Post by sosmatt on Apr 5, 2013 23:28:29 GMT -8
“How Quickly We Forget”
Intro: I write
this Bible Study not to prove my knowledge or to say I am any better. I write these Bible Studies to remind myself what exactly I am doing when I choose to go against God and possibly forget Him at times. If I reach the heart of one and clarify to the best of my ability the greatest Word ever written than I know it’s worth it. It says in that very same Bible that those who teach the
Word will be judged harder. It is something that I do not fear but rather allow
the Holy Spirit to guide this and future studies into your hearts. We are not
going this for profit of any sort. Our vision is to reach out to those who know
their relationship with God is not where it needs to be or just wants the messages
to stay in their hearts before they slowly start to forget.
Main: I think we
all feel that happiness, joy and love after we get home from church. We are on
cloud 9 because we felt that message go through us and hit places of the heart
that no other words could ever reach. Sometimes it brings tears as well. They
may tears of joy for such a great God we have or it could be because we have
that conviction of past choices we made. As I was reading in the Old Testament I
noticed how quickly they turned from God. I remember kind of hitting my
forehead saying “How quickly you forget!” And “Why in the world would you do to
that?”
For example let us look at Exodus. During this time, the Israelites
were pretty much enslaved in Egypt under horrible conditions. Of course God
saved them with the miracles He used through Moses and Aaron to the Pharaoh and
the final sign during the Passover. How did these people thank God? They
complained on their journey, questions his antics and wanted to return to
slavery. I am sure this delayed them crossing the Jordan and going to their
promised land for 40 years. What people may not see is that the crossing the
Jordan symbolized a new start with God. That they were willing to put trust in
God and praise Him for it. Are we willing to cross our Jordan and start a new
life with God or are we going to circle and complain?
Let us explore a few
examples in Exodus and Kings for the moment.
Exodus 20:22-23 “Then
the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for
yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.”
This is the LORD instructing Moses to share His rules to the
Israelites. How do the people respond when Moses tells them?
Exodus 24:3 “When Moses went and told the people all
the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD
has said we will do.”
Does that
not sound like today? Saying we will follow His ways and wishes? Let’s find out
how their promise to follow His ways turned out.
Exodus Chapter 32: “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out
of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto
him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”
Does that not show us the impatience,
the forgetfulness of the promise they made probably 40 days earlier? Moses was
only gone for 40 days on that mountain getting the commandments. That is nothing
important right? Anyways, the LORD ended up informing Moses of what the people
were doing. Moses made his way down and was outraged when he seen the golden
calf. What did Aaron do, the person pretty much in charge of those waiting for
Moses? He turned around and blamed it on the people around him. Doesn't that
sound familiar with what Adam and Eve said? Eve blamed the serpent for her
actions and Adam pointed the finger to Eve. Just shows we forget so quickly to
take responsibility for our actions as well.
Let’s look now at an example from a
ruler in King Asa in 2 Chronicles.
King Asa was a king of Judah during a
period of time where wars were seen more often than Starbucks or Walmarts. It
seemed like the leaders had a choice, like we do today, to either follow God’s
ways or not.
Let’s see how King Asa goes from
loving God and following God to quickly forgetting him and the result of it.
2 Chronicles 14:2-4: 2 And Asa did that which
was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his
God:3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high
places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:4 And commanded Judah to seek the Lord
God of their fathers, and to do the law and the
commandment.<
Again, isn't that like
how we feel when we get home from church or having the positive “vibes?” We
just want to get rid of all the ugly in our lives. In verse it talks about how
God gave them rest because of that. Don’t we all want rest? I am talking about
a feeling of no worry, no problems going on.
God even shows His mightiness
and protection over His chosen in verse 8-9 when an Ethiopian army of over 1
million come up against a 580,000 man army of Judah.
2 Chronicles 14:8-11: And Asa had an army of
three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from
Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows;
all these were mighty men of valor.9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a
million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle
array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried out to the Lord his
God, and said, “Lord, it
is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have
no power; help us, O Lord our
God for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God;
do not let man prevail against You!”
Look at how King Asa is
asking God for help. He is not asking anybody else but God. He is putting his
full trust in Him. Of course, God delivered and Judah overcame a 1 million man Ethiopian
army.
However, just like the
people in Exodus, King Asa looks elsewhere when another war starts:
2
Chronicles 16: 1-3, 7-10: In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel
went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or
entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.2 Asa then took the silver
and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s
temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was
ruling in Damascus. 3 “Let there be a treaty between
me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I
am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of
Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
The Result: 7-10: And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king
of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and
have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped
from your hand. 8 Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army
with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on theLord, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself
strong on behalf of those whose
heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from
now on you shall have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in
prison, for he was enraged
at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of
the people at that time.
So this king who just overcame a 1-million man army is now turning
to other sources instead of God. How quickly did he forget that God saved them
prior? Kind of how we are. We lean on others to help us. I am not saying that we
should not seek help from others but do not just rely on them. Rely on God
first and foremost. God will test us to see who or what we will rely on. Why
not remember what God has done for you and will do for you?
There are examples in the New Testaments as well. Look at Peter
denying Jesus three times. Is that not a way of forgetting the power of God? He
seen Him feed 5,000..Walk across water, healings, etc but yet when it came time
to remember what he did he denied it. He forgot the promise he made that he
would give up his life if he could for Jesus.
Another Old Testament example: King Solomon even forgot how God
trusted him to build his temple and went off to worship other Gods. He forgot
how God gave his country the greatest riches his country had ever seen. He
forgot how God blessed him with wisdom and understanding. Please read I Kings
11:1-13.
A lot of you may be saying “I would never build a false idol.
Those are made by humans and I will not worship them.” However let’s look at Ezekiel 14:2-3 and it
will explain what false idols truly are..
Ezekiel
14:2-3: “Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their
hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?”
Look closely “Set up idols in their hearts.” What are you
craving? Money? Sex? Fame? Social media outlets? Fancy cars? All these things
are stumbling blocks for you to worship these manmade objects point blank. Our
cravings should be about helping each other learn about God, to grow in God. Idols
are not just physical objects but rather that which the heart desires.
Knowing this we could all up each other turn from these false
idols. Would you be afraid to correct a friend or family member if they said
they were a believer and continued to have these false idols? Tell them that
they are quickly forgetting about God?
James 1:8-My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the
truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember
this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them
from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Could
you imagine by just you pointing out something to them, you could save them
from eternal death? You have the actual ability to open their eyes to new
things. Do not let them forget what God has done and will do for them as long
as they put full trust in Him!
