Quick Note – Jeremiah 34:15-17 – Fake Apologies

Jeremiah 34:15-17 – 15 You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, 16 but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves. 17 “Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

When I was a kid, I always found that the easiest way to appease my parents when they were angry with me was to say that I was sorry.  Whatever wrong I had done, I could fix the problem by apologizing for my mistake and telling them that I would never do it again.  Unfortunately, a lot of the time, I did do it again!  There were many times when I begged them for help the night before a project was due, telling them I wouldn’t do this again.  They would then help me, and for the rest of that school year, I wouldn’t procrastinate.  However, beginning the next year, I would fall back into the same trap and wait last minute to do my work.  I said one thing and followed through for a short amount of time, but I returned to my folly once again.  I repented but only temporarily.  I did the right thing but only for a limited time. 

The people of Israel made the same mistake in our passage today.  The book of the law stated that Israelites shouldn’t hold their brothers and sisters as slaves.  Rather, every seven years, they were to release them from whatever debt they had and give them their freedom once again.  This was to prevent any Hebrew from being in perpetual slavery.  Unfortunately, during the time of Jeremiah, the Jewish people did not obey this law, instead they held their fellow people captive.  Interestingly, after being rebuked, King Zedekiah made all the people promise that they would follow this law, to which, all the people entered a covenant to do so.  And the great thing is that they did it.  They repented of this sin; they let their brothers and sisters go free; they obeyed God.  However, this was short lived.  Soon after they would put their brothers and sisters into subjection once again.  This false repentance – this breaking of their promise – made God mad.  He rebuked them for their falsehood and told them that he would give them over to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine.  Their false proclamations would be punished.  Their fake obedience would not be tolerated.  God did not want their temporary repentance of words but not of the heart. 

Seeing how God reacted to the people of Israel for their false repentance, we should be very careful when we tell God that we are turning away from our sin.  Many Christians today abuse grace.  We sin; we ask God for forgiveness; we repent temporarily; and we fall into the same sin once again.  We repeat this cycle over and over, simply telling God that we won’t do it again with our mouths but not letting go of the sin in our hearts.  We apologize in hopes that God won’t punish us so harshly but wait for an opportunity to sin once again.  That is not true repentance but falsehood.  That is us trying to trick and take advantage of God’s grace and love.  But we can never deceive God.  He knows our hearts and will not stand for it.  Just as with the people of Israel, He will call us out on it, and the consequences will surely be dire.  So if you want to continue in sin, don’t bother repenting!  Only repent if you truly want to get right with God.  Only repent when you are truly going to turn away from your sin and return to Him.  Repent in heart not just in physical words or actions.  Don’t give God a fake apology; but give Him true repentance. 

Quick Note – God’s Perfect Patience

1 Timothy 1:15-16 – 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

God is very patient with us.  Regardless of how many times we sin, no matter how often we reject Him, irrespective of whether we love Him or not, God shows His mercy, grace, and love toward us.  His patience is unlike that of human nature.  When wronged, our inclination is to respond with anger and retaliation.  I can’t tell you how many times, when I have been insulted or mistreated, get angry and plot how I would get my revenge.  Honestly, I have no patience for those who wrong me. 

However, God is the exact opposite.  He has complete and perfect patience for us.  And that patience was exemplified in how He treated Paul.  Before Paul became a follower of Christ, his name was Saul, and he did everything he could to destroy Christianity.  He was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent opponent to the Gospel (vs. 13).  He sought out ways to not only bring harm to Christians but to make them turn away from Christ.  He took part in the capturing, the beating, and the persecuting of early Christians.  It was so bad that his name was known for this in the early church.  But God, in His great mercy and grace, met Saul on the way to Damascus, where he was going to persecute more Christians.  He then changed his heart, filled him with faith, and gave him the opportunity to be a minister of the Gospel.  Saul then became Paul and a critical church planter, missionary, and father.  He even wrote much of the New Testament that we read today. 

God displaying His perfect patience took the foremost sinner and made him a saint.  And that is exactly what He continues to do today.  God’s perfect patience is extended to each one of us today.  Regardless of our background, despite our failures, irrespective of how we have lived our lives thus far, God in His perfect patience wants you to be His child.  Rather than giving us the judgment we deserve, He died on the cross for us and called us to receive Him as Savior and Lord.  And He is still waiting for you to come to Him today.  Don’t waste the complete and full patience of God.  His love is longsuffering for you.  Come to Him today, for now is the day of salvation.  His perfect patience for Paul is an example of what He will do in your life today. 

Quick Note – Isaiah 60:1-3 – Arise, Shine!

Isaiah 60:1-3 – Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Have you ever played with your phone in bed once you have turned off all the lights?  Interestingly, because of the brightness of the display, there is one shining bright light amid the darkness.  Interestingly, if a fly is in the room, it begins to hover around you, because you provide the only light in the darkness.  This can be quite annoying; however, it is a good picture of what it is like to live as a Christian in this dark world. 

