Musing – God Uses Drastic Measures to Get Man’s Attention!

 

Hebraic Musing – God Uses Drastic Measures to Get Man’s Attention!

Do we have examples in history?  Noah’s days?  Tower of Babel?  Babylonian exile?  His son Jesus’ crucifixion?  Need to hear more examples of God exercising judgement?**  BTW – after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile, they no longer worshipped idols!  They learned their lesson!

The nation of America is going through many facets of turmoil with both believers and non-believers wondering why; and what should we be doing; and how bad will it get; and most important – why did God let the election fail us?  Let’s look at a few possible considerations:*

1.   Why do we think we should know why God does what He does?  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isa.55:9  Were the “prophetic” voices merely looking at what would be good for America?  Or prophesying the result they would like to see?  Or were they trying to fulfill a celebrity status, forgetting the words of John the Baptist – “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Jn.3:30

2.   Many have been saying that America is ripe for judgement.  God has a history of two ways to bring judgement on His people.  (1) using foreign enemies to take over; and (2) allowing internal corruption and ungodly behavior to destroy the heart and soul of a nation.  We lost our moral compass a long time ago.  Need I reiterate all the atrocities tolerated in our nation?  These are not just recent events; prophetic dystopian novels written years ago were supposed to warn us – like “1984”, “Animal Farm”, “Fahrenheit 451”, “Brave New World”, and more.

3.   We look for a Godly leader, but isn’t a Godly Church more important?  Our government is designed to be representative of the people; so we cannot expect God-fearing leaders if they are elected by lost non-believers.  Those in power reflect the people who voted for them.  Has the church today become comfortable and unchallenged?  Which is the most important – Our American citizenship or our Kingdom citizenship?

4.   Could our problem be lack of persecution?  I heard of someone in a “Persecuted” country praying for relief from persecution.  The Pastor corrected them saying “It is because of persecution that the church in our country is growing.”  As we reflect on the comfortable nature of churches in America, have we pursued “nickels & noses” so that our churches are attended by a blend of sheep and goats, believers and non-believers (pretenders)?  Do the sheep need to be separated from the goats?   “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Matt. 25:32-33 NKJV

So is it time for a “Reset” in America’s Church (capital “C”)?  Do we need an “Awakening” like the first, second and third ones that caused people to commit their lives to the Lord and forsake their ungodly lifestyles?

To be friendly, my father advised me against talking religion or politics.  He was right on one topic - politics.

Ever notice that you can’t tell if a flashlight is on in a lighted room, but it is much more noticeable in the dark!
And those beautiful stars in the heavens are unseen in the daylight, but are breathtaking in the dark of night!!!

Points to ponder

What have I done to preach, share and stand for the Gospel?

Do you find more people interested in talking about possible “End Times” possibilities?

Are we Christians better able to openly question the ungodly behaviors around us?

Are we willing to pay the price, tolerate persecution, if necessary?

Have we done enough yet to warrant or bring on persecution?

It’s about winning souls for the Kingdom; it’s not about winning arguments.

♫  This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, Let it shine, all the time, let it shine, All around the neighborhood, I'm going to let it shine! … Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm going to let it shine …  ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          February 2, 2021
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*    Inspired by & excerpted from Shane Idleman’s article in Charisma Magazine, January 18, 2021
**  Next page has more examples from a 2011 H.M. of Drastic Measures God has already used to get attention.

Hebraic Musing – Would God Use Drastic Means to get Our Attention?   December 20, 2011

When I published “Are ‘acts of god’ really acts of GOD?” many thought it can’t apply because we serve a loving God who would not do those things to His people. If a parent does not apply discipline, sometimes drastic, to get a child’s attention, is the parent really showing love to the child?

Regardless of where you might be in your perspective of our standing with God, let us explore what we are already told in the bible about the disciplining actions His children required. (all from NIV)

·      Exod. 11:5-7 – Every firstborn son in Egypt will die from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl …

·      Exod. 11:9 – When Pharaoh did not listen, the wonders multiplied.

·      Gen. 18:14 – Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.  And Sarah laughed but God promised a ‘wonder’.

·      Jonah – Spent three days and nights in the whale’s belly until God had his attention.

·      Exod. 4:1-7 – Moses’ staff becomes a snake and his hand becomes leprous. God had Moses’s attention!

·      Num. 20:8 – “Take the staff… Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. … Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community … drank.  But the LORD said to Moses … “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Is being deprived of the ‘goal’ a drastic measure?

·      Lev. 10:1-7 – Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, …  So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. … Aaron remained silent.   Interesting that Aaron remained silent when his two sons died.  God had made His point!

·      Num. 16&17 - …they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram…Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: … the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them …   The people learned a lesson that day!

·      Num. 25 – Zimri was killed for worshipping Baal, and 24,000 were killed by plague.

·      2 Sam. 12:18 – David lost his son, conceived in sin. I personally know that will get one’s attention, since I lost a 10 month old daughter and have seen the impact on our family.

·      400 silent years – from Malachi to Matthew. Do you think God enjoyed cutting off communication with his wayward children?

·      John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He sent His Son to us.

·      Matt. 27:45-50 – GOD DID THE MOST DRASTIC ACT POSSIBLE – permitting the crucifixion of His own Son.  God did the most drastic act of all to get our attention.   Did He get yours?

Points to ponder –

1.     Could some of the more recent ‘acts of god’ have been ‘Acts of GOD’?

2.     Might our loving Father God need to discipline us at some point?

Yosef                                                          December 20, 2011