TALK ABOUT PRIVILEGED

Then what advantage has the Jew?  Much in every way.  To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.  Romans 3:1-2

The story is really unthinkable.  The Jews, the ones who were given the Ten Commandments, the ones who were chosen by God to hear Him speak and hold His revelation in their hands, were the ones who twisted the message.  Instead of walking humbly and reflecting the heart of the God who had spoken to them, they grew arrogant and self-righteous.  The ones who had memorized such vast portions of the Torah, the Torah that prophesied the coming of Jesus, failed to even recognize Christ when He stood in front of them.

Yet, they were still Jews.  They were still God’s chosen people.  They were still precious to the heart of their Bridegroom and He did not disown them because of their unbelief.  Once chosen, God’s love never wavers.

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The second story is really unthinkable as well.   Chosen to be included in God’s Jewish storyline, I was also given the oracles of God.  Once I became His child, I even received a personalized interpreter of the scriptures in the form of the Holy Spirit.  I didn’t have to go to a temple, to a priest, to the Holy of Holies, in hopes that God would speak to me.  I had His holy presence inside of me.  He lived in me to interpret God’s oracles so that I would follow the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

Yet, in spite of knowing so much scripture, I took His presence for granted.  He waited patiently for me to take the oracles seriously, to open them and ask for His insight.  I waited four decades.  The Messiah was right in front of me yet I failed to engage Him in a way that would turn my life upside down.  In my mid-forties, that ended when I experienced him at my own Red Sea.  He parted the waters and I embraced His oracles to my heart and haven’t looked back.

Since the age of seven, I was God’s child.  I remained precious to the heart of my Bridegroom in spite of my indifference.  He did not disown me because of my unbelief.  He waited.  He called.  He allowed me to experience just enough pain to make the fires of my life refining, not consuming.  The heat drove me to His Word and the oracles made my hands tremble.

They still do, Lord.  Don’t let me take my spiritual heritage for granted.  Ever.  Amen