The law was given 50 days (Pentecost) after the Passover which delivered the people from Egypt. Forty years after leaving Egypt, The Children of Israel crossed the Jordan into the promised land. Deuteronomy is Moses once again reciting the law to the new generation of Israelites. This is around 39 years after their departure from Egypt. Moses is speaking to an entirely new generation. Everyone except Joshua and Caleb and their families who were 20 years old and older at the rebellion at Kasdesh-Barnea is now dead. Yet Moses says to these people many of them adults, who were not yet born 38 years earlier, “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.” Interesting! So Moses in Deuteronomy (which means second law) is giving that covenant for a second time, because many of those with whom it was made were not even alive when it was made. This chapter includes the basic stipulations of the covenant, better known as The Ten Commandments. The promise and warning from the Lord was this (v.33): “You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”
This generation obeyed the law and took possession of the land. Future generations vacillated between obedience and disobedience. Eventually the disobedience became so severe that God kicked them out of the land. As He was kicking them out, He sent the prophet Jeremiah to the nation to tell them that 70 years later He would let them return. Jeremiah also prophesied that God would make a new covenant with them. While in this chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses says that the law was written on tablets of stone. In Jeremiah 31:33-34 Jeremiah says:
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
At the last supper when Jesus says, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood,” It is of Jeremiah’s prophecy that He is speaking. While the New Covenant is obviously not in full force yet, it is obviously initiated in the death of our Lord. The first generation at Mt. Sinai could not keep the old covenant. The second generation was obedient enough to possess the land, but future generations lost it. Jesus makes a New Covenant not with just the people of Israel but with all the ethnic groups of the earth. If we will repent and believe, He will walk with us so that our sins will be remembered no more and we can fulfill the Law! Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it in us! I am completely incapable of fulfilling the law, the Ten Commandments. Through Jesus, I can love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. Through Jesus every day is a Sabbath, setting me free for rest and work. Through Jesus I can truly honor my mother and father. Through Jesus I can not only keep from committing murder, but I can love my enemies like He loved them. Through Jesus I can not only keep from lusting after women, but I can love my wife faithfully to the degree that He loved me—He died for me. Through Jesus not only can I cease stealing, but now I can give. Through Jesus not only can I quit bearing false witness, but now I can speak the truth in love. Through Jesus not only can have what I need, but I can be content with having only food, clothing and shelter, or I can be content when He makes me abound. I cannot do any of that without Him. That is what makes Him so glorious. Not only is He like that Himself, but when I yield to Him He invades my life and make me what He wants me to be. Now that is glory for Him! I can relax and enjoy Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Proverbs 1
My father has been in heaven about 5 1/3 years now. I can no longer sit down and listen to his instruction, but then, I think we had longed passed that stage in life. Still it would be nice if we could sit down and talk again. But I suppose we will do that in the not too far distant future. After all at 60, I am much closer to the end of my life than to the beginning. Mom was less reluctant at ‘laying down the law’ than was Dad. I still remember her speeches about “You don’t have any godly reason to be out alone with a girl after 11:00 pm.” Of course, I am now long out of that stage of life as well. Mom doesn’t lay down the law any more. That ended when I married and started my own home. But even now I feel on occasion that I need to sit down and hear the instruction of my father or the law of my mother.
While I was not perfect in listening to their instruction and law, I certainly can attest that following what they said has resulted in being a “graceful ornament” on my head and “chains” (of the jewelry type) about my neck. As a pastor, I have also seen this principle in others. While there are exceptions, there is normally a definite correlation between the grace with which people go through life and the overall way in which they responded to the instruction and law of their parents. What does this have to do with the glory of the Lord? We learn to obey the instruction and law of the Lord by the way we learn to obey the instruction and law of our parents. But I never grow out of the stage of needing to listen to Him. That is why fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I have learned that listening to Him allows me to dwell safe and secure and without fear of evil. It is my job to listen to Him. It is His job to provide safety and security. Listening to Him produces greater glory for Him.
I am reminded of the report found in the Martyrdom. In his old age Polycarp was commanded by a Roman authority to renounce the name of Jesus and worship the Emperor. In return he was promised to be able to live the rest of his life in peace. He is reported to have responded, "Eighty and six years I have served him, how then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? Bring forth what thou wilt." He was then burned at the stake. After 86 years of earthly security, he entered into the eternal security and peace of our Lord. Lord enable me to listen to your instruction and Your law. Be a graceful ornament on our heads and a beautiful chain on our necks! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ISAIAH 62
Have you ever wanted someone to take pleasure in you? We all have. Who is it that you want to take pleasure in you? We want someone whom we adore, someone of significance, to admire us. That is what makes romance so intoxicating. We find someone to whom we are attracted, and they take pleasure in us. It is a tremendous boost to our ego. Conversely, that is what makes a break up so devastating. We have someone to whom we are attracted, and they tell us that they no longer take pleasure in us. What if the God of the universe took pleasure in you? If you really believed that He took pleasure in you, would that not be the most emotionally intoxicating thing you could ever experience?
Is this not the Divine Romance? Listen to what God says to Israel, “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” The principle is there. He rejoices over His people. But this is a meditation on His glory, not mine. How does this increase His glory? The world called us forsaken and destitute. He took us and changed us, so that we are desirable and marriageable. We are now so desirable that the God of the universe would rejoice over us as does a groom over his bride. I am so excited about my bride! Two days from now, we will have been married 38 years, and she is just what I want and desire. So also, the God of the Universe, when He is done molding us, will rejoice over us. He takes pleasure in us! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
JOHN 12:27-50
In John 12 Jesus is speaking to the people and tells them that if He is lifted up (crucified) from the earth He will draw all people to Himself. The people were confused. They had heard that the Messiah would reign forever. They asked how He could say such a thing. His reply was that they would have the Light (Jesus) for just a little while longer and that they should walk in the light lest the darkness over take them. John says they did not believe. Then John says that this was the fulfillment of Is. 53:1 and Is 6:9,10. Then in John 12:41 John says a curious thing: "These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him." John is speaking of Isaiah 6:1-10. When John saw the glory of Yahweh, He was seeing the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Isaiah saw Jesus' glory, he felt as though he was coming apart at the seams. He realized his uncleanness. Seeing the glory of Jesus causes us to see His holiness. Seeing His holiness causes us to see our uncleanness. Seeing our uncleanness causes us to either reject Jesus or receive His cleansing provided by His cross. If we reject Him, the light goes out. We continue walking in darkness completely unaware of our wretched condition. If we receive Him, the light blazes. His blood cleanses us from all sin. The Lord Jesus is indeed glorious. Speak His glory to someone today.
--Pastor John
No comments:
Post a Comment