Tag Archives: israel

Putting the Past Behind Us

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When the Lord brought the Israelites over the Jordan and into the Promised Land, He instructed them to set up a memorial.  They were to take twelve stones, one for each tribe, from the midst of the Jordan and set them up as a reminder on the side to which they were crossing.

And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” – Joshua 4:20-24 (NKJV)

With slavery to sin and some major struggles behind us, we are free to enter the new life of faith.  New battles await us.  New victories need to be won.  We need not, in fact we dare not, go back to Egypt or to wandering in the wilderness. 

The Israelites arrived in the land only by God’s power.  But it would take just as much faith in Him to stay there.  In the same way, the Lord brings us by faith into a victorious Christian life of faith.  We dare not return to fight the battles of the past.

Complete Dependence

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We normally like to be self-reliant.  Our culture here in the USA certainly teaches it.  We see it as a virtue, a strength, the only real alternative to laziness or a lack of ambition.  There is a point, however, at which the idea of self-reliance becomes self-deception.

Life is fragile.  We can’t hold onto it forever without a great deal of help.  Therefore, it’s an unpleasant blessing to be taught to depend on God.  We may not like it much, but it’s a lesson we need to learn.  The Israelites learned it by means of the manna in the desert.  This humbling experience was designed to test them, and teach them to get their eyes off of their provision (that constant focus of independent, self-reliant men), fix their eyes firmly on the Provider and keep their ears open to His every word.

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (NKJV)

To Die For

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There is no doubt that Absalom deserved to die.  He gained the allegiance of the people through his good looks and smooth talk.  Once he had an adequate following, he orchestrated a violent takeover of the throne, sending the king and his closest followers running for their lives.  In a creative combination of insult and injury, he then systematically raped each concubine in the harem, doing so in a tent pitched atop the house so that all Israel could see what he was up to.  No government would willingly tolerate such shenanigans.

Still, King David was Absalom’s father.  A clear view of character or justice was lacking in this case.  Love had something to do with it.  So, when David heard that his son had been killed in battle, caring nothing for the fact that his own army and he himself were the ones under attack, the king responded with the sorrow of a parent rather than the sobriety of a king:

Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ‘O my son Absalom-my son, my son Absalom-if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!'”  – 2 Samuel 18:33 (NKJV)

“If only I had died in your place.”  Absalom, despite his glaring guilt, was precious enough in David’s eyes to die for.  And such is the love of God for you and me.  Forget getting what you deserve.  The Father and the Son both look upon you with a love that says you’re to die for.

David’s love couldn’t help Absalom –

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  – Romans 5:8-9 (NKJV)

Who Does God Use?

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The short answer, of course, is, “Anybody He wants.” But if we think the question through more thoroughly, what we’re probably looking for is some characteristic in or about the person God uses that makes him or her most useful.

Two areas we often look, which are no special indicator of usefulness, are qualifications and giftedness. Qualifications are often more about rights than responsibilities. “I’m qualified in this or that way; therefore, I should be allowed to do or not do _____ .” Giftedness, on the other hand is more about potential than reality. The pathways of life are littered with gifted failures.

The best general indicator of usefulness might just be obedience, and a good example of that is found in the prophet Amos. The Scriptures give us no indication that Amos was a gifted speaker. Nor did he come into his ministry with any special education or experience. Nonetheless, Amos was willing and would do what the Lord called him to do.

The Lord called Amos to preach to the people of Israel, including Jeroboam the king and Amaziah the priest of Bethel. So Amos spoke and Amaziah told him to be quiet. (In that setting Amaziah was the one “qualified” to speak.)

“Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: ‘I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to My people Israel.”’” – Amos 7:14-15 (NKJV)

So God spoke through Amos, the shepherd and fruit-picker-turned-prophet – not because he was a shepherd or a fruit picker, but because he was obedient.  Amos went and did what God wanted – and no doubt He wants us to go somewhere, do something or say something too.