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Tuesday, November 30, 2004
The baseball season is long: 162 games played over a six-month span, or about 185 days. That doesn't include spring training, which is required for every player on every team...that lasts for six weeks and includes 25 more games plus practices and workouts. So, from mid-February until the end of September, it's baseball all the time for professionals.
If they are good enough to make the playoffs, they can play a month longer. And those games are packed with intensity, and being watched by millions of people. Players know that lifetimes can be lived between championships and if you lose four games of seven in a given series, it's over...maybe forever. Seven months comes down to one week of playing your best against the best ballplayers on the best teams playing with the same intensity and pressure.
Even if you're not a sports fan you've likely seen the celebrations on television. All that energy and effort and practice (not to mention the lifetime of playing the game zeroing in on that one moment) and pressure...
...AND YOUR TEAM WINS!!!!
They jump around on the field after the final out...hugging each other, bouncing around, putting on championship shirts and hats. Then they come into the locker room, which has been draped in protective plastic, and they shake up bottles of champagne and pour it over anyone and everyone in the room.
The celebration even causes people who live in those cities to dance in the streets, hugging perfect strangers. The championship trophy is with their team.
That's similar to the remainder of Psalm 133, verses 2 & 3:
"It (unity) is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion, for the Lord commanded the blessing forever."
The unity of believers is something truly beautiful. The joy of a life well-lived, together, is a lot like the celebration listed above.
See, the "precious oil" on the head is something every Israelite would understand. It is symbolic of the presence of God as well as His approval. Think of when David was anointed as king over Israel by Samuel the prophet. He anointed David with oil...which would symbolize that God was with the group as well as His agreement with the choice of king.
The unity of believers is like that, too. God is with us, and also approves of us.
And He does so in abundance. See how much oil is used? It runs down Aaron's beard...from the top of his head, across his face, through his thick beard, over his chest and all the way down his robe until it hits the hem of his priestly robe.
(This robe is described in Exodus 28: 33 if you're so inclined to look it up)
And, by the way, the hem of the robe is also the place on the garment in which the 12 tribes of Israel were listed...so, if you think about it...God is with the chief priest as well as every single member of the tribe of Israel.
So, just like players from other teams, dousing each other from head to toe in celebration might desire to have a time their life they could live that way...
and, just like people in other cities might wish to dance in the street because the championship trophy is with the rival team...
Believers, having God with us in abundance--from the "greatest" to the "least"--should cause us to "dance in the streets" and cause others to look upon our life together...
...and want God to reside with them as well.
So, how are we living with other believers before a watching world?
Brent 5:34 AM
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