Today's Reading - Deuteronomy 9

 

A Stubborn People

Just like you and me, Israel was a stubborn people who did not deserve any of God’s blessings.

God made a covenant with Israel and the people affirmed their desire to keep it, but failed repeatedly to do so.  At Sinai, the people promised to keep the commandments of the LORD, but...

broke them before they were even written down.  They repeatedly rebelled against God because they were a stubborn and stiff-necked people. Throughout the entire Old Testament, there is one narrative after another of their numerous rebellions against God.

But God, in His grace, repeatedly renewed His covenant with Israel even after they had rebelled.  Gracious God that He is, He showed his forgiveness of Aaron by allowing his son to be high priest after him; rewarded the Levites for opposing idolatry at the time of the golden calf; and forgave the people, allowing them to journey on to the Land He had promised them.

If their blessings had been based on their merit or virtue or goodness, then they were doomed.  But God’s blessings weren’t based on their merit, but on something much more certain – His unfathomable grace!

In the same way, you and I don’t have to earn God’s favor. We couldn’t even if we tried.  Like Israel, we too have made many a pledge to be better persons, more obedient, and more godly.  But before we even “come down the mountain,” we fail to keep those pledges. We are a stubborn and stiff-necked people.

And that’s the glorious news!  God’s blessings in our lives are not based on how good we do or how virtuous or obedient we are.  They are based solely on His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  I cannot keep myself from falling or failing.  But, I know the One who can.  “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)