Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For now I would have stretched out my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth, because you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. The hail will come down on every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, and they will die.”’”“
(Exodus 9:13-19)

“Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name!
    Make his doings known among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him!
    Tell of all his marvelous works.
Glory in his holy name.
    Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
Seek Yahweh and his strength.
    Seek his face forever more.
Remember his marvelous works that he has done:
    his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
you offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is Yahweh, our God.
    His judgments are in all the earth.
He has remembered his covenant forever,
    the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,“
(Psalm 105:1-8)

God was moving and He was moving mightily. Things were ramping up. Things were getting intense. Lives would be lost. But even in judgment, He was merciful. Even in judgment on those who worshipped idols, rejected Him, and were outside His covenant; He gave a way out. Part of the announcement of judgment included a chance to AVOID it. Their response? “Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses. Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field” (Exodus 9:20-21). Nothing has changed.

As you look in the Word at the prophetic statements throughout the history of Israel, you see judgment coming. Judgment on idol worshippers and those who rejected Him. Those who rejected His covenant. But He gives a way out. He pledges that a remnant will be faithful. In order to keep the covenant. Nothing has changed. Today, we’re heading toward the end. We’re closer to it than the early church was. We have a better covenant in Jesus, because we get to be part of Jesus’ covenant. ANYONE who is in that covenant will have a way out. Peter, Paul, the early church, Jew, Greek, Roman, American, Spanish, Canadian, Norwegian, Mexican, remote Islanders, it doesn’t matter. EVERYONE who is in Jesus’ covenant will have a way out. They will be saved – spiritually or physically, depending on what’s going on. Nothing has changed.

What should the RESPONSE to these things be? To these clear works of God? To these things that He does? Worship. Glory. Humble submission to the One who DESERVES our worship. We should respect Him. We should revere Him. We should turn to Him and be in AWE of who He is and what He can do. They should cause us to seek Him even more. They should cause us to REJOICE in who our God is. Merciful. Gracious. The One who seeks to save.

Summary

God’s works – great or small – should ignite within us worship of Him. A giving of glory to the One who Is, Was, and Will Be. His mighty works are and always have been a witness to who He is. To the truth that He IS God and NONE OTHER. We should rejoice when we hear of something He has done. When we witness His hand. There is NONE like Him. He IS God. He DOES save. He IS worthy of our praise.