[Biblemat] S) GOD'S DISAPPOINTING CHILDREN

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study form my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

GOD'S DISAPPOINTING CHILDREN

     The prophet Jeremiah writes in very emotional and moving
terms about the distress that was brought to the Lord by the
behavior of the children of Israel.

     "For my people have committed two evils, they have for-
saken Me the Fountan of living waters, and hewed out cister-
ns that can hold no water...For of old times I have broken thy
yoke, and burst thy bands; and you said, I will not transgress
when on every high hill and under every green tree you wan-
der playing the harlot.  Yet have I planted you a noble vine,
wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degen-
erate plant of a strange vine unto Me?  For though you wash
with nitre, and take much soap, yet your iniquity is marked
before Me, says the Lord God."  (Jer. 2:13,20-22).

     These moving words were written about Israel who later 
went into Assyria and mingled themselves with the heathens
to become known to us as the Samaritans.  What a tragedy!
(I believe the Samaritans were the Israelites that were left in
Samaria and united themselves with foreigners that Assyria
brought into the land.  No doubt, many if not most of the Israelites that 
were carried away into Assyrian captivity joined
themselves with the peoples of their captors and could no
longer be considered as true Israelites.  But, I don't believe
they became known as Samaritans, JWS).  Later the same
thing happened to Israel's sister, Judah, as she went into 
Babylonian captivity for her unfaithfulness to God.  There she
was purged over a seventy year period to come back into the
land as a nation that no longer served the idols of the world.
But this nation (God's called out nation), was to later crucify
their own Messiah of promise.  A few days before He was
crucified Jesus laments their departure in Matt. 23:37,38: "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets and ston-
ed them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gat-
hered thy children together even as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings, and ye would not.  Behold you house is left
unto you desolate."

     Needless to say, the Lord was broken hearted over the be-
havior of His children.  God had done all anyone could do to
bring them to obedience.  Christ gave the ultimate so man-
kind could be saved, but still the Jews rejected their Savior
and many do the same today.

     Every parent can sympathize with the way the Lord must
have felt and with the way He feels today.  When a child is
born to a young couple, the parents look at that child and have every hope of 
protecting and training him to be pure and holy.  No parent in his right mind 
wants his child to be ex-
posed to all the seamier elements of the carnal world.  We
want the best for our children and God feels no differently
toward His.

     Godly parents are instructed by God in Eph. 6:4: "Fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath, but raise them up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord."  Under the Old Law in
Deut. 6:6-8, we read: "These words, which I command thee
this day, shall be in your heart: and you shall teach them dili-
gently unto thy children and shall talk of them when you sit
in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you
lay down and when you rise up.  You shall bind them for a sign upon your hand 
and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes."  God has always expected parents to teach the
children the right ways and lead them in the right direction.
No parent in his right mind wants the worst for his children.
We do not raise our children with the idea that they will be-
come fornicators, murderers, idolaters, gamblers, drunkards,
dope addicts, and liars.  We want a better life for our children.
Still some children will rebel from the right paths taught them
by their parents, and will enter into practices that they were
not taught and walk in paths that they were warned to stay
away from.

     Ezk. 18:2-13 speaks of just such a circumstance.  God did
not fail His children; His children failed Him.  Every earthly
parent should rear his children in the right ways, and if such
departs, as did the prodigal son of Lk. 15, let it be in spite of
his training and not because of it.  When a child decides to
walk against the precepts of God, in which he has been instru-
cted to walk, he is not to be coddled or comforted in his sins,
but is to be made to stand accountable for his actions.  The
prodigal son walked all over his conscience and even though
forgiven bore the scars of his riotous life all of his days.  He
was, no doubt, unable to look back on his youthful days with
joy, but with sadness (Eccl. 12:1,2).  This was one of the con-
sequences of his sinful lifestyle.  He had many regrets, just 
as David did of his life.  Sin scars and Satan has nothing good to offer, but 
still he draws God's faithful children through the age old traps of lust of 
the eye, lust of the flesh,
and the pride of life (1 Jno. 2:16).

     Our Savior died on the cross to make atonement for our
sins.  He did not die to save us in our sins but from our sins.
He has every right to expect a higher path for His children.
He alone is wise enough to direct our paths.  He was tempted
in all points like as we yet without sin.  He knows how to com-fort those who 
are weak, and how to bring them home when they are overcome by the world.  He 
is "longsuffering to us
not will that any perish but that all should come to repentance
(2 Pet. 3:9).

     God is broken hearted when His offspring go after the things of this 
world and engage in practices He has instruct-
ed are the ways of death.  Still He will not prevent His child-
ren from making that choice.  He will however hold them acco-
untable for such choices (Gal. 6:9; Rom. 14:12).

     Why do we today, who are God's children, knowing what
we know, and loving Him as we love Him, disobey and disapp-
oint Him as we so often do?  Is it because we have forgotten
what He did to save our souls?  Is it because we have failed to love Him?  Is 
it because He did not do a good job of instruc-
ting and training us in the right paths?  Is it His fault?  No!
God is perfect and He has devised a perfect law that all men
can follow.  If they follow His law, then they will have a great
life.  If they "walk in the light as He is in the light they have
fellowship with one another and the blood of Christ cleanses
us from all sin" (1 Jno. 1:7).

     There was a phrase we heard years ago that we implem-
ented in raising our children it said, "God did nto make any
junk."  God truly did a flawless job in making provision for us
as children and He has done the ultimate in every aspect so
that His children can be all He hoped for them to be and be
able to be reunited with Him one day in heaven.  Let none im-
pugn God for their flaws.

     James says: "Blessed is the man that endures temptation
for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which
the Lord has promised to them that love Him.  Let not man
say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot
be tempted with evil neither doe He tempt any man.  But every man is tempted 
when he is drawn away of his own lust
and enticed then when lust conceives it brings forth sin and
sin when it is finished brings forth death, do not err, my belov-
ed brethren.  Every good and perfect gift is from above and
comes down from the Father of lights with Whom is not vairia-
bleness, neither shadow of turning.  Of His own will begat He
us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first
fruits of His creatures" (Jas. 1:12-18).

     As a child of my parents, I was a disappointment to them 
at times.  At other times, I imagine that I was a joy to have as
a child.  I am thankful to my godly parents for not giving up
on me and for making me stand accountable for my actions.
I thank them for all they did in instilling godly principles and a 
sound conscience in me.  I am still a target for Satan, as all
of us will be until we die.  God in His wisdom gave us parents
to guide us and to chastise us when we went wrong.  Timothy
had a godly mother and grandmother who guided him in the
right ways.  As thankful as I am for my godly parents and
grandparents, I am more thankful to my heavenly Father for
His patience and unwavering law that continues to draw us
back to Him.  I am thankful for His Son who loved me enough
to die for me so that I can live with Him forever.  The least I
can do while on this earth is to live for Jesus and try my best
to bring glory to His name and not shame.  May we all live in
such a way as to make our heavenly Father proud of us.  Let
us all determine that we will not be a disappointment to God
and bring to nothing, in our lives, all that He has sacrificed
and provided for us.  Let all Christians honor our heavenly
Father by bringing Him the fruit of a righteous and godly life
lived in accordance to the way He has raised us.  Make God
happy not sad!     ----  Stan W. Adams in Truth Magazine, Vol.
51, No. 4, April 2007.

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