GrowingTogether.App

The Transcript of God's Character


Week 4


REBEL HEART

Oct 26-Nov 1, 2024


FAMILY THEME:

GOD WITH US IN THE MESS



The Transcript of God's Character

When you buy a new car, you also receive an owner's manual. The manual gives you the basic information needed to take care of your new purchase and keep it running smoothly. It is not the same as a driver's training course to be sure, but the information is very valuable in understanding the unique features of your car. As you read it, you trust that the manufacturer is giving you good information, knows the car well, and wants to communicate how it was designed to operate best.

While an owner's manual is a common way to understand the Bible, it is a bit more complicated. There are certainly insights into the way the Creator desires life to flourish. Yet in other ways, the Bible is more like a collection of case studies of God's faithfulness and people's responses. The case studies remind us that principles need to be applied and adapted to different "driving" situations in a way that is consistent with good care of the "vehicle." An "eye for an eye" in one setting, becomes "turn the other cheek" in another (Matthew 5:38-42). The principles of loving God and loving people remain the same throughout however.

In this week's devotionals, we'll see God leading and restoring relationships, what happens when we wander off-course, and how even then God finds ways to extend grace.

Remember, these weekday devotions are designed to help you build upon, apply, and respond to the Sabbath study. The devotions are meant to follow the Sabbath lesson rather than precede it. In this way, the focus is on integrating God's truth, your faith, and your daily life rather than merely attending a Sabbath School class.



The People Rebel

1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” 13Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” 20The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.” 26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27“How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” 36So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.





SUNDAY

The People Rebel

1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” 13Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” 20The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.” 26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27“How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” 36So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.

While God is faithful to forgive, our anxious resistance to trust God's way may still have consequences that diminish life.

1. Anxiety Leads to Resistance


The People Rebel

1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.


After receiving the spies’ report, the people began to doubt God’s provision and protection.

• What did Joshua and Caleb say to the people (verses 8-9)? What was their response (verse 10)?

• How does anxiety lead to lack of trust?


2. God’s Response to Rebellion


10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” 13Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” 20The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.

God responded to the anxiety and mistrust of the people by continuing to grow Moses as a leader and to extend grace through him.

• How did Moses show growth as a godly leader (verse 19)?

• How do forgiveness and the impact of our choices relate to each other?



3. Anxiety's Lasting Consequences


21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.” 26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27“How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” 36So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.

God forgave the people, but the natural consequences of their resistance still left its mark in diminishing life.

• What resulted from the people’s resistance (verse 22-23)?

• What was different for those who trusted God (verse 24)?

• Was this a matter of God imposing a penalty or seeking to keeping transforming their hearts?



MONDAY

Yodh

73Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. 74May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. 75I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 76May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. 77Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. 78May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts. 79May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes. 80May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.



God considers every person a “masterpiece” (Ephesians 2:10). The poetic language of the psalms describe us as handcrafted, precious in God's sight, and created on purpose (verse 73). It also describes how even though we are precious, we do suffer at times through our unwillingness to trust and follow God's lead. God is still faithful even when we prove ourselves to be less so. The psalm suggests that the Lord is like a loving parent who knows that we can learn even in the midst of the poor choices we sometimes make. At such times, natural consequences can help us to see more clearly and grow stronger as we learn to trust more in what God shares with us. What’s wonderful is knowing that even when we are facing difficult times because of our choices, God’s compassion and unfailing love are still with us (verses 76-77). How refreshing it is to know that, even in the afflictions we have created for ourselves, God’s love is still present, and God will see us through if we will allow God to do so! Through it all, God’s law—not just the rules, but the whole redemptive story that is included in the word translated "law"—surely can be our delight (verse 77)!


Thought for the Day:

God loves us as a loving Parent.


