I Want to Make Heaven My Home: what an ancient Biblical event can teach us about life today

In daily Mass for the past number of days we’ve been reading from the books of Nehemiah and Ezra. These books deal with the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian captivity.

Most modern-day Christians have only a passing knowledge of these aspects of ancient Jewish history and these events may seem to have little to say to us. But in fact, they speak quite powerfully of very important human struggles today. Thus, a review of these historical events seems in order, as well as an application of them to our life and struggles today.

To begin, the Jewish people, as descendants of Abraham, received the promise of a Land to call their own. This Holy and Promised Land, in the region of Palestine, was shown to Abraham, and his descendants dwelt there briefly.

However, due to famine, Abraham’s grandson Jacob, and his 12 sons moved to Egypt. Thankfully, one of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, going on ahead to Egypt had become the Prime Minister of Pharaoh. So Jacob and his sons were warmly welcomed there, even if Joseph’s presence there had been due to the devilish means of his brothers.

And yet, sadly, there was a Pharaoh that arose who knew not Joseph (Ex 1:8), and in short order, the people of Israel were enslaved for over 400 years in Egypt! The Holy and Promised Land now seemed a distant, even a cruel memory.

But God, with strong hand and outstretched arm, through Moses and Joshua did finally lead them into the land of promise. And, as they entered there, God warned them sternly as detailed in the book of Deuteronomy, that the blessings would be theirs in abundance, but if they did not keep the Law, many curses would come upon them.

Sadly, as we know, the Law was not kept. It is the human condition, we rebel even when we are warned. And though prophet after prophet warned Israel and Judah to repent, the repentance was not forthcoming.

Thus, in 721 BC the Assyrians laid waste the whole of the northern Kingdom of Israel and ten of the Tribes were swept away, the so-called “Ten lost Tribes of Israel.” Judah in the south along with the Levites alone remained.

And in Judah too, after a brief period of reform, the people descended into sinful disregard of God’s Law again. After many warnings from the prophets, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC, along with the Temple. They carried off the survivors of that war to live in exile in Babylon.

As they were led there, they sang this song, and swore a kind of vow: If I ever forget you Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! (Psalm 137).

While in Babylon (modern-day Iraq) Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah instructed the people that they would tarry there for about 80 years, but they should not forget the Lord! They should still live according to his ways and remember that he would one day lead them back to their land.

In an almost miraculous turn of events, within eighty years, the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and God inspired Cyrus, the King of the Persians, not only to allow the Jewish people to return to their Land, but he even offered a sum of money to help them in rebuilding!

But many of the Jewish people had begun to set down roots in Babylon. Some became successful there, indeed many. And thus, many of the people who heard this news that they could return to the Land of blessing and promise, were not all that thrilled by it.

The Holy Land, was, for most of them, either a distant memory, or a place they had never been to in the first place. Many had become very accustomed to Babylon thinking, “Sure, it’s a little hot here in the summer, but I own a nice little jewelry shop on the corner Tigris and Euphrates Avenues…My kid is the captain of the basketball team at Babylon U. Why should I go to all the trouble of journeying some 500 miles across the desert, to go to a ruined land, no matter how promised or holy?… I’ve got it pretty good here.”

And, so many of the descendants of those who sang, “If I ever forget you Jerusalem, let my right hand wither…” did indeed forget Jerusalem! And note this, the Land that was now available to them was not just any land, it was Holy Land! It was a place of promise and a place of God’s blessings.

For most of us modern Westerners, Land is simply something own, perhaps for a time. And when it is no longer useful, we sell it. But in the ancient world land was sacred, and the Holy Land for the Jewish people, was the most sacred of all. The refusal to return to the Sacred and Promised Land is spiritually very significant.

Nevertheless, most preferred to stay in Babylon. Only a small remnant, with Ezra & Nehemiah made the journey and began the work of rebuilding.

And in all of this, is a kind of paradigm, a kind of moral lesson for us. For, it is too easy for us to prefer the “Babylon” of this world to the Holy and Promised Land of Heaven. Somehow, we perceive, (and rightly so) that the journey to Heaven is not an easy one, requiring some sacrifices and the forsaking of the things of this world.

For many of us the journey can seem too hard, just too much trouble, and so we give way to sloth. Instead of being joyful at what God offers, we are sorrowful, even averse to it; thinking it all too much trouble.

