Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known…
In contrast to their idols, the God of Israel is known. He is a person. He walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He called Abraham and sent him to an unknown land, later promising to give the land to his descendants. He heard the cries of Abraham’s descendants in Egypt. He dwelt with Israel in the desert, through the cloud and fire. He battled the inhabitants of the Promised Land on behalf of Israel. And Judah (as well as Israel) turned away from this God to serve the Baals. What foolishness! Yet how foolish are we, even more so than the people of Judah, when we forsake Jesus, the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), the one in whom all the fullness of God dwells bodily (Col2:9) to serve empty idols! We have the New Covenant fulfilled in Jesus, righteousness in exchange for our wickedness, salvation in exchange for condemnation, life in exchange for death. That God can be known, in Jesus, seems to many an unthinkable proposition. Muslims are not allowed to even entertain this possibility. God is the greatest? For sure. They say this 5 times per day every day. God is powerful? Of course, he wouldn’t be God if he wasn’t. God is sovereign? “God willed it” they agree in fatalistic acquiescence to sorrow and pain. But God is knowable? How can this be? God as loving Father? Impossible to believe. But some have. And many more are hearing.
Would you pray that God would grant belief and repentance to those who are hearing about his great love for them in Christ Jesus our Lord?
josh
Jack Lavallet
Praying, Josh.