He gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them. Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.  For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.  - Psalm 106:41; Psalm 78:38; Psalm 106: 44-45

There is something about the word compassion that stirs strong emotions within me.  The origin of that word comes from the Latin root “compati”, meaning “to suffer with”.  We worship a God who has not merely created us, but who looks on us with compassion.  We worship a God who suffers with us.  As a loving father looks on his children with compassion, our God looks on us with compassion.  I deeply love God’s compassion and the reflection of His compassion that I see manifested in His people.  I love that God calls His church to now proclaim His compassion through evangelism and works of mercy.

There are so many of God’s attributes revealed to us in these verses, and it is easy for me to focus on one of them, and to neglect the others.  I may remember often that God is compassionate, and He is.  But I need to remember that He is also just.  I may think often of His steadfast love.  Then I need to remember His wrath.  We should be intentional in how we think of God, reminding ourselves daily of who God is in His entirety.  God is independent, unchangeable, eternal, omnipresent, united, spirit, invisible, all-knowing, all-wise, completely truthful and faithful, good, loving, merciful, holy, a God of peace, righteous, jealous, omnipotent, beautiful, perfect and glorious.  Our God is an awesome God.

The Psalmist tell us that God, being compassionate, atoned for their (and our) iniquity.  He did this, literally, by suffering with us.  God’s ultimate act of compassion was carried out at Calvary, as He poured out all of His wrath and all of His justice upon His son Jesus Christ, in one dreadful, awesome, glorious and compassionate act for you and for me.  We are now “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26).  There will never be a greater act of compassion than this.  We deserved God’s wrath, and we received His mercy.  For our sake “he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.”  And now, we, as God’s sons and daughters, get to go forth, rejoicing in the fact that we “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).  We get to live lives as ambassadors for Christ, sharing this good news with our neighbors.  We get to “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

Abba, let me meditate daily on Your wonderful attributes, that I may worship You rightly.  Let me dwell at the foot of Your cross, being rooted and grounded in the love You have shown for me, in the atoning work of Your son Jesus Christ.  Let the compassion that You have shown for Your people so move Your church, that we cannot help but spread the glorious truth of Your gospel, as we “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

“‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed’, says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. - Psalm 106:37 (NASB); Psalm 106:38 (ESV)

These words are dark and painful.  To read them, and ponder how anyone could every sacrifice their child to a demon, causes me to mourn.  It causes my heart to break, to think about innocent children dying because of the misplaced worship of their parents.  I say to myself, “thank God we do not live in an age when people sacrifice their sons and their daughters to the demons”.  And then God reminds me, that these words were written for me.  I am reminded of evenings when I have chosen to work late rather than come home to tuck my children in to bed and kiss them goodnight, and to remind them of how much Jesus loves them. Am I not doing the same thing?  Am I not sacrificing my sons and daughters to the demon that money has become in my life?  Am I not worshipping all the idols that money will buy for me, that I will then set up as altars in my home, while my children are standing by watching me, learning from me, and perishing because of me?  “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).  God have mercy on my soul.

We are surrounded by a culture and a people who do exactly this, everyday.  We are a people who worship money, career, cars, houses, sex, reputation, our golf scores, and many more false idols.  We sacrifice our sons and daughters to these demons, as we work tirelessly to satisfy the demands that they place upon us.  I think of all the families in which both father and mother work long hours, hoping that they may soon be rich, leaving their children at home alone, upon the sacrificial altar of self-idolatry.  Furthermore, we now live in a time when countless children are literally sacrificed every day before they are even born, under the guise of “freedom of choice”.  The following is a tweet by John Piper:

“A reader passed along this story from ScienceNews:

The remains of seven children apparently killed in a ritual, and buried beneath a 500- to 600-year-old building in Peru’s Cuzco Valley have given scientists new glimpses of the sketchily understood Inca practice of sacrificing select children in elaborate ceremonies.

The children were buried at the same time, apparently after having been killed in a sacrificial rite that honored Inca deities and promoted political unity across the far-flung empire, say anthropologist Valerie Andrushko of Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and her colleagues.

Chemical analyses of the bones indicate that at least two of the children came from distant parts of the Inca realm.

The findings lend credence to the accounts of Spanish conquistadors that described how children were selected for sacrifice from all across the empire, based on their physical perfection. We shudder at such brutal backwardness.

Today, using prenatal screening, we scour the empire for children with physical imperfections and sacrifice them to ourselves.” (First Things, “While We’re at It”, January 2011, 68)

As I meditate on the “innocent blood” pouring out of these sons and daughters, I remember the only truly innocent blood that has ever been poured out, the blood of God’s Son Jesus Christ.  I remember the blood that He poured out upon the cross, as the great and final sacrifice for us who have placed our hope in Him.  I am raised up from despair to hope, as I remember that I have been set free from all of my sins, past, present and future, because God was willing to sacrifice His only Son upon the sacrificial altar of His justice.  God’s justice demanded payment for all of my sins and trespasses, and for all the times when my heart has worshipped demons by pouring out the blood of my children.  So God, in His steadfast love for us, entered into human history, and took on flesh.  He “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant ... he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).   And now, I am set free from all of my sins.  And I am not only set free, but I am made a new creation.  My identity is in Jesus Christ and in His atoning work upon the cross.  And my worship is now restored to it’s proper place, upon the only God, who created, who redeems, and who restores His people, for His glory.

