It's becoming obvious that our God is very particular and in every detail. His rules reveal much about His character. I think about all of His commands that I violate daily for lots of different reasons - laziness, rebellion, ignorance, selfishness, you name it - and I realize that His rules reveal much about my character as well.
Living in this fallen world, I often choose to let my enemies (e.g., worldiness, selfishness, independence, control, demandingness) stay with me. I don't call it what it is - SIN - and I don't drive out my enemies by depending on God's power. I don't fully obey God and instead choose to do things my way. I make deals with myself and rationalize my behavior. As a result, I sin by worshipping these gods. It's a huge danger for me. I can either rationalize my sin or acknowledge and confess the truth about myself, but repentance always draws me back to the heart of God.
"But you will never on this earth depend fully enough on My power to live exactly as I want you to live. That's why I had Moses write out the Ten Commandments and all those other rules, not to beat you down into self-hatred over never getting it right, but rather to lift you up into the liberating experience of looking bad in the presence of love. When you read Exodus 19-24 and see how particular I am about all the rules you should obey but never do, let the weight of My holiness draw you into the delights of My love. I still want to be with you." 66 LLI do look bad in the presence of love. I can't measure up. I'll never do everything right, no matter how hard I try, because I'll never be perfect. (It's a little too late for that, I'm afraid.) Yet God's not trying to beat me down with His rules. He's using my failures to help me feel the weight of His holiness, to draw me to Himself, and to see my need for a Savior.
And He still wants to be with me.
I don't think I'll EVER get over that truth. Absolutely mind-boggling because I know I can't do anything deserve it.
3 comments:
I wonder if the Israelites felt like I do when I read the commands and punishments. "I already deserve the punishment that God's describing. I deserve to die. Too late for the rules, God. Already been there and done that."
Then, in 23:14-16, He sets up celebrations with us. And in 23:26, God says, "I'll make sure you live full and complete lives."
He does want me to be holy in the power of Christ and He also made a way to be with unholy me. You're right, Cici, it is mind-boggling.
As I read these chapters, I had to chuckle to myself (knowing what happens after Moses' time on the mountain with God Almighty) when I read, "So Moses went to the people and told them everything God had said - all the rules and regulations. They all answered in unison: 'Everything God said, we'll do." I laugh b/c my kids do the same thing to me: "Yes, mama....we will." Then they "forget" or simply just don't do as promised. Then I wondered to myself, how often do I do that to the Lord?? How often do I let those socially acceptable sins slide and rationalize them later? Forgive me, Lord, for trying to justifying what is unjustifiable to you, Holy God. And thank you for loving me enough to bring me back to you.
As we've started reading the "rules" part of Exodus, I immediately feel heavy. I wonder how anyone could come even close to living up to those commandments. Yesterday's list included talking disrespectfully to parents, which deserves death. DEATH??? Holy cow! I think of my years as a teenager and how quickly I would've been burned up by God's holy fire.
Larry Crabb's words that Cici quoted today are of great comfort to me. Because at first, my tendency is to think "I'm gonna try, Lord..." but then I realize "there is no freaking way I can do all of that!" And then, I feel crushed, defeated, full of failure. But reading Crabb's words reminds me that's God's VERY PURPOSE in setting these rules up. Not to make us think, like the Pharisees did in Jesus' day that they can be "holier than thou" and follow all the rules. NO! Because no one can!
Instead, it points to our need for a SAVIOR. We can't do it! We are SO far from being holy. We are so far from pleasing God in and of ourselves. But through Christ's blood on the Christ, we are PRECIOUS in His sight. We are forgiven, we are redeemed, that demand for holiness in God's presence has been met.
So I'm thankful today that as we read Exodus and are so far from the New Testament, I am already seeing huge signs that point to JESUS, our Savior!!!
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