Our passage today is a prophecy that Isaiah wrote about the people of Israel.  After proclaiming words of judgment that would come upon the Israelites because of their sin, Isaiah wrote some encouraging prophecies about God’s future restoration of them.  One of these prophecies is found here in Isaiah 60, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.  And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”  Isaiah said that Israel would have a light and that this light would draw the nations that lived in darkness towards them and more importantly towards God.  The contrast is clear.  Israel lived in the light because of God’s glory, while the nations lived in darkness because of their sin.  But the hope wasn’t gone, because the people of Israel were told to shine for the world to see and to come.

Just as with the people of Israel, we as Christians are called to display God’s glory in our lives.  We are told to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a city set on a hill, and a lamp of guidance (Matthew 5:13-16).  We are called to draw people to the Lord by arising and shining in a world full of darkness and sin.  While everyone else continues in wickedness, we must live in a manner that pleases God, that reflects His character and love, and that brings Him honor and glory.  By doing so, people living in darkness will see the difference in our lives, be drawn to the light, and repent and give glory to God. 

Unfortunately, many Christians today try to hide and to keep their witness hidden in this world.  They are afraid of being judged, mocked, and persecuted.  They don’t want to appear different, so instead, they blend in.  They conform to the world or at least try not to stand out.  But we are called to live transformed lives (Romans 12:2) that are given as living sacrifices to God.  We are called to draw people to Him.  So let us not be embarrassed, but let us arise and shine, so that we may bring honor and glory to God.  Let us shine as lights in the darkness, drawing others to Him. 

Quick Note – Isaiah 40:27-31 – Not Disregarded by God

Isaiah 40:27-31 – 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

There are a lot of times in our lives, where we feel like God isn’t present.  We feel like God isn’t watching or caring or listening to us.  It seems like the paths we walk, the places we go to, the struggles we encounter are not seen by our God.  We feel like it is hidden from Him or that He blatantly disregards it.  This is the same way the people of Israel must have felt in Isaiah 40, which prompted them to say, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God?”  They must have been suffering and wondering if God was even paying attention. 

However, God responded to them by saying, “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth…He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”  God wanted to remind His people that He was always watching.  Though they might not understand His timing and His ways, He was there listening, paying attention, and ready to lift and encourage them when they needed it.  He would give power to those who were faint and increase the strength of the weak.  His renewal would give them the power to go on no matter how tired they might be. 

The same goes for us today.  God is watching each and every one of us.  We need not be worried that His eyes are closed or that He is choosing to ignore you.  God is always observing and caring for His children.  There is a reason why Jesus said in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your heard are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  God cares and watches over us. 

And the beautiful thing is that His words are not empty.  He does not say these things that He will do and be unable to fulfill it, but He can and will.  That is why in vs. 28, He says, “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”  He is the Ruler and Controller of everything.  All-powerful.  He says, “He does not faint or grow weary.”  All-persevering and never unavailable.  He says, “His understanding is unsearchable.”  All-knowing beyond our ability to comprehend.  God can do what He says, because He is all powerful, all knowing, and always there. 

So when you feel like God is not listening, when you feel like He may not know your troubles, reflect on these verses and wait on Him, for if you do, you will find your strength renewed, for He cares for us. You are not disregarded by Him; you are always on His mind.

Quick Note – Ephesians 2:11-13 – God’s Abundant Grace

Ephesians 2:11-13 – 11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Being that I was born in the United States, I do not know what it feels like to finally receive my citizenship.  My citizenship was given to me by birth.  For that reason, it is easy for me to take it for granted.  But I have heard that the feeling is incredible, for those who immigrated to this country for freedom and opportunity.  Those who earned their citizenship over time seem to have a stronger sense of duty, of patriotism, and of love for their country. 

Interestingly though, being that I am a Gentile and not a Jew, I do know what it feels like though to be accepted into a group that I never belonged to at first.  The Jews were the chosen people of God; they were selected because of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the Patriarchs.  They were given the covenant of circumcision to show that they had that special relationship with God.  It was a covenant that we as Gentiles were exempted from.  However, when Christ came to this earth and died for our sins, He eliminated that separation.  By paying for our sins with His blood, He unified us and brought us into His family as well, allowing us to also be considered the people of God.  We were no longer aliens, strangers, those with no hope, but we could be His children.  He broke down the wall of hostility that existed and unified us all in our need for His salvation through faith. 

Ephesians 2 is such a beautiful chapter in the Bible, because it reminds us that every thing we received from God is by His grace.  Salvation was given to us by grace when we were still living in the passions of our flesh and deserving of His wrath (vs. 4, 8).  We were given the opportunity to be part of His family and no longer alienated from the people of God when we had no hope (vs. 12-13).  We were given access to Him through His Spirit, restoring a broken relationship caused by our sin (vs.18).  We were even built into His Temple and given the chance to bring honor and glory to Him (vs. 19-22).  And this chapter only addresses a few of the benefits given by His grace.  There is still His love, His mercy, our Heavenly inheritance, and so much more. 

We should be grateful to God, because He gave us everything though we did not deserve it.  We should be grateful to God for allowing us to be a part of His family.  Let us show appreciation and praise for His glory and grace, for we who were not His people are now His children in Christ.