I've been going through the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. Several mythic themes are jumping out at me.
1) God "speaking" through desires:
...Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (1:1-4)
The king said to me, "What is it you want?" (2:4)
I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. (2:11)
Ever been "taken over" by something, by some situation, or opportunity, or plight? God speaks into you through your desires, my friends. What is it you want?
2) God speaking to His people through the nobodies.
...I was cupbearer to the king... (1:11)
Cupbearers, armor-bearers, illegitimate children, castoffs. God uses them all. Let us prepare to be used.
3) One man's desires elevating him to Captain
Then I [Nehemiah] said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. (2:17,18)
The power of one man with an idea from God. Wow, this almost makes me cry. Reminds me of the truth that "without a vision, the people perish."
3) The universal desire to make God proud.
Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people. (5:19)
4) Terror in the face of the Kingdom of God
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
There is so much more in this story. I may write some more. For now, just let these little scenes eat you alive, then ask God, "What is it that I want?"
Because YOUR deepest desires are HIS deepest desires.
Ever been "taken over" by something, by some situation, or opportunity, or plight? God speaks into you through your desires, my friends...
ReplyDeleteYes. I have lived this again and again. At times my desires are so overwhelming that I have wept bitterly or writhed in grief. My desires have welled up in me to the point that it was everything I could do not to release the floodgate. One time my desire for justice was so great for someone I loved who was being hurt that I confronted a mutual friend in his evil ways.
We can't assume that just because we have a desire we should relieve it. Imitation desires often can be fulfilled in our own hands. Real desires take us out of control, out of ourselves, and involve risk, faith, others, and patience. When I opened that can of verbal whoopass on my former friend I had no idea the road it would lead me down, how much control I would give up, how much good God would do, how much pain I would endure, and how much truth would be revealed.
Desires are the way God speaks to us without words. Weaker/younger Christians get explicit instruction: a "word of knowledge" or a "word of prophecy" or a "tongue and an interpretation" or even a fleecing because they need more assurance, more to go on. But desires are weighty. They are for the mature, who have learned by practice to distinguish good from evil.
I have friends who have longed to hear from God, and are disillusioned and angry with him because they "haven't". Yet these are people of great desire. They have heard from God. Desires are the way God speaks to us without words.
I love this story of Nehemiah, almost as much as the one of Jonathan and his armor bearer.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think God loves it, too.
I get the sense that when Gideon threw the fleece out again and again that God was being patient with him because God knew what He wanted to do through him even though Gideon was slow of heart to believe.
I get the sense when I read about Jonathan and Nehemiah that God was being turned on because He had found someone who lived like He did: from their heart, from desire, from that creative, initiative, generative, source of life.
I have a feeling that human desires (and the actions taken as a result) are God's words to the world.
ReplyDeleteThat they are not so much God's message to the one with the desire, but to those in his or her world.
In this way, we are a "word," like Jesus was "the Word".
That would explain SO much.
ReplyDeleteDesire trips a lot of people up I think because they haven't considered this, because it seems like there are two options for handling desires: either consume the object of the desire or suppress the desire itself. And there's so much pressure to decide which to do. But both of these things are a very me-centered view of desire. If my desire is God's word to the world, not to me, that makes my desire more like a seed and less a fruit. And me a host rather than a guest.
i need to be delivered from self. lately i have seen a black hole in me. i have a desire to be free from me...oh wouldn't that be true freedom!
ReplyDelete