Tag: atoned

49.y. Wilderness – 14.d. “Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.”

 

 

Deu 6:1-3  “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

 Exodus 20:20     Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

 Job 28:28    And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

 Psalms 111:10   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

 Psalms 128:1   Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!

 Proverbs 16:6    By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.

 Ecclesiastes 12:13   The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

 Luke 12:5   But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

 1 Peter 1:17   And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

The “fear” that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of him, but our having a high and exalted, reverential view of him. To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of his majesty, power, wisdom, justice and mercy, especially in Christ – in his life, death and resurrection – that is, to have an exalted view of God. To see God in all his glory and then respond to him appropriately. To humble ourselves before him. To adore him. We tend to be in awe of worldly power, talent, intelligence, and beauty. But these things don’t impress God because “His delight is not in the strength of the horse (mighty armies, worldly power) nor his pleasure in the legs of a man (human strength).” But God delights in those who fear him – those who stand in awe of him – and instead of trusting in their own human abilities or resources, “hope in his steadfast love.”

By way of contrast, the wicked person doesn’t fear God – he doesn’t stand in awe of God. The wicked has a low view of God: 

Psalms 36:1-4. Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.”

The wicked person has such a low view of God and such a lack of awe for God that he doesn’t think God can find out his sin or hate it. He doesn’t act wisely or do good because he doesn’t view God as holy and just and serious about punishing sin. He trusts in his own wits and strength. Obviously, the Lord doesn’t find any pleasure in the wicked. The wicked refuses to fear God. (Altrogge)

For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God. For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The believer’s fear is reverence of God.   Fearing God means having a reverence for Him that greatly impacts the way we live. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshiping Him in awe. Fearing God is good because it saves us from caving into our own sinful nature.

As I walk with the Lord, I discover that God poses an ominous threat to my ego, but not to me. He rescues me from my delusions, so he may reveal the truth that sets me free. He casts me down, only to lift me up again. He sits in judgment of my sin, but forgives me nevertheless. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love from the Lord is its completion. (Eisenhower)

For the unrepentant, God-denying, and God-rejecting, fear should be like that of standing before an all-powerful tormentor and executioner who has complete authority and power to execute judgment upon you.

For the believer who trusts, believes, follows, obeys, and relies upon and in God, fear takes on a different form where there is such love, respect, and awe of God that displeasing Him deeply hurts them and they intentionally and purposefully choose to live in such a way that reflects this love, respect, and awe – and in doing so this desire permeates their life so that in all they think, say, and do it is purposefully set on honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

Restore us, O LORD God

“For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.”

“Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.”

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Psalms 85:1   LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.  You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?  Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.

Jeremiah 31:18     I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God.

Lamentations 5:21    Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored!

Micah 7:18    Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Acts 13:39     and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Colossians 2:13     And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Isaiah 54:7     For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

Psalms 78:38     Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

How do you know if God is angry with you?  How do you know if you are being disciplined?  How do you know if you are right with God? How do you know if your life is on the straight and narrow path of God?   There are many examples in scripture that speak of generations of people who lived in a way that was apart from God.  There was a choice made in their life to neglect Him and His statutes.  This choice, I have to think, was not all at once but was the result of many small steps on a path that did not honor, serve, follow, or obey God.   Taking many small steps or fewer large ones in the wrong direction on the wrong path will always end up further and further away from God.  Soon you are lost and forget what the path of God for your life looked liked.  The light on His path for your life becomes totally dimmed, if not dark and deserted.  Everyday we battle our sinful desires that want to direct our heart, mind and soul.  Neglecting Him and being complacent in service and obedience to Him is what Satan desires and uses to light a path away from God.  The only way to win this battle is to stay in His word, desiring to stay close to Him, and wanting to be led by Him.  Do not wait until you are totally lost before turning back to Him.  Call out and seek to be rescued and restored.  Seek Him and He will be found.  Humbly serve Him and He will guide you.

History of turning away

Psalms 78:38  Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.  He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.   How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!  They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.   They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,   when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.  He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams.   He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.   He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust.   He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost.  He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts.  He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.   He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague.   He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.  Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.   He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.   And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won.   He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.   Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow.

How many times in scripture does it speak of the great signs God performed in Egypt before all of the peoples of both Egyptians and Israelites.  Many of these references speak not only of God’s power and might in this provision but of the lack of faith and trust of the Israelites in God after just witnessing His mighty hand at work.  How hard must it have been for those who did not think this way. Their heart, mind, and soul was truly amazed,thankful, and fully anchored in and on God, yet most of the people around them were grumbling, ungrateful, and so soon forgetting the greatness God performed before their very eyes.  How hard must it have been to stand firm and not fall into the same thinking being bombarded day after day by those around them.  God is our rock, refuge, power, strength, and protector.  He is ever present and steadfast in love.  He is the creator, author, and finisher of all there is.  Do not neglect Him and an opportunity in this life to be fully dedicated to humbly serving, following and obeying Him.

Known by his acts

“By steadfast loveand faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”

Psalms 36:1   Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

Proverbs 20:11   Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

Matthew 7:16  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Matthew 12:33  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.  You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Titus 1:16   They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Proverbs 8:13   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Ecclesiastes 12:13   The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Romans 3:18   “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The heart of man is deceitful and full of arrogance and pride.  We can know this and always be on guard for when it wants to raise its ugly head. Or, we can say it is not there and never be looking.  How sad is it when we choose to deny there is any thing wrong with our thoughts, intents, words and actions?  Out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks.  It is also true that what fills our mind and thoughts feeds our heart.  How is a person to recognize right and wrong thoughts, intents, speech, and actions?  A live time could be spend on what it means to Love, and the same for Joy, or Peace, or Patience, or Kindness, or Goodness, or Faithfulness. The only way to understand our own heart is to examine it in light of scripture and seek God to reveal that which is opposing to living, acting, speaking in such a way that humbly serves, honors and obeys Him.  Filling our mind with His word on a daily basis will start this never ending  growth in our service to Him.  Rejecting or putting off time with His word allows our heart to become complacent and hard.  We are unable to grow, unable to display fruits of His indwelling in our lives, unable to serve Him,  and unable to honor and glorify Him.  Our actions, thoughts and words are a direct reflection of our walk with God.  David wanting to humbly serve, honor and obey God put it this way. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”  You know you are on the right path when your prayer is in line with this.