I have been spending quite a bit of time in Leviticus as of late due to the chrono read schedule I have been following. Historically for me Leviticus has been one of those books that I have struggled to read through due to its repetitive nature. I would tend to just skim through it and thus get little to nothing out of it. This time through I have been forcing myself to pay better attention. This morning my assigned reading was chapters 19-21. It struck me that after each time a section of the law was stated it was followed by either, ''I am the Lord'', or, ''I am the Lord your God''. Why? Why would God repeat himself so often. Then I remembered that we are human, and as a human we tend to be very forgetful of who God is. OT Israel is a great picture of our forgetfulness. It was not very long after the exodus that the Israelites were grumbling. As a matter of fact they were even worshiping a man made image when God was present with Moses on the mountain! They could see the very cloud of God that covered the mountain and yet they forget. While it tends to be all to easy to look as the shortcomings of Israel and wonder, yet we need to look at ourselves and remember how forgetful we tend to be as well. How many times has the Lord blessed us and we like Israel forget. Even in the midst of blessing we forget! We need to be reminded that He is the Lord our God. We need to be reminded often He is the Sovereign, Holy, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Good, Awesome, Just, Vengeful, Wrathful, Unchanging, True, Creator God. He is God. Let us not forget. Let us read His Word, Pray without ceasing, meditate day and night, fellowship with His church, and share His love with others. Let us remember!
5 comments:
Amen! Good stuff :)
Amen! Today, I am remembering that I am His and He is mine... what wonderfully Good News!
Tell me the old old story... a wonderful hymn of my past that echoes your thoughts here for me, Rob. Thank you.
And, as I'm in a quoting other people frame of mind, here is something I leave with you, my ice-fishing friend...
from ch 12, Election, from Sinclair Ferguson's The Christian Life... this comment which has caused me to stall our study group in this chapter for 3 wks ;)
"Until we have come to the place where we can sing about election with a full heart we have not grasped the spirit of the New Testament teaching."
I realize this comment says nothing about 'election' but rather the state of my heart... our hearts... can we sing of His wondrous electing love?
Thanks for this quote Tim. I think I will have to digest it for a while before I comment anymore!
yeah... I guess its hard to connect the comment to the chapter, but what Sinclair Ferguson is suggesting is that the doctrine of election is one to be understood and rejoiced in rather than being ignored or dismissed, as it frequently is in the church, simply because we haven't believed God's word. And that's why it resonated with me... I want to undertand God and election to the point where I can 'sing' in praise and worship, unhindered by doubts or conflicting teaching.
More than anything, it was a comment that reminded me its worth slowing down sometimes to sit down and let these truths soak in and be enjoyed.
Tim,
As we spend time in His word and understand better His atributes we will better understand this doctrine. It is great to be running this race with you brother!
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