All He Wants: Faithfulness
Notes
Transcript
Husband, home to find wife unfaithful
“But I’m still married to you, and when you’re not here, and he is, I imagine you are, so it’s the same” Right??? Emotions? Feelings? Thoughts? Vow-breaker?
All He Wants - Our Faithfulness
All He Wants - Our Faithfulness
1) Grounds for faithfulness
1) Grounds for faithfulness
Brought them out of Egypt, delivered them from bondage, fed them
People swore their allegiance (Ex. 19) - then strayed (quickly)
The Tablets - God’s Covenant with His People
The Tablets - God’s Covenant with His People
Each tablet contained all 10
Written on both sides of each, a copy for each party
Most valuable thing on the earth at this time
Not designed to be broken...
2) Idolatry
2) Idolatry
Not God or _______
But God and _______
The pull of idolatry was strong (certainly could be spiritual beings behind it)
We fail to see that the spiritual world is primary and in control of this physical/visible world
They were fine with this God, but they wanted a visible manifestation of this God - breaking the 2nd Word
Egypt: young bull depicted a powerful god
God wants to be believed as opposed to seen
The world of idolatry was all about seeing the god
YHWH says “I DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN, I WANT TO BE KNOWN”
Psalm 106: 19-23 - they forget the God who saved them
They made what they wanted to worship
Made it, bowed to it, sacrificed to it, gave it credit for the exodus
“Finally, now, God can be worshiped properly” - NOT
They made what they wanted
-a god who’d let them live as they wished
-a god who’d let them have a good time when they wanted to, and who would not impose all these rules on them
They were self-absorbed, self-destructive
God had told them, with the giving of the 10:
Choose: Me or idol; God or non-God
They had witnessed God win a war vs Egypt gods
Now Israel tries to side with Egypt’s idea of gods and worship
3) Righteous Anger
3) Righteous Anger
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
God’s Anger - Moses experiences it
God sees what is going on, Moses does not yet
YHWH says “Leave Me alone” = “here is what I’ll do unless you intervene”
God INVITES intercession (ask Me to help you, trust Me to listen)
God did not desire to destroy this people, but...
His anger is about to be unleashed
Destroy current Israel - replace with nation under Moses
His people had decided how they would worship Him, on their terms - bad idea
Moses intercedes - hang on, get to this soon
Moses’ Anger
2 Groups of People
People wanting an idol
People not stopping them
ALL complicit
Aaron
Tries to salvage worship of YHWH, by associating idol with Him
He cheapens worship by doing this
Allowed building of altar in front of it
Sacrifice - so idol could “see it”
Sacrifice - so idol could “see it”for sacrifices,
Contrast: temple, tabernacle- no direct line of sight between altar and Holy of Holies
Moses does not lose control - this is not a crazed rage
Tablets are broken - picture of broken covenant
Moses understands God, he KNOWS Him, His hurt, anger, emotions, feelings, betrayal, HURT
Great, but proper, anger to break these most-valuable tablets!
Burning, grinding, scattering - typical in ancient world to get rid of idol permanently
Never again to be thought of as object to worship
Drank - through bodies, out as corrupted waste
Given a chance to repent:
Levites did
God says idolaters die*
3000 chose death - chose to follow idolatry, own desires
4) Prayer
4) Prayer
Effective: By knowing Him, not based on how he prayed, but based on Who God is!
This shows faithfulness in prayer
First trip up mountain
Moses knows YHWH - knows He is consistent and faithful, so Moses:
“Why nullify the result of Your demonstration of power?”
“Why give the Egyptians delight in hearing of Israel’s destruction?”
“Why go back on the promise to patriarchs?” (like Abraham)
Reminding God of His promises shows faith in Who God is
Moses knew God’s full plan, and did not want to see it half-done
He knew God’s desire was not to destroy them
Moses knows the threat is real - and God responds to his prayer
Moses is not selfish - he desires to see God’s will accomplished
Return trip up mountain
Moses intercedes - again
Great offer - “Blot me from your book, forgive them, punish me”*
V. 31 - true confession of sin, part of true repentance
V. 33 - strong point is made - deliverance is necessary, sinned must be atoned for
Moses describes their sin as it is, they do, too, and they ask forgiveness from a compassionate God
New tablets written, by God - given to Moses
CLOSE
CLOSE
Every single day is an opportunity to worship
God, or non-God - And our decision shapes our actions
EVERY DAY - we can be easily influenced by what’s comfortable to us - how WE want to view God, instead of how He has told us
Let’s talk salvation, idolatry, and comparisons here
Eternal life is not automatic
Trying to enter Heaven without being forgiven will not succeed - IMPOSSIBLE
True confession
Describe sin as it is, repent, ask forgiveness - realize necessity of forgiveness, necessity of a Savior
Describe our sinful selves as they are, then seek forgiveness from a compassionate God
Idolatry to us - anything more important than God, especially those things we think are important to Him to save us
Works, baptism, church, family
HE WANTS OUR FAITHFULNESS
People have a choice
Many choose death, because they choose an idol instead of Him
The threat is real - God will only save those who call upon the name of the Lord
Like with Moses, God responds to prayer - repent and ask Him!
God punished the unrepentant idolaters - that threat is still the same
WE KNOW: God desires all to be saved - 1 Tim. 2:4
His desire is the same now, as then - He does not wish for His crowning glory, humans, to die and be separated from Him
What do WE do to show our desire to see His will accomplished?
People have a chance to repent - some will, most will not
What about you?
If YOU have, then will you tell others?
Moses acted selflessly, put his own interests aside. Will WE?
We can tell people, or stand by and watch them give in to idolatry
SALVATION - Here is what I’ll do, unless you trust Christ
Punishment for unrepentance is a promise
Salvation for repentance is a promise
FAITHFULNESS
We must stay strong (by His strength)
We must stay faithful to God
Tempted to worship Him other ways? Pray, repent, and do not try to add anything to Him
Let your true, faithful worship, putting Him first, shape everything you do