Tag: paid attention

53.h. Wilderness – 17.n. “Oh, that my people would listen to me”

 

Deu 32:29  If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

 Deuteronomy 5:29     Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

 Psalms 81:13    Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

 Psalms 107:15     Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

 Psalms 107:43   Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

 Isaiah 48:18-19   Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;  your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me.”

 Hosea 14:9    Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

 Luke 19:41-42     And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,  saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Amos 8:11.  “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.“

 Matthew 9:36    When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

 Romans 11:7-10    What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,  as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”  And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

The idolatry and rebellions of Israel deserved, and the justice of God seemed to demand, that they should be rooted out. But He spared Israel, and continues them still to be living witnesses of the truth of the Bible, and to silence unbelievers. They are preserved for wise and holy purposes and the prophecies give us some idea what those purposes are. The Lord will never disgrace the throne of his glory. It is great wisdom, and will help much to the return of sinners to God, seriously to consider their latter end, or the future state. It is here meant particularly of what God foretold by Moses, about this people in the latter days; but it may be applied generally. Oh that men would consider the happiness they will lose, and the misery they will certainly plunge into, if they go on in their trespasses! What will be in the end thereof? Jer 5:31. For the Lord will in due time bring down the enemies of the church, in displeasure against their wickedness. When sinners deem themselves most secure, they suddenly fall into destruction. And God’s time to appear for the deliverance of his people, is when things are at the worst with them. But those who trust to any rock but God, will find it fail them when they most need it. The rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish nation, is the continuance of their ancient idolatry, apostacy, and rebellion. They shall be brought to humble themselves before the Lord, to repent of their sins, and to trust in their long-rejected Mediator for salvation. Then he will deliver them, and make their prosperity great. (Henry)

I sometimes wonder if we continue in sin because we are ignorant of God’s Word, lack the desire to study and know it, have less desire to apply it, and have deluded our hearts with worldly wisdom to the point where we are void of the wisdom, truth, promises, warnings, hope, blessings, refuge, strength, and encouragement it proclaims. We know more about worldly stuff than we know about the Word of God. How is Jesus Christ honored and glorified in this? How are we to know if our feet are on the path to righteousness? How are we to know right from wrong, good from bad, and truth from false if the Word of God is not in our hearts and minds? How can we be ever-growing and maturing in our understanding and knowledge of God’s grace, mercy, and love apart from His Word? How are we to live so that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified in all of our thoughts, words, and actions if the desire of our hearts and minds is on worldly pursuits and blind to the things of God?

How is the Holy Spirit to speak into our lives if our ears are deaf? How are we to see things of God if our eyes are blind? How do we understand the signs of the times? How are we to recognize sin?  How are we to know that we need to repent? How are we to be light to the lost? How are we to be the salt of the earth?  Will people be curious about Jesus by the way you live and treat others? 

We make time in our day for many things, things we deem important and need to do. We make time for things that are not so important but these things occupy much of our time in mindless consumption. (TV, Social Media, News outlets, Sports) We pursue things that are important to us. We also allow our minds to be consumed by the unimportant. It seems as if we gravitate toward the worldly and away from things of God. “Oh, that my people would listen to me”

52.v. Wilderness – 17.a. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God”

 

Deu 29:29  “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Job 11:6-7   and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.  “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

 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 25:14    The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant

 Proverbs 3:32     for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence.

