2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The presence of God in our lives and the need for us to keep our covenant promises to Him has made this entire long series on covenants a real blessing. That is because of the truths that God has revealed to us about how to do this and why it is so important to us. In my last message, we examined the continuation of the Abrahamic covenant that was extended to Jacob and how that blessed his whole life. I’m positive God’s idea in this was to show us that covenants with Him have an eternal nature. The point is that the promises of the Abrahamic covenant of people for a nation, land, and a King apply to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all the Jews to come, and now to Gentiles who have embraced faith in Christ and repented of their sins. That’s all of us who are believers! This has never been a case of telling stories about people in our past and leaving it at that. Each one of us are eternally involved in this covenant relationship with the Lord. The only difference is that the moment Christ gave up His life on the cross for us, we became the benefactors of God’s grace as underpinning of the Covenant of Grace. The forgiveness we are extended is eternal, not just from Yom Kippur to Yom Kippur.
God’s message wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t continue seeing this covenant relationship as it carried on forward from Jacob. As we know from GN 49: 1-28, Jacob was the father of twelve sons whose descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel. Taking the time to read through these verses blesses us with the last words of Jacob and gives us insight into the nature of each tribe to come and, in some cases, the place it will occupy in history. Jesus comes from the tribe of Judah. While I can’t claim any of His glory, I am comforted to know that it’s the same tribe from which I come.
Remember God’s words in GN 15: 13, “Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land; they will be slaves there and treated cruelly for 400 years.” We might wonder why God would pronounce such a fate on His chosen people. There is a great lesson in this. We must trust God’s motives to always be righteous in the long term. While in Egypt, we must remember that God was at work on the first of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant. The Jewish population increased so rapidly that a nation was created, a Jewish nation. We must also see in this the underlying lessons about slavery leading to a recognition that truth must be sought. The pharaohs before the eighteenth dynasty had always co-existed peacefully with the Jews in Egypt. But God’s plan was to give the Jews the Promised Land north of Egypt as He had outlined in GN 15: 18-21. Also remember that God established the nation of Israel to be receivers of His truth, not of idolatrous, polytheistic worship. His truth was stated eloquently in DT 6: 4, the Shema, “Here O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One.” Keeping them permanently in Egypt wouldn’t allow this truth to be made available to them. That is why the Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty began to recognize that so many Jews were living in Egypt that they presented an economic threat to the native Egyptians. It is then, that he made them slaves. Enough time had gone by in Egypt’s history, that this pharaoh didn’t remember who Joseph was or Joseph’s contributions [EX 1: 8-14].
Now, if we still ask why would God subject the Jews to the mistreatment of slavery. I believe the answer lays in His covenant relationship with them. He wanted the Jews to realize that He alone had to power to free them from slavery and transform them by the renewal of their minds, so they could know the truth of His power and His love. I believe that is why He called Moses out of Midian and gave him the power to carry out His will to free the Jews from Egyptian slavery, thus keeping His covenant promise in GN 15: 13 and giving them the Law (the ten commandments). What was underneath God’s actions? The same thing that has been and is always motivating them, His profound love for each of us! Had the Jews not suffered at the hand of the Egyptians, they might never have known the truth of God’s sovereignty, power, and love for them. In fact, we might have not known these things either. How difficult it is at times stretch toward God’s perspective in suffering, and yet, we must do that. This is particularly true for us as we face the pain of the war against terrorism that is now being waged.
PRAYER: O Lord, we read in MK 10: 27, “This is impossible for a man, but not for God. Everything is possible for God.” You have shown us unparalleled wisdom in the way You interact with mankind over our history and give us an entirely different perspective on human suffering than the one that comes natural to us. How great and wonderful are Your works! You have never wanted anything that is evil to befall us, but know that we have to face pain at times, so that Your higher purpose can be fulfilled. This is purpose that is to our greater benefit in the long term. You set created a nation, Israel, to be set apart from all others by its belief that You are the One God, wholly sovereign, righteous, and true. The Jews were to live the truth and to eventually bring that truth to other nations [IS 49:6], to be a “nation of priests” [EX 19: 5]. That part of Your will has not yet be fully fulfilled, but in Your perfect timing, it will be. The covenant relationship You entered into with the Jews has now been extended to Gentiles as well, those who confess faith in Christ and repent. We dedicate ourselves to seeking You out through the Scriptures, prayer, our congregations, and our circumstances, so that we too can appreciate what You teach us through Your Son in JN 8: 31-32, “If you obey My teaching, you are really My disciples. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Today we humbly offer You our worship, adoration, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, honor, glory, praise, and utmost thanksgiving. We are eternally grateful for the sacrifice of Your Son for us and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. You are our One and Only Awesome Lord! In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we look once again at the faithfulness of Moses in keeping His covenant agreements with God. This time, we will view it with the perspective of what God has taught us about our own covenant relationship with Him. Know that our Lord loves and protects each of us every day. Understand that any suffering we experience in faith is not without God’s purpose or its eventual reward. See and feel that each of us is surrounded by the greatest love imaginable directly from Him. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn