Thunder

Read Psalm 119:97-104 (Mem)

Read 1 Samuel 12

Though it was not the season for rain, Samuel prays to the Lord for some thunder. When God obliges, the people tremble. What's the point? The point is that we should be careful to walk in the ways of the Lord. We keep hearing it in Psalm 119 - God's commands, his statutes, his instruction, his law, all of it is good and beneficial for us.

Samuel recounts briefly a piece of Israel's history. No doubt they had all heard of Moses and Aaron in the past. No doubt many of them experienced the trauma of fighting with the enemy in the recent past. Yet they still cried out for a king. They didn't want God to work the way he was pleased to work. They didn't want him to speak through prophets and to save with judges (deliverers). They wanted to be like all the other nations. Samuel calls this a great evil.

Their problem was not only that, but idolatrous and adulterous worship of false gods as well. Joshua reminds them why troubles had come upon them, and severely warns them to be obedient. And when God thunders a warning at Samuel's request, the people are panicked.

How terrified we would be too if we were to hear God's voice thunder down from Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:18-21), or if we heard God thunder in the dry season at the request of a man of God. We would tremble because we know that we have fallen short of what God commands. What human is truly able to delight in God's Word as much as Psalm 119 describes? What human can keep the first table of the law, and love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength? What human has perfect love for fellow humans and always acts in their best interest?

None. None, that is, except Jesus alone. Though God thunders at us through his Word, in his Word we also hear the sweet Gospel! It is the chirping of the bird after the thunderstorm. It is the rainbow after the dark, wet clouds have passed. It is the burst of sunshine to pierce the steamy fog of a summer rain. Sure God's thunder is terrifying, but Jesus willingly suffered that thunder on the cross for us. Our punishment is his. His life is ours. What a blessed exchange!

Now we still bristle when God thunders at us, but we also quickly flee to the cross. There we find our security, our assurance, our hope and peace and joy. There we have sweet protection and refuge from the wrath of God. There we have the promise of paradise. That is always reason to rejoice! Thanks be to God!

Pray:

Pray from your heart today. Confess what is weighing down upon you heavily. Tell God those secrets, those hidden sins. Then thank Him that he sent Jesus to suffer the thundering wrath of God for you. Ask God to help you by the power of his Spirit to live for him.

Study with me tomorrow,

Pastor Jon

Soli Deo Gloria!