(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
Why does God keep the Israelites around?
Intro:
Today’s focus question relates to our OT text, but unlike what we usually do, it’s not directly answered in the text. The question: Why does God even keep the Israelites around given that they’ve obviously blown it over and over?
Beforehand, however, we’ll knock down 2 Peter 2. And if it sounds like the NT is stuck record as Peter addresses false teachers, the impact they have, and the judgment they’ll receive, it’s because, well, there is a lot of writing in the NT about false teachers. It kinda says something about trying to have the right view of Jesus, doesn’t it? It’s also an implicit comment about those who think we are free to interpret the Bible any way we want, too.
That said, I’ll just let the Bible speak for itself on this topic today.
New Testament segment:
Passage: 2 Peter 2
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 22
Words: ~501
I’ll make but one comment about what Peter says here…at the very beginning of what we read he said, in so many words, that it’s been an issue in the past, and to expect it in the future. Sadly, this means that even if the church we’ve been going to a long time has been solid, things could change. It’s a call to vigilance.
As for Jeremiah, yesterday I mentioned that the tone in this section makes a decided upward, speaking of restoration for Judah and Israel. What we catch at the very beginning of today’s reading, as you’ll hear, speaks of God’s promise that the covenant that the nation of Israel is under is going to be replaced.
Old Testament segment:
Passage: Jeremiah 31:31-32:44
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 54
Words: ~1601
The bottom line:
Why does God keep the Israelites around? Even though they’ve been royal nincompoops? Like I said, this isn’t covered in today’s text, per se, but it’s a useful bit of theology to remember. And it’s summed up most bluntly in Isaiah 48:
9 I will delay my anger for the sake of my name,
and I will restrain myself for your benefit and for my praise,
so that you will not be destroyed.
10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
11 I will act for my own sake, indeed, my own,
for how can I be defiled?
I will not give my glory to another. (Is 48:9–11, CSB)
Why does God do what He does? It might be weird…because we think pursuing our own glory sounds like being a braggart. But God actually, legitimately deserves glory because He’s the highest, best, most awesome version of goodness and greatness possible.
Here’s why this is important. Even back under the original covenant, there was no way that they were going to measure up. So receiving God’s grace had nothing to do with what they deserve….it’s all about God’s goodness. He wants to bless us, but we don’t want to be blessed on His terms.
And what is the story under the new covenant that we’re under now? Yup, you got it. It’s got nothing to do with what we deserve and everything to do with God’s good grace, and “God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro 5:8, CSV). Why do we worship Him? Because that grace, my friends, is reeeeeeally amazing when you think about it.
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
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