VIEWERS’ CHOICE: GOD, “THE FAMOUS ONE”
Foreign Nations, to God
You’ve probably heard “Famous One” used to describe God. I hear it most often in worship songs. But before now I did not pay much attention to references to this description of God in the Bible. When God worked miracles to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, such as The Ten Plagues; parting the Red Sea and the pillars of smoke and fire to guide the Israelites as they fled; and later leading them to defeat their enemies in battle - often in instances where they were greatly outnumbered – The God of Israel received a reputation among other nations that inspired fear and awe. These foreign nations “viewed” – firsthand - His greatness.
A comment by one group in particular, the Gibeonites, stands out. Some of their men came to see Joshua, Moses’ successor, after God used him to lead the Israelites to conquer and possess Canaan, The Promised Land. The purpose of their visit was to deceive their neighbor Israel into making a treaty with them to avoid being attacked by Israel. Despite the "ruse" (v.4) by which they visited, the Gibeonites meant the words they said to Joshua about God in Chapter 9: 8-10 of his book:
8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.I was so struck by that because I love reflecting on the many attributes of God, often revealed through His names in The Bible. The description of God as "famous" makes me understand His power, greatness and renown. I am filled with so much pride that This God of Israel that so many nations more than buzzed about is my God, too! And even today, Our God shows His awesomeness all over the world, in all creation. Famous!
But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
BEST ADJECTIVE TO DESCRIBE A WAYWARD PEOPLE: “STIFF NECKED”
God, to the Israelites
One of the key aspects of reading through the Old Testament is observing God’s relationship with the Israelites. I have a better understanding of just how much of a heart God has for His people – and us – and just how many chances He kept giving them to change their behavior before they had to face the consequences of their sin.
Before God brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, he gave them laws through Moses. God implored the people to follow all of them carefully, not turning to the right or the left, and said, many, many times, that their obedience would be the key to their lives flourishing. Yet even before all the laws were given, the Israelites had already determined to go their own way. Just a couple sequences where “stiff-necked” is used to describe them:
Sequence 1
When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God in Exodus, God informed him that, down below, the people, believing that he had been gone too long, built a golden calf to be their god:
9 “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”Sequence 2
Despite their disobedience, God still gave the Israelites the land He promised their forefathers after they spent forty years wandering in the desert as a result of their sin, including their disbelief, until the older generation that had tested God in the desert died there. Not long before their children entered the Promised Land, God reminded the Israelites of their wayward character, describing it using the award-capturing adjectives (Deuteronomy 9: 5-7):
5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
It’s such a great reminder of God’s faithfulness despite our sin, but also that we avoid wandering – and missing out on God’s amazing promises that will be fulfilled anyway, with or without us – when we choose obedience first. Obedience is life!
WORST DISS*: ISRAELITES, TO GOD
*Think middle school in the 90s
Entering The Promised Land after wandering in the desert forty years did not stop the Israelites from choosing death – rather than life – through sin.
As God had predicted through Moses and Joshua, the Israelites chose to follow the foreign gods the other nationalities in their new land worshipped rather than God. Their disobedience started the “Judges” cycle, described in that book of the Bible, that we have probably all heard about: After rebelling against God in spite of His repeated, repeated warnings not to go astray, He punished their sin by having other nations sweep in and attack them. Then, they would cry out to God, and, in His love and compassion, He would bring them judges who delivered them from their enemies. However, once all was well, they would return to their sins – often committing even more than before. After watching them desecrate His laws, He would deliver them into their enemies’ hands again, restarting the cycle.
Near the end of that period, God appointed Samuel (born of his previously barren mother, Hannah, who dedicated his life to God). Samuel served as both a prophet and a judge over the people. However, when Samuel got old and tried to hand leadership of his people over to his sons, who were wayward, the Israelites saw this as an opportunity to get a much desired regime change. They said to Samuel, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (I Samuel 8:5).
The Bible says that Samuel was displeased by their request (v. 6), so he prayed to the Lord about it. God said something in response that really struck me:
“Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” (vv. 7-9)God knew that having rule by a king, a monarchy, rather than a theocracy, rule by Him, the people would become subjects to the monarch in an oppressive way.
As God instructed, Samuel explained the implications of a rule by a king. Just as had been done by Joshua and Moses, He told Israel that choosing their own path in spite of God’s warnings would not end well. In summing up his advice, Samuel said of the future king and the Israelites: “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.” (vv. 17-18).
Israel’s Response:
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”Reading this “Diss” reminded me of something I like to reflect on, lest I forget: God has a heart, too. He desired to lead His people, provide for them, give them all they ever could need, but they rejected Him, the All-Wise God, and chose what they thought was best for themselves - what everyone else had.
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”
Imagine being in God’s position – wanting so much for your people to choose you, knowing that you would provide for them, even miraculously, just as your "fame" had in the past– but being flat out rejected -- and having to see your creations pave a path to unnecessary suffering as a result. That’s what Israel experienced in the years – and pages – that followed – and it’s just like what we do to God when we plead for things that He knows are not the best for us – and often, are not even good.
At times He gives us those wants, just as He did for the Israelites, to help us understand why we should not have had them in the first place. And, as evidenced through the lives of the Israelites, He may allow us to face the consequences of our detrimental wants - but He never stops loving us. This truth highlights still more about God’s character – His heart, and His patience. Throughout the Old Testament, these aspects of His character are repeated. Take Psalm 103: 8-10:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,I pray that through the lessons we learn from reading His Word – including the mistakes that were made, we choose to make Him enough – to trust His no, accept His yes, and experience The Abundant, Full Life that comes with giving Him total devotion. I think the words God gave Israel in Deuteronomy 30: 19 - 20 are so fitting for helping us make decisions His Way:
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
“…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life…”This world already brings with it troubles that are not of our own doing – so let’s trust God that we don’t need to add any more to our short time on this earth! And let’s also thank God for His longsuffering and mercy when we do stray. What a Great God we serve!
The Awards Continue…
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