. God has set Himself as a seal on our hearts out of His passionate love for us. Paul says in Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
It is the Holy Spirit “that awakens those 'dead in trespasses and sins' to the love of God and to the availability of life in His Kingdom” through one putting their confidence in Jesus Christ.[4] And it is God's Spirit as He awakens our hearts to love that stirs in us a desire to seek after Him. And it is in our wholehearted pursuit of Him that we find Him.
“I will say the words that my heart belongs to You for all eternity” sings.
Paul prays for the church in Ephesians 3:16-19 that they would be granted, “according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
“For me to live is Jesus and for me to die is gain. The path is set before me, my eyes are fixed on Him” seeks.
Our side is to pursue Him. It is to seek to know this God who loves us so deeply with our whole hearts, tossing aside everything that can so easily distract us and slow us down. Aand as we pursue Him, we find Him. We come to know Him more and more and become more like Him.
“You have ravished my heart with one look of Your eyes... You melt all that's inside” sings
Paul says in Philippians 3:10-11, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."
Dallas Willard notes that inseparable from the desire to seek God, to be wholly for Him, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the desire to be Christlike towards others: “to love our relatives, friends, and neighbors as he loves them, and to serve them with the powers of God's Kingdom.”
“I will celebrate Your love, I will celebrate Your gift to me” sings.
Paul says in Ephesians 1:19-20 (Phillips), “How tremendous is this power available to us who believe in God. That power is the same divine energy which was demonstrated in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.”
Leanne Payne goes on to write, “Incarnational Christianity is supernatural, and Christians are both called and empowered to be extensions of the Incarnation.”[5]
“Behold the Bridegroom comes. Prepare me for Your love... More than ever I long to be a bride that is pure and true” sings
Dallas Willard writes, “The presence of the Holy Spirit can always be recognized by the way He moves us toward what Jesus would be and do (John 16:7-15). The reality of the Spirit's presence in our lives is both the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Dallas notes that the Gifts of the Spirit enable us to serve God's purposes among His people, but they do not necessarily signify the state of our heart. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand are the result of transformed character. [6]
Often, when I think of character, I think of getting my actions in line with the Word of God. However, as Dallas Willard notes, my actions in line with the Word of God are the outcome of Christ living within us. [7]
“I will say the words forever, I will say the words I am Yours, I will say the words that my heart belongs to You for all eternity” sings
Revelation 19:8 says, “For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and His Bride has prepared herself -Fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear. ('Fine linen' means the righteous deeds of God's people.)”
The performance side of me thinks about 'fine linen, bright and clean' as behaviors demonstrating holiness. However, Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
And Paul says in Romans 4:2-3, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
“Wash me, cleanse me, and make me shine.... that I might stand as Your desire, complete on our wedding day” sings.
Dallas Willard writes, “Paul says in Philippians 3:3, 'For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.' That means we put confidence in the spiritual: our spirit together with His Spirit (Romans 8; 2 Corinthians 4,5).” [8]
“What will life be completely with Him?” sings
We were created to worship Him and we will worship Him for all eternity (Is. 66:23).
As I noted earlier, What He was looking for in His people was a willingness to seek Him with their whole heart and to trust in and rely upon Him (faith).
Dallas Willard writes, “But we have to remember that... God is spirit, and He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. I believe that that means people who in the core of their being, beyond all appearance in the physical world by means of their body, want to stand clear and right before God. And they are people who wholly devote their innermost being -the heart, will, or human spirit -to doing so. God is looking for such a people... He might just communicate with such a person and enliven his or her spirit with His Spirit. He might lead that person onward toward Himself, whereas there isn't much hope for one who is not seeking to worship Him in spirit and truth.” [9]
And as we put our confidence in Him, seeking Him with our whole hearts, we become more like the One we behold. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Dallas Willard mentioned about the Spirit inside of us: “He moves us toward what Jesus would be and do.”[10] And when Jesus came to the earth, it was to save sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.”
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
And in Matthew 9:12-13 Jesus says, “On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
It is not our responsibility to go out in the flesh and try to manipulate and arm twist every one we encounter to accept Christ – this would be a work of the flesh and not the Spirit. However, as we seek God with our whole hearts, and the Spirit inside of us transforms us more into Christlikeness, we have a desire to move towards others in love. And in loving others, we genuinely care about them knowing Christ and having life to the full. Paul wept over and deeply grieved his fellow Israelites who failed to know Christ.
Timothy mentions another trustworthy saying in 2 Timothy 2:11-13 when he notes,
“This is a faithful saying:“...I am coming... the earth is asleep... wake up my sleeping bride” sings in the background.
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He will also deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.”
One commentary makes the point about this passage that believers are identified with Jesus just as unbelief separates men from Him. This commentary writes about these verses, “Those who deny Christ will be denied by Him. Here the thought is not of a temporary denial of the Savior under duress, as in the case of Peter, but a permanent, habitual denial of Him. These words describe an unbeliever—one who has never embraced the Lord Jesus by faith. All such will be denied by the Lord in a coming day, no matter how pious their profession might have been.... Dinsdale Young explains: 'God cannot be inconsistent with Himself. It would be inconsistent with His character to treat the faithful and the unfaithful alike. He is evermore true to righteousness, whatever we are.' The words should not be interpreted to teach that God’s faithfulness will be demonstrated in upholding those who are unbelieving. Such is not the case. If men are unbelieving, He must be faithful to His own character and must treat them accordingly. As Van Oosterzee says, 'He is just as faithful in His threatenings as in His promises.'” [11]
“Awake oh North Wind... blow upon my garden... Rise up my fair one.... You have awakened my love with a glace of Your eyes, with a touch of Your hand” sings.
Lord, I hear You speaking that it is time to awake from our sleep and come fully alive to Your purposes for this hour. It is tempting for me to both want to panic and also try really hard to do your will in my own strength. Would You help us to seek You with our whole hearts and rest in Your loving care? That we would put our confidence in You and not the flesh. Thank you that You hold onto each one of us with a greater love than life. We have Your Holy Presence residing within us. Fill us and empower us to be Your witnesses. Awaken us and show us how to follow You.
1. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. 1245. baqash. Located at: http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/1245.htm Last Accessed: 1/25/10.
2, 4, 6-10. Willard, Dallas. The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Harper One, New York, NY. 2006
3, 5. Payne, Leanne. Real Presence: Glory of Christ With Us and Within Us. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI. 1995
11.MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (2 Ti 2:12). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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