Dear Family,
Today is Monday, April 10, 2023. This is Day 2 of Week 1 as we Count to Pentecost.
Many of the major themes of the Bible run directly through the Days of Unleavened Bread. One of those themes involves God’s exercising His Sovereign will in choosing whom He will choose. During these Days, let us ponder His great calling and respond to it through the grace and power He extends to us.
Remember, God chose Abraham. Abraham did not set out to obey God until God first had singled him out. God started the relationship with Abraham; then, He made promises to Abraham. He was not coerced into those promises. Every one of those promises were part of God’s Master Plan.
It was the Mighty God Who began the relationship with ancient Israel. It was all His idea! God did not pick Israel out because they were special. The nation of Israel became special because God picked them out. The same thing has occurred in the lives of those in His Church today. God did not choose us because we were special. We became special (sanctified, holy, set apart) because He chose us. What an abundant gift of God’s grace!
Deuteronomy 7:6-7 (6) For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (7) The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
Deuteronomy 29:13 That He may establish thee to day for a people unto Himself, and that He may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
God Himself chose to love Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and ancient Israel. And, in much the same way, God has chosen to love us and choose us during this Church age.
Deuteronomy 4:37 And because He loved thy fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in His sight with His mighty power out of Egypt;
Deuteronomy 10:15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
God now individually chooses those He will call. Then, He gives them to our Savior to work with. And then, our Savior takes us to the Father.
John 5:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
God expects that we should respond to this very special, high calling. He chose ancient Israel, and He has chosen us for Himself and insists that we be HOLY!
Leviticus 20:26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Deuteronomy 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
We all need to be encouraged by remembering the experiences God records for us about ancient Israel during these DUB. There are powerful lessons for us today!
Thank God for the wonderful blessings He has given to us as His people.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God