SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 07-14-03
My
Worship Time Focus: Fear at the giving of
the Law
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Hebrews 12:18
1. Message of the verse: “18 For you have not come to a mountain that
may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,
19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such
that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, ‘IF
EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.’ 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses
said, ‘I AM FULL OF FEAR AND TREMBLING.’”
(NASB) “You have not come to a
physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind,
as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a
voice with a message so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it
must be stoned to death.’ Moses himself
was so frightened at the sight that he said, ‘I am terrified and
trembling.’” (NLT)
This
section describes the giving of the Law of God at Mount Sinai and latter the
writer will compare it to the coming of Christ.
As I look back at one of the points that the writer is trying to make to
these people I think of the readers who had a desire to go back into Judaism
and the writer is encouraging them not to do so, and I believe that this
section is to remind them again of the things that were difficult to deal with
in Judaism. One must remember that God’s
plans are always correct and right and perfect, however they have came in
stages, and the one described was done in a very, very early stage of the
nation of Israel; the giving of the Law.
This was a fearful experience for them and I believe that 3,000 people
lost their lives when this happened. In
Paul’s writings he speaks of how the law brings death, and I believe that this
was an illustration of that on a practical way, where as when the Church was
started and the age of grace was ushered in there were 3,000 souls saved on the
first day, oh what a difference in law and grace. As Paul also stated in his writings that the
Law is perfect, but the problem is we are not, for all of us are born sinners,
and therefore cannot keep the law, if fact we naturally rebel against it. One of the reasons the Law was given was to
show people the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, and for man to
understand that he can never keep the Law, and therefore must fall on his face
and ask for God’s grace and mercy to be given to him. This was provided for us through Jesus
Christ.
2. Spiritual meaning for my life today: “This section makes me think of a numbers of
things as I think through this section and allow the Spirit of God to search me
and teach me through His Word. I know
that God’s Law is perfect, for all that God has done is perfect. I know that God’s Law is holy, just as He is
holy. I know that God’s Law should
produce fear in my life, as it did in those Israelites. I know that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law
for me so that God could give me salvation, by grace through faith. I know that the only way that I can fulfill
the Law and commands of God is by the Holy Spirit living and working in my
life, for in and of myself I am bankrupted to do it.
The Word of God was convicting and also enlighting to my
heart as I read and studied it this morning.
My
Steps of Faith Today: To
allow the Spirit of God to work in my heart each day so that I can keep the
Laws and commands that are in the Word of God, because of my love for God for
saving my soul.
Memory verses for the week:
Psalm 121:1-4
1.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall
my help come from?
2.
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
3.
He will not allow my foot to slip; He who keeps you will
not slumber.
4.
Behold, He who keeps you will neither slumber nor sleep.
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