OK, I keep just being amazed at the hidden pearls and gifts of God in the Old Testament. How many of us have the feeling that the Old Testament is full of stories about an angry, vengeful, mean, cruel God. We think the sweet stories of Jesus, healing and being nice, are much better than the OT?
I've got Good News for you! Yes, the OT has some stories that are hard for us to read, sometimes hard for us to understand. Yes, God is trying to do something astounding in the books of the Old Testament--He is trying to reach out to us by way of establishing the nation of Israel as a holy people, a people set apart and dedicated (consecrated) to God. And this process is obviously a difficult one since people are so inclined to leaving the commands and relationships God is trying to establish with us.
So, where is the Good News you might ask? Well, read the book of 1 Samuel. This is the story of the nation of Israel turning (again) from God; this time they are asking for a king to be over them. They get Saul. Saul is at first a somewhat reluctant king. He later becomes a very difficult/bad king. Finally, the nation of Israel begins to understand, in chapter 12 of 1 Sam, that they have done a bad thing. They cry out for Samuel to pray for them. Here's verses 18-25 of chapter 12 of 1st Samuel from the NIV version:
"Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and Samuel."
"The people all said to Samuel, 'Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."
" ' Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied. 'You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.' "
OK, c'mon now! Don't you see this is the foreshadowing of the promises of Jesus? The LORD is pleased to make you his own people; the LORD won't reject you if you serve Him with your whole heart. But reject the LORD and you and your king will be swept away...
Good news, my friends, even in the Old Testament, God is telling us he loves us and has chosen us. He wants to be in relationship with us if we will just turn to him and do what is right (in His eyes, not ours). He has given the final, holy sacrifice of his son Jesus, so that we can be in that right relationship with Him if we will only trust and obey.
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Over and over, God is patiently waiting for us to turn to him in relationship. He likes us. He loves us. He created us and died for us, even knowing who and what we would be. So, please, consider: For God so loved (your name here), the He sent his only begotten Son; that whosoever should believe in him shall not perish but have life everlasting. John 3:16.
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