Funny how we compromise what we believe in order to "get along" with others. But notice what God says, in order to get along with the people outside of their "extended family"...
(Leviticus 18:3-5) "You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your God. 5 So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord."
(Leviticus 25:18) "You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land."
This totally goes against that saying "When in Rome..." How often do we succumb to peer pressure, thinking that is how we will keep them as friends. I know in grade 9, when I tried that in order to "survive" - it totally backfired on me. I wound up losing ALL my friends anyway. I should have stuck with doing things GOD's way!!!
Continuing on then, not only would the Israelites get along better with the other nations if they did things God's way, but the LORD also promised to bless them...
(Leviticus 26:3...) "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, 4 then I shall give you..."
Their land, seed and blessings (the things from the Abrahamic Covenant). BUT...
(Leviticus 26:14-16...) "But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15 if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16 I, in turn, will do this to you..."
As you read on, you see how bad the consequences are. Do they really deserve all that? Well, understand, if anyone rejects God while here on earth, they will get what they wanted - when they pass on - to a place that is absent of God and all His blessings. While on earth, we get to experience both God's goodness as well as the consequences of sin - which should help us make that eternal choice.
What the LORD tells the Israelites to do in order to reconcile with God, parallels what we must do to become Christians...
(Leviticus 26:40...) "If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then..."
Choosing God/Jesus requires the confession of our sins and a humbled spirit, because we are not able to be perfectly obedient. We need the salvation only Jesus can bring.
(Romans 3:21-26) But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment