Remembering, Understanding and Faith: Looking Backwards Then Forwards

Yesterday I was reading some verses that were strange in Ezekiel 20:25-26.  They seemed to say that God gave the rebellious tribes bad laws and statutes, even allowed them to sacrifice their children.  This is a great example of why you can't take verses out of context, and must read Old Testament through the grid of understanding we now have through Christ and the New Testament.

I was just thinking that this is essentially like watching a movie and seeing a flashback scene that is best understood in hindsight. In this case, the later provides the key for understanding the earlier.

In many ways this is what we see in our own faith walk, we have clearer vision and understanding as we look back at our life. Faith is looking forward, and sometimes understanding comes from looking backwards.  We are called to look backwards to remember and then to look forward in faith and belief, understanding God's faithfulness, His ability to move and trusting that He will do so again.  

The Lord had the Israelites build monuments at critical junctures and locations in their journey, and they were meant to remind future generations of what God had done.  A great example is found in Joshua 4:4-7 NIV:

[4] "So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, [5] and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, [6] to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' [7] tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

They were meant to be a memorial, in other words to call to memory.  God intended the people of Israel to learn from their history with Him.  Unfortunately, they rarely did so.

The whole of Ezekiel 20 is God providing an account of how despite many chances, many interventions, and many bad decisions by the people, God continued to reach out to the Israelites, and they continued to choose wrongly.   He continues on in Ezekiel 20:25-26 NIV:  So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; [26] I defiled them through their gifts---the sacrifice of every firstborn---that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord. ' 

However, verses 25 and 26 must be understood in light of Romans 1:21-25 NIV:

[21] "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 

[24] Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [25] They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator---who is forever praised. Amen."

What was clearly "missing" in the verses from Ezekiel is the phrase "over to", in other words allowed for free will.  He gave them clear directions, but they chose another path, and God allowed them to do so.  This is no different then the story of Adam and Eve, and our own story for that matter.  We must all have the ability to choose for sin to be possible.  God allows us to choose, for it is the only way to actually have faith.  We have faith defined for us in Hebrews 11:1 NIV:

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." 

A computer program does not have faith, if only operates on the commands given it, in the same way a robot follows the exact commands it is given.  If we can only do what we are commanded, we are similar.  The ability to think, consider, hope, and then choose is absolutely key to our faith.  

In light of the verses from Ezekiel, God had clearly told the Israelites over and over what would happen if they rebelled. He warned them over and over and told them the other path was not good, did not lead to life, and would defile them.  These two verses represent a whole history, and clearly God allowed them to choose over and over again.  God did not suddenly give them new "false" laws and statues that wouldn't lead them to life, or suddenly command them to sacrifice their first born. He gave them the choice, and they chose poorly.

Today, as everyday, we are given the same choices, follow God and have faith in Him, or choose our own path.  We have he opportunity to look back at our life, to witness God's faithfulness and then to look forward into the unknown with hope and assurance that God will indeed guide us and be with us!  We don't know exactly how He will do it, nor when, but we have faith the He will.  I think this is one of the reasons Jesus always seemed to heal differently, so that we had to depend on Holy Spirit every time, otherwise faith is not really needed.

This morning I am encouraged that God does want us to learn form our History!  He wants us to look backwards and gain understanding, remembering how He moved, and then look forward into the future, trusting Him, believing in Him, having faith in Him.  He wants sons and daughters who have chosen Him, in love.  He wants us to choose wisely.  He gives us all the same choice!

I am reminded of a few verses from Paul's first letter to (1 )Timothy 2:1-6 NIV:

[1] "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--- [2] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. [3] This is good, and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."

He has made the way, it is our choice now.  I for one, am choosing to learn from my history, and I am looking forward in faith! 

Amen!