Saturday, October 08, 2011

Title: Do You Tremble? / Topic: The Fear of the Lord

Today’s Reading: Ezra 9, 10; Psalm 131; Luke 21


Scripture: Ezra 9:3-4

When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.


Observation: Ezra has just been informed that many of the Israelites have intermarried with the nations around them. And Ezra is appalled. He tears his clothing and pulls out hair from his head and beard -- a sign of his deep distress. And there are people that join him in his sorrowful travail. They are described as "everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel." That means that also among God's chosen people there were those who did not take God seriously. Apparently, many were casual and nonchalant about God and what it meant to be a God follower. And those casual Israelites did not understand what Ezra was making such a fuss about. Why make a big deal over who marries whom? Doesn't God love everybody anyway? And what's with this trembling at the words of God? That seems pretty extreme.


Application: Today we Christians have a "personal relationship with God." God is our friend. God is gracious and kind. He gives us 12 steps to freedom, happiness, prosperity, fulfillment, family harmony, church growth, etc. Just raise your hand and accept Jesus as your personal Savior and you are set for eternity. There are not too many people who tremble and the words of God. We take our assurance of relationship with God as a done deal. But is our casual approach to God right?

After all, the word does tell us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" and that there is a "wide road that leads to destruction and a narrow road that leads to life and few find it" and that we are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" in order to "somehow, attain to the resurrection from the dead." In Luke 21:36 (today's reading) Jesus admonishes us to pray that we "may be able to stand before the Son of man." This doesn't sound like I should glibly count on this being a done deal to me.

Our modern casual approach to God is based on partial truth. We need the rest of the story: God has expectations and makes demands of those who would follow him. And we ignore these things at great peril. When was the last time that the words of God caused me to tremble? How about you?


Prayer: Lord, have mercy on me a sinner. Enable and strengthen me in my inner being to love you and pursue you with all of my heart and mind and strength. Help me to be able to stand before you on that day.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.