I'm finally publishing something. So...what's been the hold up?
In South Africa, I often found myself so excited I thought I was going to explode, and sometimes did, while reading the end of Leviticus and the beginning of Numbers. Yes, you read that correctly. Leviticus and Numbers.* If that can light your fire, any other reading should be a piece of cake, right?
Now we come to the problem.
I haven't been reading. I am still working on why this pattern of choosing less when I know where to find more continues...but this I know: If I'm not reading, life turns selfish, boring, and grey. There's no fuel to keep the fire burning and it just dies out, leaving a pile of ugly burnt junk. Clearly illustrating how living and active the Word really is. It's a double edged sword, cutting through the crap I often find myself sitting in. [Now I took some liberty in translating that verse but the real thing is Hebrews 4:12]
This morning, I hopped back on the good ol' chronological reading of the bible train.** Partly an avoidance strategy for studying [not much has changed since college] and well, because I've gotten comfy in a smelly pile as of late.
Moses:
"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children-how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God and Horeb, the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.' And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud and gloom. Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice..."
There are certain passages of scripture I always feel are less then poetic. Not this. This here is absolutely lovely. But more than the beauty of this writing struck me.
I don't want to forget. The four weeks I spent in South Africa were rich and full. I feel as though my eyes did indeed see much. I want them to stay in my heart all the days of my life. One thing among many, being the joy that comes from knowing God through his story, his promises, his words. In order to do that, I need to "keep my soul diligently." Um hello? READ MORE! Continue to stoke the fire for heavens to betsy! [I have NO IDEA what that phrase means...but I love it.] And I don't have children-but I can tell some other kids, throw some adults in there too. God wants Moses to "Gather his people" so that they can HEAR His WORDS. So let's gather together and listen.
And I love the description of the mountain burning with fire to the heart of heaven-it's beautiful and scary and the same time.
"'Course he isn't safe, but he's good." -Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Moses goes onto describe about how stupid idolatry is and how "God is a consuming fire, a jealous God" [4:24] and if they choose to worship anything other than the one true God he's going to throw them out of the promised land, where they can worship their little statues of wood and stone. But there is a different plan if they choose Him:
"But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice. For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them."Hallelujah!
[I'm thinking of Christmas Vacation when after a passionate...er...description of his boss, Chevy Chase finishes with a deep breath and a "hallelujah", "explitive", "where's the tylenol?" I mean, it's just a bit different here...but I'm feeling the same kind of zeal after reading that.]
This brings me such courage and comfort. He's not going to leave you hanging. And in the same breath you've got to search. It's not passive. It's an active relationship.
The thing I was thinking about after reading this is that God wants the Israelites to reach the promise land. He wants to give it to them. In the old testament He's trying everything he can to bless them but it seems like they just keep screwing it up. Things to think about...
And so concludes my first, of hopefully many, installments of a journey through God's story in written form. It's scattered. Random. And probably doesn't have a lot of theological legitimacy. But it added a little fuel to the fire here, and that's worth rambling about.
*The Hebrew name for "Numbers" was actually "In the Wilderness" and I think would get a lot more readers if we would have kept it that way. I mean the census part is just a small part of the book. It's like changing the name of the book/movie "Into the Wild" to "Daily Account" or something. Boooring.
**I've fallen of this train several times over the past few years and find myself just starting over because I've forgotten where I left off and how I got there. Here's to hoping I can stay on the wagon this time...
No comments:
Post a Comment