A Sweetheart Deal: God's incredible offer in his unspeakable gift. Dr. Ernan Norman

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СКАЧАТЬ They were strategically positioned at the crossroad of the then known world. From this vantage point, they could make known God’s revelation of Himself to the other nations. Speaking of Jerusalem, the Psalmist said: “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalm 48:2). Even the magi (here after referred to as the “wise men”) who came from the East in search of the newborn king were guided by the star to Jerusalem. It was there, of all places, they expected to find the answer to their question: “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem was not by detour or by proxy or by chance, it was intentional. They were led there by the Star. Guided by divine providence (being Gentiles, and being outside of the covenant of Israel), the wise men were used as God’s instruments of rebuke to the nation of Israel for its callousness and ineptness. These (the so-called heathen) were the ones to announce to the Jews (the so-called people of God) the birth of Israel’s king! “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” came not from the angels of God, but from the Gentiles! What a slap in the face of Israel! Be astonished O heaven and wonder O earth! God would have His chosen people to understand, as later Peter understood, “that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34–35).

      The night the angels sang should also be instructive to professed Christians today in two very important areas:

       The first is in the area of free choice. God would have His professed followers to understand that He God forces Himself on no one, no group of people, not even His chosen. He desires that we love and worship Him, not because of coercion or undue influence, no; the beauty of the religion of God is that He forces no one. God respects our free will, our freedom to choose Him or reject Him.

      Leroy E. Froom states that “God has … ordained certain universal laws of His operation and our cooperation. And He Himself most scrupulously recognizes His own laws. He respects the freedom of the human will, never forcing the inestimable blessing of His presence upon unwilling hearts.”8 This is consistent with His nature as a God of love. He will have it no other way. It was Lucifer who made the false charge that God was selfish and coercive, demanding the worship of His creatures. This has been one of Satan’s biggest lies. The Scriptures teach that “God is love,” and as such, He desires only that we choose to serve and worship Him because we love Him. Jesus Himself said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15; 1 John 4:7, 8). A careful examination of the Scriptures reveals that God deals with us on the basis of our freedom of choice. God will plead, knock, beseech, and invite, but He will never force His way on to us, or Himself into our hearts. See for example: Isaiah 65:2; Jeremiah 35:17; Romans 10:21; Matthew 11:27–30; Revelation 3:19–20, 22:17. Had the angels found receptive hearts and open doors in Jerusalem, God would have gladly announced the birth of His Son to them. Whatever else could be said about the night the angels sang, it is for certain, that no one can charge God with forcing His presence on to His people. He loved them too much to do that. Even though it hurt God deeply not to give the good news to His people in Jerusalem, He simply had to respect their freedom of choice.

       The second area that is instructive for us Christians today, as it was for Israel of old, is the fact that the arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem, being Gentiles, teaches this one thing: God is not stuck with any group of people. Even then God was saying to Israel that He could raise up children to Abraham from among the heathen. The people of Israel did not have a genuine spiritual experience with God. They had a form of godliness without the power.

      In the temple the morning and the evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God; yet even here was no preparation to receive Him. The priests and teachers of the nation knew not that the greatest event of the ages was about to take place. They rehearsed their meaningless prayers, and performed the rites of worship to be seen by men, but in their strife for riches and worldly honor they were not prepared for the revelation of the messiah. The same indifference pervaded the land of Israel. Hearts selfish and world-engrossed were untouched by the joy that thrilled all heaven.9

      When the wise men raised their question: “Where is He that has been born King of the Jews?” it was obvious that the priests and leaders in Israel did not even know that the most amazing event in human history had taken place. The people were engrossed in the things of this world: wealth, pleasure, and worldly honor. They took for granted that they were the chosen ones of God. John the Baptist also, in no uncertain terms, preached to the unrepentant crowds who came to hear him “that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones” and that the “ax [was] already at the root of the trees” (Luke 3:8–9). God had chosen Israel as His special people, “out of all nations … [His] … treasured possession … a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” but He was not stuck with them (see Exodus 19:5–6). In the same way, God has called us as Christians to be His peculiar and special people in these last and closing days of earth’s history (see 1 Peter 2:9–10). But let us not—because of that—make the same mistake as did ancient Israel and get wrapped up in our “choseness.” Paul warns all professed Christians that “since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did,” and we know what happened with them, don’t we? See Hebrews 4:1–2. Paul also warns Christians today: “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” Paul therefore warns that if we do not continue to be faithful, we “will also be cut off.” And further, Jesus says to us Christians in the Laodicea church today, that if we continue in a lukewarm spiritual state, He will spit us out of His mouth (see Romans 11:21–22; Revelation 3:16). Yes, the night the angels sang was the glorious night of the birth of our Savior, but it was a night that was filled with instruction for all who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

      During this Yuletide, let us ask ourselves the question: “Are we as Christians today, in danger of repeating the same mistake of ancient Israel at the First Advent of the Lord?” To say that we are now much closer to the Second Advent of Christ than we are to His First Advent is an understatement. In fact, His return is imminent. According to the prophetic way marks the end of all things is at hand. Like Israel of old, we have been granted the opportunity to proclaim the glad tidings of the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are called to give the last message of warning to a dying and perishing world. The opportunity and privilege is ours to announce: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” (Matthew 25:6). So my question is: “Are our hearts in tune with heaven during this very, very, late hour of earth’s history?” Even now, sad to say, as the so-called spirit of the Christmas season takes hold on many, both in the world and in the church, there is seen and heard much of what could be classified as mundane, worldly, and unspiritual. The myth of jolly Ol’ St. Nick and his tiny reindeer will get more attention and airtime than the reality of Christ and His angels. How utterly tragic! So here again is my question: Will the Master find us worthy to proclaim the glad tidings: “Behold, the bridegroom cometh!” or will He use the voice of another outside of the community of the chosen? Will such a voice leave us troubled, embarrassed, and baffled (as was the case with Herod and all Jerusalem)? The Scriptures tell us that when the wise men made their announcement, “King Herod … was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3).

      

Contemplate

      Had the religious leaders and people in Jerusalem been faithful to God and their sacred trust, their history would be recorded differently. They would have received the wise men and gladly introduce them to the newborn king of Israel. Instead we are told the announcement by the wise men left them troubled. Heaven’s sweetheart deal, wrapped in God’s incredible offer in the unspeakable gift of His Son, was not accepted by Herod and the people of Jerusalem. His offer caused them great discomfort. Unbelievable! So what about us? Are we prepared for His Second Advent, or will such СКАЧАТЬ