The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Deuteronomy 9:12,
"Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt."
These words were spoken by the Lord to Moses while he was up on Mt. Sinai receiving the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments the Lord inscribed upon them. While Moses was up on Mt. Sinai for that forty days with the Lord, the Israelites had made a golden calf to worship.
The question arises in my mind, did they realize what it was exactly that they were doing? Did they realize what they were dealing with? I don't mean did they realize they were making a gold calf to worship, but the wrongness of it? The wrath they were generating in the heart of the Lord as they acted so foolishly? The jeopardy they placed themselves in with the Lord?
It is my perspective that we read of all the flaws of Israel in the Scriptures to help us understand our own sinful hearts, our own shortcomings. They, although God's chosen people, were dominated by a sinful nature that darkened their minds and their hearts, just like all mankind. They existed in a darkness that prevented them from seeing and perceiving things clearly in the moral and spiritual universe.
I'm certainly not looking for any excuse for Israel, just as I don't for those who are led astray by their sinful natures today, but to gain an understanding of the profound darkness sinful and fallen mankind exists in.
Although many today claim to aspire to all things just and right, and scowl at the rest of us for not seeing what they do (I'm thinking of the crowd that have taken upon themselves to lecture the rest of us about our "white fragility", bigotry, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and so on with all their virtue signaling, etc.), I marvel at the inscrutable and profound darkness they thrash about in.
The writer of Hebrews provides a warning about the deceitfulness of sin and our proclivity to turn from the ways of God due to our fallen natures, "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:12-13.
Sin's deceitfulness is a darkness within the heart of man that is a profound darkness. It causes people to stumble over things they are entirely blind to. The apostle John tells us, "But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:11. I am reminded of Proverbs 4:19, "But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble."
In what I find to be one of the most moving passages I find in my Bible, Isaiah 9:2 , "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." What is that light? "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6-7. Jesus Christ!
As Paul exclaimed in Romans 7:24-25a, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
"Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt."
These words were spoken by the Lord to Moses while he was up on Mt. Sinai receiving the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments the Lord inscribed upon them. While Moses was up on Mt. Sinai for that forty days with the Lord, the Israelites had made a golden calf to worship.
The question arises in my mind, did they realize what it was exactly that they were doing? Did they realize what they were dealing with? I don't mean did they realize they were making a gold calf to worship, but the wrongness of it? The wrath they were generating in the heart of the Lord as they acted so foolishly? The jeopardy they placed themselves in with the Lord?
It is my perspective that we read of all the flaws of Israel in the Scriptures to help us understand our own sinful hearts, our own shortcomings. They, although God's chosen people, were dominated by a sinful nature that darkened their minds and their hearts, just like all mankind. They existed in a darkness that prevented them from seeing and perceiving things clearly in the moral and spiritual universe.
I'm certainly not looking for any excuse for Israel, just as I don't for those who are led astray by their sinful natures today, but to gain an understanding of the profound darkness sinful and fallen mankind exists in.
Although many today claim to aspire to all things just and right, and scowl at the rest of us for not seeing what they do (I'm thinking of the crowd that have taken upon themselves to lecture the rest of us about our "white fragility", bigotry, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and so on with all their virtue signaling, etc.), I marvel at the inscrutable and profound darkness they thrash about in.
The writer of Hebrews provides a warning about the deceitfulness of sin and our proclivity to turn from the ways of God due to our fallen natures, "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:12-13.
Sin's deceitfulness is a darkness within the heart of man that is a profound darkness. It causes people to stumble over things they are entirely blind to. The apostle John tells us, "But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:11. I am reminded of Proverbs 4:19, "But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble."
In what I find to be one of the most moving passages I find in my Bible, Isaiah 9:2 , "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." What is that light? "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6-7. Jesus Christ!
As Paul exclaimed in Romans 7:24-25a, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
How wonderful is that?!
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.
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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