Originally posted: 08/09/2019
“Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers,” (26:15).
The thought absolutely gripped me this morning, as I wrestled with the idea of Him looking down; and I wondered, why…
Why does He Look Down at all, Look Down from His Holy Habitation on a world so despicable and desperate and depraved? To a world so often refusing to look up out of the muck and mire of sin, so disinterested in His Holiness.
And I realized, I will never understand, never come to grips with His grace and compassion, His concern for His creation, His willingness to turn His attention away from the perfection and beauty of His heaven and Look Down from His Holy Habitation to not only hear us, but to act by His strength and power.
Consider Him Who Looks Down from His Holy Habitation
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to hear our voice and see our affliction.
- “Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression,” (26:7).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to bring us out of bondage.
- “…and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders,” (26:8).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to bring us into abundance.
- .”..and He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey,” (26:9).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to claim us as His treasured possession.
- “The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you…” (26:18).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to raise us to a place of honor and consecration.
- “…and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken,” (26:19).
How are we to respond to Him Who Looks Down from His Holy Habitation?
Again, I am undone. What can I possibly do; what can anyone do to respond to such grace beyond compare?
To begin with, let us ponder and reflect on His miraculous, incomparable grace in sending His Son Down from His Holy Habitation to redeem a world so undeserving.
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to hear our voice and see our affliction.
- and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true,” (Revelation 21:4-5).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to bring us out of bondage.
- Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed,” (John 8:34-36).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to bring us into abundance.
- “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,” (John 10:10).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to claim us as His treasured possession.
- “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one,” (John 10:27-30).
- He Looks Down from His Holy Habitation to raise us to a place of honor and consecration.
- But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:4-7).
The Father has told us how to respond, for He knows what is best and what is needed to grow us to love Him with all our hearts and souls.
Let us look up!
As we consider Him Who Looks Down from His Holy Habitation…
- …Let us look up… giving back to Him in worship for all He has given us.
- “‘Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Lord have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God,” (26:10).
- Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, (Romans 12:1).
- “‘Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Lord have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God,” (26:10).
- … Let us look up… rejoicing for all His good gifts.
- “…and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household,” (26:11).
- Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).
- “…and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household,” (26:11).
- …Let us look up… sharing our blessings we have received with those in need.
- “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied,” (26:12).
- And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased, (Hebrews 13:16).
- “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied,” (26:12).
- … Let us look up… listening and obeying His voice and commands with all our hearts and souls.
- “I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments… I have listened to the voice of the Lord my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me… 16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice,” (26:13-14, 16-17).
- “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” (John 14:15).
- “I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments… I have listened to the voice of the Lord my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me… 16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice,” (26:13-14, 16-17).
How do we respond to Him Who Looks Down from His Holy Habitation? How can we do anything else but look up to Him in everything we do?
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth... 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father, (Colossians 3:1-2, 17).