From Shadow to Substance

 

By God's grace and mercy, we made it to Israel.

We've been here less than 24 hours, but we are already impressed by the scope and reality of the experience.

Indeed, it feels surreal. Yet it is real. These places, these people. not some distant, ancient, or fictional world. But an actual part of this earth.

It's a place where thousands of years of history are compacted. Living in southern California, the closest the present gets to touching the past is Old Town Temecula's few original buildings.

But here, the Past persists into the present, rather than being swallowed by it.

Past and Present remain together, like a grandparent residing with the grandchildren.

Isaiah Chapter 1 discusses the state of Israel, and particularly, Jerusalem.

The chapter calls to attention three people groups, which persist to the present day.

Foreigners, that have moved in unwelcome, to desolate her.

Native Jews, who in vain practice ritual which God does not recognize.

And lastly... the Hurting. the needy and widowed.

These three exist today.

Little has changed.

But as i look around, i come to realize;

For the duration of My christian life, living in a culture-less America, the names and places mentioned in the scriptures are but shadows of what they really are.

That is to say, that Israel seemed like a fictional country, filed into my subconscious along with the locales of Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings. We live in an America where "ancient" is a purely fictional term. we do not encounter it nonfictionally. We appreciate it, like we appreciate our fairytales.

But it's real.

And i also find myself more eagerly appreciating the privilege i have in Christ; one these orthodox practitioners sorely lack. Colossians 2:16,17 notes how we have the actual substance, while the empty ritual worshiped by those here is but a shadow.

In a Physical sense, i have only had Jerusalem's shadow; the Jews have had it's substance.

In a Spiritual sense, i have the Substance Divine; the Jews, only it's shadow.

So much closer to the City, they are.. but so much further from communion with Him.

We went to the Western Wall, and i considered, how since the Life and Death and Resurrection of Jesus, The Jew's connection to God has regressed.

after 2000 years, it has been reduced to a mere retaining wall.

Had only they accepted their Messiah, the fellowship with YHWH would only have increased.

My Pity swelled for them.

Isaiah 1 also speaks of eventual Salvation. Bloodied sin is traded for White Purity. This has been my prayer here so far; that until God comes to be King of this City, His City, that He would reign here over hearts.

We must wait for New Jerusalem. but we needn't wait for a newness of life.

- Matthew