 Jeremiah 23:18     For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

 Daniel 2:28    but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,

 Amos 3:7    “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

 Matthew 13:35    This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

 John 15:15     No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

 Acts 1:7     He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

 Romans 11:33-34    Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”

 Romans 16:25-26     Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages  but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

 1 Corinthians 2:16    “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 Matthew 11:27-30   All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 Matthew 13:11    And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

 Romans 16:26    but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

 2 Timothy 3:16   All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

 Deuteronomy 6:7     You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

 Deuteronomy 30:2     and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul,

Moses ends his prophecy of the Jews’ rejection, just as St. Paul ends his discourse on the same subject, when it began to be fulfilled, Ro 11:33. We are forbidden curiously to inquire into the secret counsels of God, and to determine concerning them. But we are directed and encouraged, diligently to seek into that which God has made known. He has kept back nothing that is profitable for us, but only that of which it is good for us to be ignorant. The end of all Divine revelation is, not to furnish curious subjects of speculation and discourse, but that we may do all the words of this law, and be blessed in our deed. This, the Bible plainly reveals; further than this, man cannot profitably go. By this light he may live and die comfortably, and be happy for ever. (Henry)

Things which are revealed by God and his word, these are the proper object of our inquiries and studies, that thereby we may come to the knowledge of our duty, by the practice whereof we may be kept from such terrible punishments and calamities as these now mentioned. (Poole)

There are many secret things in nature, which cannot be found out and accounted for by men, which the Lord only knows; and there are many things in Providence, which are unsearchable, and past finding out by finite minds, especially the true causes and reasons of them; and there are many things relating to God himself, which remain secret with him; notwithstanding the revelation he has made of himself; for not only some of his perfections, as eternity, immensity, &c. are beyond our comprehension; but the mode of subsistence of the three divine Persons in the Godhead, the paternity of the one, the generation of the other, and the procession of the Spirit from them both; the union of the two natures, divine and human, in the person of Christ; the thoughts, purposes, and decrees of God within himself, until brought into execution; and so there are many things relating to his creatures, as the particular persons predestinated unto eternal life, what becomes of such who die in infancy, what will befall us in life, when we shall die, where and in what manner, and also the day and hour of the last judgment. Those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever; the things of nature and Providence, which are plain and manifest, are for our use and instruction; and especially the word and ordinances of God, which are the revelation of his will, the doctrines and promises contained in the Scriptures. (Gill)

110.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live

1 Samuel 22:1   David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

Matthew 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 45:22-25     “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Isaiah 55:1-3    “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant

John 6:37     All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Jeremiah 6:16     Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Isaiah 48:17-18     Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.  Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

Where do you find rest from the distress of trials and troubles of this life?  Is there any place of refuge where our soul will find peace of mind?  There is a place of peace and rest for our heart, soul, and mind, but it comes at a price few are willing to pay.  The price is total surrender and total reliance and total trust and a total clinging to Jesus.  Don’t get me wrong on this for many people in their distress come to Jesus to find peace, hope, and rest.  The problem is that once they are on the other side of the trial/trouble they do not see the need anymore.  It is as though Jesus is a sugar daddy who is there to serve them in their distress but He is not worthy of much past this.

There is a place of refuge, peace, rest, hope, joy in the life of those who intentionally choose and are committed to being humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Jesus.  Jesus calls out, “come to Me, all who labor and are heavy with burden and I will give you rest.”  “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me.”  Jesus did not say come and leave, He said come and yoke to me, learn from me.

If we are looking for a quick fix for our trials/troubles/issues this is not going to give us lasting peace and rest.  Jesus is willing to take on our burdens and He does this out of love, mercy, and grace.  However if there is no daily surrender to Him, no commitment to Him, no humble love, gratitude, and thankfulness to Him, no want or desire to know more of Him and how to honor, glorify, serve, follow and obey Him, there will be no lasting peace, purpose, or satisfaction for your soul.   It seems we see Jesus more as a personal genie for us rather than seeing the Son of God who gave His life for us so that we would not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.  He wants us to yoke with Him.  He wants to give us abounded life now and for eternity.  Learn to surrender each day to Him.   Learn to trust Him.  Learn to rely on Him.  Cling to Him.  Learn to cast your cares on Him.  Find rest for your souls in Him each day.

distinction between those who serve God and those who do not

Psalms 89:5  Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!  For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,  a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?  You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.  You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.  The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

Daniel 7:10    A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

Psalms 96:11     Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;  let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy  before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Malachi 3:16     Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.  “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.  Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Revelation 20:11     Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Isaiah 30:27    Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire;

Isaiah 66:15     “For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.  For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many.

