Monday February 6, 2017
“a Command to listen and Obey”
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the
evening and the morning were the first day. – Genesis 1:5
Then the Lord God called to Adam and
said to him, “Where are you?”
– Genesis
3:9
This day the Lord your God commands you to
observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe
them with all your heart and with all your soul – Deuteronomy 26:16
Called by God
A. The
Call of God
1. Old
Testament Background
As we shed more light on God’s
call, it is important to get some background on the word. The original
word is qara. It is used ‘to name’ (Gen 1:5, 8, 10) and ‘to summon’ (Gen 3:9).
Throughout the Old Testament these two
meanings exist side-by-side. But in the writings of the prophets, the call of
God is seen as a command to listen to
his voice and walk in obedience to it. In this, the prophets are
basically summoning the people back to their allegiance to God in the covenant.
They often referred to God’s covenant message to Israel recorded in Deuteronomy
26:16 – 31:13. But as the prophets reflect on that covenant which God had
forged with his people at Sinai, they become conscious of a new pressure on
their spirits.
Because of the disobedience of the
people, another emphasis begins to emerge. They see that God had done more than
call his people in the sense of speaking to them. It was his calling which had created them
in the first place. Just as his voice had called the universe into being, so he
had called into being a people
who would be a fit reflection of his love and glory. He called Israel by name. Israel is his (Isaiah 43:1). ‘When
Israel was a child’, says God, ‘I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son’ (Hosea
11:1). God’s call was not only a summons, but it seemed to display a creative
power.
What an awesome truth, to
know that God affects our lives by His call. His sovereign call comes to us in
order that we may participate in His saving plan. But oh, how we spurn His will
with excuses of our “self-importance” and ignorance.
Challenge:
Surrender
that area of your life that you have guarded from exposure to God’s divine
guidance. How silly for us to think we can “handle it” on our own. Strip off
the cover and mask we’ve put on it and give it to Him. He will work wonders
because He specializes in turning sadness into joy; weakness into strength;
meekness into greatness.
This Day in Christian History:
February 6, 1812 – Adoniram
Judson was commissioned as America’s first foreign missionary. He and his
wife and companions sailed to Burma on February 18.
Memory Verse:
But you are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light; - 1 Peter 2:9
Ka ko kimoutolu ko e ha‘a fili, ko e tu‘unga
taula‘eiki fakatu‘i, ko e kakai tapu, ko e fa‘ahinga ‘oku ma‘ane me‘a tonu,
koe‘uhi ā ke mou ongoongoa atu ‘a e ngaahi lelei ‘o ‘Ene ‘Afio, ‘a ia na‘a ne ui mai kimoutolu mei he po‘uli ki
he maama fakaofo ‘a‘ana: - 1 Pita
2:9
Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)
Week
6 – Exodus 19-21; Psalm 33; Eph 5
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