Skip to main content

Where I Want To Be From!

In my last post, I wrote about a city where I would like to be from.  It’s this one:

“The circumference of the city will be 6 miles.  The name of the city from that day forward will be: ‘The Lord Is There.’”  (Ezekiel 48:35)

You might wonder, why would a specific city be named “The Lord is There”?  Does this mean that the city is the only place where the Lord is? 

Many theologians believe that the Bible teaches that God is everywhere (omnipresent).  And, based on the following verses, you can see why they have come to that conclusion:

 

  • Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.  (Jer 23:24)

 

  • But will God indeed dwell on the earth?  Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!  (1 Ki 8:27)

 

  • Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.  (Deut 4:39)

 

  • Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  (Ps 139:7-10)

 

Assuming God is omnipresent or everywhere, why then would this city be named “The Lord is There”?

Many believe that while the Bible teaches that God is omnipresence, it also teaches about the manifest presence of God.  In the Old Testament, God manifested His presence at times by being in the tabernacle or the temple.   The incarnation is an example of the manifest presence of God in the person of Jesus. 

In the book of Revelation, there is a verse that seems to encapsulate the manifest presence of God and how we will experience it:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  (Rev 21:3)

“The Lord is There”, it’s not just a city’s random name that has no significance or meaning.  On the contrary, one day God will manifest His presence with us and will dwell with us in this great city.  It will be a reality that we will experience and enjoy for all eternity!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can't Get No Satisfaction

One of the songs that were popular in my youth was not particularly upbeat or helpful but it probably did express some of the angst of my generation.  It was not one that particularly resonated with me but as I recently read the book of Haggai, it did come to mind, well, at least some of the lyrics did.  It was the Rolling Stones song with the lyrics “I can’t get no satisfaction”.  Take a look at the chorus of that bleak song:   I can't get no satisfaction; I can't get no satisfaction; Gonna try and I try and I try and I try; I can't get no - I can't get no –   Now take a look at Haggai 1:6 – “ You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” It sure sounds like the people of Judah couldn’t get any satisfaction with the things of life that normally should have brought some type of s...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Horse Of Course

In Biblical times, horses represented military power and strength.  And if you had both horses and chariots, well, that was the ultimate of military powers and wars were often won with them. Yet in seeking to have what would normally be considered insurmountable military strength, there was one factor that was often overlooked.  The Psalmist made it clear what that factor was when he wrote:  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”   (Ps 20:7) While Israel did at times trust in the name of the Lord, there were other times when they tried to trust in horses and chariots to win their battles.  This is what the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah:  “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,   who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots   and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord .”  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stouthearted!

Steve the Stouthearted; it has a nice medieval ring to it, maybe even middle earth overtones.  I noticed that word “stouthearted” recently in Psalm 138, verse 3:   “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”   (NIV, 1973) The word stouthearted is used in the Bible to describe individuals who exhibit courage, determination, and resilience, often in the face of adversity or opposition. This characteristic is seen as a virtue, reflecting steadfastness in faith and purpose. The stouthearted are those who remain firm in their convictions and are not easily swayed by fear or doubt (from The Bible Hub website). And yet to be bold and stouthearted for most is not something that just comes naturally, we need the Lord to make us bold and stouthearted.   And, from the verse above, it appears that he does so in response to us calling on him.   So it probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that those who have been made bold and stouth...
Post a Comment
Read more