The eyes of faith see what the blind do not. The eyes of faith see the angels of the Lord who encamp around those who fear Him. The eyes of faith make us conscious that we walk in the presence of heavenly and earthly realms. The believer knows that the heavenly realms are more real, more true, more significant—more dense and thick with meaning, if you will—than the aspects of the world mediated to us through the perception of the senses.
This does not make the material aspects of the world unimportant, or even less important, than the unseen heavenly powers. The believer's view, however, is more true and complete in that it embraces all reality, both seen and unseen, physical and immaterial, it embraces both the Creator and the creature. The believer is not only someone whose eyes have been opened, but he is one who lives life in terms of “reality as it really is.” Therefore, the believer is blessed exceedingly. Therefore, the believer has life and has it abundantly—or, “in spades” to use the vernacular.
As we go to worship on this holy day the material and the sensual aspects will be only part of the reality. Also present, also gathering with us will be the Holy One of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will be present in the person of His Spirit. His angels, His ministering spirits, will also be present. As we worship and bow down before Him, the angels will join with us, as part of the holy congregation, in worship. Together, with the angels, we will greet our Lord with praise and honour.
If it is true that where two or three are gathered together in the Name of the Lord, He is present amongst them, how much more when the congregation of the Lord gathers together on the holy day.
When we enter the halls of the congregation there is always to be found a great diversity of responses and thoughts. There is anticipation and excitement. There is reverential fear. We know that we will be standing on holy ground. There is also the joy of greeting the saints, and being greeted by them.
As they greet us and we greet them we are acting as the Lord's servants. In our greeting, He is greeting. In our extending the right hand of fellowship, God is extending His hand to us. For the only ground upon which we greet fellow believers in peace is the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. He has brought to us a work—a state—in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian and Scythian, slave and freeman—but Christ is all in all. (Colossians 3:11) As we greet one another in the holy convocation for worship we live out and experience this great work of salvation. We cannot accept a greeting without accepting also the cause and ground which brought it about—the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why when Christians greet each other in the presence of the Lord, He is greeting us in their actions.
In the singing of the congregation, we are singing to the Lord, Who is present with us. In the proclamation of the scriptures God is speaking to us and with us. We are indeed on holy ground.
In the particular congregation in which I am privileged to worship there are people from so many ethnic and racial origins. In a world racked with division, enmity, hatreds, and jealousies our congregational gatherings are a manifestation of the glory of Christ's salvation. Rich and poor, male and female, young and old, firm and infirm, white and black and every skin colour in between—all gather in joyful unity before the Lord—glad to be in each other's presence, glad to be worshiping our Lord together. The world longs for this joyous reality but can never engineer or create it.
When David was an outcast and not able to attend public worship and join with the congregation of the Lord he spoke of the yearning of his heart and his longing to be in the courts of God. He sang a dirge, a lamentation:
As the deer pants for the water brooks,This holy day we are able to come and appear before God. There is nothing—nothing—in heaven or upon earth to compare with the joy, the privilege and the blessing of what we do this day.
So my soul pants for Thee, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'
These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
Psalm 42: 1—4
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