9.27.25 ~ A Fresh Perspective

Good morning!

Last night's zoom call: I want you to imagine...(Deut. 29-31) 

Imagine for a moment that the entire theme of the Bible is returning everything to as Father. What would that look like? (Acts 3:21).

“whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21)

That certainly seems to be the starting place of Scripture.

The Lord God  brings Man into the world to share its wonder with Him, to participate in its development and to enjoy His company (Gen. 2). Of course, things change, and when they do our Creator seems to constantly act in ways that are designed to return His people to His love and care for them (Deut. 30:1-11).

Even when captivity faces them, He doesn’t seem to act as the stern Judge, jury and executioner.; unlike His creation. While Israel requires chastisement, even severe discipline, it is not for the purpose of revenge. It is intended to awaken the need for true dependence on a Father who loves His people beyond comparison; as we will talk about in this morning's zoom call.

Utilizing the Song of Moses (Deut. 32), which I challenged everyone to write out by next Friday, Jeremiah takes a verse regarding how Jeshurun/God's upright people, how they became fat (Deut. 31:20; 32:14), became lethargic and took for granted all that was done for them...and despite all that they did against their Creator (Deut. 32:15-38), the Lord our God didn't neglect His watchfulness and alertness to their condition/shaqad.

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast.  As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. (Jer. 31:27-28)

He is not a god who slumbers or who is distracted. He is focused on one most important objective—returning His people to Himself (Ex. 19:3-5). Eventually this results in the commission of the Messiah; one who also focuses on re-establishing the role of the Father. From beginning to end, it appears that there is one overarching story. We are His children and He doesn’t want us to forget it.

Why is this so important, especially during these 10 days of awe? Because our religious culture teaches the primacy of God as Judge! He is the policeman of the universe, holding all Mankind guilty for its original and continuous infraction, ready to exercise "eternal" punishment for disobedience. He is not someone who truly acknowledges our struggles. “Jesus” does, of course, but that’s why we need the God-Man (1 Tim. 2:5). We need someone to advocate for us, to intercede for us, to plead our case because God is upset! “Jesus” might be a friend in need, but God is the imperial King of the universe. Don’t cross Him!

Thanks to the biased theology of Augustine and Luther who taught that Man, in his depraved condition, doesn’t deserve even the smallest amount of mercy. Therefore, someone else had to come along to pay for our trespasses. We love “Jesus” because he paid our debt, but we are frightened of a God who would extract such a payment in order to satisfy His sense of justice. “What a friend we have in Jesus,” might be the reason why we are far more inclined to worship him (the Son) than we are to turn our lives over to that long-bearded, white-robed, old figure at the top of the cathedral ceiling.

Martin Luther’s adoption of the Greco-Roman idea of “law” had the implication that we absolutely don’t measure up and never can! Why would anyone really love us when we are so despicable? The solution was a substitute, creating a “legal fiction” that we could be treated as innocent when we know very well we aren’t. Consequently, God as Father becomes God as Tyrant.

As we will discuss this morning in our zoom call, we need to look carefully at the Lord's/Yahweh's declaration to Jeremiah. In spite of the disaster that Israel has brought on itself through its prolonged disobedience, The Lord declares that He will stay constantly alert to the circumstances and will purposely rebuild and restore. He never intended to avenge the wrong. He intended to woo them back. There is no animosity, acrimony or resentment in His actions. He is a loving Father, not a judgmental overlord. Even after thousands of years of heartache, He does not let go. He is always and forever the true Father of all His children.

Perhaps today you can ask yourself, “Do I really know Him as Father, or have I succumbed to the cultural image of Judge?”

Chag sameach and Shabbat shalom!