“Gathered,” from the lesson series, Return from Babylon | scattered & gathered, June 2020
our Scripture
“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers (English Standard Version).
(Deuteronomy 30:1-5 NASB, Deuteronomy 30:1-5 NIV, Deuteronomy 30:1-5 Message, Deuteronomy 30:1-5 NLT)
our lesson
Our passage uses two words to describe God’s involvement in the movement of His people: scattered and gathered. Interestingly Jesus uses the words in the teaching of some of His parables, especially that of the sower. The KJV Bible used the words over 300 times.
In some ways, the words also describe how God uses history as an object lesson for His people. The context of Deuteronomy 30 falls into this category. We find the children of Israel in the midst of one of the most important object lessons of all time.
a real-life object lesson
You didn’t have to be much of a prophet to predict that the children of Israel would wander from their commitment to God, would be subject to both blessings and curses, and the activity of circumstances would actually tug them back toward God. Such has been the progress of the Jewish faith in the life of the nation.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]Points to Ponder
1) Has the quarantine caused you to feel as if you have been in exile? Give some examples to the group. How do you feel about returning to worship at the church building?
2) Has living in exile caused you to question or doubt your faith – in God’s existence, or in His ability to take care of you? [/su_pullquote]
The people of God have been scattered, wandering in the desert for 40 years. The scattering has been a direct result of their own sin, ironically a sin they committed while Moses was receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai. The temptations of Satan prove more cunning than the faith of God’s people can refuse.
The acts of repentance and restoration rest upon the promises of God and not the goodness of Israel. The Lord promised Israel they would be His people forever, and that He would bring about a spirit of contrite sorrow and responding obedience among them (see Leviticus 26:40-45, Jeremiah 30:3, Jeremiah 31:23-24, Ezekiel 34:11-16. Ezekiel 26:22-36). Such an intertwining of divine sovereignty and human free will is beyond the score of rational thought. We can understand it only as God sees fit to reveal it to us.
Let’s look for a moment at God’s part in the gathering process by considering two passages of Scripture, Psalm 102:18-22 and Psalm 50:3-5.
Psalm 102: gathered to remember and worship
Matthew Henry states that some think that David wrote Psalm 102 about the time of his son Absalom’s rebellion. Famous preacher and Psalmist scholar Charles Spurgeon agreed and included the Psalm in his “Treasury of David.” Others identify the message of the psalm with Daniel or Nehemiah or another exilic prophet. We will agree with Spurgeon on his scholarship and authority alone.
The 102nd Psalm is introduced as “a prayer of one who is afflicted” and begins with the words, “Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! (Psalm 102:1-2 ESV). Does that feel as if the psalm could have been written by you? Whatever our circumstances, whatever the turmoil, we can relate to the cries to the Lord in our prayers.
[su_pullquote align=”left”]Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you (Deuteronomy 5:3 ESV)[/su_pullquote]
The current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have given us days of affliction. Our worship has been limited to a virtual experience through the media and internet. Health worries plague us, whether we have been tested positively or not. Financial woes have either hit us or loom ugly on the horizon. Celebrations like birthdays, graduations, weddings, and even funerals cancelled or postponed expression. Creative individuals experimented with innovative ways to or required creative expressions. Relationships beyond the immediately family have become strained at best.
write this down
David’s words in Psalm 102 are powerful. “Let this be recorded” (Psalm 102:18), write these things down, teach them to your children and your children’s children. Make sure that a generation yet to come understands who God is, what He has done, and how He is involved with your life. There is no hint of the shirking of duty that exists today, wanting the next generation to “make their minds up for themselves.” A relationship with God IS personal, but it is taught and inherited.
But notice what specific things David wants recorded: God looks down from heaven and hears the cries of the oppressed and He sets them free. They are able to declare the name of the Lord and offer Him praise. God is involved in the process of gathering people together to worship Him.
As the days of exile come to a close, praise God for His involvement in the gathering.
Psalm 50: faithful gathered
The psalmist Asaph adds to our understanding of the God who gathers His people. “Our God comes” (Psalm 50:3 ESV). In times of exile, in times of trouble, the first question on the minds of believers and skeptics, “Where is our God?” Asaph insists God does not keep silence. He is present in the same way as a devouring fire or a mighty tempest.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]Words to Wrangle
The purposes of sheltering and comfort builds a solid foundation into the biblical understanding of being gathered. Read Psalm 27.
1) In what times of life do we most need God’s shelter and comfort?
2) Does the recent pandemic fit into this need? How has it disrupted the ministry and purpose of the church?[/su_pullquote]
Other writers of Scripture remind us of the comfort and shelter that the Lord provides. God is my rock and my fortress (Psalm 18:2). He provides me shelter and a shield (Psalm 91:4). Jehovah gives me a safe dwelling in days of trouble (Psalm 27:5). The Lord offers us a safe refuge (Psalm 31:19-20). God is our hiding place (Psalm 32:6-8), providing us protection and strength even as the oceans roar (Psalm 46:1-4).
