The covenant is renewed.
Moses makes the tablets on which the Lord will write the same
commandments given at the first, the tablets Moses broke as a sign that the
covenant was broken. When the Lord
comes, Moses sees His glory and also hears the proclamation of who the Lord is,
"a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the
third and the fourth generation.” Good
to hear, we need that kind of God where mercy and grace lead rather than
judgment. From this self-description the
Jewish people conclude that God is far more merciful than not. He keeps steadfast love for thousands but
only visits iniquity on three or four. In
historical evidence we would tend to agree wouldn't we? We get more mercy than judgment, just like
his people with whom He is long-suffering.
At the end of the day, God will go with the people and will do marvels
among them so that they will know Him.
Interesting that Jesus chooses the example of if you are
offering your gift at the altar and you realize your brother has something
against you, go and make things right with him first. Hatred of the brother that leads to murder
began with a man offering a gift to God.
After God favorably regarded Abel's sacrifice but not his brother
Cain's, hatred became murder because Cain wouldn't deal with and master his anger. Jesus is telling us that we need to deal with
desire rather than actions, it has always been a heart problem for us and Jesus
teaches that again and again. We have to
be proactive about our desires and stop the train before it leaves the station. We should take our cues from the one in whose
image we are created, leading with mercy and grace and being far more forgiving
than judgmental.
Paul speaks to the church in Thessalonica of being united
with the church in Judea in persecution and suffering. Others have come seeking to sow division
based on pride. Judaism and Christianity
can become private clubs if we are not careful to ensure that we aren't the
gatekeepers. Orthodoxy matters, right belief
and truth are central to the faith but where do we draw lines? Jesus was content with some lines being
transgressed and others were hard and fast.
The Jews who came to Thessalonica and forced Paul out of the city also
followed him many places for much the same reasons Paul himself was initially a
persecutor of the church. This new thing
was far too much about grace and mercy than purity. The franchise was being extended too far without
the requirements being enforced. We have
to always be careful to be no more judgmental than God.
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