Good morning,
One of the interesting things about getting older is that you find yourself having to change your mind about some things that you thought you understood, until new information or an unexpected complication suddenly shows up. The good news for today is that God does not, and never will have, the problem of having to change his mind. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.(Heb.13:8) Our God knows everything about everyone and everything else in time and eternity. God, The Father, Jesus Christ, The Savior and The Holy Spirit, never change because they are always right. This truth has taken on a new meaning as I have been reading and studying the first six books of the Bible so far this year. What Moses and Joshua wrote, at God’s direction, is not just historical information. When God describes himself, and how he relates to his creation, he is speaking in eternal terms. When Joshua was saying farewell to the children of Israel he challenged them by saying, "So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols . . Serve the LORD alone.(Jos.24:14) Then he reminded them of the choice they had to make. But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve.(v.15) Then he continued, If you abandon the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”(v.20) Joshua made his choice very clear when he said, But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”(v.15) It didn’t take long for the old folks to die out. The very next generation stopped following and even remembering the God who had given them life. The writer of Judges tells us, This made the LORD burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them.(Jud.2:14)
This has been the story of every kingdom and culture ever since. Whenever kingdoms and cultures and individuals insist on following the values and rules of their idols and the demonic powers that energize them, they will always end up angering the God who gave them life and the opportunity of living under his loving guidelines. The Psalmist wrote, The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.(Ps.34:15,16) Another one of the interesting things for me as I have gotten older is watching this whole pattern develop again during my life time. The great depression and World War II left a lot of shaken and dependent people looking to God for his help and blessing. There was an explosion of foreign missions and Biblical teaching that was reaching out to the whole world with the Good News of the Gospel. It seemed that God’s standards were becoming part of cultures and kingdoms that had never known or walked away from the reality of our loving and holy Savior. Thankfully, the Good News of the Gospel is still reaching out to new generations of people, but the overall response to this outreach has been sadly colored by what else the writer of Hebrews writes. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, (or anything else) which don't help those who follow them.(Heb.13:9) So much of what we now call living by faith is actually living by rules, without the relationship that is central to knowing and pleasing God. Please help us Lord.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, (or anything else), which don't help those who follow them.
Roy Wisner