My God, my heart is bursting with love for You, as I think about the sacrifice that You have made for my iniquity.  I deserve hell, and You have given me heaven.  Please forgive me for my wickedness.  “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3).  But You are a merciful and loving God, who has not abandoned us, but who has saved us, by the blood of Your innocent Son, Jesus Christ, shed for us who trust in You.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2-3)

When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.  They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.  But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. - Psalm 78:34-46 What strikes me as I read Psalm 78, and consider this in the context of the history of redemption, is the rhythm or cycle that this represents throughout the history of redemption.  We run from God, then we run back to God.  We remember God, then we forget.  We seek God earnestly, then we flatter Him with our mouths, and lie to Him with our tongues.  We are a sinful and wretched people.  We are depraved.  As Paul articulates for us, “None is righteous, no, not one; no understands; no one seeks after God” (Romans 3:10-11).  But we worship a just, faithful, and compassionate God, who will not abandon us, even when we fully deserve to be abandoned.

So how can we break free from this cycle?  The answer is, we cannot.  But God can, and has broken the cycle, through the good news of Jesus Christ.  The cycle has been broken by God in flesh nailed to a tree.  What is the gospel that we put our hope in?  It starts with our depravity.  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  This includes the people of Israel, and it includes us today.  Next we confess that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  God is the righteous judge.  And what judge would we ever put our confidence in who simply pardoned every criminal who stood before him?  No, God’s justice demands payment.  Now for the good news, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  God no longer punishes us for our sins, rather Christ Jesus took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved!  Yes, we will still experience pain and suffering, because we live in a fallen world, and occasionally God may use that pain and suffering to discipline us, as a Father disciplines a son who He loves.  But we no longer receive the punishment that we deserve!  We must hold firmly to the words of Paul, that there is now “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  Not a day should pass by when we do not spend time considering these words.  This should be the foundation for our new identity in Jesus Christ.  For us as Christians, death is now entrance into an eternity spent with God.

John Piper once said that he much prefers to preach at funerals, than at weddings.  He said that at weddings, everyone is thinking about the bride’s dress, and her shoes, and the cake.  But at funerals, everyone is faced with the question of what will happen to them after they die.  At the death of someone we know and love, we have no choice but to consider who am I, and who is God?  For the billions of people who are without Christ, they are left with hopelessness.  Death represents either a final and eternal punishment, or it represents an eternity of nothingness.  I remember lying in my bed as a child and pondering what an eternity of nothingness would be like.  I would picture my body rotting in a coffin forever.  It terrified me.

But for us who have confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe with our hearts that God raised him from the dead, “you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).  Now we face death with hope.  In fact, now we may even look forward to death!  “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  As explained by Wayne Grudem, in his book Systematic Theology, death is not a punishment for Christians, death is the final outcome of living in a fallen world, God uses the experience of death to complete our sanctification, and our experience of death completes our union with Christ.

Lord Jesus, teach me to live in daily remembrance that I no longer stand condemned because You stood condemned in my place.  Lord give me the help I need to repent for my sins and to seek You earnestly.  Lord increase my knowledge and understanding of who You are, that I may stand in awe of You, and that I may never again flatter You with my mouth, and lie to You with my tongue, but that I may worship You rightly and that I may give glory to You in all I do.

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

For those interested, below is a link to a video by Shai Linne, called “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, which again explains to us the history of redemption ... but by another medium.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBowWXomU78&feature=youtube_gdata_player

They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law.  They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. - Psalm 78:10-11 It seems to me that there has never been a time in history when we need this word more than we do today.  How easily we forget His works and the wonders He has shown us.  How quickly we forget what He has done for us on the cross.  How rapidly we fall away from the great promises He has made to us.

We live in an age of distractions.  Some we seek, others are thrust upon us.  We are surrounded by media and technology, sometimes used to remind us of His great works, but more often distracting us from His great works.  When I arise in the morning, often my first impulse is to run to my e-mail rather than my bible, as if my e-mail was what had secured my salvation.  At night, rather than spending time alone with God, I run to the TV to watch the news, then feel the need to watch "something light" to distract me from the pain I felt while watching the news.

All of this and so much more distracts me from my Savior, and ultimately leads me to forget His works and the wonders He has shown me.  And this is the one thing in my life that I cannot do without, that I cannot live without, lest I do not keep God's covenant, and refuse to walk according to His law.

This battle is one that is to be fought daily, and God in His mercy has not left us unarmed.  He has left us His word, he has blessed us with Christian community to remind us daily of the gospel, and He has allowed us to worship in a church body where the glorious truths of the history of redemption are preached weekly, and where we are reminded of the gospel and of our identity in Christ.