TUESDAY

1The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation

2Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” 4Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. 7Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. 9Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11“The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 16Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The book of Isaiah begins with a sad description of how Judah had acted badly during the reign of four specific kings (verse 1). God had been like a parent to the people of Judah, but they rejected God (verse 2). Despite all that happened to them as a result, they continued to act out of anxiety and mistrust of God. God had given them guidance to live by that would protect them, yet they decided to trust their own judgment and turned their backs on God (verse 5). So, what happened when they went their own way? Their country was left desolate, their cities were burned, fields robbed, and everything was overthrown by strangers (verse 7). God compared Judah to Sodom and Gomorrah, expressing exasperation with their resistance (verse 9). They continued to perform religious rituals, but there was no inner transformation, only corruption. However, God made it clear that if they would return to trusting God, that they would find forgiveness (verse 18). This is what brings us hope! Even in the midst of persistent resistance, if we are willing to respond to the grace that God extends, God meets us where we are. How does that realization impact you?


Thought for the Day

God's forgiveness is extended to anyone who will embrace it.


WEDNESDAY

Daniel’s Prayer

1In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 15“Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Daniel is an example of true humility. By the time of today's passage, he had been in captivity almost 70 years, and he recognized that his people would soon return to Jerusalem. But he also knew that they weren’t prepared. This drove him to prayer on their behalf. His prayer included both confession (being honest about missteps and mistrust), but also a declaration of the goodness and faithfulness, love and mercy of God. It's notable that Daniel prayed with humility and honesty (verse 3), confessing both the individual and collective sins of his people (verses 4-14), but also with assurance and hope in the grace of God. Often, the first steps toward being able to embrace the forgiveness offered to us is a willingness to be honest about what we have done and where we are. Today as you pray, think about the places where you may need to be more honest with God about what you struggle with, and where you may need to trust more fully in the love and grace of a God who extends them both.


Thought for the Day

Our prayers should reflect both honesty about where we are and trust in God’s love and mercy.


THURSDAY

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Jesus told His disciples that if they had the faith of even a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible for them (verse 20b). Just a little bit of trust goes a long way! A mustard seed begins as a tiny grain that needs to be planted, but then it turns into a wellrooted growing plant that finally becomes a fully-grown, resilient "tree" with strong branches (it's actually more like a sturdy bush, but the point is the same). In fact, a full-grown mustard plant is known to be able to survive the harshest of droughts, simply because of its maturity and strength. Impressive indeed! It doesn't take a lot, it just takes genuine faith. While it is easy to get into the comparison game about the "size" of our faith, if we respond to God's goodness even with the tiny amount we think we have, we are reminded here that God can grow great things out of seemingly small beginnings. In what ways do you hear Jesus trying to encourage you through the words of this parable? In what ways can you respond to Him, even if it seems small to you?


Thought for the Day

When we respond to God with trust in God's loving faithfulness, our faith has the opportunity to take root and grow.


FRIDAY

Jesus Greater Than Moses

1Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

Warning Against Unbelief

7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” 12See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

The author of Hebrews set out both to encourage his readers and to caution them as well. In encouraging them, he begins by saying that Jesus is greater than the great lawgiver and deliverer, Moses (verses 1-6). (Remember, he had been making points like this since chapter one). This is in fact the major point in the letter to the Hebrews—that Jesus was the embodiment of all God's saving acts of history. Moses was a member of the household of God, but Jesus was the one who built the house in the first place! In this letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is shown to be greater than Moses, the priesthood, and even angels! Jesus is the one in whom all God's story is encapsulated, and as such is someone in who we can fully trust. The author of Hebrews then goes on to caution the readers about what the results are of taking the path of not trusting God and the grace God extends. Those who took the path of mistrust missed the opportunity to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14; Psalm 95:7-11). We miss much when we respond more to anxiety than to grace embraced through trust.


Thought for the Day

Our willingness to live in a stance of trust is at the heart of living a life blessed by God's grace.


REBEL HEART

THIS WEEK’S GOAL:

To deepen our trust in God, knowing that God never stops working with us despite our mistrust.

The people had come so far and experienced so much. Yet, when they made it to the doorstep of the Promised Land, they balked, unable to trust that God would continue to protect and provide for them. This anxiety expressed itself in resistance to their leaders and, ultimately, the God who had brought them so far. As a result, they were not yet ready to enter into the Promised Land. Even though forgiven, they still lived out the results of being unable to trust. This story, then, is less an example of God punishing people, as one of God allowing people to continue on the journey they have chosen. While God forgave them, and they were right with God, some of what could have been was lost to them. God is gracious, and in that grace allows our choices to play out in their full consequences.