A Forgetful People

 Jeremiah 11:1-8

As I was reading these verses my mind went back to the 25th Anniversary of Focus on the Family where Doctor Dobson had asked a Rabbi to speak and I do not recall his name, but I will never forget what he said; “When the promised children of God came out of Egypt only 20% of them believed in a living God.”

Some say over 2 million people came out of Egypt on that day and they experienced God’s power, as they went the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of fire so that they would have light.  Think of it this way, it’s wilderness or desert, it is hot by day but God brings cool clouds and it is cold in the evening, but He is providing heat in the pillar of fire.  Then they get to the Red Sea, now anyone in their right mind should have seen this as a wow when God parted the sea and they walked on dry land.   Give thought to 2 million plus people crossing and they watched the army of Egypt come into the Red Sea and before reaching the other side the waters came crashing down on them and they all died. 

I’m betting you are lock-step with God if you have experienced this, just like they were for maybe a few days, but they had the attitude of many of my sales managers, God, what have you done for me today, I no longer remember yesterday?

And yet God did send them bread from heaven, and water from a rock and even defeated their enemies in battle, and He called Moses to remind the people of all that He had done since bringing them out of Egypt.  He gave these words to Moses to share with the people: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all people, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” 

The timeline for the Exodus is the early part of 1480 B.C. and Jeremiah’s time line is 640 B.C. that is around 840 years later and God is still on message about His conversation with Moses and if they want blessings they will obey the covenant given by the Lord at Sinai.  Yes, it is the same today, obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings curses.

It seems both then and now a wise person would desire to follow the Lord, to choose to obey, to look to Jesus as the author and provider of their faith.  But history tells a very different story, we, like them, are foolish and we chase after the little gods, like sports, careers, entertainment, wealth, fun, even family before God, and by doing so we choose curses and not blessings.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice