The Christian Worker's Spiritual Food: Giving a Second Chance

Giving a Second Chance. Exodus 34:10-28.

Moses was helping the children of Israel get a fresh start after their large mistake. Worshiping a hand crafted bovine idol almost cost them their eternal salvation.

Moses sought God for their forgiveness and God reciprocated by allowing a second chance. Our God is a God of second chances.

"We will do all that you say!" They arrogantly said to God's call to be His people; yet when times became tough, they turned away from God and tried to fill their need for God by creating a false God.

Moses went up mount Sinai to meet with God in order to bring back instructions for the way God wanted them to live.

However, Moses was gone for so long, many began to speculate he might have died and this is when they became fearful and tried to create their own religion. Their faith in God and Moses was destroyed by fear, suspicion, and peer pressure.

In fear of life's circumstances, and perhaps in fear of other people, they decided to have the golden statue of a cow made. It was their attempt for normalcy. It was a weak attempt at showing national strength and was nothing more than a good luck charm. They acted like the Egyptian culture who sought comfort in exhibiting spiritual behaviors.

This good luck charm brought trouble and separation between them and God; for God will not have His own people mixed up in worldly behaviors.

The Idol was like the Buddha statues seen throughout the world. Though people want it to represent God, statues bring separation with God, who is holy and there are no other God's but Him.

Therefore, Moses sought God to forgive them of their mistake, their "sin." Moses was, again, called to climb the mountain; to go up into God's presence of God and to get their relationship back on track; bringing back the instructions for their life.

And He said: "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Exodus 34:10(NKJV)

They had broken the covenant. When they arrogantly accepted the covenant saying, "We will do all that you say," they did not understand how important it was. It was binding and their eternal life depended on it.

It is an arrogant person who says they can do all the Lord requires. John wrote,

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8(NJKV) Yet if we confess our sin, God is willing and able to forgive our sin and cleanse us from the unrighteous deeds we do.

It is an awesome thing which God does. The repentant sinner has done nothing special, but choose to live. The work of forgiveness is of God.

The very thing Israel wanted, a show of strength from God, would eventually happen; yet they first must be patient and stand committed unto God.

Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. Exodus 34:11-12(NKJV)

When reading the word and of the wonderful strength of the Lord it is easy for people to consider their salvation is in the hand of God and not of ourselves. Where it is true that we are saved by grace and not of ourselves, we also have to live according to God's commandments towards us.

Israel could have easily focused on the way God was going to drive out their mortal enemies; however, God wanted them to first hear "Observe all I command you" and obedience was Israel's participation in driving their enemies out. Our faith in God without the works of obedience is against all that is holy.

But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. Exodus 34:13-16(NKJV)

These people were to be wholly obedient to the Lord. Everything God considers as unrighteous, they were to destroy. They were not to become like other people, nor accept their culture; they were to erase every memory of their existence from their lives.

In this aspect our New Testament Christian experience with God is different. We are told to go into the world preaching the good news through Christ telling them their sin can be forgiven.

We are to invite the world into our fellowships; however, we are no to be unequally yoked with non-believers; nor are we to become like them.

Yet, God wanted Israel to become a nation of people unadulterated by the evil in the world. He wanted them to dwell in the land without these other nations. It was a land God had claimed for His people and therefore, God would drive out the other nations.

You shall make no molded gods for yourselves. "The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. Exodus 34:17-18(NKJV)

These Israelite people were raised in a land filled with the worship of Egyptian Gods. God wanted them to make a complete turn away from this mentality and have full faith In Him.

No matter how beautiful the jewelry or the statues, anything associated with the worship of false gods was to be burned and nothing kept; no matter how attractive.

Yet the things they were to hold dear and near to their culture was those things God implemented into their lives as the feast of unleavened bread.

They were to live a new life, in a new way; it was to be a respectful way and obedient to the commands of God for these brought eternal life.

In our times many people who proclaim themselves Christian are focused on the end result. They want to live in God's Heavenly Kingdom. They want to be considered God's child; however, they forget the important aspect of observing what He commands.

Many do not read their Bible, they have no commitment to a church fellowship, and they spend more time pleasing their flesh doing those things the world around them does.

Can you see the similarities? Can you see the danger? People live in danger and no matter how they feel or what they call themselves, sin is separating them from their God.

The evil one uses deception to lure in people to live like the world; however, like with the Children of Israel, we must be told not to see any value in the way they act, the idols they serve, or the cultural activities they hold sacred.

The Christian is to live for God.

via tcwsf.blogspot.com

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