The Lord is neither apathetic nor unaware of our turmoil and trouble. God calls to both heaven and earth, “Gather to me my faithful ones” (Psalm 50:5 ESV). The Creator of the universe gathers His people. Asaph looks to the ultimate gathering when the Lord gathers to judge His people, separating the wheat from the chaff, and burning the unproductive weeds in the fire.
And when … you call them to mind … return to the Lord
God’s people were encouraged to remember and return. You are the people of your father Abraham. God was the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. As God dealt with His people, He equipped them to understand His ways, to anticipate the coming of His Son, and to prepare them for the coming day of judgment.
God rescued His people from their slavery in Egypt. He gathered them together at the base of Mt. Sinai where He would provide words and an experience to Moses that would shape the leader and people for their lives. God called the Israelites a “treasured possession out of all people” (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6). He promised if they obeyed His voice and kept the covenant, they would be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation (Exodus 19:3-6, 1 Peter 2:9). The Israelites assembled on several occasions to meet with God, to express their devotion to Him, and to respond to His word with expressions of faith and praise (Exodus 29:38-46, Psalm 95).
As service and worship existed hand-in-hand, sacred places such as the tabernacle and temple, along with certain locations like Mt. Sinai or Penuel, rituals, festivals and appointed priests and Levites played essential roles in gathering the people to God. Even when their hearts were straying, the structure and ritual kept reminding them of where their heart should be.
gathered & shaped
Shaped by the gatherings, the people were to treat one another with mercy, justice, grace and love (Deuteronomy 26:1-15). During the times when their worship and gatherings did not motivate them to serve God, the prophets were strong in their condemnation (Isaiah 1:10-17, Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8).
In many ways the church today has been living in a time of exile. Away from their buildings, programs and worship services, Christians have been torn away from one of the incredible threads which provide strength and encouragement for the believer – community. Is this exile divine judgment upon the believer and the church? Many believers and skeptics have asked that question during this pandemic. Alas, apart from divine revelation, it is a question that cannot be answered this side of heaven. Whatever the cause, however the involvement, the exile is real.
When God’s people find themselves in exile, the man of God – the prophet – feels the burden of God’s oracle. The word of God comes upon His messenger to cry out for repentance, for obedience, for restoration. What do you require of us, Oh God? He has shown you, O man, what is good. God requires that you do justice, that you love kindness and that you walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 ESV).
Time and again the prophet cries out. Kindle a new fire of passion for your service and worship of the Lord. Renew with strength and vigor your commitment to obeying God’s commands. Repent! Return!
repent and return
COVID-19 is a disease that scares us. We see the destruction of lives that it seems to produce. We do not know many things concretely about the disease. The things we are told change with each passing day. But in the middle of the uncertainty, the church of God can call out to the Lord for healing of the sick, guidance for our leaders, strength for the medical professionals, and the health for those in the service industries – all pointing to God as the real solution for the world’s problems. Such a prayer acknowledges that God is in control.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV).
renew
The context of this verse is quite intriguing. 2 Chronicles covers the period of the first temple, the one that was built by Solomon. Prior to chapter seven, the king has built the temple and dedicated it in chapter five. A blessing has been prayed over it and all of God’s people. During the prayer in chapter six, Solomon asks God for mercy when Israel will sin.
If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave them and to their fathers (2 Chronicles 6:24-25 ESV).
If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers (2 Chronicles 7:28-31 ESV).
The lesson is clear: the people return to the Lord in their hearts before they return to Him in the land. The people return to the Lord in their hearts before God heals their spirit and their land.
Then the Lord will restore … and have mercy
There are two promises that God offers in response to the return of His people. First God will restore them in a community – they will again feel as if they are the people of God. Can you relate to the need to feel like God’s people again?
Consider for a moment one of the minor prophets, Hosea, son of Beeri. Hosea, labeled the “Jeremiah of the northern kingdom,” provides us little information of his heritage. His personal circumstances leave us puzzled and confused. The name Hosea means “salvation” or “help.” Four men in the Old Testament share the same name as this prophet. The last king of the northern kingdom also answers to the name Hosea (2 Kings 15:30), but to help avoid confusion, English bibles usually spell the name “Hoshea.)
[su_pullquote align=”right”]Conclusions to Consider
1) A primary truth in this lesson is that God is at work in the moments of history to gather His people. How has God been at work in your life, in the life of your small group, and in the life of the church during this pandemic?
2) In what ways have you personally felt strengthened, comforted and gathered by God in the last three months?[/su_pullquote]
Called to the ministry of prophecy, Hosea’s life and occupation remain a mystery. Because of his allusion to baking procedures some have suggested that he was a baker. Others have suggested that he was a tradesman or a priest. The silence of the Scriptures leads one to believe that the message of the prophet was more important than his background. The lack of information may also say that background doesn’t matter; his story could happen to anyone.
allegories from Hosea
Hosea’s wife Gomer bore three children to whom the prophet gave significant names. Jezreel (a literal plain in the northern kingdom where battles and bloodshed had taken place), Lo-ruhamah (“not-pitied”), and Lo-ammi (“not-my-people”). These facts about Hosea’s life are fairly certain, but a host of questions surround almost every other detail.
