Exclusive

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Re 21:3 AV)

 

What a truly wonderful thought.  We know this verse refers to the second coming.  When Jesus returns, all His enemies will be removed.  What is left of the human race will all be redeemed by the blood of Christ and the 1,000-year reign begins as one large church service.  All souls will know Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.  There will not be one lost soul among them.  For the first time since Adam and Eve, God will be the God of all the human race.  No more false gods.  No more rebellion against our Creator.  No more estranged souls from the presence of God.  But what I also see here is the tenderness of our Creator and God.  Note the phrase, “…and God himself…”.   As if to say that when Jesus returns, there is something a bit different between He and the human race.  There will be no other relationship that will supersede the soul’s relationship with Christ.  He and He alone will be their God.  This relationship is one of mutual love and desire.  God, Himself will be their God.  And no other.

Knowing that you belong to someone and someone belongs to you is a tremendous feeling.  I can still remember the day I realized my wife was mine and I was hers.  There was a sense of security, purpose, and comfort knowing the LORD had blessed us with one another.  It was two days after our wedding.  We had gone to Toronto, Canada for the first few days of our honeymoon.  Then off to Montreal and Quebec.  It was that Monday when I realized the permanence of our relationship and the nature of that permanence.  We had gone to the science museum and were walking to the subway station.  It was a bright sunny autumn day.  My wife, not really a museum person, convinced me there were better things to do with a day, so we were off to the city center.  Eaton’s beckoned.  As we were walking towards the subway, hand-in-hand, I realized that only death could altar my new reality.  There was no threat to this relationship.  We had made vows to one another that we meant as seriously as any two people could mean them.  When we promised to be exclusive one to another, that was that!  There was no guessing regarding the future.  Unless death came, I would always be there for her and she would always be there for me.  There was no other possibility!  What a feeling!

When we speak of God Himself being our God, it is much like that above.  In this life, we have many gods that vie for our attention.  There are human relationships that want us to put our God second.  There are temptations of the flesh to which we fall that cause a temporary estrangement between us and our God.  There are demands on our time and devotions to the LORD.  Work and life require our attention.  So many requirements and temptations that rob us of a truly intimate relationship with God.  There is coming a day when that will no longer be the case.  When the trumpet blows or the LORD calls our number, at that point in time, God Himself will be our God.  Alone!  There will be no other demands on our affections.  There will be no temptations of the flesh that draw us away from our God.  He will be our God and we will be His people.  Exclusively.  No other challengers.  What a day that will be!