This post is a Musing. Musings are the first tiny bits of understanding made visible and public.
Key Idea: Our sovereign and holy God has spoken through his prophets in Scripture, bluntly warning his purposefully disobedient people: be God’s people and walk his ways or be disciplined.
Our sovereign and holy God commands his purposefully disobedient people: be my people and walk my ways. The command comes with severe consequences for disobedience, for when God turns his face away, hope begins to wane and what we thought would bring satisfaction shows itself to be emptiness. When God’s people turn from him, they receive deserved discipline and the divine danger that accompanies that discipline.
God’s people turn aside from his ways by relying on two common substitutes. Sometimes they trust religious practices rather than God: this is idolatry. Religious practices are empty vessels if not filled with and driven by love and trust in God. Loving God is always first; everything else follows.
Other times, they place their own will as more important than God’s will: this is rebellion. Our will is so close to us and can seem so clear and wise. But if our choices conflict with God’s will, then we are simply wrong. Of course, the contrast isn’t that clear most of the time, and conversation with God and fellow believers is a must. Part of the conversation with God is prayer; the other is knowing his Word. God’s will always aligns with his Word.
Getting back to the warnings: God warns his people because he loves them and has made a covenant with them. He has chosen them to be his and promised them a Deliverer. For the Old Testament believers, the Deliverer, Messiah, was held as a sure hope: sure because God promised, and he always keeps his promises. For New Testament believers, Messiah is here, and his name is Jesus. God’s certain promises do not and will not change, even when we feel his face turn away. When we turn back to him, we realize that we turned first. Then, when we turn around, he is right here, loving and delivering his people.
Launch Pad: Intro to The Minor Prophets in the Old Testament Survey Series by Logos.
