Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Why does God PURSUE Humans? S29e20 Dt7:1
God is in the PURSUIT business. He pursues humans. Why? Well, it is not because of our amazing attributes. Here's how it goes:
1.Because of His love: He had plenty of it amongst the trinity. Always had a lot of love going on with the Persons. He never lacked for love.He could have been self contained but He did something with it:
2.Because He is a setter. He’s decided to “share the love.”He SET it ON you. He decided to plop this down on your head.
3. Because of His promise to the family of God that came before you
He SET HIS AFFECTION on the people of Israel, so that he could someday SET HIS AFFECTION on YOU. So that you would SET YOUR AFFECTION ON HIM
https://youtu.be/UBsGTJEZJmk
Why does God PURSUE Humans? S29e20 Dt7:1
7 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.
no marriage, no worship most unpalatably: No mercy,
God cares about the holiness of those He associates with Himself
He is making Himself a people to dwell with, so as to redeem, so as to give opportunityto save everyone on the earth.
Discussing Herem:
What isHEREM destruction to an deserving evil people group
Why does He do it? to demonstrate His Hesed.
His faithfulness, kindness to an undeserving evil people group.)****
Why is God in the destruction business? Because He is in the Love business. He is in the saving business. We’ve seen same principle OUTSIDE the promised land, East of the Jordan River in destruction king OG &Sihon
Why did God have to destroy OG? So He could come and get you.
Why did God have to destroy Sihon? So He could demonstrate His love for you
Let’s hear about the people of God
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.WHY 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. 11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.
What is it that is so special about you? A: nothing. You are no more shiny than them, bigger, no smaller. What is it?
That the Lord set His Love on you. He’s promise keeper. HESED. I’m keeping promise I made to one guy: Abraham…isaac…Jacob…murderous enslaving lot.
He chose YOU: fewest.So he could SET HIS AFFECTION on the people of Israel, so that he could someday SET HIS AFFECTION on YOU. So that you would SET. YOUR AFFECTION ON HIM
Teaching points for modern day.
If you are a Christian, don’t get on your high horse of righteousness
He chose you. He loves you. He set this love on you. You just woke up with it. He plops it down on you. HE’S A SETTER
Pray: He plops it down on others. He grows His community as He wills.
Who are we? Not so much. He is the great mover.
He loved you first.
He set His love on you for no good reason, actually HIS good reason:
Not shiny, not earned. He didn’t owe
1.Because of His love and because He did something with it:
2.He SET it ON you. He decided to plop this down on your head.
3. Because of His promise to the family of God that came before you
Hes a lover, a setter and a promise keeper
I was talking to a young believer church yesterday about the big question:
On her tee shirt was THE GREAT PURSUIT . We wondered together:Why does Pursue Humans? Why is there a great pursuit of previous generations and Why is there a pursuit of You. What if…you are aNOT a believer?
1.Because of His love: He had it amonst the trinity. Always had a lot of love going on with the Persons. He never lacked for love. Could be self contained
and because He did something with it:
2.Because He is a setter. He’s decided to “share the love.”He SET it ON you. He decided to plop this down on your head.
3. Because of His promise to the family of God that came before you
Why is God in the HEREM business? (destruction to an deserving evil people group)
Why does He do it? to demonstrate His Hesed. (His faithfulness to an undeserving evil people group.)****
Maybe One of those people is YOU… SET HIS AFFECTION on the people of Israel, so that he could someday SET HIS AFFECTION on YOU. So that you would SET. YOUR AFFECTION ON HIM. Love Him today.