Spank the Baby! – Part 4
When He killed them, then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer [Psalm 78:34-35].
If my son misbehaved and was taken to the woodshed for a deeper understanding, his sister didn’t need to learn the same lesson in the woodshed. She chose to learn vicariously from her brother’s chastisement. It hurts considerably less!
This is the concept depicted by the Psalmist, regarding Father God’s parenting mannerisms with His kids, the Israelites. The Israelites more often than not were incorrigible rebels. They thrived on holding public demonstrations in the city square against the injustices of the Lord’s rule. They followed it up with building barricades and storming the Bastille.
The Word of God commanded they obey His Law. When they did so He blessed them. When they didn’t He chastised them. After He chastised them the survivors repented, snapped to attention, and made it a point to be on their best behavior. Again the Lord blessed them.
Blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses, dear friends. Blessings tend to promote indifference and lassitude in those who are blessed, you see, resulting in feckless folks who are of no earthly good to the Lord’s family. When they were blessed, the Israelites grew fat heads and resented it whenever the blessings weren’t increasingly abundant.
Accordingly they rebelled again and suffered the Lord’s chastisement some more. The survivors again repented and put their best foot forward, and the Lord restored them and blessed them again. It was a vicious circle. I tell you, blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses.
I know a young man who has yet to learn this lesson. Truth be told, I could probably count on one hand how many young men today have learned this lesson, and still have enough fingers left over to count the pennies in a nickel!
Like a sponge this young man sucks up the Lord’s blessings. He takes them all in, enjoys himself as he pampers his lusts, and believes they are his right. He is entitled to easy living, you see. The considerable gifts given him by the Spirit are his, not the Lord’s. He uses them to feather his own nest, not build the Body of Christ.
Should he persist in this foolish course of action, I am waiting to see how long it will be before the Lord inflicts severe chastisement on him. I know the Lord loves him too much to allow him to squander his talents on his own lusts. It will not end in a pretty sight at the Bema of Christ, His judgment seat for His kids where rewards are given for service to Him.
If we won’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. This young man has been gifted for the ministry. His gifts are not meant to be used to have a grand old time performing secular jobs for the young man’s ego and financial success.
If he would only learn from the history recorded in Psalm 78, it would spare him grievous vexation at the Bema. Indeed, the vexation will most certainly commence long before eternity. Woe is this young man, if he won’t learn from Israel’s history. He knows better!
May we know better, O Lord. Amen.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
If my son misbehaved and was taken to the woodshed for a deeper understanding, his sister didn’t need to learn the same lesson in the woodshed. She chose to learn vicariously from her brother’s chastisement. It hurts considerably less!
This is the concept depicted by the Psalmist, regarding Father God’s parenting mannerisms with His kids, the Israelites. The Israelites more often than not were incorrigible rebels. They thrived on holding public demonstrations in the city square against the injustices of the Lord’s rule. They followed it up with building barricades and storming the Bastille.
The Word of God commanded they obey His Law. When they did so He blessed them. When they didn’t He chastised them. After He chastised them the survivors repented, snapped to attention, and made it a point to be on their best behavior. Again the Lord blessed them.
Blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses, dear friends. Blessings tend to promote indifference and lassitude in those who are blessed, you see, resulting in feckless folks who are of no earthly good to the Lord’s family. When they were blessed, the Israelites grew fat heads and resented it whenever the blessings weren’t increasingly abundant.
Accordingly they rebelled again and suffered the Lord’s chastisement some more. The survivors again repented and put their best foot forward, and the Lord restored them and blessed them again. It was a vicious circle. I tell you, blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses.
I know a young man who has yet to learn this lesson. Truth be told, I could probably count on one hand how many young men today have learned this lesson, and still have enough fingers left over to count the pennies in a nickel!
Like a sponge this young man sucks up the Lord’s blessings. He takes them all in, enjoys himself as he pampers his lusts, and believes they are his right. He is entitled to easy living, you see. The considerable gifts given him by the Spirit are his, not the Lord’s. He uses them to feather his own nest, not build the Body of Christ.
Should he persist in this foolish course of action, I am waiting to see how long it will be before the Lord inflicts severe chastisement on him. I know the Lord loves him too much to allow him to squander his talents on his own lusts. It will not end in a pretty sight at the Bema of Christ, His judgment seat for His kids where rewards are given for service to Him.
If we won’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. This young man has been gifted for the ministry. His gifts are not meant to be used to have a grand old time performing secular jobs for the young man’s ego and financial success.
If he would only learn from the history recorded in Psalm 78, it would spare him grievous vexation at the Bema. Indeed, the vexation will most certainly commence long before eternity. Woe is this young man, if he won’t learn from Israel’s history. He knows better!
May we know better, O Lord. Amen.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
No comments have been added yet.