Just as most of the people in Babylon had never really seen the promised land, only heard of it, so too for us. For many, heaven seems theoretical and distant, and instead of trusting that it is a glorious goal, the place of our greatest blessings, we choose rather to throw in our lot with this world, and its current blessings.

So instead of joyfully setting out on a journey, however arduous, we wonder what is on TV tonight, and we continue to set our roots in the “Babylon” of this world.

Here’s a moral tale about sloth, which is sorrow, sadness or aversion at the good things that God is offering because we think of them as simply “too much trouble.”

Only a small remnant of the ancient Jews returned to the Holy Land. And maybe this is what the Lord was thinking when he said that the road to destruction was wide and many followed it, and the road to salvation was narrow, difficult and a way that few found.

There is a beautiful song that says “I want to make heaven my home.” And in this, there is a kind of prayer that we ought to say, wherein we ask the Lord to make firm our decision and conviction to set out for heaven and not look back.

The Babylon of this world will continue to entice us, and we need to be sober at the remnant theology evident in the fact that most never returned to the Holy Land. And we must be sober at the sad remark of the Lord that only a few really want heaven.

So pray every day for the joy and zeal that are the virtues opposed to sloth.

Indeed, these ancient historical events, seemingly up obscure too many moderns, do in fact have a lot to teach us.

What will it be? The Babylon of this world, or the Holy Land of heaven? you decide.

I know we talked about this some months ago, if I’m not mistaken, but for the benefit of anyone else I’ll mention this again. It troubles me to see this from the Catholic Church, which is behind why so many Christians today don’t know anything about their faith and don’t really know the Lord Jesus on a personal level. If I’m not mistaken about this, too, a recent poll in the last few years showed that Catholics knew very little about the Bible, especially compared to evangelicals.

A couple of months ago, I moved to Kentucky from Buffalo, NY, which I’ve lived in almost my whole life, and which is about 80% Catholic. Except for one Jehovah’s Witness, I never knew anyone, until I was in my 30’s and came across Christians talking about the Bible on the internet, who had a personal relationship with the Lord, and would pray about ordinary things, read the Bible, share the Gospel, etc. It troubles me that wherever the Catholic Church dominates, the Christians there don’t seem to really know the Lord intimately by knowing Him through His Word. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) that God wants true worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. To discern between truth and error, a person first has to know what the truth (God’s Word) says. And it also saddens me that so many Christians live into their 80’s and beyond, yet don’t know the Lord’s wonderful Word, and it’s hard not to think of all the useless suffering from sin that comes about from that.

Jesus is God’s Word, and Ephesians 6 says we should put on the “whole armor of God,” including taking up the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Churches that don’t do that, and don’t follow the Bible (the Catholic Church doesn’t take God’s Word literally), will have to answer to the Lord on Judgment Day.

I’m looking around at this lost world, where I’m a 40 something woman and I’ve had a number of men, and women, in their 20’s who want to have sexual relationships with me. All of them I’ve talked to see nothing wrong with all sorts of relationships, and they all have had parents that have been barely there for them. I’m trying to be a parent to these other young people who are without any moral compass. Then there’s Family Guy, which I watched a couple of times because I heard it’s so bad. I can’t even write some of things I saw on those two shows because it’s shameful to even speak of them, as Paul wrote. And the worst ones involve the teenage characters on the show! We have all the Bibles we want in the U.S., and can worship in freedom and safety, and we WILL have to account for everything last thing the Lord has given us. Aren’t we just more than a little like the Laodicean church here? The Bible also says to remember those who are prisoners for Christ as if chained with them (Hebrews 11), and very few churches ever mention those suffering for the Lord’s Name, even though Jesus even told Saul that when He persecuted the church, He was actually persecuting Jesus Himself! And remember, too, that Jesus warned that in the last days, due to sin, “most men’s love would grow cold.” That would seem to mean love for the Lord Himself. I don’t want to come before the Lord having let my love for Him grown cold.

Then there’s Family Guy

Not allowed in my house. :)

I don’t want to come before the Lord having let my love for Him grown cold.

Amen.

The writer agrees with what you are saying. If you get your moral compass from the culture, you have no way of knowing that the culture is going off the rails and you with it.

The Bible also says to remember those who are prisoners for Christ as if chained with them

Good point. I have Saeed Abedini's name on my white board in front of me so that I never forget him.

