Sometimes God Deals With Disobedience

in ways that may seem extreme to us. The children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years. They had experienced God’s provision of their every need. Now the Lord was preparing to put the people to the ultimate test.

Joshua was ready to lead the people against the city of Jericho. Before the battle God specifically stated that everything in the city must be totally destroyed as it was to be an offering for the Lord (Josh 6:17). The city was routed but a man named Achan stole some precious items from the city (Josh. 7:1). Because of this sin Israel was defeated when they next attacked the smaller city of Ai. The reason for the defeat? The sin of Achan! God tells Joshua that unless he destroys the stolen items he will not remain with him any longer (Josh. 7:12).

The next day Joshua sets in motion a plan to discover the culprit. Finally, Achan is isolated as the thief. He admits his crime and indicates that the items are buried in his tent. Now comes the punishment. "Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan,...his sons, daughters,....and everything he had...And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies" (Josh. 7:24,25). Why the need to destroy the whole family? Because it would have required family compliance to hide the stolen goods and perpetrate the ensuing cover-up.

Another example relates to Aaron the High Priest. His son’s Nadab and Abihu had been made his assistants. These two men were among those who were in God’s actual presence for the ratification of the Covenant on Mount Sinai (see Ex. 24:9-11). At the initial Tabernacle offering they had witnessed fire blaze forth from the presence of the Lord (Lev 10:24).

In spite of these experiences the sons were careless in their duties. They disobeyed God’s instructions given to Moses by burning the wrong kind of fire before the Lord (Lev 10:1). Their punishment was severe. Fire blazed forth from the presence of the Lord and so they were burned to a crisp (Lev 10:2).

During the early days of the church in Jerusalem many people were selling possessions and giving the money to the work of the Lord. A couple named Ananias and Sapphira sold some land. They wanted the Apostles to think that they were giving the total proceeds of the land as a gift. Actually they held some back for themselves.

Ananias told the Apostle Peter they were giving the entire amount However, the Holy Spirit advised Peter this was not the case. The apostle confronted him with the words "You lied to the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:3). The result? Immediately upon hearing these words Ananias fell dead at the feet of Peter. (Acts 5:5). The same deadly scenario was acted out three hours later with Sapphira his wife (see Act 5:7-10).

Does God always deal with sin in such a dramatic way? Fortunately, for us he doesn't. If he did we would all be dead. In each of these cases major sin occurred at historical turning points. Therefore, God needed to make definitive statements about the importance of avoiding willful disobedience. God never messes around where sin is concerned. Sooner or later he will deal with it! It is our personal responsibility to keep our lives free from the filth of sin.

Copyright. Bruce September 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

Blueberries

"You ought to have seen what I saw on my way

To the village, through Mortenson's pasture to-day:
Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
And all ripe together, not some of them green
And some of them ripe! Your ought to have seen!"

Robert Frost. "Blueberries"

Do You Sometimes Get Frustrated

by the actions of our political leaders? Their godless moral and ethical positions and so called political correctness often bring a sense of vexation. Many continually act as though God does not exist..

The children of Israel experienced the vicious hand of Pharaoh when they aliens in the land of Egypt. Jacob had taken his entire family to Egypt at the request of his son Joseph who was the second most powerful man in the nation. Over the years the Israelites became numerous and powerful (Ex.1:7).

This became a problem when a new king came to power in Egypt who had not heard of Joseph and his important national contribution. The Pharaoh’s reaction was that Israel’s population most be kept from growing and they must be prevented from joining Egypt’s enemies in a time of war. His solution: Enslavement, crushing labor, thereby making them of no use to the nations enemies (Ex 1:8, 10, 11).

But God had a different plan. He sent Moses to Pharaoh demanding Israel’s release. Pharaoh retorted that he not know the Lord and therefore would not listen to him. Israel would not be allowed to go! Why such a response? The Bible states that God had chosen to make the king’s heart stubborn for the purpose of displaying his miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt (Ex. 7:3). In the final act Pharaoh's army chased the Israelites into the Red Sea and not one Egyptian survived the watery grave God had prepared for them (Ex 14:28). God had accomplished his purpose — to bring his people out of slavery and punish the Egyptians.

Another king --- Nebuchadnezzar --- was also a cruel and proud man. When dealing with rebellious king Zedekiah of Israel he forced him to watch the slaughter of his sons. After this atrocity his eyes were gouged out, he was bound in chains, and led a prisoner to Babylon (2 Kings 25:7).

On another occasion Nebuchadnezzar threatened his personal advisers when commanding them to tell him his dream and its meaning. If they didn’t comply they would be torn limb from limb and their homes demolished (Daniel 2:5). But God had a plan for Nebuchadnezzar. After a number of twists and turns, and the godly influence of Daniel his senior advisor, Nebuchadnezzar met God personally and was able to testify I "looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever” (Daniel 4:34).

God’s plans even at the highest echelons of earthly power cannot be thwarted. To one king and nation he brought destruction. To another king he brought seven years of insanity (Dan 4:25) followed by restoration and a personal knowledge of himself. In his testimony Nebuchadnezzar makes this significant statement: “All the people of the earth are nothing He (God) does as he pleases...No one can stop him” (Dan 4:35). King David supports this view by describing the king’s heart as a stream of water which the Lord guides as he chooses. (Ps 21:1).

