Day 155
2 Samuel 5:6-6:23, Acts 1:23-2:21, Psalms 69:29-36
Continuing with the dip into Jewish history, Jerusalem becomes the centre of everything for them today. We are well aware that the Temple was sited in Jerusalem in Jesus time, and it had been there for quite some time. Up until now though, the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle had been on the move, then at Shiloh, and, until David goes to get it, at some blokes (Abinadab’s) house. And finally it comes to rest in Jerusalem. It is hard to underestimate the significance of this move. This is the start of a line that led to Jesus sticking around to chat with the Pharisees as a young lad, overturning tables and driving out the money lenders.
Perhaps of greater significance for us is Pentecost. The coming of the holy spirit in all its power.
“Je ne comprends pas le francais, parlez vous anglais” is about the extent of my French, other than being able to say “My name is Phil, I am 12 years old”!!! If you are just as linguistically challenged as me, then you will find the events of Pentecost as scary as I do. The power of the Spirit is beyond our wildest dreams, what we see in Pentecost though is not just the empowerment of twelve random individuals to speak foreign languages. It is the spread of the Gospel.
The disciples were in Jerusalem, the centre of the religious world for the Jews, and in bringing the gift of languages, the Spirit makes it clear to all that the love of God is not contained in the Ark or the temple, it spread to every corner of the world. The Bible Society and many like them (including Biblefresh) have long tried to ensure that all people can have the Bible in their own language.
The love of Christ is for all people, every nation, tribe and language. It means that it is for us, and it also means we are called to share it with all.
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