17 March 2011

Psalm 50; Deut. 9:23-10:5; Heb: 4:1-10; John 3:16-21

“You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.” Moses is a bit perturbed with the people as he recollects this sad moment in their history. Rebellion is in our DNA and has been since we rebelled in the garden. The Lord has brought them out of Egypt and yet forty days was too long to wait for Moses to return from the mountain. (Sabbaticals for pastors are dangerous business.) In this event, however, Moses becomes the thing that God’s people have needed from Genesis 3 forward, someone to intercede on their behalf for sin, someone to ask forgiveness. Moses never glossed over the heinous nature of the sin and yet he was able to ask in belief that the Lord would be a God who was forgiving even of sins of this magnitude. It is easy to see, however, that while he was willing to intercede for them, he still bears some grudge against them. Jesus is the perfect intercessor for our sins, but Moses was certainly an extraordinary man to lead and yet be willing to intercede for these people.

In order to come to Jesus we must come into the light and be willing to have our sins exposed. For many, that first venture into His light is a wonderful thing as they know their gross sins and have been carrying shame and guilt for them through their lives, it is welcome relief to receive grace and forgiveness from the Lord. Our problem isn’t so much with the first blush with the light, it is the continuing work of the Holy Spirit with the searchlight to continue to convict us of sin that we really don’t appreciate so much. Those heinous things in our lives even we can acknowledge as sin but the things like gossip, character assassination, our habits of life that are entrenched as part of our character, are more difficult to allow the light to expose as sin. We must persevere in coming to the light and receiving grace and power to change.

The promise of the Land included the defeat, permanently, of all Israel’s enemies if she would be obedient. The promise of Jesus is rest as well. That promise does not mean that we will have the experience of perfect peace in a worldly sense. Jesus told us that we would be blessed when we were persecuted for righteousness’ sake and the Beatitudes certainly tell a tale of something other than rest from the world’s perspective. Rest is offered, however, as we know how it all turns out in the end and that we have eternity. In light of the promise of eternal life we are able to get a new perspective on today’s troubles. We don’t always live into that rest but it is there if we will but take it. Let us abide in Him, His promise, His sacrifice, His resurrection and ascension, and His love this day in order to find the rest our weary souls need.

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!