Tag: priests

2.i. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.

2 Chronicles 19:4  Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”

Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. And he charged them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart: whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!”

Joshua 22:5    Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Luke 12:15     And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 21:8    And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.

Exodus 18:21-22   Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe

Isaiah 1:23-26     Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.

Isaiah 33:15    He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,

Micah 7:3    Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.

“Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God or partiality or taking bribes.” We look at a verse like this and think this does not apply to me because we are not in a position where we can accept a bribe for the decisions we make.  But that is not true.  We take bribes all the time.  We take the bribes offered to us by society, culture, and the worldly things that are not God-centered or God-honoring.  The worldly things come and offer us a bribe.  They reach into our heart and mind and offer permanent satisfaction, peace, security, wealth, and health.  If we take this bribe we are shorting God and what is due Him.  He is our heavenly Father, Creator, and one and only God.  We need to guard ourselves against being bribed away from God.  We might have a thought that we are strong and able to stand against whatever bribes to capture our heart and mind.  The truth of the matter is that we see what the world offers and it appears to be ok.  We see others who have taken the bribe and then quite easily think this is not a bribe that will hinder our walk with God.  In fact, we may even call it a blessing when in fact it is not.  These bribes try to offer us something that only God can supply, only God can fulfill, and only God can give.  If we love this world and what it has to offer over God, we are taking the bribe, dishonoring God, and are on paths that only lead to destruction, loss, pain, hurt, confusion, worry, and unhappiness.

How can we recognize a bribe if they are cloaked in false claims that seem to be righting our own eyes?  Making an intentional choice with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength to serve and honor God is the beginning.  But there is a daily dying to self that must take place.  We need to make an intentional daily choice that we compare our thoughts, plans, and purposes against.  We need to commit ourselves to recognize and fight against any and all bribes that come our way disguised in bright lights and false hopes.  God’s word in our heart and mind will give us the armor to fight these bribes.  In His Word, we will find understanding and knowledge of the true things of God and false things of the world.  In His Word, we will find what our soul longs for.  In His word we will find the truth and in this truth we will see the bribes for what they are – soul robbing, heart destroying, and life wasting.   But we must choose to have His word in our heart and soul, and mind.  We must commit with all our heart and soul.  We can not approach this with partial desire or seeking.  This is an all in or nothing.  There is no partial walk with God that is honoring and pleasing to Him. The lukewarm approach to serving Him will end with disappointment for our soul.

Take inventory of your heart and mind and what they are being bribed with.  One of the biggest bribes is that of busyness.  If we take this bribe we find all kinds of reasons to NOT think about the presence of God and how we might honor, serve, follow, obey, and trust Him.

1.y. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

2 Chronicles 13:1   In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.

“And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him. Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”

Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down, and he died.

Psalms 22:4-5   In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.  To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Daniel 3:28    Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

Nahum 1:7     The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

Psalms 146:5    Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

Ephesians 1:12   so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

To hope in God in a time of trouble is a wise decision/choice.  In life, we more than likely will come up against a trial or some trouble that is very real and much bigger than we can handle either physically or mentally.  We see Abijah faced with almost certain defeat being outnumbered 2 to 1.  To get this in perspective, Abijah had 400,000 valiant men that went to defend against Jeroboam’s 800,000 chosen mighty warriors.  What thoughts would be going through your head if you were faced with this?

Abijah called out Jeroboam’s sin and disregard for God, warning him that God was on their side and to fight them was to fight against God. But Jeroboam did not listen and such it is with those who disregard God and serving Him.  Abijah and those 400,000 men called on the Lord and were given success over Jeroboam and the 800,000 warriors.  500,000 men lost their lives that day following after false gods and idols.

