Today's readings are 1 Samuel 6.19-7.17 and Acts 19.1-22.
As God returns in power to Israel, he comes to a people who are not prepared for him. The presence of our Lord, showing himself in his power and glory, is deadly to sinful man. We who are not holy cannot look upon his presence without harm. What means of approach is there to God. We in this modern day approach our Lord just as people in the days of Samuel approached God. We approach him through repentance for our sin, belief in his mercy, and the knowledge that sin brings death. We approach our God through the death of Jesus on our behalf. We stand forgiven through a death in our place, just as the Israelites could stand forgiven through a death in their place. The one difference is that the blood of the sacrificial animals was a temporary sacrifice. Jesus' death, being that of a human and so of our kind, and simultaneously that of God and so without sin, is effective once and for all.
How do we approach our Lord? We approach by faith in the finished sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. We approach our Lord trusting that he has broken down the wall of enmity between God and man. We approach our Lord knowing the peace Jesus has obtained through his death on the cross.
Notice in this passage how God's lovingkindness does not fail but human dedication does. The people who have long been desiring the true God to return need to be instructed to do away with their false gods. During Samuel's lifetime they are forgiven and rededicated to the Lord when Samuel shows up but the people don't seem to be that dedicated to God's commandments at other times. We, like the people of Israel, are quick to doubt, quick to trust in ourselves, quick to wander from the God who has saved us. May the Lord continue raising up faithful servants who will call us to repentance, remind us of the forgiveness of God in Christ, and nurture us in this faith.
As God returns in power to Israel, he comes to a people who are not prepared for him. The presence of our Lord, showing himself in his power and glory, is deadly to sinful man. We who are not holy cannot look upon his presence without harm. What means of approach is there to God. We in this modern day approach our Lord just as people in the days of Samuel approached God. We approach him through repentance for our sin, belief in his mercy, and the knowledge that sin brings death. We approach our God through the death of Jesus on our behalf. We stand forgiven through a death in our place, just as the Israelites could stand forgiven through a death in their place. The one difference is that the blood of the sacrificial animals was a temporary sacrifice. Jesus' death, being that of a human and so of our kind, and simultaneously that of God and so without sin, is effective once and for all.
How do we approach our Lord? We approach by faith in the finished sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. We approach our Lord trusting that he has broken down the wall of enmity between God and man. We approach our Lord knowing the peace Jesus has obtained through his death on the cross.
Notice in this passage how God's lovingkindness does not fail but human dedication does. The people who have long been desiring the true God to return need to be instructed to do away with their false gods. During Samuel's lifetime they are forgiven and rededicated to the Lord when Samuel shows up but the people don't seem to be that dedicated to God's commandments at other times. We, like the people of Israel, are quick to doubt, quick to trust in ourselves, quick to wander from the God who has saved us. May the Lord continue raising up faithful servants who will call us to repentance, remind us of the forgiveness of God in Christ, and nurture us in this faith.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com
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