Nahum 1:5    The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.  Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

John 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

There are times we just don’t feel good enough to be considered worthy, fruitful, or for that matter saved. For some reason the redemptive work of Christ does not seem real and effective for our life.  We believe but do not have a victorious heart and mind. Why is that?  We are in battle(s) – the battle with our conscious where we are self convicted – the battle with what others tell us and we are convicted by others – the battle where satan convicts us by telling us we are worthless and not good enough for God – the battle where we do think we are good enough on our own – the battle our sinful nature has with the Holy Spirit when we are convicted on our actions and thoughts in light of God’s word.  Our conscious and others conviction may or may not be true.   Satan is the father of all lies and will continually convict us with these lies and half truths.  However, the Holy Spirit will convict us with absolute truth.  It is easy to fall into the trap of unworthiness or good enough and end up ineffectual in our Christian walk.  Both of these end in either complacency or neglect.  When we catch of glimpse of God’s Holiness and our sinfulness it is easy to feel unworthy and you are right.  We are unworthy.  That is all the more reason to shout for joy and give thanks to Jesus Christ who, though we were sinners and have a sinful nature, went to the cross and died for our sins.  He did this to redeem us and make our sin as white as snow to all who believe in Him.  At the moment of believe and trust in Jesus Christ our sins were no more.  Some may feel they are not worthy of this redemption, believing they are not good enough or they are too bad to be forgiven.  God’s word is true!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

We are never good enough to be saved.  Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners.  He takes us as we are, right where we are at in life – full of guilt and shame. Are we sinless, no but they are forgiven.  Do we stop sinning, no but if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sin.  God is truth and His word is true.  If our sins are forgiven they are no more before God’s eyes.  We can be certain of His word of truth.  We can be victorious.  We can have joy and peace.  Satan would have us believe it is a lie.  It is not a lie.  How can we know?  Stay in His word and live to honor, glorify, serve and obey Him.  You are whiter than snow, confessed sin to God is forgiven. Stop living defeated, complacent, and neglectful.  You can live victorious for God through His word.

Come, Listen to me

“Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

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

Psa 66:16  Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

Psalms 46:8    Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.

Psalms 111:2    Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

Psalms 126:1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”  The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.

Psalms 34:2    My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

Psalms 71:18   So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Malachi 3:16    Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.

1 Timothy 1:15  The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Psalms 22:23  You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!  For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

Psalms 32:5  I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.  Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found

“Come and see”, “Come and hear”, and “Come behold”, His works, awesome deeds and what He has done for my soul.  These are invitations to us from God’s word.  It is an offer that must be accepted or rejected/turned down.  An invitation does not force us to accept it.  There are consequences either way.  There are visible actions in the lives of those who choose one or the other.  “Great are His works and studied by those who delight in them”.  His works are studied by those who delight in them.  One outcome here would be reading His word and thinking about what has been read.  Another outcome would be to believe in Him and having a desire to see His handiwork in creation.  Other outcomes would be; humble service, listening for His whispers of guidance, wanting to be lead by Him, learning what honors and glorifies Him, praying to Him, telling others of Him and His what He has done not only historically but what He is currently doing in their life, looking forward to eternity with Him, praising Him, etc…..  On the other hand, for those who reject these invitations we see; little to no time spent in His word, no speaking of Him, not hearing His whispers of guidance, not seeking to be led by Him, self satisfaction, not looking at His handiwork in creation, no thought of eternity, no speaking to others about Him.  Commit to accept His invitation and spend time in His word learning of His steadfast love, power, grace, mercy, and might.  Be aware of the consequences of accepting or rejecting His invitation.  “Behold I stand at the door and knock”  Can you hear Him knocking at your hearts door?  Choose to open your heart’s door to Him and commit to humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.