God changes his plans...
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Object:
God changes his plans for Israel when they acknowledge their sin. Then he will plant them back in their land and watch over them (hopefully so they don't mess up again!). They had only themselves to blame for their exile, but once they admitted their part of the sin, they could be restored. We will each die for our own sin. Again it is clear that wars are often fought because our fathers or grandfathers had done something to make another nation or group hate us. But now there is a new law that we will each suffer and die for our own sins and failures. Israel had suffered for the sins of Manassas, but they had also sinned by accepting his sins and not repenting for them. How often the whole nation suffered for the sins of their leaders. It was because they accepted those sins without acknowledging their part in them.
God will watch over us and give us another chance when we accept our part of the sins our forbears have done. This new covenant sounds like the one that only Jesus can bring.
There were some passages in the Old Testament that indicated the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children for generations. Now God is saying that we will not have to pay for the sins of our fathers. There is truth in both.
When I was a prison chaplain, I learned that some inmates were there because they had learned to sin from their fathers. They had been ridiculed in school for their fathers being in prison and hated those other students, plus they felt some loyalty to their fathers. Now God seems to be saying that each one is responsible for his own actions. That can be a relief, even though the father's sins still affected them. Don't be loyal to the sins of our family.
Again, it seems like the covenant the Messiah brings will change everything! How often it sounds like we are a wife and God is our husband. How painful it is for a husband to find out that his wife has been unfaithful to him. The only thing that will restore the relationship is a heartfelt confession! Then we can start over again.
In the future God will put his law in our minds and hearts. The mind part could mean memorizing scripture and reciting it to ourselves, but the heart part can only come with the help of God's Holy Spirit. We need both! Like the wife and husband analogy, the husband can sense if the wife has just memorized a confession or if it comes from the heart. We need to examine our hearts daily to make sure our love for our God is genuine. A pastor can help us.
God will watch over us and give us another chance when we accept our part of the sins our forbears have done. This new covenant sounds like the one that only Jesus can bring.
There were some passages in the Old Testament that indicated the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children for generations. Now God is saying that we will not have to pay for the sins of our fathers. There is truth in both.
When I was a prison chaplain, I learned that some inmates were there because they had learned to sin from their fathers. They had been ridiculed in school for their fathers being in prison and hated those other students, plus they felt some loyalty to their fathers. Now God seems to be saying that each one is responsible for his own actions. That can be a relief, even though the father's sins still affected them. Don't be loyal to the sins of our family.
Again, it seems like the covenant the Messiah brings will change everything! How often it sounds like we are a wife and God is our husband. How painful it is for a husband to find out that his wife has been unfaithful to him. The only thing that will restore the relationship is a heartfelt confession! Then we can start over again.
In the future God will put his law in our minds and hearts. The mind part could mean memorizing scripture and reciting it to ourselves, but the heart part can only come with the help of God's Holy Spirit. We need both! Like the wife and husband analogy, the husband can sense if the wife has just memorized a confession or if it comes from the heart. We need to examine our hearts daily to make sure our love for our God is genuine. A pastor can help us.