Turn your attention to the prophet’s book, to Hosea 2:23. The apostle Paul turns this passage of Scripture. He applies it to how the Gentiles were made to become a part of the church.
As indeed He says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God’” (Romans 9:25-26 ESV).
God declares the people to again be His people. They have their sins forgiven. A people restored to a condition of justification through the legalities of the Law, the Law itself stands served and fulfilled in the person of His Son. God has declared us righteous. He has made us His people.
The second promise that God offers in response to the return of His people is mercy. While the Law becomes satisfied, our heart still feels lonely.
Here are some of the lies that Satan tempts us with, coercing us to believe when we feel lonely. First Satan tells us the lie that our feelings of loneliness means that God abandoned us, leaving us isolated away from other believers. Paul tells the Corinthians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction (2 Corinthians 1:3).
devilish discouragement
Second the devil discourages us by making us feel that no one understands because no one has suffered exactly as we have suffered. Again to the Corinthians, Paul writes, “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patently endure the same sufferings that we suffer (2 Corinthians 1:5-6 ESV).
Third we believe the lie that a loving God would not put us through such hardship and misery. God sent His own Son into the world, and allowed Him to suffer a lonely process. The Hebrew writer pens, “Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:3 NLT).
Finally we believe that somehow these feelings are our own fault. If only we had more faith, or if my faith were stronger. Jesus Himself says, “Behold the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that you may have peace in me. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:32-33 NLT).
God is faithful
God is faithful. No matter how you feel, He has promised to neither leave nor forsake you. Read these two verses of Scripture.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands (Isaiah 49:16 NKJV).
Where could I go to escape from Your Spirit? Or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. Or if I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me (Psalm 139:7-10 ESV).
I do not know how God does it, but when we return to God, He restores us and offers us mercy.
He gathered you again
This Old Testament prediction has two fulfillments. The prophet looked ahead to a special day, Christ’s saints gathered together into an assembly. Those who proclaimed Him Savior and Lord rejoice in hope (Hebrews 12:22-24). But it also looks for an immediate, practical application.
God is always in the process of gathering His people from the desert. There is hope in the desert. As Paul traveled from town to town on his missionary journeys, he first went to the village’s synagogue to find those gathered to worship God and boldly told them about the Messiah. Some down play the need to be together, but even from man’s creation, God rendered, “It is not good for man to be alone.”
God calls us
God calls us from our life of sin and gathers us into a relationship with Him. The world we live in carried both good and bad, just like the church.
God calls us out of the world and gathers us into His body, the church. The fact is God is in the business of calling His people together. He did so spiritually before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4). He will complete the task literally when He gathers us to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). In between He calls us to worship Him in a group. “Where two or more of you gather in My name,” He promises to make His presence known.
God uses the circumstances of this life, even the worst of circumstances, and gathers us through the circumstances to bring about things for our own good, for His own purposes (Romans 8:28). The author of Hebrews writes, “Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer” (Hebrews 10:25 CEV).
God uses circumstances
We are out of the habit of attending church – especially attending the building. It has been convenient in the exile. We wander out of bed when we want to, arising from the first extended sleep of the week. We scroll through the internet or cable channels, looking for a favorite preacher, or we wander to our church’s website and watch the sermon.
But we watch it on the couch. With a donut and drink. Interrupted by a phone call or a delivery from Amazon. We don’t feel “gathered,” we feel like spectators at a ballgame. It’s time to watch for good plays. There is excitement and cheering when we win. We go home.
God invites you into a community event. God and His people meet in a moment called church. The New Testament calls this event “koinonia” – fellowship. It threads the word “common” into the life of the believer. God calls us together, gathering us like a child scooping up spilled Legos. We are a diverse crowd – colors, genders, education, finances, interests and backgrounds. The Master weaves our diversity into the wonders of a tapestry.
God weaves our diversity
Our history, like it or not, includes the exile of this time of quarantine. Embrace the lessons God planted on your heart – the importance of friends, the absence of freedoms, the yearning of fellowship. God’s people desire gathering and filling. Gathered to God and His people beckons for a place in your new normal.
The response of God’s people gathered offers praise to God for using circumstances to bring us back from the exile and into the Promised Land. God will return to Zion; Jerusalem was known as His faithful city, Zion known as His holy mountain (Zechariah 8:3 NKJV).
Everyone in Jerusalem and Judah, celebrate and shout with all your heart! Zion, your punishment is over. The Lord has forced your enemies to turn and retreat. Your Lord is King of Israel and stands at your side; you don’t have to worry about any more troubles (Zephaniah 3:14-15 NKJV).
As we return from exile, let us not neglect giving God credit for working things together for our good – even the coronavirus. Let us offer praise to Him who specializes in the impossible. Praise to God who again gathered His people together.
Praise to God who does not abandon us, does not forsake us, but walks before us, urging us forward, leading us home.
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