The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 80:14a,
"Return to us, God Almighty!"
This plea of the nation of Israel through Asaph is remarkable. The tables have turned! Israel had repeatedly turned away from God to idols. As soon as they found themselves in hot water they would cry out to him and he would restore them. In the peace and prosperity they gained through the restoration of the nation they would turn from God all over again, only to repeat the cycle. We see this over and over again throughout Israel's history up to this current horrific difficulty they now faced. No longer is God asking the nation to return to him, they are asking him to return to them!
Israel was utterly destroyed, along with Jerusalem and the temple. All gone except for a small remnant that had been taken into captivity in Babylon. God finally broke the back of the nation, and now, the relatively few left of the nation was suffering intensely. God finally got their attention. Never again would they chase after the false idols of their neighbors as they did before.
I am reminded of Proverbs 29:1, "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy." This is the state Israel had found herself in - destroyed.
"Return to us, God Almighty!"
This plea of the nation of Israel through Asaph is remarkable. The tables have turned! Israel had repeatedly turned away from God to idols. As soon as they found themselves in hot water they would cry out to him and he would restore them. In the peace and prosperity they gained through the restoration of the nation they would turn from God all over again, only to repeat the cycle. We see this over and over again throughout Israel's history up to this current horrific difficulty they now faced. No longer is God asking the nation to return to him, they are asking him to return to them!
Israel was utterly destroyed, along with Jerusalem and the temple. All gone except for a small remnant that had been taken into captivity in Babylon. God finally broke the back of the nation, and now, the relatively few left of the nation was suffering intensely. God finally got their attention. Never again would they chase after the false idols of their neighbors as they did before.
I am reminded of Proverbs 29:1, "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy." This is the state Israel had found herself in - destroyed.
Following a seventy year captivity in Babylon, God would eventually allow the captives to return to their homeland. As he prepared the world for the first coming of his Son, Jesus Christ, he re-planted the nation as a precursor for the context in which he wanted to present Jesus Christ to the world. All this was God's agenda that he masterfully carried out.
I am reminded myself on a personal level that the caution given us in Proverbs 29:1, and illustrated in Psalm 80: it never pays to "remain stiff-necked after many rebukes" when God is working in our lives.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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