The Heart of Man

Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-23‬ ‭- Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

As I was spending time with the Lord this morning the thought went through my head about a comment I've often heard: that the God of the Old Testament was angry but the God of the New Testament is loving. It might appear so. But there are a few scriptures which refute this notion. Of course, these are just a handful! Please don't dismiss the verses.

He never changes. “For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” ‭‭(Malachi‬ ‭3:6‬)

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (‭‭Numbers‬ ‭23:19‬) He just never changes. His Word is true...and just.

He is just. There are many verses that describe His justice. They all point to what He desires of us. If we do not heed Him or His words, He will bring justice. It might be toward an individual or a nation, or the world! He wants is our devotion. He wants us to stop pushing Him aside. We saw what happened when people did that in the Old Testament. He seemed angry; it was actually out of compassion for His people that they would turn back to Him. Today He wants the same. Through His Son Jesus.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ‭‭(1John‬ ‭1:9‬)

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. ‭(Isaiah‬ ‭30:18‬) Not just wait, but seek...

What I'm getting at is the question why God allows all the disaster and violence we've seen this year. Could it be He's acting the same as in the Old Testament, when His people turned from Him? He had to bring judgment in order for them to again remember who it was who brought them out of captivity...saved their lives. Couldn't it just be that He is wanting people to turn back to Him, like He always has? So, He causes catastrophes to fall on all people. ...for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew‬ ‭5:45‬)  

God wants lives saved and there are times when disasters are what we need to seek Him. It's been said for thousands of years that the only way for salvation is through Jesus Christ, who is God, who is loving...and just. That is our personal answer to being saved. The world needs to understand this too. Just as He was, He is today...and will be tomorrow. Never changing.

Man's heart is inherently evil, all of our hearts, and as God did in the Old Testament He must do in the New. God's will will prevail. And sadly, for some the outcome will not be good because of their reluctance or stubbornness. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Matthew‬ ‭5:18‬) So when we see the things on the news, think of God. Think of His love for us all and how He wants to be merciful. It may seem He is angry, but it is His compassion that we turn again to Him. Like a father exacting punishment on a child because he doesn't want him to be hurt. God so loves us and the world so wants Him to disappear

Look at what He did in the Old Testament when they turned away, worshiped idols and became complacent about Him. This sums it up very well:

But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath; for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again. How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! 

For their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant. (Psalm‬ ‭78:38-40,‬37)

Where do you stand with God? Have you received His Son Jesus? Do you love Him? Are you pushing Him away and ignoring Him in your every day life? Do you think your good works alone will be pleasing to Him? He does not desire our sacrifices but a broken spirit and contrite heart. Will He look at your heart and know it is broken and contrite? He is God; He loves, He is just. He will not go away. Will you turn to Him? 

Psalm ‭90:2‬ ‭- Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

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God Never Changes

Ecclesiastes 1:2 - “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Solomon, son of King David, was a wise man. Most of Solomon's life was lived in godliness. God granted him wisdom when he asked for it and because he asked only for wisdom, God granted him riches as well, which in the end was his downfall.

Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. This book was written as a reflection on the vanity of human life. It shows us how nothing is ever new but that all things have been done before. I began writing the other day about Psalm 100:5 - For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

There is, in my mind, a connection between that psalm and Ecclesiastes! As I began to write my post for the other day (I wanted to let it rest before editing) I was going to discuss how since God has created all things, everything seems to fall into its own routine...in the life of the earth and human life. Seasons of life on earth and seasons of human life. They never change...and God never changes. He's the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I guess I'm trying to say that because God never changes, His truth endures forever, that which has been done is what will be. Why the Bible is an excellent guide into seeing what has been done in the past has been repeated...and what the outcomes are.

So Solomon sought wisdom and came to the conclusion all is vanity, that which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). God never changes.

God's plan all along was for all generations to seek Him and believe, trust and have faith in Him. He has not changed. Sadly, man wants to believe in himself before God. Sadly, also, that is nothing new under the sun! His desire will remain the same till the Lord returns.

So, it is vain to think we can live our lives without knowing God. It is vain to think our lives are fine without any thought or obedience to Him. That, as Ecclesiastes tells us:
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11) Later he says, He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Oh my. So what is life all about if all we desire, all pleasures of our labors is not at all profitable in the end? And neither has it been for anyone in life? What is all this? What do we do?

Ecclesiastes continues by telling us that we should enjoy what we have, enjoy our life...but not without first knowing and believing that God has given us all we have. And if He has given it, it can be taken away...why it is important to know He is our greatest reward, not all we achieve or store up in the world.

I know, you can't put a finger on what is most valuable that He has to give. You can't hold it in your hand or look at it to admire it. Well, we are told that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Maybe that's why many do not trust the Lord. They want what they can hold, see, smell, taste. God wants us to trust Him, not self.

If one is willing to give himself over to Him, there is a true presence, contentment, peace and joy. It cannot be explained. It's a spiritual knowing. Minds discern and eyes see things differently. Hearts long not for the things of the world but the things of God. All the stuff one has might be seen as part of those things eyes desired, the pleasures of labor...which when one has received those desires one is quickly dissatisfied with and something new must replace it. A perpetual grasping for the wind??? God gives good things. Wouldn't it be better to receive His good things instead?

Solomon goes on to reveal more of God's truths (Ecclesiastes 3)...to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the heaven. You know the old song...a time to live and a time to die...a time to plant and a time to reap... Plus, He has made everything beautiful in its time. Oh, those seasons, those lives I was about to write about. Those things God, who never changes, has created.

