Reading
Exodus 33:1-6 (NRSV)
Abraham's descendants lament
The Lord said to Moses, "Go, leave this place, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, or I would consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."
When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.'" Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
Abraham's descendants lament
The Lord said to Moses, "Go, leave this place, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, or I would consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."
When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.'" Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
Reflection
Oh, how good we can be at adorning ourselves with ornaments. How good we really think we must be. Look at what I can do! I don't need you or anyone else to help me with anything, because I'm so good, I can do this all on my own.
How many merit badges and awards have we given ourselves? Look how good we are and how many medals we can accumulate. We are number one and you are number two and we're gonna beat the whoopee out of you!
Sometimes I fall into the trap in other ways too. I get stubborn! Not a Lynch! There isn't a stubborn Lynch on this earth is there? Well, I get stubborn and think I don't need help. Or I get stubborn and think I can do it on my own. I'm too good to ask for help. I don't need any help any way. God helps those who help themselves! I'm not a stubborn, stiff-necked Lynch!
But God saw some stubborn people once before. I'm included in the bunch! And God told them to take those ornaments off. Stop being stubborn and stiff-necked. It's not about you...It's about Me...It's about I AM...It's about a Savior...It's about Christ...It's about the Holy Spirit.
I need to repent and get my priorities straight. Repent or perish and get over myself. Because my focus can't be on myself. My focus must remain on God. I am a child of God. I am loved by God. There is nothing more that I need, because God will always care for the children. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, forgive my stubborn, selfish, self-adorning heart and teach me the truth of your will and your way...today...tomorrow and forever. --- Amen
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