It's The Same Story Today

But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies. So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies. [Nehemiah 9.26-27] 

What Nehemiah describes here, in context, is Israel's blatant idolatry and God's ongoing redemptive mercy. I think I share the thought with most that Israel's pattern  of sin is just confusing.

Turning their back on God's Law was and is idolatry. Why? Because the first three of the Ten Commandments, the flagship of the Law, have everything to do with, "God only, no idols, and no misuse of God's name."

Nothing has changed. It's the same story today! God's people still confusingly persist in idolatry. However, it's much more complicated today as idolatry has become woven into the very fabric of society - but it's still idolatry, it still separates man from God, and it is more widespread now than at any other time in history.

God however, remains merciful and focused on redemption. Although there are times of great abundance and blessing, there are also times of horrific suffering and curses because God's justice is established. These wild swings are tied directly to God's redeeming character versus man's rebellious disposition to sin just like the Old Testament depicts over and over. Idolatry is practically indistinguishable today because of its accepted infusion into society. Consequently, people are in greater confusion about blessings and curses. If this condition of confusion existed in Jesus' day, how much worse is it today?

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” [Matthew 9.35-38]

Jesus' performance of miracles - His ministry - was purely God's redemptive mercy at work pleading with society to trust Him. Jesus repeatedly required undivided faith with the promise of blessings in return. Jesus' demand for undivided loyalty to Himself was no different than what the First Commandment had been teaching all along: "You must not have any other god but me." 

If we will see it, Jesus' dealings with "religious people and the Sabbath" confirmed that the Fourth Commandment was about Him from the very time it was written (Hebrews 4). And, just as the Fourth Commandment is the pivot-point in the Ten Commandments that transitions from "relationship to God" to "relationship to man" so Jesus (the Lord of the Sabbath) is our pivot-point to mirror His ministry to others.

By the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Jesus passed on the pivotal Sabbath-rest-ministry of "forgiveness of sins" to His obedient and believing followers. These followers recognize Him as the only way to break free from the curses upon man's idolatry (violation of the first three commandments). The evidence of having broken free (of entering that Sabbath rest) manifests in God-like treatment of others (commandments five through ten). This is exactly why we see such singled-out focus throughout the Bible on the Sabbath, as ironically seen in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading:

You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good. You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions. [Nehemiah 9.13-14]

There is indeed perfect harmony between the Old and New Testaments. It's all about Jesus - the Lord of the Sabbath. Just like Jesus was present "pre-Advent" in the Old Testament in the environment of great idolatry, so great idolatry remains the environment today in which Jesus is present "post Advent."

There is no way to fully understand or appreciate Jesus today unless we recognize the devastating idolatry He has ALWAYS contrasted - as seen in the Ten Commandments. The Church's separation of Old and New Testaments today is indicative of the Church's ignorance of its idolatry. A proper understanding of the New Testament requires that we see Jesus in the Fourth Commandment - as Lord of the Sabbath. Only when we see Jesus as the Fourth Commandment can we effectively correlate idolatry in our lives and the adverse affect it has also on our relationships with others.

None of this will make sense apart from the whole of God's Word. But, everything said here IS in the Bible. Failure to see Jesus as "Lord of the Sabbath" is a failure to understand the Old Testament. Likewise, failure to see Jesus as "Lord of the Sabbath" is a failure to understand the New Testament. 

The link between God and man is faith in Jesus - Lord of the Sabbath - always has been - always will be. Being in Christ Jesus alone meets the requirements of the first three of the Ten Commandments. Christ alone in us meets the requirements of the last six commandments. The Fourth Commandment that connects "loving God" (first three commandments) and "loving man" (last six commandments) is Jesus.

Having now established that Old and New Testaments are in perfect harmony, the modern Church must understand that idolatry remains the sin of turning away from God today. As Jesus said:

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. [Matthew 22.37-38]

But, as Jesus also made clear: 

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. [Matthew 22.39-40] 

Jesus made both these statements from His unifying position in the Ten Commandments as Lord of the Sabbath. 

And so again, just as we must see the harmony of the Old and New Testaments, we must see the harmony of the Ten Commandments. "Loving God" (commandments 1-3) and "loving man" (commandments 5-10) are connected by the Sabbath (commandment 4) - by Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath! Jesus is key to everything!

So, the wild swings between God's mercy and man's depravity, described by Nehemiah in the subject passage above, continue today. Honoring the Sabbath, Jesus, the pivotal key to everything, is man's only hope. Jesus ALONE (idols will still not be tolerated).

Father, my thoughts here today have been somewhat explosive and, regrettably, chaotic. But I know You are revealing Truth to me. The depth of Your Word is amazing! Help us to see that our lives are no different than Old Testament Israel's - we must rid ourselves of our disobedience of idolatry - honoring Jesus ALONE - allowing us to love You through Him and harmoniously allow Him to love others through us. We have no hope except in Him! So be it.