Roots in Paradise (RIP)
That’s what I want on my tombstone – Roots in Paradise. I will die – I know that. But that is not what I’m thinking about now. My thoughts, plans, and actions are built on living.
I have been immersed in a study of David and of the Revelation of John as of late, and this has helped focus my vision. David never “worked” to get the throne – God had said it would happen so David could wait, endure, and forego all thoughts or vengeance. And in Revelation we get to “see” God in total control, all things working toward His plan – and the vengeance is, indeed, His alone. As I work on these enduring principles – God is in control and I can wait – I find myself being rooted more and more in the life to come – in Paradise. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with living in this life – I really love it! But putting down roots – now that’s another thing all together. Because I have learned that I am changed by the soil from which I pull my sustenance. The soil of this earth turns my heart towards apathy, restlessness, envy, anger, revenge, and self. It really cannot be helped. We are what nourishes’ us. So as long as I am nourished by the soil of this earth, I am fighting a losing battle – a battle I cannot win.
But put those roots in the soil of Paradise – and these things simple begin to fade away. This soil yields compassion, peace, contentment, love, patience, and – yes – Joy! Now this is a foundation upon which I can truly build my thoughts, plans, and actions for living. Not because this world does not matter – but because it matters so much that I don’t have to concern myself with outcomes – that is Heavens’ concern. I just concern myself with today.
Sounds like a cop-out, doesn’t it? I can have it all now AND in the life to come? But that is just what we are promised. “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”. These are not my words, but His. I’m just trying to figure out how that happens. And it all has to do with roots – and the soil they are planted in.
So how does this “transplant” happen? It starts with Baptism. In Baptism I die (am uprooted) to take root (am transplanted) into Paradise – my new home. But as soon as the service is over, I start putting down roots once again in the earth. It’s the way of the world – how can I avoid it? David did (for most of his life) and John saw it. It’s the assurance of things hoped for, the promise of things to come. And this must be my vision – my focus – my future. As long as I can maintain this, my roots stay firmly in place. Then, and only then, can I truly live the life I was given to live in this world.
It all starts with a simple principle – one guaranteed to work every time – keeping my Roots in Paradise! – That’s what I want on my tombstone.

Dear friend. Thank you for your concern, albeit misguided. Let's clarify some aspects of your statement.

First off, I fully appreciate your love for scripture; it is a passion I share as a catholic, devoting time each day to reading the Bible. Its true that many Evangelicals know their Bible upside down and backwards, and compared to them Catholics sometimes seem ignorant of the Bible. But that’s only an appearance.

The truth is simply that Catholics and Evangelicals use the Bible in different ways and therefore have different kinds of Bible knowledge. Evangelicals use the Bible as a source book for doctrine and right moral teaching, and that’s good. 2 Timothy 3.16 says the Scriptures are ‘useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.’ Evangelicals also use the Bible for personal devotions and inspiration. This too is Biblical. Psalm 119.27 says, ‘Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then will I meditate on your wonders.’

Ordinary Catholics might not be so adept at quoting chapter and verse, but they do know and use Scripture regularly. Its just that they use it in a different way. For a Catholic, Scripture is not so much a book to be studied as a book to worship with. (Ps. 119.7) For Catholics the Bible is almost always used in the context of worship. Did you know that a survey was done to check the amount of Scripture used in the Catholic Mass? The Catholic service was almost 30% Scripture. When the same writer checked his local Bible-based Evangelical church he was surprised to find the total amount of Scripture read took just 3% of the service.

When Catholics go to mass they hear a reading from the Old Testament, they say or sing one of the Psalms, then they listen to a reading from the epistles, then a gospel reading. The whole structure fits together so the communion service if focused on Christ in the gospels. Catholics follow a three year cycle of Scripture reading so a Catholic who goes to church faithfully will–over the three years–hear almost all of the Bible read. Furthermore, the responses, and the words of the communion service are almost all from Scripture. So a church-going Catholic does know and use Scripture–its just that he uses it primarily for meditation and worship (Ps.119.48)–not for personal information and instruction.

You also state: "the Catholic Church doesn’t take God’s Word literally". That is a rather ironic statement since the Catholic Church, unlike the Evangelical churches, follows Christ's command in John 6 to DO THIS in remembrance of me, when it celebrates the divine liturgy.

Remember that scripture also commands us not to judge. God's blessings on you.

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