No strange God [Archive] - TheologyWeb Campus

Solly

July 24th 2003, 08:26 AM

But SMV, it is God speaking in this verse, reiterating what he told them in Sinai. The whole point of the Psalm (grabs sermon notebook, having preached on it recently), is a passover remembrance. they were to remember - something Israel signally failed to do time and time again, and which God commanded them to do time and time again.

vv 6-10 (ET) gives a recap of his works, his grace towards them in delivering them from Egypt, and how he declared himself to be their God at Sinai Exo 20.2 (ET).
Exo 20:2 I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

But then there is the remorse that they did not remember, they rebelled Hos 13.4-8 (ET).
Hos 13:1 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
Hos 13:2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, [and] idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
Hos 13:3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff [that] is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
Hos 13:4 Yet I [am] the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for [there is] no saviour beside me.
Hos 13:5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
Hos 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
Hos 13:7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe [them]:
Hos 13:8 I will meet them as a bear [that is] bereaved [of her whelps], and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me [is] thine help.
In verse 10 (ET) 11 (Heb) he reminds them that he is the Lord, he reminds them that they are in covenant. Their holding to that covenant would have brought much blessing; not just manna and water, but the finest wheat, and honey out of the rock. But they would not have it.

Because of their lack of faith - in believing his promises; and faithfulness - in obeying him, they lost out big time.
We have a responsibility towards God, and the greater the knowledge of God, the greater the responsibility to respond to him.

When Moses asked to see God's glory, he showed him his grace Exo 34.6,7 (ET),
Exo 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exo 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].

and this is always how he will be approached. His grace was shown to them when they were nothing Dt 7.6-11 (ET)
Deu 7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.
Deu 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people:
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
Deu 7:11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

(And to the new covenant people 1 Peter 1.2-5 for the Old covenant failed.
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
1Pe 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The lesson? Come back to God. Believe his word, his promises; cast ourselves down before him, for we have sinned and gone astray; pray without ceasing; open the empty mouth that God may fill it Matt 7.7-11,
Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Mat 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Mat 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
rather than seeking our own way.

Come back to what God has himself propounded: he is the covenant Lord, he will bless; open thy mouth wide - in faith, in hope and expectancy - and so then we come back to where he would have us, and wants us.

slly5