Power, financial stability, and worldly wisdom do not give us success. In fact what is more than likely going to happen is a harden heart, deaf ears, stiff neck, and blind eyes to the things of God.  These all come at a cost to your soul if you have not chosen in your heart and mind to humbly serve, honor, follow, trust, and obey Jesus Christ.  It seems as though we give a nod toward Jesus on Sunday but then lose sight of living for Him soon after.  Neglect of His word and complacency are certain to happen when serving and honoring Jesus is not our intentional heart and mind choice.  We pretend we are ok and we try to perform good things to act as though we honor and serve Him but His word and the want of His word is not first in our heart and mind.  Shallow thoughts will never lead us to honoring Jesus Christ.  Partial obedience will never honor Jesus Christ.  Sporadic time in His word will never grow us into mature Jesus honoring followers.

Humbly honoring, serving, following, glorifying, trusting, and obeying Jesus Christ is a heart and mind choice that is so more than a one-time commitment at the time of seeking forgiveness and repenting of your sin to Jesus Christ.  It is so much more than a one-time event.  It is a conversion of the heart and mind and then a daily surrender of self for the single purpose of Humbly honoring, serving, following, glorifying, trusting, and obeying Jesus Christ.  Why this daily surrender?  If we don’t we certainly will not find the heart, mind, and soul-deep satisfaction that comes through intentionally and purposely surrendering each moment of each day for the purpose of honoring Jesus Christ.  Without this intentional choice, our heart and mind will be led by self and all of its meaningless follies in search of satisfaction.

1.w. Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

2 Chronicles 11:13  And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

Joshua 22:19    But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD’s land where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

1 Samuel 7:3-4     And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only,

Haggai 1:5    Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

When Rehoboam started off his reign unwisely with unmerciful and prideful words there was a fraction that drove him out of their cities and his brother Jeroboam ruled over part of the land.  Jeroboam and his sons drove out the priests and Levites, the very people God had chosen to minister and sacrifice properly unto the Lord God.  He then created his own idols (gods) and appointed his own priests.  There were people who followed their leader in this false worship and abandonment from God, and they did it willingly, without thought, without worry, and with an intentional choice knowing those who do so deserve the wrath of God.  They turned their back on God.  They yielded their heart, mind, and soul to another.  Yet, I don’t want to speak about those who chose to willingly follow after false gods but rather those Levites, priests, and others who had set their hearts to seek God and they left everything and went to Jerusalem and Judah.  They went there because they saw the error of what was being presented to them in place of God.  They went there because they loved God.  They went there because staying where they were would have been wrong in the sight of God.

What is going on in your world that is pulling, dragging, enticing, and deceiving you away from seeking and following after God?  What have you accepted as perfectly ok to do because it is accepted by the people around you?  If for one second can you imagine God standing at your side?  Can you imagine God knowing what was being thought in your mind?  Can you imagine God hearing what you say or we’re going to say?  The truth is that God does know the thoughts and intents of your heart.  He knows the words you speak before they are on your tongue.

If we truly seek and desire God and practice His presence in our life every moment then we will not be pulled, dragged, enticed, or deceived away.  We will see it for what it is and seek direction, courage, strength, and knowledge on what to do and how to do it.

God may lead us away from it but may also direct you to stand firm and proclaim it is wrong.  Either way, staying close to God and seeking Him will always bear fruit in your heart and soul and mind.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”  Dr. Allen P. Ross, “The issue then is how deceptive evil is. It might promise and deliver happiness, power, and the good life, but it cannot sustain what it gives.” An excerpt from Enduring Word, “This makes plain our need for a revelation from God. We can’t entirely trust our own examination and judgment. To really know we are on the way of life (instead of the way of death), we need to fear the LORD and receive His wisdom, especially as revealed in His word.” A word from theologian Bruce Waltke, “The way of death is rarely clearly marked. “The safety and destiny of a road are not always as they appear. The deceptive road leads as certainly to death as the plainly marked one.” The importance of trusting in God’s Word instead of what seems right to us cannot be overstated. Diligently studying the Scriptures is never an exercise in futility. The only way to find true assurance that we are not on the way to death is by knowing God’s way to life. We must pass the test as laid out in Scripture or we are deceiving ourselves.

148. Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences

1 Kings 13:33  After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.

At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child.”

Jeroboam’s wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. And the Lord said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.”

When she came, she pretended to be another woman. But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you. Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it.”’ Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. Moreover, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth, the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.

Isaiah 44:20   a deluded heart has led him astray

Psalms 50:17     For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.

Nehemiah 9:26    “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.

Ezekiel 23:35   Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences

Not listening to a warning does not end well.  Rejecting the word of God and its application in your life does not end well.  Closing your heart and mind to things of God does not end well.  Leaning on your own understanding, knowledge, wisdom does not end well.  Living with God at arm’s length away does not end well.  Not spending time in God’s word each day does not end well.  Thinking God is only there for you to call on Him when in trouble and not needing Him other times does not end well.  Not being intentional each day with the choice to humbly serve, honor, follow, trust, and obey God does not end well.  Thinking there is another time in the future where you will commit more, serve and trust more fully does not end well.  Thinking you are good enough does not end well.  Thinking you can find satisfaction apart from God does not end well.  Being lukewarm in your walk with God does not end well.  Being neglectful and complacent does not end well.  All of these lead us down false paths of hope and peace but they are able to give nothing.  They all encourage you to cast God’s word behind your back.

Stay in His word. Choose to keep it in front of you.  Do not cast it behind your back.  Choose to seek him in the morning, mid-day, and evening.  Keep His word close to your heart and live to honor and glorify Him.

95. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

1 Samuel 2:12   Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

Hosea 4:6-9     My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.  The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.  They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity.  And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

Romans 1:21    For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1:28-30    And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.  They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

R.C. Sproul  You see the crisis in both the church and the world. Our leaders lack a moral compass. A new barbarism ricochets through pop culture. An entrenched post-Christian secularism and statism dominate Europe where the Reformation once reigned. People around the world have forgotten who God is, so they’ve forgotten who they are and how they must live.

People look for solutions in a crisis. They turn to politics, programs, or gimmicks. They may retreat, or, crumbling before the challenge, they live compromised lives. Such is the way of the world we live in and should not be the way of those who believe.

s it possible that our seeking, desiring, and wanting to humbly honor and serve God has stopped?  Is it possible that we have become seekers of self-interests, self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency, self-helped, self-loved, self-made, and self-serving?  As Christians is it possible to stop seeking God and have growth in our life? Is it possible that in our seeking and receiving forgiveness, new birth in Jesus Christ, finding peace and rest for our soul we have come to a place in our life where seeking to know Jesus more has stopped other than to find resolve to some trial or trouble facing us?

Life will always offer something to fill our lives apart from giving our whole heart, mind, and soul to honoring, serving, following, and obeying Jesus.  Stay in His word.  Desire His word. Seek to know and serve Him each minute of each day.

53. That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

 

Deuteronomy 17:18   “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

Joshua 1:8     This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalms 1:2     but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 119:97-100    Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.  I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.  I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

2 Timothy 3:15-17     and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There are benefits to obeying God in reading His word and keeping it close to your heart and mind.  Your faith will grow, you will begin to mature in things of God, you will recognize when you are being temped, you will recognize and become aware of sin in your life, you will begin to know the will of God for your life, you will begin to understand and experience joy, you will begin to hear the quiet whispers of God’s leading, you will begin to see the spiritual warfare in the world, you will have a better chance of not backsliding or drifting away, and you will begin to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, and obey God.

There really are no down sides to cherishing and reading God’s word each and every day of our life.  However this are numerous downsides when God’s word is not cherished in your heart and read everyday.

52. You shall be called Sought Out

Deuteronomy 14:2   For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Exodus 19:5-6    Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;  and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

Leviticus 11:45    For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Leviticus 20:26     You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

Isaiah 62:12    And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

Titus 2:14    who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1 Peter 2:9     But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Redeemed, chosen, a treasured possession, sought out, and separated for good works describe those called by God.  We are sought out and chosen by God.  This is not because of who we are but because of who He is.  This is not because of something we did to deserve it but because of what He has done.  Just think, God of creation has sought you out, chosen you, redeemed you, and sees you as a treasured possession to be separated and set aside for good works.

