Oh Friends, as I study the Word, I find myself comparing our current situation more and more to the rebellious times of God’s chosen people, Israel, in the days of prophets like Jeremiah. But to make useful comparisons, I guess we have to start at the beginning, when God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. According to Jeremiah, all the Lord asked them to do was: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.’ Oh Friends, all of us should understand that because it’s very similar to what our parents intimated to us at a young age: be obedient and we’ll look after you. And just like our parents continually chirped that principle in our ears, so did the Lord do with His chosen people, Israel. Let’s look at a couple instances: First up is the conversation at Marah, during the early part of their wilderness trek. They were dying of thirst, but could not drink the bitter waters that flowed there: ‘And he (Moses) cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance (regulation), and there he proved (tested) them. And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ (Ex.15:25-26) Then at Mt.Sinai, the Lord called Moses out of the mountain and said to him: ‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare (sustained) you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ (Ex. 19:3-6) Later on, the Lord was even more explicit, detailing the Ten Commandments, the ten basic rules He wanted His special people to follow. (Ex.20) In Leviticus, they were again warned about blessings of obedience: ‘If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do (perform) them; Then I will give you rain in due season…And I will give peace in the land…And I will set my tabernacle (dwelling) among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.’ (Lev.26:3-4, 6,11-12) He gave them three divisions of blessings for their obedience; material prosperity, victory over their enemies, the assurance of God’s presence in their land, and the dignity of personal freedom. How much more can we ask eh? Then at Mt. Horeb, the Lord renewed His covenant with Israel. ‘And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgements, that ye might do (observe, perform) them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.’ (Deut.4:13-14) Moses followed this up by warning them: ‘The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.’ (Deut.5:3) So the younger people also became involved as they trekked through the wilderness. And there Moses reiterated the Ten Commandments. So everybody knew the rules and could not plead ignorance. Oh Friends, the same sort of exodus took place three hundred odd years ago, when many of our forefathers fled Europe to find both personal and religious freedom to worship God as they chose. Religious groups like the Quakers set up communities based on the same basic rules of the Ten Commandments. All of what was then considered the New World was eventually colonized by European nations, based on the basic premise and principle of the One True God, Jehovah, and all of them exhibited the fundamentals of Christian living. Slavery and the genocide of the native populations were conveniently set aside because they considered those people less than human, more like animals, due to their different and supposedly ungodly tribal customs. The bottom line though my people is that the New World was built upon the true and strong foundation of Christ and consequently all the warnings given to the Israelites also became applicable to those communities. And just like the Israelites, when they obeyed, they prospered. Oh Friends, let’s sit and think on those things today nuh. In our own minds, let’s consider the similarities and the differences of that ancient society and our modern one. Tomorrow, God willing, we’ll try and figure out how we got from there, a solid God based society, to here, a society in a sorry, godless state. Till then, may we all walk in peace and LOVE, as our Lord and Saviour Jesus desires. Much LOVE!…God is the ONLY sure foundation…on which a prosperous and lasting society can be built…
SCRIP-BITS 