“Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the
priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month,
even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?” (Zec 7:5
AV)
These two fasts were not required under the old testament law. The fast in the fifth month was to
commemorate the destruction of the temple by Babylon. The fast in the seventh month was to
commemorate the death of Gedaliah, first governor of Judah under the authority of
Babylon. For seventy years, during the captivity,
the nation marked those days of fasting as a means to remember a sad time in their
history. However sincere these fasts
were, they were no unto the LORD. They were
not days set apart specifically to remember God or what God had done. It is sort of like remembering the day or
marking the day that a loved one has passed.
There is nothing wrong with these things. This is not the LORD’s point here. What He is conveying is that even though
there is nothing wrong with these memorials, they should not take the place of
true worship. Just because our emotions
may run rather high on days like this, does not mean we are having a spiritual
moment.
There are special days we set apart for various reasons. There is Father’s Day, Mother’s Day,
birthdays, anniversaries, etc. There are
special days that a church will set apart as well. Founder’s Day, friend day, annual social
events, homecoming, etc. There is
nothing wrong with remembering these things.
These days can be very special and helpful in binding together the
fellowship of God’s people. Although we
remember that which the LORD has done, it seems as though worship is not the sole
reason for the remembrance. That is ok,
too. As long as they do not take the place
of regular worship or become more important than worship. This is an easy trap into which we can
fall.
Memorial Day, July Forth, and Veteran’s day are very important to
me. Other than Christmas and
Resurrection Sunday, the holidays listed above are deep in my heart. The church services surrounding these
holidays are ones that always bring tears to my eyes. As we remember the sacrifice of those who
laid down their lives, it reminds me of the One who laid His life down that I
might gain eternal life. I just finished
watch a none part series on the civil war and am working my way through another
series on the second world war. This
series looks at the war through the prism of how it effected three different
towns. It is more concerned with the history
of certain individuals who would never be in any history book of seen of much
significance in the annuals of history.
It brings to home the experiences of the average service man and woman. It is really moving. Watching these films deepens the humble gratitude
I feel every time I see someone wearing a service commemoration cap.
This is right. This is
proper. This is highly respectful for
those who did so much for me. But the
passage above begs a question which the LORD challenges us with. Where is He in all of this. I have known people who can remember the
details of the passing of a loved one decades later, but cannot remember any
significant truth of God’s word. They faithfully
adorn the grave of someone whom they deeply loved, yet to darken the doors of a
church building is an inconvenience. I
know this touched home. I know this can
hurt. But I have lost my dear mother and
a brother. I know the pain. But my God is much more precious to me than any
human relationship and it must remain that way.
It must.
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