Being sought out and chosen by God is no small thing and should not be viewed as small, trivial, insignificant, inconsequential, unimportant, or of no importance.  This is God’s love demonstrated and extended to His creation.  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God’s steadfast love and external call go out to all mankind.  He demonstrated love and sacrifice so great and all-encompassing that all are called (chosen) – but not everyone chooses to accept the call of being chosen.  “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.”

It is important to hear the call but much more important to respond to that call.  Remember response to this call is not an ending but rather a new beginning of being a chosen, redeemed, treasured possession, sought out and separated for goods work child of God.  The response to God is every minute of every day.  Be ever listening to His leading and ever obedient to His word.

I will rescue Him or My heart would not turn toward this people

Exodus 15:25  And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

Exodus 14:10     When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.

Exodus 17:4     So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Psalms 50:15    and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Psalms 91:15     When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

Psalms 99:6    Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them.

Jeremiah 15:1     Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!

Coming to a point in our life where we cry out to God is a good thing.  The alternative would be that we have no one to call on other than what humans may be able to attempt to help with.  Some of our trials are beyond what family and friends can help us with.  We can face something that eats at our heart, mind, and soul and we come to understand and know that only God can intervene.  Crying out to God is our lifeline and hope. 

When we are in times like this in our life can you imagine what it would be like to not have God to turn to?  What must it be like to have hope and trust only in what the world can offer?  How isolated and lonely it must be. He is ever present and the only thing that keeps us apart is our hardened heart, deaf ears, blind eyes, stiff neck, self-centeredness, pride, and love of this world.

Praise God that He has promised to be our rock, refuge, strength, shield, and hope.  He has promised to be ever present with steadfast love and arms open wide.  In Him alone will we find that which only He can supply.  Stay close to Him, seek Him, desire Him, and intentionally commit to humbly serve, honor, glorify, worship, praise, follow and obey Him.  

Psalm 99

Psalms 99:1  The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.  Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.   Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them. In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.  O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.  Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

Matthew Henry Commentary:

Still we are celebrating the glories of the kingdom of God among men, and are called upon to praise him, as in the foregoing psalms; but those psalms looked forward to the times of the gospel, and prophesied of the graces and comforts of those times; this psalm seems to dwell more upon the Old-Testament dispensation and the manifestation of God’s glory and grace in that. The Jews were not, in expectation of the Messiah’s kingdom and the evangelical worship, to neglect the divine regimen they were then under, and the ordinances that were then given them, but in them to see God reigning, and to worship before him according to the law of Moses. Prophecies of good things to come must not lessen our esteem of good things present.

I like how Matthew ends this commentary with the statement of good things to come and good things present.  Sometimes we get overwhelmed with the present and which, somehow, we were ushered into the presence of Jesus, leaving this world behind.  Our God reigns and we are not to forget that even in the present and what overwhelms us, we are to turns our eyes to Him alone.  He has said to lay our burdens on Him, we are to trust Him.

Have you been deceived

“ for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

“ And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?”

John 7:46  The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?  Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”  Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

Luke 4:22    And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.

John 9:27    He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?  And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.  We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”  The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”  They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

Matthew 11:25     At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

1 Corinthians 1:20    Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Acts 6:7    And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

There are always going to be those who do not believe even though the deaf hear and the blind see.  Each choose their path from the same observation(s). One heart is hard and their mind is closed to things of God.  The other heart and mind is open with a desire to know God and humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.  Each of these lives start with a belief that Jesus does or Jesus does not exist and that He alone is the redeemer of the lost.  Culture, pride, and fear all play a part in denying Jesus.  It takes faith, trust, and commitment to surrender all to Him.  Choosing to follow, honor, obey and serve Him is a way of life for each day.  Our life has purpose and meaning.  The fulfillment of this continues each day as we walk with Him.