| | Numbers 17
In this chapter, God ends the debate about who his choice for priest was. The amazing things about Aaron's budding staff was that it didn't just bud, it blossomed, and it grew almonds. There was no mistaking that God had chosen Aaron. God even told Moses to keep the rod as a reminder. The wisdom of this is evident when looking at the demonstration of short memories consistently show by the Jews on this journey from Egypt. Finally coming to grips with the reality that the priestly line was to come though Aaron's house alone, the people give up their quests to attain priestly office and turn to crying out from fear, or anger, that God had given my laws which would bring the people in close proximity to the tabernacle, but not being priests, it would be all to easy for them to commit an offense against the Holy Place of dwelling.
There's a good deal of debate among scholars at to whether this cry is the sign of a people finally repentant, or an accusation of a people lashing out in defeat. Either way, it is simply a warped view of the laws that God had given to govern His people. This misrepresentation of God's command is reflective of a problem that man has had since the garden. You might remember the serpent questioning Eve in Genesis chapter three about the law of God. When he asks her if God forbade her and her husband from eating any of the fruit of the garden, she responds by saying that they could only not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, but the rest of the fruit they were free to eat.. However, she then goes on to add that they couldn't even touch it. Unless I missed something, that was never part of the original command. In fact, Here exactly what God says in Genesis 2:17, "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Of course, before we jump to blame Eve, remember that she had not been created when this command was given. So it's quite possible that Adam relayed the command incorrectly to her.
Isn't this exactly what we do when we have a rule that we don't like though, was start pouting about it, and blow it up in our minds so big that it expands beyond what we originally didn't like into something that we allow to be completely oppressive to us. Like where you were a kid, and your Mom tells you that you can't have a cookie, and you run to grandma saying that your Mom won't let you have any food.
Pastors also fall into this trap often when preaching. Sometimes its just easier to tell people that some things which are unwise, are sin. Or perhaps it's easier to get people to live better lives by exaggerating the consequences of something. But irregaurdless, the thought that God needs our help in polishing His message to get the results that He wants is faulty at best and arrogant and distrusting at worst.
God knows what He's doing, God is neither unfair or harsh, God merely desires the praise He deserves from us as we live the abundant life that He calls us to.
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| | Posted 8/15/2007 1:43 PM - 18 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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