"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." - C.S. Lewis
For our church staff and trustee team Christmas 'Do' this year we went to London for a guided tour of the British Museum.
Hosted by Ben Virgo from Christian Heritage London we saw artifacts and exhibits spanning thousands of years, many of them connected to or depicting characters featured in Bible.
We saw objects like this one (left) which is a furniture leg from ancient Ur of the Chaldeans entitled 'Ram caught in the Thicket'; it dates to approximately 1000BC.
The city of Ur (one of the earliest human settlements) was the original home of Abraham and a place featuring some incredibly sophisticated craftsmans and musicians. Abraham had his own 'ram in a thicket' moment that changed his life (check out Gen 22).
Our journey took us through time and history featuring many of the world's 'top ten' archeological finds; among them the Rosetta Stone and the Cyrus Cylinder (top image) which dates to the Persian conquest of Babylon (539BC). If the name Cyrus sounds familiar to you it's because he features in the Bible. Isaiah prophesies his appearing and describes him as 'Yahweh's anointed', using him to bring about the end of the Jewish Exile.
What stood out from the tour however wasn't the greatness of kings or the expanse of time (though that definitely impresses itself upon you), rather it was the contrast between idolatry and true worship. There are thousands of artifacts depicting gods and godesses (though, curiously, there are more 'goddesses' than 'gods' - a subject of another article perhaps?) - tragically many of these idols were even found in ancient Israel among God's people.
The images and statues reinforce the notion that all human beings are worshippers. We are devotees of something or someone, pouring our energy and attention into various things.
The reason for this is that we are each born for relationship with Yahweh, the God of heaven who speaks in the scriptures and appeared in Christ. We are born for him, with a nature and longing that can only be satisfied by him.
The contrast our tour guide drew out for us was what happens to people (their legacy) when they worship and devote themselves to created things vs the creator God. We saw graphic and gruesome depiction of the fall of Lachish in OT Israel by King Sennacharib in in 701BC (left). The King boasts in conquering a city that wasn't anywhere near as fortified or as impressive as the capital of Jerusalem, and the reason he has to boast in conquering this city is because, well, he failed to conquer Jerusalem. His army lined up outside the city (recorded in Isaiah 37) where the king proceeds to taunt the inhabitents of Jerusalem, boasting about his strength and might: "On what do you base this hope of yours?!" mocks the King's commander.
"On what do you base this hope of yours?" is a great question. What do you hope in?
The Israelite King, Hezekiah, responded by entering the temple and praying. He based his hope on God to deliver them, and the result? The angel of God killed (whether by plague or pestilence no one knows) 175,000 of Sennacherib's men and the King retreated to Persia with his tail between his legs; able to boast only in the capture of a privincial city. As our guide put it: "claiming that you've conquered Israel by boasting in the conquest of Lachish is like claiming to conquer England by taking Swindon!"
Trusting in God, hoping in his rescue leads to salvation. Trusting in the creation and the created world leads to unrequited longings and despair, it results in our achievements being erased by history and eclipsed by the outcomes of those who trust in God (Jesus' legacy anyone?).
We all have longings, deep longings, but (as the C.S. Lewis quote this opened with points out) there is nothing in this world that can satisfy them. The reason for this is simply that we were made for another world.
Bring your deep longings to God. Trust God, the creator and hope not in the creation.
A great reminder of eternal truths
A great staff 'do'.
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