I know that whatever God has done or does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to nor taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past. (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15)

This book reminds us all that God gives and takes away. He brings us into this world, like He does the seasons. They come, they go. The sun rises and sets, as does the moon. He controls all things. We can conclude that wisdom was is good thing...God's wisdom the best...and we should be thankful for what we have and acknowledge God in the process. Enjoy what we have but realize it's not all about our stuff, which can still leave us unsatisfied...and which God can take away. Be of proper mind to let it go if necessary.

There will always be rich and poor, oppressed and blessed. Our fates are equal. We die taking nothing with us. But where we end up after death is what is important. Rich and poor, oppressed and blessed can all be assured of their end if they look to God now. As Solomon says, 4:9-10: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. If we have the Lord with us, we have that One who will lift us up.

Everything is still always about God. Start with Him, gain His wisdom, receive the good things He has to offer. Proverb 21:21 states He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor. See, it is attainable...in God's way, the best way.

Receive His gift of salvation...now...because life can be taken away in a moment's notice...and what good does it do to strive for so much without acknowledging Him? We long to live longer to enjoy more when God knows the actual number of our days...so we should be right with God before it's too late.

Besides the greatest gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we can receive His wisdom. Through both of these we will know what is beneficial. Nothing of God is a mistake or disappointment. Trust Him with our lives and with all He gives us. Solomon figured it all out for us. His words were written for our understanding and guidance. It all begins and ends with God. In Genesis He created the world; in Revelation He destroys all wickedness and returns to reign in peace and holiness.

He has shown us what He desires. He has shown us that wisdom is greater than stuff. He has shown those who seek wisdom what is important...it's all about Him. Seek Him and all "real" life may be yours, in difficult times or good. It is His miracle worked out in us.

All throughout this book Solomon shows us, like he does in his proverbs, the difference between the wise man and the fool, the one who seeks God and the one who does not believe that God provides all the answers. God gives and takes away; He is the Judge of our sin; He determines where we go on our last day. Jesus also told us not to worry about our lives (Matthew 6:25-34)...these words of wisdom are understood by true believers.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 - Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Cut a Covenant

Genesis 15:18 - On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land...

God is a God of covenant. The Hebrew meaning of covenant is to cut. In the ancient days covenants were cut between two people. Animals were used to solidify this deal. They were cut in two and placed opposite each other and each man walked between the cut pieces. There was an understanding that if either one broke that covenant they would end up like the animal.

God told Abram, as we saw yesterday, that the land he saw would be his and all his descendants'. Abram asked how he would know that it would be his. This was the beginning of this covenant.

God asked Abram to bring him two of three types of animals and birds (even the number and types of animals have rich meaning). The animals were to be cut in two. Abram was probably beginning to get the picture. As Abram fell into a deep, God-induced sleep, a smoking oven and burning torch passed between the pieces of meat. The oven and torch were God Himself. I'm assuming the deep sleep was because Abram would not be able to survive the very presence of God. "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live”(Exodus 33:20). Note, though, that it was customary for two to walk through the sacrificial animals. Only God walked through, making the covenant His covenant with us. It will never be broken because God never changes. We are the ones who will so choose to break it. Also...wasn't Jesus the only one who died for our sins?

So God's covenant was made. Yet there's more! Abram had no offspring. He reminded God of this (like He needs it), I'm sure, when he heard the words "you and your descendants." Thus the LORD had to let Abram know that He would produce those offspring. Never fear.... And that's where a bit of trouble comes in. Abram has his first son, not through his wife Sarai, but through her handmaiden, which was not what God had in mind. Although God honored this firstborn son in one way, it was not the honor that was initially intended.

After the birth of Ishmael (and the link to the Islamic nation) God spoke again to the covenant that He had with Abram and how he would become the father of many nations, with arai. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you (Genesis 17:7). In verse 8 God says again that the land he is in would be part of that inheritance.

Oh, how deep this gets! Just as God covenants with Abram so He covenants with us as we receive Him, as we sacrifice our lives for Him, as we separate (divide) from the old person to the new and from the world to become strangers in this world, set apart as children of God, children of the inheritance, children of the promise or covenant, not the world.

So it continues, Sarai bore Isaac, the true son of the inheritance. There is one more cutting that needs to take place. The ritual of circumcision. It was as a sign of the covenant. Genesis 17:10 - This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised. It was a sign that separated the Jews as well as those bought as slaves then from the non-Jew. I look at this as a type of difference between the believer today and the non-believer. Our hearts have been circumcised to the Lord. Romans 2:29 - ...circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter...

Interesting to note that Ishmael was also circumcised as one within the household. I wonder if this was to maintain some relationship, as it were, with God? There is no one not invited into relationship with God, and even back then, God honored Ishmael. The Muslims are invited yet today.

We as Gentiles are grafted into the heritage and inheritance through Christ. Grafted...isn't that another form of cutting? Romans 11:17 gives us hint about this: And if some of the branches were broken off [Jews], and you, being a wild olive tree [Gentiles], were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree...  When we choose Christ we are like of the wild olive stock that is grafted in. 

An interesting verse shows a type today for non-believers: Genesis 17:14 - And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant. The covenant with God is out there for all people. If it is presented to us and we do not want a part of it, we will, in the end, be cut off. Cut off. More cutting.

There are numerous scriptures in reference to cutting. Anything that causes us sin should be figuratively cut off. Branches that do not bear fruit are normally pruned or cut off...that also means Christians whose lives are not lived in a way to bear fruit...they are removed. Our hearts can be cut by the Word of God, which is a good thing. We begin to realize the truths that lie there and they pierce our souls, laying bare our wrong thinking, our sin, our weaknesses.

God desires to cut a covenant with all mankind. He did that through Jesus Christ who became the Savior of all. When we enter into covenant with Him, He does as He did with Abram. We have made the sacrifice of our lives like Abram did. God has honored that with the sacrifice of His Son. God will not walk out on that covenant. 

Colossians 2:11 - In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ...