Back to the Fold

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:17-19

Some fourty years spent in the land might seem like an awful long time to you. More so to have lived it. For it seems our is God still keeping his people on down through the ages of man. My, these times sure have gotten awful dark have they not. Yet still there remains God's rest for his people. Lest that one small little word carcases sounds too harsh for you in the midst of all this talk of angels and sleeping and some other far more eternal weight of glory that fades not away. It shines still oall the way to glory until at last it lights our way before the Lord. Indeed it is his way we are standing in now and not of ours at all. How some of us should rather move out of it to better allow for his work. Yet the issue at hand is hardly on the harsh words of the Lord. Rather it was with the people's sin and unbelief that led to their death. Here in all the wilderness wanderings there is the greater things to be seen of the Lord. How many of you know the wildernesses of sin and trouble through which we walk through today. So too it takes a number of forms much like our storms. See, the wilderness speaks to every area in which we have not yet seen the power of God in our lives. His power is effective to change things you see. Yet how often do some of us not know the all of the Lord, those things he has hid laid up in store since before the foundations of time. It is not that his power has been limited nor yet withered away. As Isaiah testifies, the Lord's hand is hardly shortened that he cannot save. Instead, the sins of the people have separated them from their Lord. Such a word speaks almost to the state of the ground as one having been cursed from the fall. Yet here is a different sort of a grounds noted, one of which the spiritual blessings have come. How often we talk of being seated in the Heavenly places of God which is the furthest thing from what some of us know. Still too have some heard of the rest of the Lord and wondered from whence would this sleeping soon come. See, some rest sounds awful good when you're tired. Yet so some of us do sitting back on our fluffy clouds of our own making looking to drift off all the way to glory. Such is hardly the Lord. Certainly, he will grant you such should you ask him of course. Yet how many of you know he would rather not do it. Indeed, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints as the good book has said. But if that was the final intention, then would he not have also sought to destroy death then as well. Such a state speaks very much of the rest of the Lord. Here is a side or a part of him that you missed. Perhaps you have heard how that the Lord will soon be found of his people, a far cry from his playing hide and seek as some of us do. In all this it seems our tongues and opinions must be his to control. See, you can speak of a sanctified imagination all you please, though without submitting such things to the Lord, it would be useless it seems. Here a sanctified imagination tells of these things. Is it not a view much as Hebrews 11:1 testifies, that those who would come must believe first that he lives and that he rewards them that diligently seek him as well. Perhaps it would be to no profit should some be found accusing the Lord. Then in the absence and lack of his presence then that some have turned to disorder. Before you get too startled though and find yourself muttering about 'how can this be' look with me at how David knew the Lord of Shiloh as told in Psalm 78:57-61 if you will. Our God is back and better than ever is he not my friends. Somebody shout 'today salvation is come to the house of his people.' As with all things, care must be taken when telling the things of the the Lord. That is because our own self tends to get all caught up being made from but dust ourself when the things of eternity have come to the house. So then it is only natural to feel some sort of way I suppose. The care that is taken then when it comes to temptation knowing the nature of such as James says lest we too find ourselves tempted of God once ourselves. It seems the words and attitudes of the heart are contagious at first so this care is taken when it comes to temptation. Having understood that then let us find the truth of the Word.

But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

Psalm 78:57-61

It seems the heart attitudes of unbelief have spread through the house. Now they manifest in all sorts of strange and unnatural behavior. Might well you have heard how the love of many is supposed to wax cold at the last. Yet has it not been waxing cold all along. For when the Lord has come to the house will faith still be around that is found. From the sseed of unbelief then springs forth the roots of Bitterness which go creeping around. More deadly than any virus they spread through the people from one to the next borne on the strength of the words. Perhaps you have not yet heard how the Lord was long-suffering I suppose. So then it comes with some turning back as well. No sooner than the people had crossed over the sea that was parted, did these too wish to turn back to the land of their people. How many of you know of going not back to Egypt under any conditions. For there were the gods in bondage and fear controlling the people through force of their habits still keeping them there. Such indeed was the issue with Ephraim in Hosea much later. Unfaithfulness then to the Lord came forth as the result. Along with it was deceipt from the seeds that were planted as though none among them had brought forth any strange sort of thing. Was it not for nothing that David abhorred the high places set up in those of the Lord. See, you cannot complain against him or doubt his goodness or mishear his words without turning aside to another instead. From there, you will find the source, substance, provision, and protection comes not from any one else. I do not know about you but as with Moses, fetching water from the rocks of the circumstances is awful hard from the beginning. Imagine doing so then without him who never lacks nor wants for yet any supply. In him then all power and all things for life and godliness in him do we find. Just to think of our God up above who has come down here to make his home among men. Notice then the response of the Lord. He will not suffer such disrespect to go unanswered nor yet to take over his house. Well might some have called him drunk I suppose. The God who came to his creation and still walks among his church as in the beginning, you mean to tell me has suddenly suffered the weeds to take over the garden. As they so often say in the church, 'the devil is a liar' I guess. Nor is he the neglectful Gardner no more than he was the good Shepherd that went forth from the fold. Such is not thinkable just as the eternal Father in the habit of giving his children some strange rocks and a few stones. Come on now, our God has been good to his people. To say otherwise is to invite his jealousy which is linked to his holiness. For the sake of his name then will he suffer no such thing to flourish or to happen as well. Just as ours so often is prone, David's view of God is lacking from here. How many of you know it all starts with your view. Here all David knew was his anger and wrath as a creature corner about on it's wings. Even in all this though, is our God still keeping his people. He has hardly cast them out nor yet suffered to leave them alone. Such a strong word as abhorrance is a bit much for never has our God forsaken his people. Has not all creation from hhe judgement to the garden been about our God in search then of man. See, this view of David's he found came only from his own personal sin. Should you not know, perhaps such is not out out to be known nor yet repeated. I could go on from there about our God's care for his people in keeping their sins from harming the fold. What happened next though was absolutely corrept that our God had forsaken Shiloh and left off of the fold. Come on now, see the God who still cares for his people. Has he not his name still wrapped up in the coming of rest as known from the first. So too is this his house which forth will echo his praise though perhaps you know it not as of just yet. See, the name Shiloh as the beginning and ending of God there for his people. Such thing then though hidden is hardly destroyed nor yet without end until Shiloh and the deliverer come forth from the people. Could it be that some of us have need of some sanctified imaginations and some deliverance from our own too now, my friends. Though his people be yet in the land of the enemy has he not promised to return them again. See with me now the return of the Lord. Here the return is closely linked as James says a small rudder controlling great things. Then too at the helms of ships these control. Whether a tongue of fire at Pentecost that was sent from above or one spoken of Hell so too should the Spirit do for the soul. How often had these wandered and fallen off into sin. So in the retelling of these stories his mercy is shown. Herefore does Moses testify of the very same thing as having known him of old he would tell. What else then would some of us be here fore but for his mercy and grace having not suffered any to be lost or too far gone from the fold.