Repentance Is Our Reminder

Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you! Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come.” [Numbers 16.12-14]

How quickly we forget our transgressions!

The fact that Israel was not already in the Promised Land at the time of the event surrounding the passage above was purely resultant to the bad report of 10 of the spies that went into Canaan (the Promised Land), reported their doubt, incited the people to join their fear, and consequently were turned away by God.

But now, in this passage above, it is Moses' fault! Go figure.

This whole deal brings me back to something that has been a repetitive theme with me for some time now... We need, not only to repent, but to live repentant lifestyles. We deserve every bad thing that comes our way - it is our fault because our hearts are desperately wicked and beyond our comprehension.

I know this does not set well with many. However, we cannot ignore the fact that we are ultimately descendants of Adam, who sinned, and because we are human descendants of Adam, we too are laden with the original sin of Adam and the Pandora's Box of sin seeded by that original sin. We need to repent. We need to remain repentant. We need the Kingdom of God which only comes through repentance.

Here's a thought: if one time is enough to repent and confess our sins believing in Jesus for our salvation, then how come did Jesus teach us to pray, "May Your Kingdom come..." as a regular prayer pattern? Why would we need to continue to pray for the Kingdom to come once it has come into/upon our lives? We wouldn't! So, if Jesus taught us to pray, "May Your Kingdom come," as a pattern of prayer, then it must be necessary that we need the Kingdom to come as a regular event... And the Kingdom coming does not precede repentance! Jesus said, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand..." Repentance is where Kingdom begins in our lives, and a repentant heart is where it continues on in our lives!

We simply cannot risk forgetting from where we have come as did Dathan and Abiram in the passage above (and evidently the others cited as rebels).

Yes, thank God we today have Jesus. But! Let us not forget where we have come from! Let us not forget that, as long as we are residents of earth, we are surrounded by deception - including our own hearts! If we are not regularly reminded that Jesus wants to occupy the throne of our hearts, then we are dangerously at risk and prone to try to occupy that throne ourselves! The heart of man, because of the fall of man, is not a place man can control and so we have no Kingdom business trying to do so ourselves! We have the innate human capacity, like Dathan and Abiram, to forget! 

Repentance is our reminder!

Father, thank You for Jesus and His constant reminder that I am in need of Him!