Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


2.20.2004  

Obstinate

Exodus 33:4-5 reads, "When the poeple heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moses, 'Say to the sons of Israel, 'You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do with you.''"



You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. God said this to the Israelites after they just finished committing one of the most famous corporate sins in biblical history: the creation and worship of the golden calf. (I mean, who hasn't seen Charlton Heston throwing down the two stone tablets every Easter?) They were, for the moment, appropriately penitent. Yet what makes me pause and cringe is that their penitence was just that: for the moment. Momentary penitence, momentary repentance, is far too familiar a theme in my own life.



You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. It's sobering to realize that although God said this to the Israelites just after the golden calf episode, He could have said this to them at any point in time. He could have said this as He led them out of Egypt, or even to Moses as they spoke together "face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." (33:11) He could say this to us, and He would be perfectly in the right. Even in our most perfect obedience, this statement from God holds true, because our sin is that horrible. Yeah...if God were to come into my midst, I'd pretty much be toast.



But I'm not. I'm alive, I'm not facing God's destruction, and I never ever will. When God reminds me that I'm disobedient, He's reminding me of my sinful nature, and that there's no way I'll ever really be obedient to Him. He's reminding me that the sins I commit are just the manifestation of the state of my flesh, and no matter how good I am, I should still be toast when He comes into my midst. But...I'm not.



It's amazing to think of God's mercy when I look at Moses and the Israelites. One of the things I've been thinking about lately is how sinners will be sinners. It's easy for Christians to look around and be angry with not only the actions of "sinners," but also of other Christians. But why is it all that surprising? Sinful flesh is prone to sin, is it not? What's surprising to me, as I read through scripture, is how patient God is. You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. How merciful God is. You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. How deeply loving God is. You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. How holy God is. You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you.



You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. You know what makes me smile about that? When God said that, He wasn't saying that He would never gift us with His presence. No, He was hinting at a time when He could come into our presence freely, when the work of Christ on the cross would allow Him to clothe His Holy Spirit with us. It's amazing that God would want to do that with an obstinate people :)

posted by Bolo | 1:19 PM
0 speakage
Free Hit
Counters
Dell Coupons
Daily
Read
Listen
Visualize
Blogging Buddies
Old School
Me
Bug Me
Yore
Factuality
Quotatious