Be the difference
Pay attention: I'm teaching you the rules and regulations that God commanded me, so that you may live by them in the land you are entering to take up ownership. Keep them. Practice them. You'll become wise and understanding. When people hear and see what's going on, they'll say, "What a great nation! So wise, so understanding! We've never seen anything like it." Deuternomy 4:5-6 MSG
Moses' words echo in my head along with a song that is playing in there...
So call us out, let the world see
You are God as we sing
Open the skies
Flood the Earth with your light
This is love to break a world indifferent
As we lift up our eyes
Fill our hearts with your fire
In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference
(Hillsong United- Point of Difference-chorus)
The nation of Israel was given a get out of jail free card (from Egyptian captivity), then they spent the following 40 years on the hot side of the desert (because they were grounded), witnessed countless miracles (even though they whined and complained about every blessing), experienced amazing victories over their enemies and are finally about to enter the promised land. Moses reminds them who they are and what their covenant obligation is to the God who redeemed them...."Keep God's law. You can't go wrong. And, in the process, the rest of the world will see that you are different and will glorify God " (my paraphrase). Clearly, they are different. Guess you weren't there to see the pillar of cloud or fire that shot out of the tabernacle in the center of this mass of people. That was very "different". Or maybe you didn't notice the humble state of the tabernacle itself; very contrary to the rest of the tabernacles of the world- different. If you haven't looked closely at the laws of God themselves, it's possible that you didn't realise how "different" they were either. This group was clearly different. Their geographic location put them in the perfect place to be noticed. Anyone who saw them might wonder ~Why? It made them the center of attention and by some respects kept them accountable. They were called to be different for a reason; so that the nations will SEE. See what? See God. See who God is and what His priorities are.
Check out this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohyE2vxwoxM
The Israelites were called out. Redemption's hour was upon them. Salvation was all around. In the midst of a world broken down He was all they had and before them... the promised land. Their reward. But for what? They surely didn't deserve any reward. They were a cantakerous bunch never happy with any blessing and God gives them the what? Land flowing with milk and honey? You've got to be kidding. Well, whether His people were different of not, He sure is. :~&. Amazingly different and generous and remarkably consistent.
We are called to be different. We are called out of the desert of our sin into the presence of God, His promised favor. All we need to do is obey his commands. Don't ask how? Just do it. It's really not too much to ask especially considering that He has given us a helper, the Holy Spirit so that we can do what he asks. Does our salvation hinge on our obedience? Did the Isrealites redemption hinge on their obedience? Clearly not. Same God. Same deal. Exept we have an advantage...we get to read the end of the book and we know how the story ends. The hero gets the girl. That hero my friends, is none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He will return for His bride (the Church) the people of God.
That's not it though, yes we know the ending, we know what's in store and we know that we are redeemed by our faith in Him just like the Israelites were but we also have an obligation to be different. Being different means many things to many different people. Being different includes keeping God's law not as a means of earning our salvation. We can be the difference in the world and make a difference in the world as we daily make ourselves living sacrifices for the glory of God. Being the difference requires humble servitude to others, being a refreshing presence to others, not taking advantage of the disadvantaged: following God's law. It's not only the "thou shalt nots" that we should be considering but the "whys". There are reasons for us to be obedient and knowing why helps us to know more about the loving God who redeems us. It's the means of actualizing God's Kingdom here on earth and it's the desire of the lawgiver that we should hold the same priorities that He does. That's the difference. That's God!
He wants us to be different, to His glory and also to our own. We are in the spotlight when we shine His light. When we are different others notice and are attracted to it. They are attracted to Him and that is what God had in mind when He put the Israelites at that spot in the desert at that moment in time. It is not a coincidence that He put us where He has put us at the exact moment He put us here, so that we can be different and attract attention to the followers of an Awesome God ~ we should want to make it apparent that He is in us and that He is good! Like the song says...
Our eyes are open
Every chain now broken
In this world we are different
Let your love become us
As we live to make you famous
We're in this world but we are different
Care to be different with me? Let's make Him famous!
Moses' words echo in my head along with a song that is playing in there...
So call us out, let the world see
You are God as we sing
Open the skies
Flood the Earth with your light
This is love to break a world indifferent
As we lift up our eyes
Fill our hearts with your fire
In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference
(Hillsong United- Point of Difference-chorus)
The nation of Israel was given a get out of jail free card (from Egyptian captivity), then they spent the following 40 years on the hot side of the desert (because they were grounded), witnessed countless miracles (even though they whined and complained about every blessing), experienced amazing victories over their enemies and are finally about to enter the promised land. Moses reminds them who they are and what their covenant obligation is to the God who redeemed them...."Keep God's law. You can't go wrong. And, in the process, the rest of the world will see that you are different and will glorify God " (my paraphrase). Clearly, they are different. Guess you weren't there to see the pillar of cloud or fire that shot out of the tabernacle in the center of this mass of people. That was very "different". Or maybe you didn't notice the humble state of the tabernacle itself; very contrary to the rest of the tabernacles of the world- different. If you haven't looked closely at the laws of God themselves, it's possible that you didn't realise how "different" they were either. This group was clearly different. Their geographic location put them in the perfect place to be noticed. Anyone who saw them might wonder ~Why? It made them the center of attention and by some respects kept them accountable. They were called to be different for a reason; so that the nations will SEE. See what? See God. See who God is and what His priorities are.
Check out this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohyE2vxwoxM
The Israelites were called out. Redemption's hour was upon them. Salvation was all around. In the midst of a world broken down He was all they had and before them... the promised land. Their reward. But for what? They surely didn't deserve any reward. They were a cantakerous bunch never happy with any blessing and God gives them the what? Land flowing with milk and honey? You've got to be kidding. Well, whether His people were different of not, He sure is. :~&. Amazingly different and generous and remarkably consistent.
We are called to be different. We are called out of the desert of our sin into the presence of God, His promised favor. All we need to do is obey his commands. Don't ask how? Just do it. It's really not too much to ask especially considering that He has given us a helper, the Holy Spirit so that we can do what he asks. Does our salvation hinge on our obedience? Did the Isrealites redemption hinge on their obedience? Clearly not. Same God. Same deal. Exept we have an advantage...we get to read the end of the book and we know how the story ends. The hero gets the girl. That hero my friends, is none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He will return for His bride (the Church) the people of God.
That's not it though, yes we know the ending, we know what's in store and we know that we are redeemed by our faith in Him just like the Israelites were but we also have an obligation to be different. Being different means many things to many different people. Being different includes keeping God's law not as a means of earning our salvation. We can be the difference in the world and make a difference in the world as we daily make ourselves living sacrifices for the glory of God. Being the difference requires humble servitude to others, being a refreshing presence to others, not taking advantage of the disadvantaged: following God's law. It's not only the "thou shalt nots" that we should be considering but the "whys". There are reasons for us to be obedient and knowing why helps us to know more about the loving God who redeems us. It's the means of actualizing God's Kingdom here on earth and it's the desire of the lawgiver that we should hold the same priorities that He does. That's the difference. That's God!
He wants us to be different, to His glory and also to our own. We are in the spotlight when we shine His light. When we are different others notice and are attracted to it. They are attracted to Him and that is what God had in mind when He put the Israelites at that spot in the desert at that moment in time. It is not a coincidence that He put us where He has put us at the exact moment He put us here, so that we can be different and attract attention to the followers of an Awesome God ~ we should want to make it apparent that He is in us and that He is good! Like the song says...
Our eyes are open
Every chain now broken
In this world we are different
Let your love become us
As we live to make you famous
We're in this world but we are different
Care to be different with me? Let's make Him famous!
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