Psalm 106:19-48
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
19 They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands.
28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter,[Or they rebelled against God’s Spirit]
and he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,
as the LORD commanded them,
35 but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38 they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds.
40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD!
Who never becomes angry. Is always optimistic and constantly cheerful. Not the LORD. The God of Heaven and Earth. The Almighty.
People talk about the God of Wrath in the Old Testament. What if ... your neighbors were given your used vehicle because they needed it from you (to have opportunities to prosper) and you gave them the car because you felt it was the right thing to do. (Events from the Exodus). And they took it and beat it with hammers and made a statue of an ox and parked it in their front yard.
Bet you'd smile and wave.
Then assuming you could recover from your grand conniption fit; you find that they are about to lose their home because they cannot pay their rent and you feel so bad for their young children. So you take it upon yourself to talk to their powerful landlord. He seems agreeable to help them and you return home to find your efforts have made your neighbors bitterly angry. So angry you can hear them talking about you in their homes - saying you should have left them alone. They had it figured out. You hear them say you are just a bully. They had a plan all along. Matter of fact -they've heard there is a good black market for the littlest one to donate a lung or a kidney in the marketplace of Baal. And if Baal wouldn't take them, why the youngest daughter could certainly be placed on the street corner to earn it in the oldest profession.
Who could endure such people? Only a parent.
He would intervene.
A Loving Father would looked upon their distress,
even when He heard their cry.
For the deep Love He has, He would relented according
to the abundance of His steadfast Love.
He would pity and have empathy for them. It would be by teaching them. Not just allowing them to continue in a way to kill and prostitute themselves. He might use the time out system. Certainly not allow them to go immediately to a place where they could continue their plans.
He would spend more time with them. From His time spent - the light would begin to shine in the darkness. From this grace upon grace, giving them time to see glory and truth dwelling with them. From His fullness they would receive. Redemption.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
He would give them understanding by allowing His Holy Spirit to dwell in their hearts to have more understanding. To write His Love in their Hearts. To have holiness to understand the extent of the needs of others and their children.
He would Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD!
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