Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?
“What is this you have done?” This is a question that is almost always asked by someone who already knows. It is along the lines of, “Who wrote on the wall with lipstick?”, when you are an only child. It is a scary moment for a child. It is even scarier when an official messenger of the LORD asks the question. No matter what the reply is, the implication is that the LORD knows all about it. In this case, God redeemed the Hebrew slaves from Egypt and gave them the command to worship no other gods. No deal, said the people as they built altars and high places for pagan gods made of metal, wood and stone. What an insult!
God sent his Son to the cross for us so we could be in a new covenant where God supplies the obedience through Christ. All we are tasked with is believing. So far, so good. And, make disciples, Love the LORD your God, love one another, love your neighbor etc. How is it that we are unable to do what the Lord asks even after we celebrate Good Friday and Easter and the suffering Jesus went through? Today, let’s make a point of exercising our faith and obedience, looking to the cross and asking…
What is this you have done?
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church