I did it whose way?

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

And now, the end is near. For such a significant figure in Israel’s history, I love that Moses’ final curtain call was such a unique, unforgettable performance. He was to tell the nation what a terrible audience they were (or were going to be) in the form of a song written by God himself, to be sung by everybody.

It’s quite a long song. I’m not sure which bit is the hook. But it has memorable themes which repeat throughout the unfolding history of God’s people. God is great and worthy of praise, but people will keep going different ways, their own ways, towards falsehoods and away from love and wisdom. This will keep happening despite God’s promised calamitous consequences raining down and despite, apparently, the nation having been given a mighty rock opera of their perilous future to sing. Maybe “Oh praise the greatness of our God!” was the only catchy bit which stuck in their heads.

This makes me wonder why, as God knew how this would work out, he set them on this path. Why did he call them to be his own? What else did he know about these people?

Plenty, it turns out. I love the phenomenal blessings in chapter 33 which Moses was inspired to pour out. They aren’t simply good wishes but powerful prophetic observations of character and what each tribe could expect. They could live by these blessings, using them as constant reminders of how they stand in relationship with God who knew all of their flaws but still chose to adopt and love them as a father.

Ultimately, this is what defined Israel and can define us too. Our life does not have to be about how great we are. It can be defined by how great God is, if we can remember how he chose us, and if we remember and choose to say we didn’t do it our way, but his way.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God remembers and chooses to love us. He gives us a choice between going his way in life towards more love and blessing or going different ways instead, which can have painful consequences.

God marked out his way to Israel with laws but walks it for us with Jesus who calls us to go with him. He does not leave us to work it out by ourselves, even living in us now as we go.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Thank God for what I’m learning from a historical reminder of what can happen when anything gets in the way of closeness to God, and spend more time consciously walking with Jesus rather than thinking that faith is just an idea, belief or set of rules to try and follow.

Who am I going to share this with?

My family and others I follow Jesus with.