45.e. “Wilderness” – 9.k. “And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD”

 

Exodus 34:10 And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or 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.

 Deuteronomy 4:33-37     Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live?  Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?  To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.

 Psalms 77:14  You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.

 Psalms 66:3     Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

 Psalms 66:5    Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

 Psalms 68:35   Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!

 Psalms 76:12    who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

 Psalms 145:6    They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.

God’s plan was to glorify Himself to all the nations (all the people) through Israel, and to show His glory through the great things He did among them.  Israel had a choice regarding those great things. Either the great things would be blessings so impressive that every nation would know that God alone had blessed Israel (as was the case with Solomon). Or, the great things would be curses so horrible that every nation would know God had chastised Israel and yet kept them a nation. Either way, God would glorify Himself through Israel among the nations.  For their own good it was essential that they obey God (Observe what I command you this day) and enjoy the blessings of covenant obedience. (Guzik)

When the covenant was broken, it was Israel that broke it; now it comes to be renewed, it is God that makes it; if there be quarrels, we must bear all the blame; if there be peace, God must have all the glory. (Benson)

And he said, behold, I will make a covenant,…. Or renew the covenant before made the people had broke; which on his part was, that he would, as Moses had entreated, forgive the sin of the people, go along with them, and introduce them into the land of Canaan, and drive out the inhabitants of it before them; and, on their part, that they should avoid idolatry, and everything that led unto it, particularly making covenants, and entering into alliances with the idolatrous nations cast out before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; both in their passage through the wilderness, and entrance into Canaan’s land, and the conquest of that; such as the earth opening its mouth and swallowing alive Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and was a new thing God created; the smiting of the rock at Kadesh, from whence flowed waters abundantly; the healing of such as were bit by fiery serpents through looking at a serpent of brass; Balaam’s ass speaking, and reproving the madness of the prophet; the division of the waters of Jordan; the fall of the walls of Jericho at the sound of rams’ horns; the sun and moon standing still, until the Lord had avenged himself of his enemies, and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord; for it should be visible, as the above things were, and plainly appear to be the Lord’s doing, and not man’s, being above the power of any created being to perform. (Gill)

Jehovah declares His purpose of concluding a covenant with His people, to be confirmed by wonders of a character to convince all of His power and greatness. (Cambridge)

Oh that our eyes would be open to see the wonders of God. Each day, every moment, there are wonders to be seen. None so great as the grace, mercy, and love of God. All praise, honor, and glory are His alone, for there is no other God.

Seek and to Save

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

John 1:43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”  Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”  And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

These comments are not mine but I found interesting and share them with you.  All are called but many reject the calling outright.  It is not a slight thing to refuse the summons of God through his messengers. God will hold those who refuse that summons responsible on Judgment Day.  There is a more subtle way to refuse the summons. One may pay lip service to the external call but never truly embrace Jesus internally as offered in that call.  This refusal subjects us to God’s just judgment. The bad news is we have no power in ourselves to change our rebellious hearts. The good news is God is pleased to change rebellious hearts by the invincible power of his Spirit. If we have responded to the external call in repentance and faith, it is only because God has first been at work in us to turn us to himself in Christ. Salvation is truly by grace alone. This truth is unsettling, but Jesus unsettles us for a reason. He wants us to find salvation and life in him alone, by grace alone. And only in Christ may we find an everlasting, unshakeable foundation.