The Bible seems so conflicting
- To know that we are deeply loved by God but not to be fond of ourselves!
- To know that I am the righteousness of Christ, but my righteousness is as filthy rags
- God can use my filthy rags as a prime example of His longsuffering
- Let the weak say I am strong!
- His strength is made perfect in our weakness!
- Let the Poor say I am rich!
- The widow and her giving so little was so great!
- To work more abundantly than others but not I but Christ.
- “Unless the Lord builds the house” our labor is in vain
Having a correct understanding of these things will help us live a life of peace and full of purpose!
Deut 7:1-9
1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. 2 When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. 3 You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, 4 for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.
6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. 7 "The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. NLT
- God’s Glory can be on full display when we are okay with our limitations and God’s Greatness!
Why would a loving God ask the nation of Israel to completely destroy Canaanite nations?
- There seems to be two recurring evils in a downfall of a nation!
- The Canaanite nations practiced what the Bible describes as detestable and severe sins, including widespread sexual immorality, incest, bestiality, homosexuality and child sacrifice by burning their children alive to gods like Molech.
- These were nations that had been given hundreds of years to repent
Gen 15:16
16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction." NLT
- God give ample time to repent, but their wickedness would one day reach the point of no return!
- Today, as the same sins are increasing, God is being patient, but there is a point of no return!
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. NLT
- Also, do not be deceived, your children will be affected by this world system!
Deut 7:3,4
3 You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, 4 for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods.
The Contrast of being small in your own eyes but knowing we are special in God’s eyes!
- God’s Glory can be on full display when we are okay with our limitations and God’s Greatness!
Deut 7:7, 8a
7 "The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you,
- Being the smallest of all nations, demonstrates that God can take anyone and reveal is Glory
The "glory of God" refers to the outward expression of His divine perfection, greatness, and worth.
- It is a manifestation of His attributes His holiness, power, wisdom, and love, seen through His actions usually through His followers
- We glorify God by reflecting His glory through our lives and actions. (in our weakness)
- This contrast is important to acknowledge because many times we are not as pure as it may seem in our motives and actions
- We all have beliefs formed in us that we guard unknowingly!
- The human heart is prone to self-deception and wickedness!
Jer 17:9-10
9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." NLT
- Only God knows the true intent of our heart!
- What is amazing to me is that God knows us and yet loves us, still calls us and sets us apart for Himself!
1 John 3:1
1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know him. NLT
How can we position ourselves to express God’s Glory?
- The Contrast of feeling small in your own eyes while knowing you are special to God is a core characteristic of the Christian known as humility.
Humility: recognition that by ourselves we are inadequate to achieve the “Purpose” He has for us
- It’s not trusting in our own perceived strengths
- We should embrace our limitations and acknowledge God’s Glory in our life!
- Our limitations are another person’s glory!
- Humility is recognizing our own limitations but trust in God's power to work through us!
Who are some Bible persons known for this humility and divine purpose?
Moses:
- Described in Scripture as "very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3).
- His self-doubt (Studdard) highlighted his dependence on God, who used him to perform miracles and deliver His people.
David:
- Despite being anointed king as a youth, David consistently displayed a humble heart for 15 years!
Mary, the Mother of Jesus:
- "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
- She embraced her calling despite the potential social stigma and hardship it entailed.
The Apostle Paul:
- Boasted in his weaknesses, so that Christ's power would be evident through him (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Gideon:
"O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (Judges 6:15).
The Conflict really isn’t a conflict when we recognize our limitations and God’s Power, Purpose, and Glory!
God’s work and wisdom is on full display we recognize our dependence on God, focusing on His glory, rather than our own pride
Humility not as a weakness, but a strength that allows one to live a life aligned with divine purposes
1 Cor 1:18-25
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. NLT
