Tuesday - Psalm 81 - What Could Have Been

 

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OD wanted to bless Israel. But, God doesn't always do what He wants to do.  He had a program of grace and goodness which He alone initiated toward the Jews when He caused them to escape from Egyptian bondage.  They moaned in pain… He responded with a mighty rescue.  In exchange, He required loyalty from them. That was a fair covenant.  It wasn't like He wanted to turn them into oppressed slaves or permanent prisoners (Psalm 81:10).  

Obviously, He wanted to bless them.  But, He couldn't.  They wouldn't let Him.  They were disinterested.  They were disobedient. Generally, they wanted nothing to do with His offer.  So, He did what He didn't want to do.  He left them to their own way and let them take a destructive path.  He had been willing to be their champion (Psalm 81:11 & 14).  What was the downside in that?  Fine wheat and "honey out of the rock" were on the menu, but they walked out the back door of their proverbial restaurant and chose rather to dig through the trash like the rest of the "free-spirited" vagrants of the world.  

God is not stingy (Isaiah 55:1).  He isn't eager to condemn.  He is patient, loving, kind, generous and good.  But, He allows us to make our choices... to exercise our will and to flex our prerogatives.  He made us autonomous and He means to honor that even when the cost is intense.  If you aren't persuaded of that fact, consider that our free­will cost God His only begotten Son.  If He was willing to make that sacrifice, then clearly, He is set on maintaining that condition.  However, when we make wrong choices we limit God's grace and prevent His generosity (Psalm 78:41).