Saturday, November 18, 2006
Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV)Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
Deuteronomy 1:2,3 (NASB)
It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.
In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the LORD had commanded him to give to them,
When I read the 1st four chapters of Deuteronomy, the common theme of God's timing stood out to me.
40 years of punishment or 40 years of preparation? We can all speculate whether the nation of Israel would've survived if they claimed on God's promises and went straight to the promised land.
But the key point that I would like to bring out is that the straight path is not the road that leads to a destination(ie. human achievements, accomplishment). But one that leads us to intimacy with God.
God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. He desires that we follow Him wholeheartedly. 38 years to completely eliminate the rebellious people so that He can begin to put the terror and fear of Israel on all nations under heaven. That His people will be ready to hear the decrees and laws. That they will be able to testify,
"What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?"
Everything happens in God's timing according to His ways, for His purpose and for our pleasure. Our pleasure? Yes, because jealousy occurs when pleasure is not found in God.
Throughout all the 40 years, there was no record of Joshua ever complaining or rebelling against God for taking His time to fulfill His promises. In preparation for his leadership, Joshua witnessed and experienced the power, the love and jealousy of God. When God handed the baton of leadership over to him, Joshua would've been able to comprehend this,
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go."
Indeed his commands are not burdensome because time and time again all, if not most of us can testify that His ways are always higher than ours. I find much comfort and re-assurance that in the midst of wandering through the desert, God has already prepared a place/destinaton for me. He wants to mould me into His likeness, so that He can say, "See, I have given you....."
Old Man Sam | 11:02 PM |
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