Grains of Sand

Pixabay Today we don't think much about horsepower—as in the actual power of a horse!  But in Biblical times what the mighty steed was capable of was pretty awe-inspiring. Fans of Ben Hur will remember Charlton Heston's great chariot race. These days we measure horsepower by what is under the hood. But even then, the fastest automobile is humbled compared to the power generated to launch missiles or space shuttles. But we get the message when the psalmist writes: " His [God's] pleasure is not in the strength of the horse... " (Psalm 147:10). One horse power, or many, as beautiful as those may be, do not reach His highest standard. What's under the hood doesn't impress Him. Rocket fuel can't hold a candle to the sun. None of it holds up all the time, under every circumstance. And I chuckle at the next part of the verse: " ...nor his delight in the legs of a man. " I was out this morning for a lovely walk through my new neighbourhood...

Google Images Anticipation. All the preparations have been made. The people have done all that they were instructed to do. A people, described by God as one that would become “ ...a kingdom of priests and a holy nation ” (Exodus 19:6) awaits the message God has for it. The phrase is remarkably like 1 Peter 2:5: “ ...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ” This was what God wanted—and still wants—of His children. Moses comes down from a mountain whose display of light and sound has left the people below terrified (Exodus 19:16). He delivers the message known to us as the Ten Commandments. Each one is huge in itself. But it is the first phrase that grabs my attention this morning: “ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery ” (Exodus 20:2). Would the people have remembered how Moses introduced himself to them when he appe...

“ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning’ ” (Exodus 20:20, NIV). Bit of a contradiction, isn’t it? Don’t be afraid, but be afraid? From the foot of Mount Sinai, the light show was terrific—and terrifying. The sound rolled over the Hebrews like a shock wave. The top of the mountain was enveloped in smoke that hovered ominously overhead. To coin a phrase, they were “scared spitless” (20:18). They had been warned to stay away from the foot of the mountain—a warning that they had no problem paying heed to! Google Images If this was only the overture, and God was about to speak, they were afraid of what the sound of His voice might produce. “You deliver the message, Moses, because if God speaks to us directly we’re all dead men” (20:19, my translation). Moses’ statement in verse 20 was both a promise and a warning. The Hebrews did not have to fear the fist of God meting out judgment....

“ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding ” —Proverbs 9:10, NIV “When we use the phrase ‘the fear of the Lord’ it does not mean that we should be terrified of God,” said the preacher. “We are talking about reverence, about respect.” The parishioner sitting halfway down the sanctuary breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost audible because it was being echoed by half of the rest of the congregation. They all “respected” God and kept Him in a special place in their lives. Every Sunday morning they would bring Him out, dust Him off, and let Him ride with them in the backseat of the car all the way to church. “The Hebrew has several meanings for the word ‘fear,’ as we have it here,” continued the speaker. “Most of us are not familiar with this third meaning, but it contains a wealth of meaning that we should think about. That word is ‘piety’ and it is here that we come to understand that our actions speak louder than words. T...

“ And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding’ ” —Job 28:28, NIV It is what it is. In the original Hebrew the word “fear” used here means: 1) fear, terror, fearing a) fear, terror b) awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear) c) fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety d) revered There is no denying that there are some people who should be terrified of God. The difference in meaning; for example what makes one person terrified and another respectful, is the context. An unrepentant sinner should be terrified—he lives outside of God’s grace, teetering on the edge of hell. One who belongs to God through faith in Christ needs to treat God, and the things of God, with great reverence. Though he has no fear of judgment, no reason to be terrified in anticipation of being punished for his sin, his gratitude for the grace of God leads him to live as far away from what offends God as he can. Job’s words are a warning to sinner...