Faith at its hardest

Attempting to write this blog having just heard some news of the very worst kind. Left wondering what God is playing at and how He allows tragedies such as these to happen.

God, where are you? What are you doing? How can this be part of your plan?

Sometimes, I really struggle to understand all that you allow to happen to wonderful, wonderful people.

And what on earth can I find in this chapter that can be of any use today?

So in Deuteronomy 27, Moses and the other leaders again stress how important it is to keep God’s commands. When they cross over the Jordan, they must not forget God’s laws. When they enter the promised land, they must not be distracted from God’s rules. They must set up some large stones on Mount Ebal and coat them with plaster. They must write the words of God’s law in the stones. They must make an altar of stones and offer offerings in the presence of God.

Whatever life throws at the Israelites, they must never forget. Throughout all the ups and downs of the journey, they must always trust and obey. Entering the promised land is an up, that’s for sure. They have faced plenty of downs along the way too.

Whatever happens, God never changes. He is always the same. He is always with us. And He longs for us to trust and obey Him, whatever life throws at us.

“Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God. Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”  Deuteronomy 27:9-10

Be still! Stop and listen! Stop rushing around and take this in.

You have now become the people of God. You belong to the one and only true God. You are His.

So trust and obey.

These next verses are odd, like when the worship leader divides the congregation into two groups to sing ‘From the rising of the sun…..’ Remember that one? One side sings ‘Praise Ye the Lord’ and the other side sings ‘Hallelujah’. This is a more extreme version of that –

When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.  Deuteronomy 27:12-13

The next section does indeed read like a song using lots of repetition and a fixed structure – a great way for the people to remember the most important commandments –

 “Cursed is anyone who does not……………………………………….”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”  (x 12.  Deuteronomy 27:9-26)

Many of the original ten commandments are there – making an idol, honouring parents, murder……

Then there are some of the sexual no nos – sleeping with a relative or an animal.

Then there’s the one Andy covered so well in yesterday’s blog –  “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”

That leaves us with these three.

“Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone.”  Deuteronomy 27:17

This is effectively stealing of course. And this actual example happens more than you think. Neighbours trying to expand their boundaries by moving fences for example…encroaching on each other’s territory. And maybe there is something in this about crossing a boundary with a friend or neighbour – taking advantage of their generosity, abusing their kindness, pushing your luck basically.

“Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road.”  Deuteronomy 27:18

I guess this happens less often literally these days, but there is plenty of leading astray that goes on. How often are we guilty of encouraging others to do something that is not good for them?

“Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”  Deuteronomy 27:26

This is the final one – a general conclusion really. And everyone is expected to listen and say ‘Amen’ which literally means ‘Let it be so’. Everyone has to agree aloud. Everyone has to respond.

A final comment on the word ‘cursed’. I guess we all have a very different image in our head of what this word means. To me, it is the opposite of the word ‘blessed’ – so left out, not belonging to God, not fulfilled in life, going through the motions, not fully alive, dissatisfied…….

‘Curses’ to me does not mean poverty, illness, death, a general lack of success and prosperity. It seems to me that these things happen arbitrarily to those we consider to be good people or bad people. If someone gets seriously ill, I don’t try to work out which commandment they have broken to bring this upon themselves.

It rains on the righteous and the unrighteous. The sun shines on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Good and bad things happen to good people. Good and bad things happen to bad people (although I struggle with the whole good and bad people thing anyway – who are we to judge?).

That kind of thinking leads to madness. Trying to understand and make sense of tragedy is crazy. Nothing is that straightforward, that black and white.

Which takes me back to where I started.

Tragedy strikes. And when we least expect it.

But in the midst of tragedy, God is there in all his perfect compassion and love, there to minister and bless and support.

In these times, we are called to trust. We are called to obey. We are called to display God’s compassion and love, to minister and bless and support where we can.

We don’t understand. We will never understand. But we don’t have to understand. We have to find a way to trust.

This is faith at its hardest.