Skip to main content

"It's A Tale As Old As Time...."


But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.  But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
          Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”
          And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”
          But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” (Romans 10:16-21)

    “It’s a tale as old as time…” Rich, powerful, misunderstood prince(ss) meets a poor, young, misunderstood (wo)man, and over time, one or both are transformed into noble folks and they all live happily ever after. It’s told repeatedly in Scripture. Jacob is a great example. At one point, he tells God, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." (Genesis 28:20-22)
          God says, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.” (Deuteronomy 28:1)
          See the difference? Israel, and we, say “If God does so-and-so, then He can be my god,” while God offers a Suzerain agreement: “If you will be my people, I will do so-and-so.” We hear it a lot. If God would reveal Himself to me (in some humiliating manner that allows me to laugh at Him) then I’ll believe in Him. I could never worship a god who _________. If God wants me to worship Him, He has to see things my way.
          Once again, one of the reasons I believe that the God described in the Bible is God is because He doesn’t do things our way. We’re like children who say, “I’ll hold my breath until I get my way,” but God knows that won’t kill us. We resent God’s “stubbornness” but expect Him to respect ours. At times, when our stubbornness involves our trusting Him as He is, He does.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

              Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . (John 14:6)           If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus. Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to i...
Post a Comment
Read more