WE CAN’T HAVE OUR HEAD IN THE WORLD AND OUR HEARTS IN THE LORD.
God divided two peoples at the Red Sea, completely and irrevocably. It’s significant that Israel lived for 430 years in Egypt and maintained their own identity, a separate people living in a separate place, Goshen. They may have been viewed as an underclass of slaves, undesirable for the wealthier Egyptians to mix with.
Jesus coming was heralded by very distinctive words from two different men, Simeon and John the Baptist. Simeon guided by the Holy Spirit entered the Temple just as Jesus was brought in by his parents.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ Luke 2
…He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ Luke 3 (John the Baptist)
Both men prophesied that Jesus would bring a sepation or make a distinction between the people of His day. At the end of His life, while being crucified on the cross, Jesus was still fulfilling that word.
18 There they crucified him, and with him two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle. John 19
42 Then he (one thief) said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
43 Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’ Luke 23
The author of Psalm 1, perhaps King David, used the same analogy of ‘the wheat and chaff’ to distinguish between the wicked and the righteous. The psalm opens with two different sources of counsel;
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
WHO ARE WE LISTENING TO/GETTING OUR COUNSEL FROM IS A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION TODAY? For many of us it’s the world’s voice or media. We can’t spend our time absorbed in the voice of this world and wonder why we’re not hearing more from the Lord. Switch off the media, normally speaking fear and disaster. Tune in to God and life will be more positive and more blessed.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Take time with the Lord in your life and get His direction, it’ll pay you in the coming days.
God bless and keep you today.