Oct. 15-Ex. 32, We a look at different modes of celebration this morning in the texts. Like college freshmen, the Israelites indulge in what the story calls revelry. Idols-false gods, ersatz gods. In a culture of divine representations, it could not have been easy to worship this invisible god in the desert.they were filled with worry,and now they get to let loose for a bit.
Moses tries to protect them from the anger of God toward their celebration of a god of their own making. In crisis, he shows his insight into the character of God,. In vv. 11-13, he speaks to God of the divine promises to the ancestors of the people, urging God to be faithful to those promises. He also speaks of the terrible waste represented in bringing the people out of Egypt just to destroy them... Moses is reminding God of the tremendous investment God has made in saving the people. Thus, Moses serves to remind YHWH of God’s own character. Moses is praying in his contention with god. He is appealing to the best parts of god;’s nature and history with this recalcitrant people. Ps. 106 says that Moses stood in the breach before God. He would plead their case like a trial lawyer before a jury.
Mt. 22:1-14 Barth put the matter: “In the last resort, it all boils down to the fact that the invitation is to a feast, and that he who does not obey and come accordingly, and therefore festively, declines and spurns the invitatio.” Worship is that feast.should worship look like a party, a scene from the golden Calf? Life together could be that festal time. Pres.Outlook-That should give us the courage to say a resounding "yes!" to the call of God no matter when it comes or where we are when we hear it.We should drop everything and come as we are, but we should also never expect to remain unchanged. Just as the first disciples dropped their nets and followed, we respond to God's invitation immediately and fully, trusting that once we do Jesus will welcome us as we are and transform us into who God intends us to be: clothed, in our right minds, witnesses to the generosity and goodness of the One who called us.Our whispers of assent mingle with the roaring wind of the Holy Spirit. And, somehow, God transforms us from Cephas to Peter, from those who catch fish to those who cast their nets to bring in people.(Pres. Outlook/Working Preacher)
Phil. 4:1-9,I don’t know about rejoicing in the midst of hard times and I certainly don’t get it when it says always to rejoice in the Lord. Where is the difference between the rejoicing around the Golden Calf and rejoicing in the Lord? Worry I know about, but it seems to say to replace worry with prayer. Then it promises an elusive peace.For instance, they would “not worry about anything” , referencing what Jesus had said in the Sermon on the Mount: Instead, trust in God leads to prayer.
So what is there to rejoice?We spend immense amounts of time searching for ersatz pleasures and distractions and call it enjoyment. joy comes from the confidence that, no matter what happens, we are inseparably connected to God and saved. It has to do with where the focus of one’s life
Paul advises: Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near” Gentleness is not an honored virtue in our land, especially in the white House. It sound too soft, We may well be more gentle with pets than we are children. Gentlemen and gentle lady.
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