Today's Readings - Ezekiel 29-30, Hebrews 3, Psalm 119:169–172, Proverbs 27:19–21
Devotional - Provoking God
It is interesting what sins seem to provoke God the most in Scripture. Often, they are not the ones we would expect. Of course, every sin is an offense, but in Hebrews 3, we are warned to avoid a sin that Israel committed which "provoked" God to the point that he sent Israel wandering in the desert for 40 years. Had to be something big right? Something awful. Something immoral or perverse. Had to be one of the big sins.
But it wasn't. It was something much simpler and, unfortunately, more common, that aroused God's divine pique. The story starts in verses 1-6, when the author regales us with the goodness, glory, and works of Jesus as our great high priest.
Jesus is our faithful high priest, bringing us into a right relationship with the Father and serving our true spiritual needs. Jesus Christ was the Son who served God faithfully by fulfilling his mission - to die for our sins and bring redemption and renewal to us. As God was faithful to Israel in the Old Testament, Christ was faithful to his people by bringing them out of bondage into the freedom he purchased for us at the Cross.
God could not have been more faithful to Israel and Christ could not have been more faithful to us.
But Israel was never grateful for that work that God did through Moses. Instead of trusting the God who had been so good, they hardened their hearts, turned from him, complained about everything, walked in their own ways instead of God's and tested his patience and forbearance. They refused to trust God.
There it is. Their terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad sin was unbelief!
They failed to trust the God whose faithfulness was beyond contestation, whose goodness was overwhelming and whose power was irresistible. When trouble came, they murmured and complained, but did not trust the God who had displayed his glory among them.
Are you kidding me? Unbelief? That's all? Failing to believe God and trust in his goodness is such a horrible sin that it provokes God and arouses his discipline?
Yes, my friend, it does. When God has done as much for us as he has, when he has worked in us and through us with his mighty hand of power, when he has demonstrated grace, when he has given his Son to suffer and die for our sakes, when he has raised his Son back to life, when he has poured out his Spirit in us to empower us and when he has daily, even hourly displayed such amazing mercy and grace to us, it is an affront and an insult to him when we do not trust him fully.
What more does God need to do to earn our trust?
After the faithfulness God has displayed in my life, why would I ever doubt him.? Yet so often we hold back, we refuse to give our lives over to him and place ourselves completely in his hands. We fail to obey him and follow his will. Why? Because we do not fully trust God and his plan for us.
It may be a common human response, but we must remember that unbelief offended God. He gave and he blessed and he loved and when his children fail to believe it is an insult that provokes God. That is what Hebrews 3 seems to indicate. Verse 12 warns us against falling into Israel's sin of ingratitude and unbelief.
Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
Father, too often I've shrunk back in unbelief, like Israel. As the man said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief." Forgive me for when I have failed to trust you fully and strengthen me by your Spirit to trust you in everything.
Think and Pray
Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?
Do you trust God and walk by faith?
Think back through your life and consider all the ways that God has been faithful and good to you. Has he not earned your faith?
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