With the love of a father, Moses continues to encourage the people of God. He reminds them of their parents shortfalls as he points to the Golden Calf. He speaks again about the Law that was given to them to guide their steps. And he cautions them not to worship anywhere except in the one place God has ordained. Let’s pause here for a second. Why only the one place? This also points to Jesus. He is the only Way to have unhindered access to God. (see Jn 14:6) Many try to connect with God based on their own good works…that’s not the way because, even if we somehow were able to only do good, we have this sinful nature that cannot come into the Immaculate Presence of our Holy God. Some try to say their attendance every week to a church service must make them eligible for Heaven, but then proceed to live for their own worldly kingdom the rest of the week, so that doesn’t work either. Others try to use their power or prestige or money or…or whatever to buy their place in Paradise, but the price for sin is death and no one has enough worldly treasures to pay that…so that is an insult to God. (see Ro 6:23) One way, The Way. When we attempt to “worship” at any one of those “other places,” we displease God Who has already given us His Son. We offend Jesus Who gave up His Life, then rose again, to pay for our sin. We blaspheme the Holy Spirit Who longs to enter our hearts, bring us Life everlasting and make us the children of God we were always meant to be. One Place, my Friends…but praise God He has already given us this One Place in Jesus!
Moses also spends some time discussing the clean and unclean foods so that the Israelites would keep themselves pure. Why all the details about these animals? First it was a matter of physical health. The unclean foods where those which could potentially cause harm to their well-being. Second, once again God is pointing them, and us, to the fact that their exists a huge difference between those who are God’s and those who are not. Once we have sincerely surrendered our lives to Jesus, we become clean because of His work on the Cross. Lastly, even after we have become born again, there are certain actions that are no longer consistent with this New Identity we now have been given. We must continue to connect with God to learn which thought patterns and activities are unclean for us to participate in. The unclean things will cause us to act like that old, MMI person, and so, we will not experience this New Life we have in Christ. The clean things will keep us growing into who we are becoming, aligning us to that New Creation Person.
The difference between the clean and unclean foods is a symbolism for us now. While we can physically eat many things, not all of them are good for our health so we must continue to watch what we take in…but this is true of everything we take in. Whether this is into our eyes with what we are watching on TV, for instance, or with our ears what kind of music fills our playlists for example, or even what we feed our mind and heart as we listen to the way others speak about us. Knowing the difference between what is clean and unclean is still a lesson you and I must learn and learn to implement into our lives so we may have the Abundant Life we want, as well as God desires for us.
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The Bible
<>< Peace, Diane
