The Way of All Flesh
From time to time Christians need to be reminded of the nature and workings of God.
God is complete within Himself. He is self-sufficient; able to exist without anything or any other entity and be perfectly content. Within the godhead there is an intrinsic diversity, with unity of will, purpose, and intent. God owes men nothing; however, man owes God everything. God is Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Savior and Preserver. “In Him we live, move and have our being.1” He is our perfect life support system. Should he choose to remove His Spirit from us everything on earth would immediately cease to exist.
God did not create because of a need; but, because His chief property is love. He desired to create reasoning (thinking, rational) beings as an object of that desire and so that they might return love to Him in worship (acknowledgment of worth) which is praise, adoration, and thanksgiving.
God knows all things and has a perfect memory. “[God]…knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14). Man’ memory is very selective. Mankind likes to think he is able to handle any situation that arises. Through invention, blame and rationalization he likes to feel he is able to work things out. It requires very little reflection for him to be aware of the fallacy of that thinking.
It is a sad fact of reality that history repeats itself because mankind has such a selective memory. Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat its errors. God’s people find themselves faced with the same dilemmas today that the Israelites faced repeatedly over the course of their history. These dilemmas eventually ended in their expulsion from the land God promised to Abraham and gave to them under the leadership of the man Moses.
The founding fathers of this nation were persecuted in Europe and sought to find a new land where they could bring their children up with hope and opportunity for freedom; freedom to worship God as they saw fit and build a place where their posterity could prosper. God brought these people to a new land and through hardship they grew strong and learned to survive. This land became the mightiest, wealthiest and strongest nation in the history of the world. To this day people the world over struggled to come to its shores for no other reason than the memory of what this land once represented. They still seek to give their children those same things the founding fathers sought; the hope of freedom. History has come full cycle, this nation is about to be given into the hands of its enemies just as Israel was.
“Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am” (Psalm 39:4).
“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not thy wonders…they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoke him… Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known…he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy…Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly…and tempted [their God]…he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul (Psalm 106: 6-15).
They forgot God their savior, which had done great things; Wondrous works…therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not [righteous men] his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their [houses], and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor [false gods], and ate the sacrifices of the dead (21-28).
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity (37-43).
There is only one hope of a stay of the sentence for evil;
Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD (44-48).
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