May 17, 2022
They aren’t quite commandments; more like strongly worded suggestions based on what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Each of these “suggestions” begins with the words, “let us…” They appear more than 200 times in the Bible, sometimes in a positive light, but just as often they record a negative or sinful suggestion. These words appear twelve times in the book of Hebrews, all of them encouragements to holy living as the appropriate response to the grace and goodness of God. I first noticed them when reading the tenth chapter, but they appear four times in chapter four, once in chapter six, three times in chapter ten, twice each in chapters twelve and thirteen. It will take a few days, but it’s worth contemplating these words of encouragement.
Even after God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, instead of grateful obedience and loyalty, they hardened their hearts to the point where God refused to let that generation enter the Promised Land. They all “fell in the wilderness” (4:17), the writer commenting, “they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Immediately following, he adds, “Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Years ago when I was in college, our New Testament professor was Warren Woolsey, who had memorable sayings about certain phrases in the Bible, one of which was, “When in the Bible you see a “therefore,” find out what it’s there for.” These are connective phrases that tie the conclusion to the preceding argument. Ih this case, the connection is simple: “The children of Israel failed to enter in because of their unbelief; Don’t be like them.”
I wonder how many of God’s promises lie unclaimed because like those Israelites, we looked around us and saw problems instead of possibilities? They saw obstacles instead of opportunities, giants instead of grace. I’m afraid I’ve fallen into that same trap more times than I care to recall. The text says, “Let us therefore fear…” Too often, I’ve feared the wrong things. Instead of being afraid to miss out on God’s promises, I’ve been afraid to step out in faith, and like those Israelites, fail to know the joy of victory.
Fear is not evil; what we fear is what is important. What we fear depends on where we focus our attention, where we are looking. The old Gospel song says it well:
O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
Did you catch it? Turn your eyes upon Jesus! Let us be afraid to take our eyes off the Goal, Jesus himself!
No comments:
Post a Comment