A time of reflection

Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me." Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him (Deuteronomy 26:5-10).

Today’s Old Testament reading comes to us from Moses, shortly before he died. For many years, the old man had served as God’s representative, leading God’s people through a sun-blasted wilderness. Now they were camped near a major river; on the other side was a fertile, well-watered country which God had promised would be theirs. Soon they would be planting crops, establishing businesses, and building homes.

Once the river was crossed, life was going to get busy—so Moses reminded the people to keep their priorities straight. They must make time regularly to reflect on the past; only when they did this would they realize how much God had blessed them, and how important it was to show Him proper gratitude for everything He had done on their behalf. Look again at the instructions Moses gave: Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me." Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him.

It seems incredible that the people could ever forget their history. Israel’s favorite son Joseph was sold as a slave to the Egyptians, yet in time God caused him to become second in command of that mighty nation. When a food shortage endangered his family, Joseph invited his father and all his relatives to join him in Egypt, and made sure they were well taken care of. God blessed Israel’s family, and the children of Israel grew in numbers. Eventually, Egypt’s leaders got nervous about having so many foreigners living in their country; that concern led to the Israelites being enslaved and their infant sons put to death.

Living in misery, the people cried out to God, and in response He sent them Moses. Moses went to the leader of Egypt to demand freedom for the Israelites, and when he was refused, Moses promised terrible punishments from God. Plague after plague afflicted the land, ruining crops, shutting down businesses, stealing the health of the people. Finally, the leader of Egypt relented and allowed Moses to gather God’s people and leave.

Over a period of 40 years, the people traveled under God’s care. He parted the waters of the Red Sea so they could cross it on dry ground. When there was no food, God caused the morning dew to harden into sweet bread. When there was nothing to drink, God told Moses to touch a rock and fresh water poured out from it. God gave the people victory after victory over hostile armies that wanted to destroy them. God showed them such tender care that in spite of 40 years constantly on the move, their shoes never wore out.

How could anyone forget such a remarkable history? And yet as incredible as it seems, the Book of Judges tells us (chapter 2) they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel…After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel…They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger. After the passing of just one generation, the people forgot what God had done for them and they abandoned the faith of their parents.

Where do we lay the blame for this? Did the parents fail in their responsibilities? After all, God had given them this instruction: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). How hard did those parents work at this? Did they make the religious upbringing of their children a top priority? History suggests that they did not.

Regardless of who was at fault, the next generation of Israelites had no interest in worshipping the true God. They were religious—they offered sacrifices to any number of false gods, praying for good harvests, successful trade, healthy children. But their religious devotion did them no good because it was not directed to the only true God, the God who had expended so much effort on their behalf. In fact, their misdirected spirituality only angered God and brought trouble down upon them.

Moses told the Israelites to reflect on the past; when they stopped looking back, things rapidly fell apart. This is human nature; we are quick to forget. How often do the vows of marriage become old history for the sake of an affair or the freedom of a divorce? How often are years of friendship disregarded because of just one fight? How often do children completely ignore all that their parents did in raising them to adulthood? And how often do we turn a blind eye to everything God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ?

Lent is a time of reflection. Lent is the season when we take Moses’ advice and look back on everything God has done for us. Our Lord has done something far more remarkable than all the miracles which brought the Israelites out of slavery so they could experience joy and prosperity in a land of their own. God sent His own Son down from heaven to be born in a shed used to feed and water animals. God’s Son was threatened with murder before His first birthday, forcing His family to flee to Egypt for safety. God’s Son grew up, not in the capital city, but in a backwater town whose residents would try to kill Him when He grew up. When He began His career as a preacher, Jesus’ own brothers and sisters thought that He had lost His mind. The religious elite regarded Him as a threat and took every opportunity to try and ruin His reputation. Eventually, one of His closest followers became involved in a plot to arrest Jesus on trumped-up charges; He was found innocent by the governor, but was executed anyway to prevent a riot orchestrated by His opponents. He was put to death in the company of criminals, and He was buried in a borrowed tomb.

This terrible sequence of events took place because of you. The Israelites who crossed the river devoted all their energy to building, planting and making money; they were so busy that they forgot about God. You are no different. Pick any day from the past week—let’s say, Tuesday. Last Tuesday, how much was God on your mind? How much time did you spend reading His Bible or some devotional literature? How many times did you pray to Him, asking for help, giving thanks for a blessing, or begging His forgiveness for breaking a Commandment? Last Tuesday, how many of the words spoken to your children taught them about Jesus? Luke 10:27 says, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.' Last Tuesday, did you love God with all your heart and mind, or did you forget about Him because you were too busy with other things? Did you love your family and friends as equals, or did you focus mostly on yourself?

You and I are criminals; we break God’s laws frequently and shamelessly. You and I are blind; a blind man cannot reach his destination by driving a car, and we are incapable of seeing the road that leads to heaven. You and I are selfish; we expect other people to make us feel good, and we are willing to walk away if it seems the other person is getting more out of the relationship than we are. You and I are sinners, people who miss the mark and fall short of the goal; as such, we do not deserve God’s love but only His eternal contempt.

Thankfully, God loves us—loves us with an everlasting love. This is why Jesus willingly came to earth and suffered poverty, insults and slander. This is why Jesus let Himself be found guilty for crimes He did not commit and be executed for them. Jesus was found guilty of your crimes. Jesus was executed for your sins. The agony He suffered was rightfully yours. But by suffering and dying in your place, Jesus has given you the greatest blessing of love to ever come from heaven—He has freed you from the burden of your sin. When He forgives you, you are released from the weight of your guilt. When you kneel at Jesus’ feet and cling to Him for dear life, God is no longer angry with you. Jesus opens your eyes to show you the way to heaven, and with His help you can start showing true love towards God and your neighbors.

Everyone has a short memory. We quickly forget what a terrible sacrifice the Lord made on our behalf, and take for granted the wonderful blessings we have received from His rough and bloodstained cross. When we let these things drift from our minds, other things come and take their place—sinful things. Making money becomes more important than giving some of our income to God to show our thanks. Time spent relaxing becomes more important than time spent praying, studying the Bible, or worshipping God in His house. A desire for good times becomes more important than reading a Bible story to your child at bedtime or telling a friend that without Jesus in her life, her soul is in grave danger.

Lent is a time of reflection. During these next weeks, the focus will be on where you have fallen short and on what Jesus went through to make things right with God. Lent is a time to admit your inadequacies and kneel beneath the cross, letting the blood of the Savior drip on you so that by His wounds you might be healed. Then, remembering everything our Lord has done for you, respond by giving Him an offering of thanks—offer Him your time, offer Him your income, offer Him your whole-hearted love.