I'm hesitant to say that many of us know love. The truth is that I just don't think we do... maybe a handfull, maybe a small percentage of the overwhelming whole of a generation that is most entirely focused on selfish ambition and prosperity. "The American Dream." What a lie, what a cunning,coniving, horrible deception. The lie that we DESERVE 2nd, 3rd, and 87th chances. The lie that we are owed something good in this dark and deeply unfair world. Woe is me...
...how ridiculous.
Sweet Jesus, precious Lord, how far we have wondered from the love of your rebuke and correction. Your LOVING discipline.
When did we come to the conclusion that consequences were unjust?
I suppose the truth is, it has been since the very beginning, since the first bite of prideful ambitiousness, the downward spiral. The desire, not to be LIKE the God of creation but to be so arrogant as to think us his equal. And yet my God, you granted mercy through another opportunity to get it right. But never again did we enter the garden. And there was pain in labor both in the multiplying of the earth and the working of it's produce for sustenance. The Lord loved us enough to let us go and make the choice for ourselves...and we got it wrong again, when Cain killed his brother there were consequences... there was more seperation and yet... more opportunity, but, we had taken another step away from the God of love. Then, later still, the Lord saw how evil and dark the heart of man had become, and with the exception of one man and his family and some more of the living creation, he wiped them out. The Lord is just to discipline and correct and he does not tolerate unrepenant sin for long.
The people had become so far removed from The God of love... but, he came back to give more opportunity because he LOVED us so, he promised never to flood the earth again... he re-established the connection with Abraham. He began the birthing of a nation unto the Lord, that would fear and love and obey. But the nation of Israel grumbled against the lord and turned their backs and hardened their hearts over and over. The Father saved them from slavery, preformed miracle after glorious miracle, provided food and drink and shelter and FREEDOM. If only Israel had the eyes to see, but they blinded themselves with the shining idols of the world. Lord, you gave them consequences, affliction! You wanted to teach them to return to what was good, what was best for them. What a long history of foolishness.
Isaiah 30 says that Israel asked the phrophets to stop confronting them with the Holy one of Israel, they didn't want the word of The Lord, they said no more visions, no more phrophesies of what is right, it says they relied on deception and darkness, that they relied on oppression, but The Lord said this deception would not last in verse 13 it says ..." this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly , in an instant. 14: It will break in pieces like pottery shattered so mercilessly that among it's pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern." The Lord does not threaten, this was a promise of consequences for their actions, for their rebellion,
... and yet God still wanted for Israel to return...even in his harshness he's trying to show them and teach them his love, the love they've been too dense to see...
vs 15: This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT.
... how thick can we get.
but in vs 18 God provides yet ANOTHER opportunity... Lord, you are gracious.
18: yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you: he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! 19: Oh people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! 20:Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you , saying "this is the way, walk in it." 22: Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "away with you!"
... pretty graphic imagery.
It goes on to talk about how the Lord will fight for Israel against her enemies... painting violent and powerful pictures of the Lord and more of his justice... his breath like a rushing torrent. Just his name comes from afar with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke! He shakes the nations! He will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down in RAGING ANGER.
Who else would fight for us like this?
But something interesting happens just before this.
In verse 26 it talks about all the amazingness of his love when Israel finally comes and repents and it says... how amazing it will be when...
... the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds HE inflicted.
Wow.
So... when did this idea come about that all God wanted to do was let us eat butterflies... and poop rainbows? When did that became the gospel truth?
Proverbs 13:24 ... He who spares the rod HATES his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
The loving,living God is careful to discipline his children... if only we will have ears to hear.
Thank you Jesus. ~Raur
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