"Like a dove, let My Spirit fall upon you and receive My peace. I am the Prince of Peace, and I have given you the ministry of reconciliation, for the lives around you, even for your nation."
'Dove' in the Bible speaks of 'peace, gentleness, harmlessness'. John 1:32 says, 'John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him (Jesus)."' And in Matthew 10:16, Jesus Himself says, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says, 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation'.
The word 'reconcile' here brings the meaning of 'to restore relations, to bring into agreement, to bring into harmony', and in this context, between God and people. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." The word 'peacemakers' here is 'eirenopoios', from two words, 'eirene' meaning 'peace', and 'poieo' meaning 'to make, to bring (forth)'. Many people thought this verse is talking about making peace between two human beings who quarrel. But it's not just that. More essentially, this verse is talking about you and I making peace between God and people! Indeed, as God's people, we are all called to be salt and light here on earth! 'Salt' to 'stop the rot' in people's lives, and 'light' to 'shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven'! (Matthew 5:13-16).
The word 'ministry' here is 'diakonia' in Greek, and it simply means 'to serve, to aid, to attend to', and 2 Corinthians 5:18 says God Himself has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Notice the word 'us' here? In this context, it means 'all of us who are in Christ'! Notice the Bible never says 'some of us', but the Bible says 'all of us'! You and I included! A lot of Christians 'wait to be given a ministry, and only then they would do ministry'. They'd say, "No one give me ministry work to do, and I'm still waiting to be given one." But the truth is you and I have ALREADY been given a ministry! And it's called the ministry of reconciliation! To reconcile men to God! By preaching the gospel of His salvation wherever He puts us! And by 'standing in the gap' and praying for them!
Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Do you know whose name is also called 'dove' in the Bible? It's Jonah! Jonah 1:1-3 says, 'Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord'.
The name 'Jonah' is 'yownah' in Hebrew, meaning 'dove'! And God's divine assignment for him? To bring the wicked people of Nineveh back to God! In other words, to reconcile them to God! But as you can see here, Jonah ran away instead!
Why? Maybe because he felt the people of Nineveh didn't deserve it! After all, they had severely oppressed Israel those days, and Jonah thought they shouldn't be given a chance to repent!
Long story short, after a great storm on the way to Tarshish, being thrown into the sea, and ended up in a fish's belly, Jonah finally answered God's call to go to Nineveh and preach to them. The people of Nineveh believed, turned away from their evil ways, and the Lord God relented from the disaster that He said He would bring upon them! Seeing this, Jonah was so angry he wanted to die!
It was then that the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head. But as morning dawned the next day, God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And Jonah answered, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" But the Lord God then said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left - and much livestock?" (Jonah 4:6-11)
What we see may not be what God sees, and what we think may not be what God thinks! Jonah might have thought it's impossible for the people of Nineveh to change and repent, but God saw it differently! Jonah might have thought the people of Nineveh didn't deserve to be given a second chance, but God saw it differently! In fact, God's willingness to forgive the repentant people of Nineveh illustrates the greatness of His love and compassion towards mankind, and exposed the narrowness of Jonah's heart. Indeed, God's will is that none should perish, but all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Knowing this is the heart of God towards mankind, we all have great hope. And as God's people, He can use you too as His vessels to bring hope and reconciliation to mankind. Amen!
