14 July 2010
Psalm 38; Joshua 3:1-13; Rom. 11:25-36; Matt. 25:31-46

The conquest of the land is to begin. It would be difficult to imagine the anticipation of the people after forty years in the wilderness as they stand on the edge of the fulfillment of the promise of God. The ark will go first, the presence of God among them will lead them as He has led them with the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire all these years in the wilderness. The people are told to consecrate themselves, observe the law and make offerings for sin in order that the Lord can indeed move among them and do mighty things on their behalf. As they stand at the Jordan River and hear that the waters will be heaped up, they were surely remembering that their exit from Egypt was accompanied by a similar event at the Red Sea. This time there is no army behind them, everything lies in front of them.

Jesus speaks of a day of judgment. The standard He sets has to do with what we do for the least of those among us, those in need. The standard here is no different from that of the Good Samaritan who did not know the man who had been beaten but provided for his needs, anyone who needs what we have to give has a claim on us in the name of Jesus. Jesus uses the word, righteous, here to speak of those who will receive eternal life. Paul, James and John all agree that what we believe and what we do are tied to one another. We cannot say we love someone without acting on their behalf, we cannot claim to love the Lord and not join Him in loving the world and that requires us to act not simply express a sentiment. Righteous people are those whose beliefs and actions are in concert with one another.

Paul says that the gift of election is irrevocable, the Jews have not been rejected by the one who called and elected them. He sees this rejection of the Gospel and blessing of the Gentiles as similar to times of old when men like Cyrus, the Persian king were used by God against His people in order to bring them back to Himself, a time of exile meant to win their hearts through jealousy. What he sees though is that just as the call of the Jews is irrevocable, so now the call to all flesh is irrevocable, it isn’t just for the sake of getting the people to return to Him, it is also the same mercy shown them in the original election now being shown to the world. At the end of what we know as eleven chapters of theology, knowledge of God, Paul breaks into doxology, praise of God. He realizes that his all of this is wonderful, not simply logic or deduction on his part.

Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me;
make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.