JUNE 28, 2023 – RECONCILIATION

READ: Dan. 9:9-19

Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. … Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people. – Deut. 32:39-43

At the end, God reveals His sovereign pleasure. He has power over life and death. He can heal both spiritually and physically. Only with Him can there be deliverance from the deepest possible misery that humans have brought upon themselves. And yes, it is even possible for us to escape His deserved wrath by taking refuge in Him. For this reason, God gave His Son.

When Moses and Israel lived, the Lord Jesus had not yet come. However, they had come to know God intimately as the God who works wonders, including miracles of deliverance. They knew Him as a faithful Father who cares for His children.

He had revealed Himself to Moses as the LORD, a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation (Ex. 34:6,7). We must sincerely ask God for forgiveness. Then the Lord will have mercy on you.

God caused a remnant of His people to return from exile. Likewise, for us, there is healing and salvation through the blood of Christ. Reconciliation is available to all who take refuge in His sacrifice, whether Jew or Gentile: Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people! But woe to those who refuse to be reconciled with Him and face His wrath.

Does forgiveness mean that you will not experience harm?

Singing: Ps. 32:1