Submitted by: Elder D. Acoff
Related scriptures: Numbers 13:1-15:41, Joshua 2:1-24 & Psalms 64
The warning and the indictment is clear: Harden not our hearts as we did. The Longsuffering Creator and L-RD of Mercy, Wisdom and Compassion plainly reveals that we have treated Him and His ways as though they are unimportant and common. The words of Life and Truth have been handled as though they are of no particular interest or concern of ours and we have behaved as though we have grown accustomed to the nearness of His Spirit, so much so that He has become to us a contemptable lover that we are weary of as our whorish hearts crave something new.
The truth is family, instead of thinking carefully about the greatness of G-D’s quality, significance and value, our thinking has been inordinately proud and ineffective and our hearts have openly displayed a darkness that, as Pastor says, only The L-RD Himself can rescue us from.
Even though we are sons and daughters of dust who are completely reliant upon G-D’s gift of breath, somehow we have lived as though our purpose in life is not to love ADONAI our G-D, pay attention to what He says and cling to Him, but to assess, experiment with and test Him; while withholding our love, belief and obedience from Him until He proves Himself to our satisfaction according to our specifications.
YAH has filed these charges not because He wants to condemn us in our guilt, but because He desires, in His great love, to cleanse us of it. At this time we cannot allow ourselves to be tempted to make excuses, feign confusion, presume exemption, become defensive, respond in anger or withdraw. The Spirit of The L-RD is admonishing us, instead, to throw ourselves upon G-D’s mercies and repent.
Three Summary Points
It is not for us to tempt, test or try YAH, but to trust Him. The scrutiny is to be of ourselves. Ex 17.7, Deut 8.2
Unbelief and lust work together to seduce the heart to err and sever away from the Truth. Jn 6.28-66, 3.18-21
YAH has given The Holy Spirit, Truth, repentance and exhortation to free us from the deceptive sin in our own hardened hearts. v.13, Jn 16.3-14, Prov 1.23