Today is Day #24 in Counting the Omer.
24 is truly an amazing number in scripture.
24 signifies the priesthood and the assisting office of prophecy. Here are some "fun facts" about the number
24:
~King David divided up the responsibilities for the music in the Temple in
24 courses (those who would assist the priests and those who would serve as priests).
~There are
24 elders around the Heavenly Throne. Some theologians believe these 24 elders serve as God's "holy counsel" in governing the universe.
~The repentance prophet, John the Baptist, has a birthday historically celebrated on the
24th day of June.
~Jesus' Name in Strong's Concordance is categorized with the number
G2424 (look it up!). Truly He is the "Prophet of prophets" and the Lord of all. Our Great God and King.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "prophet"? Our modern view of prophets probably evokes an image of some barefoot, ragged looking individual, carrying a sandwich board sign that says:
Repent
Now
The End is Near
It's become a caricature, a joke, a cartoon. This individual is usually depicted as a crazy homeless person completely out of touch with reality. We envision someone with long, dirty scraggly hair to be scorned and given wide berth while crossing the sidewalk.
Is this an accurate Biblical portrayal of a prophet? What exactly is a "prophet" according to the Bible? Actually, they were really quite simple and uniform in their message:
1) Remind people of God's Laws: "Here's the boundaries, people!"
2) Encourage the culture to look around and notice their dire circumstances: "Hey-You guys are really off track and out of bounds!"
3) Call for people to turn around or Repent: "Quick...Get back over here!"
4) Remind people of the consequences for NOT doing so: "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt!"
That's it...really nothing spooky contrary to contemporary opinion. In fact, the Bible says everyone who has truly accepted Jesus Christ as The Messiah should be a "prophet."
For the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy.
~Revelation 19:10
So...in a sense, this message is sort of like a prophecy for the world. We are WAYYY out of bounds, on the wrong track, in need of a quick turnaround and soon we are going to get hurt. You may be thinking: "What makes you think you are qualified to give this opinion?" I guess I'm just as qualified as the long list of losers God has had to work with in the past. Here's a few examples:
"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."~Exodus 4:10
(Moses
)
"But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."~Judges 6:15
(Gideon)
"Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"~1 Samuel 18:18
(David)
For some say "Paul's letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless".~2 Corinthians 10:10 (Apostle Paul)
I think I finally realized what God's "qualifications" were. He is merely looking for people who:
1) Love Him.
2) Love His commands.
3) Are quick to REPENT when he points out our many failings.
So what's the difference between a person or nation that occasionally sins and people who are "lost in sin?" In order to explain this, let's explain the difference between "regular" (for lack of a better word) and "presumptuous" sins:
Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then will I be upright and innocent of GREAT transgression.
~Psalm 19:13
Here's a definition of "presumptuous" sins:
Presumptuous (dictionary definition): "overstepping due bounds."
Literally, you are PRESUMING on God's patience while overstepping his bounds. Presumption means you wake up each morning and knowingly plan to commit sin. You make room in your life for these sins. You work your schedule around these sins. In essence, you bow down to sin. This is where the modern Christian Church has failed miserably. We were taught: Grace, Grace and more Grace. Do you know that this statement is not actually in the Bible? We've heard it so many times in church, some of us just assume that it is Holy Scripture. Yes, the Bible says grace is abundant. But to quote Paul:
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID!
~Romans 6:1-2
So there are many people out there who are calling themselves "Christians" when really, they simply believe that God exists.
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
~James 2:19
True repentance is evidenced by a distinct turning away from sin. As long as we live on this planet we will be a sinner struggling with sin. However, there is a vast difference between "slipping up" and an arrogant, presumptuous attitude that says:
"Today I PLAN on sinning. I PLAN on being disobedient. I PLAN on not doing what God wants me to do. I PLAN on meeting my adulterous affair for lunch-it is scheduled at noon. I've noted it in my calendar. In fact, I have made room for this sin in the rest of my life."
This type of attitude is NOTHING at all like the Apostle Paul's lament:
Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
~Romans 7: 21-24
When we sin, we must be QUICK TO REPENT! If we willingly choose to not do this, each and every time, our heart hardens just a little bit more. The next "tap on the shoulder" from God gets louder, rougher and more painful-just like the ramping up of the judgments in Revelation. It's not because He enjoys sending judgment--it's because WE are getting blinder and deafer by the minute with "eyes that cannot see" and "ears that cannot hear." He doesn't want to see us encounter the pain and suffering that goes along with sin. Before we know it, a symbolic "baseball bat" to our noggin is not enough to get our attention anymore.
I've always struggled with the Biblical concept of "unpardonable sin." It seems at odds with everything else in the Bible of God's incredible love, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, grace, etc. But after a very long, and sometimes painful, spiritual journey, I now understand what the "unpardonable sin" is. It's a slow building of "hardness of heart" that can no longer be penetrated by Truth or Light. It's a "tipping point" to a "reprobate mind." Once we have chosen that path (not God closing the door on us--But us closing the door on God), there truly is no turning back.
So now on to the Church analogy: Are we just sinners or "presumptuous sinners?" With our hard-heartedness towards abortion, redefinition of marriage, sanctification of perversions, removal of God from the public square...what is the answer? Since the Fall, we've always been fallible sinners. May I humbly suggest that now we are purposeful sinners?
If the recent pandemic has taught us anything it is this: We don't know if we have 100 years left or if we have one minute left on this planet. It may be too late to turn some nations around on a governmental level. However, as individuals, we still have the option to repent personally. This year is shaping up to be a difficult year on many fronts. Similar to Moses' trek up the mountain, there's going to be a "whole lot of shaking" going on.
Perhaps you have falsely put your trust in some "angel of light" apparition to save you. We need to s
top looking for a prophet to come from Mount Sinai with wild hair, blazing eyes and carrying the Ten Commandments before we REPENT. Maybe the message can come from the most unlikely of places...you and me. Today, take it from a run-of-the-mill, ordinary, very fallible human being.
Repent
Now
The End is HERE
