Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, dear people
Emy, our strange black cat, is in the studio with me. She’s rubbing on my feet and legs and meowing. She’s strange in that she may be gone for several months at a time, but then will return to carry on with us. She’s definitely two-timing us…kind of like the Israelites did God.
I set up the mill outside yesterday afternoon since I have some huge Sequoia logs to mill and needed more space for log handling than the mill shed would allow. The first piece required some preliminary chain saw trimming before I could do my first cut at near my maximum height—35”. I’ll try to carry on with some of that today.
Here goes another round of adventure—today! May yours be blessed.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Why in the world would these Israelites not be more afraid to not fear the LORD?!?! At many points in this reading my own blood heats up and I catch myself wanting to yell, “You idiots! No people group in all of history has ever beheld such a volume of direct miraculous demonstrations of God’s power and presence! Yet you still want to tangle with The Most High?!?! Good grief! Go ahead, God—wipe ‘em out!” But meaningful reality returns with a quick look in the mirror. Oops! Maybe Israel’s history isn’t so exceptionally unique after all.
By now there should be no question why I continually return to the central priority theme of a HEART AFTER GOD. The lesson material from Israel’s history, plus my own, allows absolutely no other viable option—NONE! Please say it with me—NONE! God knows that—as indicated by the oft-repeated FOCUS VERSE above. He knows that the mechanism of human life simply does not work right with any other setting. Ironically, the Israelites kept being duped by the notion (“sin’s deceitfulness”—Hebrews 3:13) that their greatest problems and enemies were outside themselves when, in fact, they were inside. Their greatest threat, enemy, problem, whatever you want to call it, was any internal arrangement less than a HEART AFTER GOD.
Think of the wild statistics presented here! Question: Out of approximately 3 million people who were delivered from Egyptian bondage, how many were actually allowed to enter the “Promised Land?” Answer: TWO! (14:38 announces the final outcome). Not a great ratio! The rest were delivered externally, but still bound internally. Encourage everyone you know to pay attention—particularly you!