What doctrines of our faith are you prone to forget?  As for myself, I am prone to forget that God has not only redeemed me, but that He has adopted me, and that He loves me as a son.  I need to remind myself of this daily.  Some of us are prone to forget the gospel, that it is not by anything we have done, but all by what He has done, atoning for our sins, that we stand forgiven.  We need to remind ourselves of this daily.  We need to not only have the gospel preached to us, but we need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily.  Every day.

Lord Jesus, please let me be reminded daily, even hourly, of Your works, and the wonders You have shown us.  Let us, as the body of Christ, never stray from Your covenant promises, and let us never ever forget the good news, that we stand forgiven before our Holy God, because of the great sacrifice you made for us upon the cross.

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.  I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12).

Then the Lord brought Israel up from the land of Egypt and redeemed them from the house of slavery. - Micah 6:4 (ESV/author’s translation)  

re·deem verb ri-ˈdēm

transitive verb

a : to buy back : repurchase

b : to get or win back

We live on a spiritual battlefield.  Satan attacks us day and night, seeking to enslave us in a prison of sin and deceit.  He whispers lies into our ears, telling us it is not a prison, it is a resort.  He tells us that we will be happy if we will just turn our backs on God and follow him instead.  

But there is good news for us.  The Lord has redeemed us from the house of slavery.  In a great foreshadowing of His atoning work upon the cross, the Lord redeemed His chosen people Israel from the house of slavery in Egypt, freeing them from their bondage and decay.  We have run away from our God, following Satan’s path of death and destruction, and yet our Lord has sought after us, and has claimed us for His kingdom, and has redeemed us for our good and for His glory.  “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” - so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14).  Jesus Christ has brought us who believe up from the land of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of slavery.  We did nothing to merit this gracious gift, yet our God loves us, as the Father loves His prodigal son, not waiting for us to come to Him, but running to meet us where we are.   

Our blessed Lord and Savior has redeemed us through His atonement on the cross, and Christ’s sacrifice was once for all.  “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).  But God’s work of redemption continues.  He continues to work in our lives to redeem us from the lingering effects of sin in this world.  Truly, we who have been saved confess with Job that “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).  Our redeemer lives, and His “Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27).  And He will one day stand upon the earth so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).  I am so grateful that we are not left to redeem ourselves.  It has become clear to me that we cannot.  Salvation, which is redemption from sin, is entirely by His power and His grace, out His love for us.

Thank you Lord Jesus, that our Redeemer lives.  

“And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.  (Isaiah 59:20)

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.  And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Abraham became the father of Isaac.  The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.”  - Genesis 12:1-3 ESV; Genesis 15:5-6 ESV; 1 Chronicles 1:34 NASB As I read about God’s promises to Abraham, I cannot help but see this as a foreshadowing of God’s adoption of us as His sons and daughters.  Abraham had not done anything that merited God’s favor, yet God chose Abraham, and invited Him into His family, promising Abraham the blessings that only the Father could bestow on His son.  Abraham was adopted by God.  I am writing this from a guesthouse in the hills of Addis Ababa.  In three hours, I will stand before a judge in the Ethiopian courts, who will decide whether or not I may legally adopt the little girl that I believe God has chosen for our family.  I have only known her for three days now, and already my heart is bursting with love for her.  If, by God’s grace, I am allowed to soon call her my daughter, she will no longer be a fatherless orphan.  She will be my daughter, who I love.  She will have every legal right as my own child, and more importantly, she will be loved more dearly than she can probably ever imagine.  While I am willing to sacrifice my time and my money and my comfort to adopt this little girl, Jesus Christ was willing to give up His life on a cross, that we may be not only reconciled to God, but that we may be adopted as His sons and daughters.  I know that the love I have for this little girl is only a dim reflection of the magnificent and awesome love that God has for us.  Our relationship with God is not just one of Creator and created, or of even Judge and justified, but it is one of Father and child.  We get to live in light of the fact that we who believe, have been adopted into God’s family, and we are truly and forevermore, loved by Him.

I love how God’s word in the New Testament gives new color and life to the words and stories of the Old Testament.  As I read about these promises made to Abraham, God directs me to the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians, “So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).  Truly, Abraham’s outer self was wasting away.  He was old and he was childless.  His wife was barren.  Yet that light momentary affliction was preparing for him an eternal weight of glory, and Abraham trusted God’s promise of this glory.  Abraham was not a perfect man.  He was sinful, just as I am.  Yet he trusted God, looking to what was unseen, and God counted him righteous because of his faith alone. What was this unseen thing that Abraham looked to?  Again, we find an answer in the New Testament.  Jesus told the Jews who were attacking Him, “Your father, Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.  He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56).  Abraham was looking toward the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ!

As we continue to read the Old Testament, we will see that this chosen people, the nation of Israel, did not walk with the Lord, but continued to turn their back on Him, to run away from Him, to dishonor Him.  But God is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Numbers 14:18).  God is so good and so kind.  So He sends His Son, Jesus Christ to come into human flesh, to live the perfectly obedient life that the people of Israel turned from.  And then He exchanged the blessing that He deserved, for the curse that we deserved, and gave to us this glorious blessing, declaring us righteous before the Holy and Most High God, as well as adopted by our most perfect heavenly Father.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).