God our Law Giver and Fighter

Reading through the culmination of Israel's deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12-15), I appreciated how God became Israel's Law Giver and Fighter. These roles that God took upon Himself is also true to us as believers in Christ:

God as the Law Giver
Some of us would think today that the laws that God gave Israel were too long, too detailed, or even weird.
But if you think about it, Israel were slaves back in Egypt for 430 years (That's more than our 300 years of colonization from Spain). Israel lived under Egyptian law where they were viewed as slaves--dispensable and without dignity. And now that the Lord is bringing them out of that world, they wouldn't have a clue of what it means to live in freedom. God had to give them new system for living that not only gave them order, but gave them dignity as a human being. Exodus 12 & 13, provided new laws and ordinances for them to observe as they begin to exist as a free nation (more will be added to them in the succeeding chapters).

This makes me appreciate God as our Law Giver. We were also slaves once, operating under the law of sin and death, but when we found freedom in Christ, we now operate under the law of the Spirit. This freedom doesn't mean that we can sin all we want, but it is a true kind of freedom that enables us to say no to ungodliness and live holy lives. I am reminded of David in the Psalms when he said that "the law of the law is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." (1) To operate under a kingdom system where the law-giver is God who is transcendent, and not just another human being, defines a firm and unchanging picture of what is morally right and wrong. To deny a divine Law Giver discredits the moral laws of our society. (2) God's commands when followed will give us dignity as a human being and children of God. God knows what's best for us.

Two Lives, One Hand: God at work in every man

Last night, I was reading through Exodus when I again came across the passage where God says to Moses, "... I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen ..." (Exodus 7:3-4). And I thought, why would God demand Pharaoh to let His people go, while at the same time hardening the Pharaoh's heart so that the Pharaoh will not let His people go? Of course the surrounding passages tell us that God does this so that (1) He can judge Pharaoh and Egypt (v. 4), (2) so that He can display His power to the people against false gods (v. 5), and (3) so that Egypt will not just let them go, but drive them out, "favorably disposed ... so that when you leave you will not go empty handed" (v. 5, 3:21). God's judgment on Pharaoh was not without cause. Pharaoh enslaved the Israelite people, and on top of that, he challenged the Lord by saying, "who is the Lord, that I should obey him?" (5:2).

Sadly, this rejection of God persists today. Paul writes about "men who suppresses the truth by their wickedness" (Ro 1:18), who "exchanged the glory of the immortal God" for false objects of worship" (v. 22). Some of them are even professing believers but they live as though "having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5). And because of man's deliberate disobedience, God "gives him over" to the consequences of his actions, a downward spiral of moral depravity and destruction (Ro 1:21-32). This is what happens when we deliberately rebel against God.

Is there still hope for restoration and reconciliation? A resounding yes!

A long obedience in the same direction

A student who just started in his journey with God shared to me his situation: When I started my relationship with Christ, I was so passionate to know Him. When I learned how to read God's Word, I devoured it and was so excited to "hear" from God. But these days, it's quite different. I feel as I there is something lacking in me. I am not as excited as I used to be. I'm not reading the Bible as much as I used to. Is there something wrong?

Often times we go through times when we find ourselves less "excited" about our relationship with God. I understand what you mean, because I've been there many times. For me there are reasons why we experience this. But first, let's get some things out of the way. Let's try to answer these questions:

1. Is it a sin issue? David said, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me ..." (Psalm 139:23-24). Sin no matter how big or small hinders us from entering into the presence of God. And if the answer here is yes, I encourage you to return to God, ask forgiveness for your sin and continue walking with Him in His strength. He is faithful to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Is it a relationship issue? How are your relationships with your family and your "neighbors"? Is there an unresolved conflict with another person? They can rob us of joy in the Lord. Jesus tells us that when we come to worship God, if we remember that someone has offended us, we must first go to that person who have offended us and be reconciled with them (Matthew 5:23-24).