"On that day I lifted up My hand and swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, [a land] which is an ornament and a glory to all lands. Then said I to them, Let every man cast away the abominable things on which he feasts his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me; they did not every man cast away the abominable things on which they feasted their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I [thought], I will pour out My wrath upon them and finish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the [heathen] nations among whom they dwelt, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt." -The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
Even though we have failed, God still wants us to come to Him.
The Israelites did not earn the rights to Canaan. God promised to give it to them FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.
IN EGYPT
They were a people pregnant with promise. But sinful decisions closed the door and they were now stuck in a dead end job working for a tyrant.
God warned them, "You shall have no other God. I created you to worship. If you don't worship me, you will fill the vacuum with something else. Cast your eyes away from abominable things you feast your eyes upon; stop defiling yourselves with the idols you make. Stop doing what everyone else is doing. I can still fulfill my promise. I can still do this. I can still make your wildest dreams come true no matter how bad things look."
But they rebelled and settled for the consequence of their sin. The pain and injuries resulting from sin are numerous when you stay away from God: rebellion, immoral decisions, corruption, foolishness, allowing the sin to overtake and eat away the good decisions in your soul, shame, lost (dried up) hope and confidence, irregular exertion, fear and anxiety, perverse living, depression, distress , abandonment and eventually death.
Yet for His great Name sake God gave them a second chance and acted on their behalf.
IN THE WILDERNESS
After the Red Sea victory, the sin and rebellion continued: "So I caused them to go out from the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and showed and made known to them My judgments, which, if a man keeps, he must live in and by them. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes and they despised and cast away My judgments, which, if a man keeps, he must even live in and by them; and they grievously profaned My Sabbaths. Then I thought I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness and uproot and consume them. But I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned before the [heathen] nations in whose sight I brought them out. (Ezk. 20:11-14.)
God's people are now in the middle of their worst season and best life.
They are without houses and land, but they have a promise from God that their best is not behind them.
Though they are in a wilderness, they have hidden treasure, government power and authority waiting to be unleashed.
But instead they murmur and complain when the provision of God in the wilderness doesn't seem like enough. They refuse to allow character to build and fight for their dreams, instead forfeiting them. Like most of us, they always had an excuse why they had not yet arrived at their destination. They blamed others, including bosses, parents and people they replaced. But God had provided a way out. He made a promise not to extend the sins of the predecessors to them if they would live right.
"Yet My eye pitied them instead of destroying them, and I did not make a full end of them in the wilderness. But I said to their sons in the wilderness, You shall not walk in the statutes of your fathers nor observe their ordinances nor defile yourselves with their idols." (Ezk. 20:17-18)
God would never ask you to do something that was impossible.
That means, whatever He calls you to do, you can exceed, for all things are possible with God. God can restore "right" decision making, sound judgment and uncompromising "right" living into your life.
Time and time again, we see history filled with examples of men and women God gave numerous chances for His great Name sake; to preserve the royalty promised to their lineage. He didn't stop here:
"And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you and contend with you face to face. As I entered into judgment and contended with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment and contend with you, says the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod [as the shepherd does his sheep when he counts them, and I will count you as Mine and I will constrain you] and bring you into the covenant to which you are permanently bound." (Ezk. 20:35-37)
When God makes a covenant with you, it is for a lifetime.
We are permanently bound in covenant with Him.
Imagine that; nothing separates us from His love. Nothing you have done; nothing you will do can cause God to break His covenant. God will wait an entire generation to get what He has promised to you to your children, if necessary.
God will make all things good FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.
Because He said you would stand before great men, write a bestseller, run a billion dollar business, preach the gospel, have a marriage made in Heaven and be healed, when you return to Him, He has to open another supernatural door. He has to restore, heal, renew, rebuild and redeem what you have lost.
Today, all He wants an offering.
Ezekiel added: "For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There will I [graciously] accept them, and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits and the choicest of your contributions, with all your sacred things." (Ezk. 20:20)
No matter what you have given God so far, you have not yet given Him your best.
He wants all of you; your best leadership, your best covenant relationship, your best parenting, your best trade, your best effort and potential.
Stop waiting for someone else to step in and "excuse" you from giving your best.
God wants to give you something He has searched out, that is infinitely far above your highest dreams; It is a position, place, influence, leadership and authority that is a glory to all lands and people.
And it's all yours if you come to Him.
