December 5, 1995
Every election, disgruntled Canadians (and Americans) look for a special leader. They want improvements in every area from employment to Medicare — without increased personal cost.
The Israelites living in Egypt had the same wants. Joseph, their previous special leader, saved them from famine in their own land. He moved them to the fertile Nile delta where they enjoyed a lush lifestyle.
A few generations later, a new leader decided to make slaves of them. Although God blessed them with increased numbers, they continued to pray, sacrifice their lambs and look to Him for deliverance, both from forced labor and from this new Pharaoh who was ordering all their male babies tossed into the Nile.
One baby escaped. The Pharaoh’s daughter found little Moses, took pity and without knowing it, hired his own mother to nurse him. He was trained to be the next Pharaoh but God had other plans; Moses became the next special leader of Israel.
God’s people were excited. This man was going to take them out of bondage and back to the land God had promised them. Their excitement quickly faded when they faced the cost of freedom: a terrifying escape from Pharaoh and his armies, a dry trip across a barren desert with only manna to eat, and finally a need to battle “giants” before repossessing their land.
They provoked God’s anger by looking for another leader. They complained, “We sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you (Moses) have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Out of that entire generation, only two made it to the land of promise.
Hundreds of years later, their descendants were again looking for a special leader. They had experienced another exile and another bondage, this time in Babylon for seventy years. Their captors restricted their sacrifices and made rules against their praying, yet God heard their cries. With leadership of men like Ezra, they were able to rebuild their homeland.
By 400 B.C., the nation entered yet another bondage. God was silent. No prophets were on the scene repeating His promise of a great Deliverer. The Greeks arrived and changed their nation. Then Rome ruled with an iron hand. The people longed for deliverance from political oppression, prayed and sacrificed their lambs, but saw no sign of a special leader.
Finally, another baby was born. The shepherds found Him first. The magi (Persian king makers) gave Him gifts, but the Roman leader tried to kill Him. The child escaped and grew to manhood. One day, John the Baptist declared Him the promised One, the great Deliverer, “the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.”
This was their special leader, sent by God to save them from their greatest bondage — not the rule of Rome but the tyranny of personal sin.
This freedom comes at a price too. Jesus called for repentance. People must turn from sin and from ruling their own lives, and embrace Him as their Lord and Messiah. Most of them said, “We will not have this man rule over us.”
Israelites or not, people are still looking for a special leader — who can produce paved roads, free medical care, and all the benefits of high living without the cost of tightened belts and self-discipline. Many still reject Jesus because they would rather have free indulgence in their sin (and be in bondage to it) than serve Him.
Perhaps today’s leaders can find comfort in the fact that even the Son of God could not please disgruntled people — who want heaven on earth without cost or without change to their lifestyle.
Showing posts with label useless rebellion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label useless rebellion. Show all posts
Friday, October 7, 2016
Monday, December 30, 2013
Some battles are better to lose .............. Parables 060
One of our boys, when about 3 years old, became angry at a family friend. He tackled him - only to be picked up and held out at arm’s length, feet dangling and fists flying. His efforts to make an impact were absolutely useless, even comical. It took him quite a few minutes to realize that he was up against something bigger than he could handle. He gave in, deciding “to be friends.”
Sometimes, when reading the morning paper or watching news reports on television, that battle comes to mind. There are so many senseless, God-defying activities in the headlines, but those who live in defiance of the Lord, or who have turned their back on His principles have tackled something bigger than they can handle.
The first verses of Psalm 2 say: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’” Their desire is to get out from under the supposed binding authority of God by open rebellion against what He says. And it often looks as if that has been achieved. But is the battle over? Are their efforts even touching God?
Psalm 2 says “No!” The rest of the verses boldly declare that God will eventually have them as stammering fools. Their efforts are laughable to Him. He has already set His King upon His holy hill... and He WILL proclaim His decrees, and make the nations the inheritance and possession of His King. What chance do the rebellious leaders have? Surely the King that Almighty God sets in place will eventually reign. The circumstances around us may look otherwise, but God is God or He is nothing. He does as He pleases. And His wrath, even slightly exercised, is enough to destroy all of creation. Therefore, His King WILL rule -- and even break the power of those who oppose Him.
Before God, the nations are less than as a 3-year-old against a husky six-footer, less than as a few ants trying to defeat an elephant. What chance do the ants have? None. Unless the mightier one takes pity, the little enemy will not survive. One drop of a foot and the battle is over.
It is the same for those who set themselves against God. There is no contest. It makes little sense to resist Him or take counsel with others to figure out ways to get out from under His Lordship and control. He is far too powerful to be overcome.
Instead, God can be trusted. He can be seen as an ally, a friend, not an enemy. He blesses those who trust Him, those who run to Him as their refuge, dropping their fists and yielding to His mercy, trusting Him to be a friend.
But there is another side to it. God has no reason to want to be friends with us. We are not doing Him a great favor by dropping our animosity against Him. He is the one that has the right to be angry with us. We are the violators, the rebels. He is perfect, holy, and just. He should be filled with wrath and step on every one of us.
Yet He has not. In His sovereignty He has chosen to pour out His wrath for our sin and rebellion, on His Son. For those who obediently accept His provision for salvation, He accepts as friends. Instead of rage and plotting (verse 1), they will “serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.”
Sometimes, when reading the morning paper or watching news reports on television, that battle comes to mind. There are so many senseless, God-defying activities in the headlines, but those who live in defiance of the Lord, or who have turned their back on His principles have tackled something bigger than they can handle.
The first verses of Psalm 2 say: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’” Their desire is to get out from under the supposed binding authority of God by open rebellion against what He says. And it often looks as if that has been achieved. But is the battle over? Are their efforts even touching God?
Psalm 2 says “No!” The rest of the verses boldly declare that God will eventually have them as stammering fools. Their efforts are laughable to Him. He has already set His King upon His holy hill... and He WILL proclaim His decrees, and make the nations the inheritance and possession of His King. What chance do the rebellious leaders have? Surely the King that Almighty God sets in place will eventually reign. The circumstances around us may look otherwise, but God is God or He is nothing. He does as He pleases. And His wrath, even slightly exercised, is enough to destroy all of creation. Therefore, His King WILL rule -- and even break the power of those who oppose Him.
Before God, the nations are less than as a 3-year-old against a husky six-footer, less than as a few ants trying to defeat an elephant. What chance do the ants have? None. Unless the mightier one takes pity, the little enemy will not survive. One drop of a foot and the battle is over.
It is the same for those who set themselves against God. There is no contest. It makes little sense to resist Him or take counsel with others to figure out ways to get out from under His Lordship and control. He is far too powerful to be overcome.
Instead, God can be trusted. He can be seen as an ally, a friend, not an enemy. He blesses those who trust Him, those who run to Him as their refuge, dropping their fists and yielding to His mercy, trusting Him to be a friend.
But there is another side to it. God has no reason to want to be friends with us. We are not doing Him a great favor by dropping our animosity against Him. He is the one that has the right to be angry with us. We are the violators, the rebels. He is perfect, holy, and just. He should be filled with wrath and step on every one of us.
Yet He has not. In His sovereignty He has chosen to pour out His wrath for our sin and rebellion, on His Son. For those who obediently accept His provision for salvation, He accepts as friends. Instead of rage and plotting (verse 1), they will “serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.”
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