Having just read Nehemiah, Chapter 9, as part of my 52-Day Challenge, I'm excited because again I'm reminded that Jesus came down, walked with us, taught us, suffered and died for us, was resurrected, and then seen at different times by 500 people before He returned to the Father. He made His disciples two promises. 1) He was going, but would not leave His disciples as orphans; He would ask the Father to send a Helper, the Holy Spirit. 2) Jesus promised to return, but this time would be different. He would be choreographing the end of times.
I have to admit occasionally I watch the televisions shows, "America's Got Talent," and "So You Think You Can Dance," or "Voice." But none of the talented people or presentations get me standing on my feet, heart pumping, as much as Chris Tomlin's song, "Even So Come." The chorus, "So we wait, we wait for You. God, we wait. You're coming soon," proclaims what we should already know. Jesus is not only coming, but He is on His way. We don't know the distance or length of time it will take for Him to arrive at the destination of His Second Coming; it could be a nano-second or a hundred years or more. And if you ask, how can He be coming if He is already here, I'd answer that He is an all-dimensional omnipresent LORD, Creator of the Universe; He can be in all places at once. He is never limited by boundaries or time, and especially not limited by our tiny perspective of what He can do.
His coming. Now that's something to be terrified of, or excited about--terrifying for those who do not believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Exciting for those who are waiting to see Him, and what He has prepared for them.
In my journal entry of November 10, 2018, I wrote:
Aha! Another “He came down” verse. Neh. 9, Levites’ prayer, verse 13, "You came down also on Mount Sinai." Funny, running into it here in Chapter 9. Last night I rewrote Chap 9’s “Gone to Mex” and was trying hard to fit in Isaiah 64:1-3, “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!" and “When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down; the mountains shook at Your presence.” I wasn’t even looking when You did an awesome thing like putting in that verse, Neh. 9:13. "You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments.
If you read Nehemiah 9, then you know how the footprints of Jesus crossed over from the Old Testament to the New. Sadly, the Israelites during Nehemiah's time had no clue Jesus was already walking with them. Why? For the same reason He gave to the disciples when they asked Jesus why He spoke to the multitudes in parables. "They aren't ready yet to understand the mysteries of heaven, but you are," He told the disciples (paraphrased) in Mark 13:10 .
From that verse, Nehemiah 9:13, we learn three things:
First, God is not a god who judges from afar; He is a personal God.
Second, God came down and walked with us.
Third, God gave us “just ordinances and true laws;” Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to interpret those laws and statutes and commandments.
This verse prompted me to look into more verses about when God came down. One example is the following: (Isaiah 64:3) “When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down; the mountains shook at Your presence.”
God came down, did some awesome things, but we weren’t paying attention. I believe He comes down to walk among us, like an architectural overseer of our spiritual growth. When we, as individuals or a nation, cry for help, He takes action. He comes down. When we mess things up; or we’re lost and hurting or even trying too hard to do what’s right, God comes down. When we’re confused about which path to take, He directs our thoughts. He walked with Noah and wrestled with Jacob, and showed His glorious radiance to Moses and called Moses His friend. He chose David, a young shepherd, to lead His people; He came down and talked to Solomon after the temple was finished. Most wonderful of all was He came down as the Messiah to walk with us and teach us His commandments. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because the City did not recognize Him. He came down and we did not know Him.
What would you do if you knew God was coming down? How would you get ready? The Israelites gave us a good example of how to respond with respect. They stood for hours, listening to Ezra the scribe read from the Book of the Law of Moses. You have to admire them for their stamina. The first thing I do in the morning is grab my coffee and sit in my chair with my feet up, then start reading and praying. Sometimes the clouds and colors of the sunrise literally make me leap to my feet to admire God’s creation. But my favorite time in the morning is when the Word of God speaks to me. I can’t imagine missing that time with Him anymore, especially since I missed out on so much time in my past too busy to pay attention.
What about you? Do you get excited to spend time with Him? Do you know He’s excited to spend time with you? How would you feel if you heard the LORD had come down, but you missed Him, like in my dreams when I'm so busy preparing for Him, I miss Him. Talk about devastation of the heart! A regular prayer of mine is: “LORD, if today I hear Your voice and see Your face, let me harden not my heart; let me shake like mountains with excitement and tremble at Your Presence."
The good news is we don't have to wait for Him to come down because He is already here. Within us and among us, outside us and above us, behind us, and in front of us.
