Text: Hebrews 4
Introduction
Since the beginning of the history of Israel, the promise of God for humanity to enter God's rest has never been faltered. God worked all through out the history of Israel in order to fulfill this promise to humanity.
Israel encountered and have seen how God worked out His promise to them. However, the nation Israel even after experiencing all the extra ordinary things, faltered and continuously grumbled against God.
Today, we will be learning how God continuously worked for His promise to humanity.
The Continuing Promise Of Salvation
In the passage we can see how God worked through out history so that both the Jews and the Gentiles will receive salvation in accordance to his will since from the beginning of time. God's plan for humanity is clear and was directly stated in Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”
This is God's mystery of his will. That all mankind will come into him before his throne. In the passage we can see how the Israelites has become unfaithful to the Lord. They repeatedly commit the sin of disobedience, grumblings and mistrust despite of the faithfulness that God has showed them. But God continuously forgave them and gave them a chance.
Most of us know the story of Moses along with the Israelites. They were not able to enter the land of Canaan. In our point of view, we may see this as God's punishment and impatience to humanity. But looking deeper in the story, we can see that God continuously extended his grace. The children of Israel was able to enter the land of Canaan having Joshua and Caleb as their leaders, the only two guy from the generation of Israelites who went out from Egypt.
God gave them a chance to be saved and repent all the time that they spent in the dessert. When God sent them snakes, he also allowed them to make a snake icon made of brass that those who were bitten will just have to look at the statue so that they will not die (Numbers 21:7-10).
This just shows that even in the Old Testament, God is already teaching Israel to trust Him and will come to repentance. But here we can see how God patiently discipline and lead his children to salvation.
Guess what, the New Testament taught us that whenever we sin, we have to go back to God and repent. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
The Continuing Promise Of Guidance
God did not only continuously gave a chance for humanity to be saved, he also continuously guided humanity to have salvation. He did not left his people without a guide. He did not let his people to figure out what He wants. When God want us to know his will, He works in it and allow us to know it.
God allow us to know his will in three ways; Bible, circumstances, and through his people. But sometimes, because of our insensitivity google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=acer+aspire+4330&start=10&sa=Nand callous hearts, the Holy Spirit cannot work in us that we remain blinded in things that we cannot see. Please do note that sin makes it more difficult for us to see his will.
We ask for God's will? Then we have to repent first and allow God to work in us, then and only there that we will be able to see his will.
It is easy to blame God on things that we have done. But God gave all things that we need to know his will. But why is it that we continuously disobey God? Our sinful heart engulfed us and conquered our inner being that we ourselves don't know where to go. And we have all the guts of blaming God for all the consequences that we are experiencing.
Why don't we just take some time reading the Bible and searching the truths in it? Truths about his commands and things that may happen because of our disobedience? I always believe that the Bible is a perfect tool for correcting, rebuking, teaching and discipling. Why can't we consult the Bible?
How about circumstances? God worked through circumstances. Though sometimes it is a little vague, but all we have to do is to ask the Holy Spirit to work inside us for us to see God's will. There is no such step by step rule here. There is a danger of over spiritualizing this part. But if we are sensitive enough to be working on his will, then I guess there is really no reason for us not to see His will.
God's people may also be an instrument for us to know God's will. In my own experience, how many people that I've talked to even from my old church about their problems and sins. I counseled them and gave them the possible consequences if they will continue their sins. But instead of repenting, some of them even get the advice of their “jolog barkadas”. And they ended up making their life miserable. Whenever I look back in the kind of life that they were living before and the kind of life they are living now, my heart breaks and thinks, if I can only help them escape their consequences.
The Continuing Promise Of Faithfulness
We all know that one of the attributes of God is faithfulness. All through out history we have seen how God really worked in history for the sake of humanity. Even before the dawn of history of humanity, people has proven itself to be unfaithful and easily waive from their covenants with God.
After Adam, God worked with Noah in judging the people after forgetting God and have indulge themselves to sin. Then God, restored humanity until such time when God made another promise to Abraham to set an example nation. This promise was not fulfilled even after the death of his grandson, Jacob.
Yet, God continuously worked through the passage of time. After the people of Israel populated Egypt (though Egyptians made them slave that time), God sent Moses to redeem them from the land of bondage.
God showed them all the miracles and wonders to prove of His existence. The Israelites was able to see all these things and have experienced themselves the existence of God. Yet The Israelites grumbled and again and again.
These continuous grumblings and unbelief did not passed the Lord's dealings. God did not let any of them enter the land of promise except Caleb and Joshua. For forty years, they wander in the dessert until all the Israelites that came out from Egypt died.
But after all these even the Israelites has become disobedient, God made continuously work for his promise. He gave his only begotten Son because of His great love to the world (John 3:16). Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. God did all these to fulfill his promise to humanity.
Conclusion
Brothers, what about us? We have seen how God work. Are we comparable to the disobedient Israelites? Are we not sensitive enough to the working of the Holy Spirit that we don't even bother ourselves in disobeying Him?
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