To Depart or Not to Depart from the Living God--Day 310 Through the Bible

                     This sheep at the WNC Nature Center has not "gone astray" because it is confined by a pen.
                               The love of Christ serves to constrain (curb) us because we have been reconciled to God
                                                              and we are a new creation in Christ.   (2 Corinthians 5)
                                                   

Modern technology attests to the fact that Jerusalem is geographically at the center of the earth. God inspired Ezekiel to write, "This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her" (Ezekiel 5:5). Dr. Stanley says, "All along, God intended for Israel to serve as an advertisement to the world's nations regarding the goodness and holiness of God. If she refused to play the role in blessing, she would play it in judgment".  God prophesied through Ezekiel that because of all Israel's abominations that were even greater than those of the surrounding nations, they would even resort to cannibalism.  Famine, pestilence, wild beasts, and pursuit by the enemy would be the consequences of her rebellion and abominations.

The purpose of Israel's destruction? "And you shall know that I am the Lord" (6:7). God repeats this phrase two more times in today's passage in Ezekiel. God said some would escape, "Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from me" (v. 9).  "The Lord has a staggering emotional investment in His relationship with us. He created us to connect with Him on a heart-to-heart level, and when we give our hearts to something else, it deeply grieves Him" (Dr. Stanley's comment on verse 9).

Our reading in Psalm 119:169-176, serves to exhibit a heart for God in response to God's loving decrees. God's word, His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, His law, and His judgments, are all mentioned in this passage. The Psalmist asks for understanding, deliverance, and to be heard by God. He expresses his desire to praise God for the fact that he is taught by God.  He acknowledges that "all Your commandments are righteousness" (v. 172). He asks for God's hand to be his help because he has chosen God's way. He is not being legalistic in his relationship with God, but says this, "I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight" (v. 174).  He confesses his sin and acknowledges before God that, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments" (v. 176).

What a contrast between Israel and the Psalmist. Today's passage in Proverbs sheds even more light on this theme and seems to sum up this contrast: "Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity" (Proverbs 28:14).  It may seem but a small thing to ignore one of God's precepts or statutes. It may appear to be a "minor" issue. Yet, the problem lies in the attitude behind the decision not to follow God in a seemingly "small thing". Even if we don't think it's important, we are failing to respect God when we lay aside His edict and do things our way. God can see the end from the beginning much better than we can see it.  We are not only to trust Him to help us--we are to trust His insight.

Hebrews reminds us to "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house" (3:1,2).  The writer goes on to say that "He who has built all things is God" (v.4).  Verse 12, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God".  That minor precept we choose to ignore and to discount as unimportant could very well be the first step of many that take us away from God.  In writing it off, we are choosing to depart from God's standard on whatever it addresses--we believe our way will work.  In so doing, we are disbelieving God and what He says about it.  Our passage in Hebrews says, So we see that they (Israel, the chosen people of God) could not enter in because of unbelief" (v.19).

What Kind of Grapes Does God Find in My Vineyard?---Day 249 Through the Bible

                                                 "So He expected it to bring forth good grapes."
Isaiah 5:1-6:13

God likens Israel to a vineyard--"the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel".
"He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help" (v.7).
We manage to live in ways God never intended--ways that limit His blessings on what we do:
"Woe to those who join house to house; they add field to field, till there is no place where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!"  Verse 9: "Truly many houses shall be desolate, great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant". (Unfortunately, we have recently witnessed this very thing happen in our country as many beautiful homes now stand empty.)  (But what about me?  What does God look for in my life and what does he actually find?  Does He find justice and righteousness?)

God also pronounces, "Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink". They party with music and wine in their celebrations, "But they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands.  Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge" (v. 11-13).  Verse 18, 20: "Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with a cart rope (what a visual!); . . .Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness . ..bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"  Verse 22, "Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away justice from the righteous man".  Chapter 5 finishes with a description of the army that will carry away Israel "and no one will deliver.  In that day they will roar against them like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and sorrow; and the light is darkened by the clouds" (v. 29-30).

In chapter 6, Isaiah "saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple".  His encounter with the Almighty changed Isaiah's life.  "You will never deal effectively with your sin without first realizing who God is.  When you study His Word and begin to grasp His holiness, a deep reverence for Him grows in your heart" (Dr. Stanley).  (Am I growing in reverence for God?)

Psalm 105:23-36
The Psalmist recounts God's hand in the events that Israel experienced in Egypt. (Do I recognize God's hand in my life?)

Proverbs 24:28-29
A warning against "bearing false witness" against your neighbor---using your lips for deception, and seeking to pay back in return. (Do my lips speak deception?  Do I seek revenge?)

I Corinthians 15:29-58
Paul asks if there is no resurrection, then why not "eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"  He warns them to "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God.  I speak to your shame".  (Do I prove all things and hold fast that which is good (I Thessalonians 5:21?)

Concerning the resurrection, Paul says that when you sow seed it does not come back up; the seed dies and a new plant is generated. He differentiates the flesh of men, animals, fish, and birds. (According to this passage animals are not "people in fur coats" as some suggest.)  "The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption."  He elaborates: It is sown in dishonor--raised in glory, sown in weakness--raised in power, sown a natural body--raised a spiritual body.  "And as we have borne the image of the man of dust (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man (Jesus)".  Because there is a resurrection from the dead Paul says this: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord"!  (What kind of fruit is in my vineyard?)