Lets “Hear the sum total of what the scripture says in Hebrews 8:1, we have such a High Priest who is SET on the right hand of the throne of God and of His Majesty in the Heavens; a Minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up..”
In my teaching on implementing Divine Patterns, We had said that Moses was asked to build the tabernacle according to the pattern of that which he was shown when he climbed up the mountain in his quest to see THE GLORY OF GOD.
Too sad to see people sing, “we need your glory…show us your glory…reveal and manifest your glory,” and the rest but are not in anyway making efforts to CLIMB UP THE HOLY MOUNT. What do you think would happen to them? Your guess is as good as mine. To receive the laws of God, Moses climbed up the mountain. To see the glory, he was asked to climb up the mountain. God hath told him and He is still telling us who desire to see His glory that, “…there is a place by Me, in the cleft of the rock which ye shall stand and I the Lord will pass by and ye shall see My back as I pass by and I will proclaim ALL My loving-kindness and goodness and mercies.” [paraphrased].
Song of Songs 2:14 says “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.”
Metaphorically or in a figure of speech, the dove speaks of a female lover who is espoused only to ONE husband. It speaks of the character of submission and intimate love and the pleasure as that gotten from wine which is borne out of romance with the TURTLE-DOVE. A whole lot is locked up in here but notice that the Bridegroom which is the Lord himself reached out for His love and addresses her as My Dove (my faithful pleasure giver). Oh! can the Lord say this concerning me and you? Do we at all time give Him pleasure?
Also, note the abode of the DOVE- she dwells in the cleft of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs. Selah! Let us pause and think a little while on this. “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High God…” The secret place is not the banqueting hall of feasting but the bedroom of intimacy and divine romance. However, He firstly invites us to the banquet to feast on the riches of His grace and the goodness of the Lord…oh! taste and see that the Lord is good. After feasting comes the time of love, of divine romance and intimate fellowship. This takes place in the secret chamber of the King. In the bedroom of sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The secret place is the cleft of the rock on the mountain top. The cleft of the rock is a
place of concealment, of retreat, of refuge.
The Lord says, “…there is a place by me, in the munitions of the rock, in the cleft of the rock, in the secret place of the stairs of spiritual ascension to full maturity. It is a place of retreating, a place of concealment and it’s a place of safety. That’s where mysteries of divine intent are revealed. That’s where we are saved from the temptation of rearing up man-made order or promoting man-made fellowship.
In this place of intimacy, the Bridegroom calls out to the beloved who has learnt to stay in this place by Him, this place of fellowship and intimacy with the divine Spirit. He says, “I want to hear your voice because your voice is so sweet…I want to see your face even your countenance. Oh what a beauty!
God will be the one longing to hear our voice and to look upon our countenance when we stay in tune with Him, when we make the cleft of the rock and the secret place our abode. It won’t again ever be a struggle to see God’s face. God will be the one disclosing Himself to us. Our voices, our words, our songs and prayers will be sweet sound in His ears. They will be sweet to Him. What a glory!
All that is at a subjective and personal appropriation but in a collective way, how can an assembly come into this place of divine concealment or retreat and total abandonment to God and let Him have His way in our fellowship when we gather?
He is the Minister of the true sanctuary not reared with the hands of man. He must direct the worship. He said, “I will praise the name of my God in the midst of the worshipping assembly.”
We are too quick to want to coordinate, organise a meeting than allow God to have His way. May God help us!
I once read a story that was told by a white brother. He said, “in an evening gathering when I was only a few years old in the Lord. To say the the Holy Spirit was beginning to move among us would be an understatement. We were literally caught up in the shared presence of the Lord and could not help but voice out praise as we worshiped.”
When last was this our real tangible experience individually and collectively? Now the brother went on to share his story. He said,
“Now there was a “pastor” then at that gathering who strangely enough was simply called “brother M______.” He wasn’t a “great charismatic preacher” but his humility was infectious.
When the “time” came for the “worship” portion of the “service” to end and proceed on, “brother M______ stood up in the front and said,
“I had other plans for this evening but it is obvious that the Holy Spirit has other plans.”…. Then he just sat down in the pews like everybody else. Then we all rose up and continued with the worship.”
What a beauty! This is what it used to be among us in those sweet days of this work but all that is fast becoming history. May God restore those days of divine worship. Amen!
Have you ever heard the angels sing, all singing something different yet mysteriously all singing in unison? Have you ever been in praise and worship together and it got to the point where you really didn’t know whether you were in heaven or on earth?
The brother went on to say that “some people dropped to their knees in conviction. Others were healed. There was a level of praise and worship that went on all night. I really don’t even have the words to describe it. That Sunday evening gathering really was never the same for a long time after that.”
All because a simple humble man said,
“”I had other plans for this evening but it is obvious that the Holy Spirit has other plans” and then sat down in the congregation.”
The measure of a man in “leadership” is not how well he can hold a crowd’s attention but rather how submitted he is to the will of God above his own will and plans.
We don’t need great preachers today… We need great examples of Jesus…
Mark 14:35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said,
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for You; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but Your will be done.”
I’ve seen many a man that was willing to stand in the pulpit but rarely have I ever seen such a man willing to discern that God was doing something different and be willing to sit down in the congregation and let the Holy Spirit simply take over the “show.”
Father, grant us all grace in the times that our will is not in line with Your will to graciously sit down and let you take over. Amen.
Beautifully written by our very own bro.Uwem edimo Ekaette
