It is clear today that we as God’s children are in sinful rebellion of the wishes of our Lord. As sin was entered into us, from our Father Adam, and to which God asks the woman “WHAT IS THIS YOU HAVE DONE?” Gen 3:13. The whole world that God saw on the sixth day and had said was very good, in Gen 1:31, must have groaned in despair. You see not just Man was damned by sin, the world, the universe was also damned.
We see a lot on the news that looks like lunacy, I can find no better word for it. This is not new to God. He saw the same thing in Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham argued with our Lord, actually bargained with our Lord and who among us would have the temerity to do such a thing. But Abraham asked our Lord to not destroy two of the most wicked cities on earth if he could find, ultimately, just 10 good people. And our Lord said he would save the cities for just 10 good people. The fact is that he found only one person, Lot, in those cities and the 2 angels hustled Lot and his family out of town before destroying them. So I wonder where is our Abraham today, and who is our Lot.
It seems as if we are at a similar point to the Jews in the time of Judges, which was around 1400 to 1000 BC.
Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Is that not what today is like. Sure we have laws, as they did in that day, but the law worked for them like does for us. It doesn’t work. It was never meant to work.
-Rabbit Trail Warning –
What I had been taught, and probably you also had been taught, is God gave the law to Moses and he came down the mountain and spoke the law unto the people. This would have been the second time, because the first time he came down the mountain with stone tablets, with writing from the hand of God, he saw, well let’s just go there and read it.
Exodus 32:7-10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8“They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
Then Moses spent a quite a bit of time on his knees, pleading with God to spare his people and God then changed his mind and did not destroy these people. Notice that God always has a backup plan. Verse 10 says let’s destroy this people, which I had great plans for and then I will make you a great nation. There WILL be a Great Nation. Whether these Jews are part of it or not is not going to stop God’s plan of Jesus coming and rescuing us sinners, all sinners. Moses, although by his own admission was not eloquent, was able to talk his people out of destruction.
A good story and instructive for our day, don’t you think. We as a people are so busy building our own golden calves, that I doubt most of us would look up from our stupid smart phones to notice that we’ve been smited by our Creator.
What I have recently discovered was something small but really interesting and instructive. I happened to be listening to Grace Stream from John MacArthur’s church a couple of mornings ago – I really recommend you try it out. I have found it very good for streaming the Living Word of God into my head, those days when I’ve gotten up too early, and it puts me right out, as in asleep. But, just before I drifted off I heard this new and interesting thing.
The law was given from God to Angels who then gave it to Moses and he gave it to the people. Yes, I said Angels gave the Law to Moses. And this is where some controversy exits. We still have Judaists in this day, apparently.
Paul writes in Galatians 3:19: “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
And people, no doubt being prompted by satan, have said Paul is conflicting with Exodus 32:15-16, Some have even said he is lying.
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.”
And in Exodus 34:1 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.”
To my knowledge this is a current controversy, but it quite well could have been used back in Paul’s day by the Judaists to discredit him. They also point accusing fingers at Acts 7:51-53
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
This was by Stephen, being guided by the Holy Spirit as he schools the High Priest and Council. Stephen gives an eloquent 2000 year history, from Abraham to Jesus’s crucifiction and his words from the Holy Spirit were so enraging that they took him out and stoned him. And as he was being stoned, he looked up to heaven and forgave them.
If you recall, I pretty much did the same thing last week. Rattled off from Abraham – no, I started at Adam and went down the line to Jesus. Now, I am in no way saying I anything like Stephen, nothing like him. But, what I am saying is, in today’s current culture, you could have the same thing happen to you if you told this to people who are in rebellion, people that don’t want to hear of the Mercy, Grace and Salvation of our Lord. This is not a warning in any way, just a heads up. People all over the world are still being killed for being Christians.
