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A Nation
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We all should know by now from the account in Exodus chapter nineteen that
the people who made up the nation of Jacob's children; Israel, together
made an everlasting Covenant with God under the mountain and that God still
regards the nation as His people.
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As we see below, God regards the nation as a single entity:
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For my people is
foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children,
and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but
to do good they have no knowledge.
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(Jeremiah 4:22)
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How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken
me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the
full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops
in the harlots' houses. They were as fed horses in the morning:
every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. Shall I not visit for these
things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such
a nation as this?
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(Jeremiah 5:7-9)
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And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth
the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer
them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land,
so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. Declare
this in the house of Jacob,
and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without
understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear
not: Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence,
which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual
decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves,
yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over
it? But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted
and gone. Neither say they
in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain,
both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the
appointed weeks of the harvest. Your
iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden
good things from you. For among my people are found wicked
men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap,
they catch men.
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(Jeremiah 5:19-26)
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However, the people who made up the nation each had to individually
turn to God in obedience of the heart before they could be blessed:
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Remember these, O
Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou
art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have
blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy
sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
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(Isaiah 44:21-22)
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Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return,
thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine
anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and
I will not keep anger for ever.
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(Jeremiah 3:12)
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We come here to the spiritual veil of who are the people
of the seed of Abraham and who are predestined, through their attitude,
to become the children of God.
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For
this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are
dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they
should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and
I should heal them.
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(Matthew 13:15)
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So, the nation of Israel knew of the most high God, Jehovah,
but only some, those of the seed, knew Him.
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Some, like David and Jeremiah, were chosen while still in
their mother's wombs.
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After the New Covenant that mankind's Representative, Jesus
Christ, made with Almighty God, there is a new nation, The Church.
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In the early days of the Church, it was made up entirely
of believers.
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Today, the entity of the Church is mostly made up of people
who know of God and they (their hearts, their pride) are not prepared to
bow down to the Triune God and give back to Him what belongs to Him in
any case.
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Most of us who profess to be of Christ are far, far from
God and it will be a shock when we one day each stand before our Creator
to receive the rewards of our stewardship; whether good or bad.
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God is so patient and filled with lovingkindness; He repeats
His requirements, of us choosing
to fear Him, over and over before it's too late and we depart this
world.
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And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD
thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house
of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them,
nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me; And
shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
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(Exodus 20:1-6)
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And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth
the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer
them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land,
so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. Declare
this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this,
O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not;
which have ears, and hear not: Fear
ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which
have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree,
that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet
can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But
this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted
and gone. Neither say they
in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain,
both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the
appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these
things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that
setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds,
so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great,
and waxen rich.
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(Jeremiah 5:19-27)
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And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous, and despised others: Two
men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other
a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank
thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all
that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up
so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
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(Luke 18:9-14)
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The Pastor who we travel far to sit under had this to stress:
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The fear of the Lord produces obedience.
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Obedience results in blessings.
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The fear of the LORD
is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all
they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. Praise
ye the LORD. Blessed is
the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly
in his commandments His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the
generation of the upright shall be blessed.
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(Psalms 111:10 - Psalms 112:1-2)
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Muse upon the word of God as has evidently been revealed
to you by the Holy Spirit.
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Most of us know of the blessings:
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Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself
to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his
people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For
thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose
the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto
them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better
than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that
shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves
to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his
servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh
hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make
them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called
an house of prayer for all people.
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(Isaiah 56:3-7)
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And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses
and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that
now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had
our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that
ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision
by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope,
and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace,
who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in
himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity
thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to
them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit
unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded
together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
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Ephesians 2:1-22)
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Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion
one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue
from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil,
and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord
are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which
is good?
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(1 Peter 3:8-13)
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For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in
the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt
offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey
my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye
in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
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(Jeremiah 7:22-23)
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Glory to you, Almighty God, who have revealed Your grace
and lovingkindness to us your children. Thank you Heavenly Father for Your
word to us which has given us the opportunity of becoming obedient to Your
will through the ministrations of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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Blessed is the name of the LORD.
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