Alright is this some joke...really. Does the rest of the staff have this "new guy" policy that I don't know about? The only chapter we read from Leviticus and I have to blog about it. First, Lot's story in Exodus 19 and now this. Oh well I love challenges.
In this chapter God has two hands. On one hand God says to the Israelite nation, obey my commandments and there shall be many blessings, and on the other hand if you do not keep my commandments you will suffer my justice.
This concept/formula seems pretty fair, right? I mean growing up as a child what are you told; Do good in school you get A's, do bad you get F's, You exercise a lot you stay healthy, if you don't exercise you become unhealthy, and if you don't play with fire you won't get burned, but if you do...yikes. (that last one I wasn't so good at....kinda a pyro as a kid) This is a simple formula God was giving the Israelite nation if you think about it. Kind of like Adam and Eve in the garden. God says, I give you EVERYTHING in the garden, but 1 tree. All this seems pretty easy too, but we know as Christ followers sometimes that is not the case.
So fast forward a bit, and find out the Israelite nation doesn't do well with this formula, and Jesus has to come and redeem, not only for the Israelites, but all mankind. He sets the record straight for us all. He cleans the slate.
So this begs the question what hand are you sitting in? Are you in the act of obeidence to God or are you wandering in the disobiedence. Are you living a life that is producing fruit and a harvest or are you a dry and desolate country?
Hear me out. I am not saying that if you have been going through a dark and empty time in your life that your faith is weak or you are living in disobeidence. Dark and empty times will happen even when your on a mountain top with God. Ask the memebers of the 1st church if that is truth or not. I merely ask this question, so that you can search your heart, and see where you stand.
I have sat in both hands at some point in my life, and I can honestly say that the life of obedience does bring a havest. It may not always be riches and wealth, but it will always produce peace, joy, patience, kindness, Goodness, humbleness, Long suffering, self control, and LOVE.
John
A clean slate. It all comes back to good ol' GRACE! My sustainance and joy as the truth of John 14:15. Laws made for keeping order and laws made to guide a stuborn people like us sinful "Israelites". There is this breed of us late bloomers, raised in a church but late to really make the faith of our fathers our very own. To us, obedience out of love is grace manifested. To us, obedience is love for the one who loved us first. Obedience is a deep pain in the gut caused by the thought of grieving our beautiful savior and never ever wanting to do so. The blessing? His Glory amongst us! His Holy Tent in our midst! (Lev 26:11) The blessing? We are His Temple, We are His Holy Tent! (I COR 6:19)WOW, only divine love to gift us with Himself after all the rebellion and hurt we caused Him! I LOVE YOU FATHER!
ReplyDeleteHey the "new guy" did a great job....you pass. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me here is that it played just as Moses said. This chapter reads like a prophesy of the next 900 years. And when those sometimes harsh judgments actually fell on Israel, it's often easy to see how they were the natural result of their actions.
ReplyDelete