That was a bit of stomping off into the rhubarb, but we will get back to our original rabbit trail by saying ironically, when Stephen gets stoned, this is where Paul comes into the picture. The very guy they are saying is lying about Angels and the Law. We find also…
Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard…”
Exodus is silent about Angels being on Mount Sinai when the Law was handed out. The Bible is the Living Word of God. As such, we will receive what understanding as God sees fit to give us. Mysteries remain, until prophets or apostles or even the Holy Spirit fills us in. God gives us the understanding that He wants us to have, not what we think we need. A good example of this was my reading Exodus 32, again. I suddenly noticed in verse 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”
I have read Exodus before and I don’t recall that particular verse standing out to me. “Out came this calf.” Sounds like something I would have tried, as a child, to explain what stupid thing I had just done. And this is what happens when the Holy Spirit reveals something to you. No big fan fare, just a quiet revelation of something that you did not know but needed to know.
Pray for Discernment and Understanding. You might be surprised at what you learn.
Under the small issue of how we got the Law, I am pretty convinced that it went from God’s hand to Angels to Moses and to the People, who promptly decided nope. I don’t know how you translate nope into Hebrew, but the end result is the Law was not obeyed. And it was never meant to be used as a tool for justifying us or saving us. It was meant to show them and us, who have all been born with a conscience, knowing right and wrong, what really rotten people we are. We can’t follow God’s Holy Law and as such we will be damned to eternal darkness and torment. That’s ultimately what the Law’s purpose was. You, walking down the street, thinking you are a pretty good guy or gal, pretty good doesn’t cut it in comparison to how Holy God is and what he wants us to be. The Law was meant to be a burden to us, so much so that we can’t do it and throw our hands up in the air, we need help, we need a mediator. We need Jesus. God was driving us toward Jesus. He is our advocate and the Holy Spirit that indwells us, knows our heart and speaks to Jesus even when we don’t know what to say. He is our Abraham bargaining with Jesus. And that is what the prophets foretold. When Jesus came he said Love is the greatest thing, what you must do is Love your Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then Love your neighbor. Then all the other laws are followed. All of them.
It is clear today that we do not have Love and thus are not in compliance with God’s desires. I looked at the research of Church attendance in our country. It’s not good. Now just going to Church is not going to save you, but you have to start somewhere. What struck me as I was going through this was all the odd ball religions in the US. There is only one true God but not everybody got the message. Buddhists, Hindus, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, Muslim. Of just us Christians, 36% said they go to Church at least once a week. And married people are more prone to Church going than others. Keep in mind that not everybody is truthful on these surveys and what I was looking at was from 2017.
Europe was in worse shape than us and it’s pretty clear the trend is going to get worse, as in a great falling off of Faith.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
My point is, where is the Love? The Love that will satisfy the Law and get us God’s Grace, Mercy and Love coming back at us, the undeserving sinner. That kind of Love. We all have people we should Love, family members, even. Read the New Testament and after reading that, all of it, tell me where you found how holding a grudge and anger against anyone, is what we should do. Remember Stephen being stoned, looked up and said forgive them. Could we, as believers and followers of Christ, do anything less?
The command from our Lord Jesus Christ is to Love and thus satisfy the Law. Many of our neighbors, friends, even family are walking the wrong path. The wide road. Find it in your hearts to speak to them. Remember, it is not your job to save them. God offers His hand and opens their hearts. He is using us in a way, that is as much for us as it is for them I think.
End of Rabbit Trail
Isaiah 35 – Let us read it together.
Joy of the Redeemed
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus,
2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
What a wonderful passage. God’s Judgment has cooled and this is the dawn of the Millennial Kingdom. Earth will be transformed. We will be transformed. Our Lord Jesus, our King will have returned and we will be in our glorified state. In perpetual joy and praising our King and Savior. Think about that day, when it comes.
The End of Revelation, Chapter 21 does a pretty good job of describing that time. For those of you that have not gotten to read Revelation yet, let’s read this one together.
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
And we end with this, the 9th verse from the end of the Bible. Cue Charlton Heston’s Voice as Moses…
Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.