Do the words of Nebuchadnezzar and David comfort you? Well they should! These inspired statements are designed to remind us that God has his hand on the affairs of state. He is at work accomplishing his ultimate purposes.Copyright. Bruce September 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

On A Tree Fallen Across the Road

The tree the tempest with a crash of wood

Throws down in front of us is not bar
Our passage to our journey's end for good,
But just to ask us who we think we are

Robert Frost.
"On A Tree Fallen Across the Road"

When God Has a Plan it Reflects

his divine purgative. This relates to all people whatever their rank or position in life wether king or popper.

At the time Abraham was told by the Lord to leave his home land (Gen 12:1) God gave him the promise that he would be made into a great nation (Gen 12:2). Years later he complained to God about the lack of son. The Lord reconfirmed this promise (see Gen 15:4). In a moment of weakness, through an inappropriate plan, Abraham had a child through Sarah’s servant Hagar resulting in a son named Ishamael.

When Abraham was 99 years old he asked the Lord to give Ishamael the privilege of living under God’s special blessing! (Gen 17:18). The request was rejected Abraham was again told "my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year” (Gen 17:21).

Abraham had two sons. One was born of human scheming, that is Ishamael, the father of the Arab nations. The other, Isaac the son of the promise, was born in harmony with the plan of God. He would become the father of the Jewish nation. The Lord, in his divine timing, had exercised his prerogative. As the Lord had planned it was with the son of the freeborn wife, not the slave-wife, that he established an everlasting covenant (Gen 17:19). God's divine prerogative stood firm.

Isaac would in time have two sons of his own. They were twins --- Esau and Jacob. Before they were even born Rebekah had been told by God that the older son would serve his younger brother (Gen 25:23). Esau the older brother is described in Scripture as being immoral and godless (Heb 12:16) because he traded away his birthright. Jacob was also no spiritual giant. Under his mother's influence he deceived his father so he could obtain the blessing that should have gone to Esau (Gen 27:5-10). For his own safety Jacob went to live with his Uncle Labon and these two men spent much of the next 20 years (Gen 31:38) scheming against each other.

The level of trust between them was so low that when Jacob decided to return to his home land with his family and possessions he left secretly (see Gen 31:20). When he finally returned home he told his brother that Esau that he would settle near him at Seir. However, because of fear and a lack of trust Jacob settled in Succoth (Gen 33:14-17).

Even though both brothers appear to be less than honourable the Bible states that God loved Jacob, but had rejected Esau”(Romans 9:13). God had an immutable plan that was governed by his divine prerogative.

In both pairing God made divine choices. He chose Isaac not Ishamael and Jacob not Esau. Do these actions of God seem to be fair and appropriate? Maybe not at first glance. However, he is the creator we are the created. The prophet Isaiah records these words from the mouth of God “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine (Isa 55:8-9).

Are God's ways fair? Certainly for he is God. Does this mean that we will be always able to grasp them? Absolutely not — don’t forget that he is God! As such he has the right to exercise his indiscernible divine prerogative in all things according to his holy nature.

Copyright. Bruce September 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

The Woodpile

It was a cord of maple, cut and split

And piled--and measured, four by four by eight.
And not another like it could I see.
No runner tracks in this year's snow looped near it.
And it was older sure than this year's cutting,
Or even last year's or the year's before
The wood was grey and the bark warping off it

Robert Frost. "The Woodpile"

Have You Ever Felt Discontented

with the position or responsibilities God has given you. Many of us have had that reaction and it is not pleasing to the Lord.

There was a man who understood how to handle his God given role in a manner that eventually brought great praise from Jesus. That man was John the baptizer. His life was remarkable in its total obedience to God.

His parents Zechariah, a priest, and Elizabeth were well along in years when John was born. The incredible message of his birth was delivered by an angel (Luke 1:18). This heavenly messenger also indicated that even before his birth the boy would be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15), that his name would be John (Luke 1:13) and that he would function as a prophet preparing the way for the Lord (Luke 1:76).

The Bible tells us nothing about his formative years except that as he grew up he became strong in spirit. At some point prior to his public appearance in Israel he began living in the wilderness (Luke 1:80). John was not the sort of person who would yield to peer pressure or feel the need to conform. Scripture tells us his "clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey" (Mat. 3:4). The message he presented was clear and pointed. He challenged the people to repent of their sins and return to God (Mat. 3:2). When the religious leaders (Pharisees& Sadducees) came to him he denounced them as snakes (Mat 3:7).

In those days Israel was looking for a Messiah. John's uniqueness caused people to wonder if he was that one. His response was to present himself as a voice proclaiming the coming of the Lord (John 1:23). John was the herald for the greater one who was about to break on the scene (Luke 3:16). Finally one day Jesus came to be baptized by John. The baptizer's reaction was that he needed to be baptized by Christ (Mat 3:14) but he obediently did as the Lord requested.

John had amassed many followers. Once Jesus appeared things abruptly changed. Did it bother John to see people deserting him and flocking to Jesus? No, not at all but it bothered his followers. When they voiced this concern his response was "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven...I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him’...He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:27-28, 30).

John's attitude was genuine he understood his role. God sent a message to John (see Luke 3:2-3) and he faithfully proclaimed it. Jesus understood what made John tick. He realized that John was sincere. He knew John was not a phoney. As a result he paid the baptizer the ultimate complement when he said “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist" (Mat 11:11).

Are we like John the baptizer? Are we willing to play the part God has ordained for us? Are we willing to step aside to let another take over at the appropriate time? That is the selfless attitude which Jesus desires to see in all who would serve him.
Copyright. Bruce September 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.