I have found that many times I
find myself thinking thoughts similar to this. "I wish I could have
lived in the old testament, it was so much simpler then." Or "Why can't
God just give us a list of rules that plans out every moment of my our
lives like He so often did in the old testament?"
I have noticed questions like these pop up in my mind at regular intervals, basically all pointing to the same idea. I often would rather go back to the old testament law because it seems safer. Now, here is what I mean. In the old testament the Jews had very strict dietary, moral, societal, and religious laws. These laws told them what to eat, what to wear, how to worship, and the penalty for breaking any such law. Also, it was a time (it seems) when if you wanted to know something all you needed to do was find a prophet who would directly inquire of God for you. It just all seemed so simple, so laid out, so.....safe.
Safe...when I made the connection that a longing for safety was at the root of these desires and questions I was having, a startling connection was made. You see safety was the very reason that the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. They were slaves, yes, but they felt safe there. Every moment of their life was planned out, and every need was met, they had military protection, they even had good food.
I have often wondered how they could have been so foolish as to willingly put themselves back under that kind of slavery, but now I see that same tendency in my own life. You see, while my desires may have hints of good intentions they are ultimately the result of mistrusting God. I want to know for sure what God wants for me, just like the Israelites wanted assurance of their next meal, and protection from their enemies. And yet I'm looking for that assurance in the wrong place, I'm trying to put myself under the slavery of the old law to gain the false security that it vainly offers, just as the Israelites wanted to put themselves back under the yoke of Egyptian bondage instead of trusting God to provide their every need.
That's what it all comes down too, a trust issue. No, God does not spell out dietary laws, He doesn't give us specific rules on how to dress, or details on how to worship, or what movies to watch etc....Yes this present age is much more complicated than the last, yes it often feels overwhelming to try to wade through the vast diversity of interpretations of the Biblical passages to find the truth, and yes, because of all this I sometimes want to go back to the simpler times of God spelling out every detail of my life. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who has ever felt this way, but if I'm not here is my encouragement to you.
1. Just as God always provided for the nation of Israel when their lives became more "complicated" during the Exodus, He also will provide for us.
2. We have been delivered from that freedom to be able to know God in a deeper way, let us not be cowards who wish for simplicity and safety, but let us be courageous! Let's press on toward a deeper and more full knowledge of who He is by this new door that He has opened up for us.
3. Lastly, let's take comfort in the fact that He knows our frame, that we are but dust. And just as He showed mercy to the nation of Israel when Moses interceded for them, so He will much more assuredly show mercy to us when we refuse to trust Him and want to go back to the old law, because we have His son Jesus as our advocate continuously pleading our case before the Father, and may this stir our hearts to trust further and more fully that He will take care of our every need in this complicated and frightening age that we live in.
I have noticed questions like these pop up in my mind at regular intervals, basically all pointing to the same idea. I often would rather go back to the old testament law because it seems safer. Now, here is what I mean. In the old testament the Jews had very strict dietary, moral, societal, and religious laws. These laws told them what to eat, what to wear, how to worship, and the penalty for breaking any such law. Also, it was a time (it seems) when if you wanted to know something all you needed to do was find a prophet who would directly inquire of God for you. It just all seemed so simple, so laid out, so.....safe.
Safe...when I made the connection that a longing for safety was at the root of these desires and questions I was having, a startling connection was made. You see safety was the very reason that the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. They were slaves, yes, but they felt safe there. Every moment of their life was planned out, and every need was met, they had military protection, they even had good food.
I have often wondered how they could have been so foolish as to willingly put themselves back under that kind of slavery, but now I see that same tendency in my own life. You see, while my desires may have hints of good intentions they are ultimately the result of mistrusting God. I want to know for sure what God wants for me, just like the Israelites wanted assurance of their next meal, and protection from their enemies. And yet I'm looking for that assurance in the wrong place, I'm trying to put myself under the slavery of the old law to gain the false security that it vainly offers, just as the Israelites wanted to put themselves back under the yoke of Egyptian bondage instead of trusting God to provide their every need.
That's what it all comes down too, a trust issue. No, God does not spell out dietary laws, He doesn't give us specific rules on how to dress, or details on how to worship, or what movies to watch etc....Yes this present age is much more complicated than the last, yes it often feels overwhelming to try to wade through the vast diversity of interpretations of the Biblical passages to find the truth, and yes, because of all this I sometimes want to go back to the simpler times of God spelling out every detail of my life. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who has ever felt this way, but if I'm not here is my encouragement to you.
1. Just as God always provided for the nation of Israel when their lives became more "complicated" during the Exodus, He also will provide for us.
2. We have been delivered from that freedom to be able to know God in a deeper way, let us not be cowards who wish for simplicity and safety, but let us be courageous! Let's press on toward a deeper and more full knowledge of who He is by this new door that He has opened up for us.
3. Lastly, let's take comfort in the fact that He knows our frame, that we are but dust. And just as He showed mercy to the nation of Israel when Moses interceded for them, so He will much more assuredly show mercy to us when we refuse to trust Him and want to go back to the old law, because we have His son Jesus as our advocate continuously pleading our case before the Father, and may this stir our hearts to trust further and more fully that He will take care of our every need in this complicated and frightening age that we live in.
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