A Go-Between for God’s People
Such a Heart as This
One of the greatest things for a father of a toddler is the toddler is always excited to see him! When he gets done with work and comes through the door, the toddler greets Daddy with a huge smile! But that delight, unfortunately, does not stay the same forever. Children grow up and sometimes become annoyed with their parents. In these times, that father likely says to himself about his child, “Why couldn’t you keep that enthusiasm and excitement about your dad that you had when you were a toddler?”
God's Great Story
Jon Nielson
God’s Great Story is a one-year devotional aimed to help teens establish daily Scripture-reading habits as they explore God’s grand story of redemption, from Genesis to Revelation.
In Deuteronomy 5, Moses rehearses for God’s people the Ten Commandments, but he also reminds them of their initial reaction to God’s word, which came to them out of the midst of the fire from the mountain. The people were struck to the core at the power of God’s word and at the frightening reality of his glory, greatness, and infinite holiness. Listen to the people’s words: “This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die” (Deut. 5:24–25). And, in fact, this leads them to cry out for Moses to serve as a mediator for them. They beg him to be the one who will draw near to God, hear his word, and come back to pass it along to the people so that they can obey. God says this: “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” (Deut. 5:29). It’s not unlike the sentiment the father expressed about his child!
God has always provided a go-between for his people—a mediator who will bring them his word and enable them to obey it and live.
God’s word and his holiness ought to bring us to our knees in fear, reverence, and obedience. And they ought to make us ask for a mediator—someone to act as a go-between for us and God. We don’t deserve to get close to a holy God; we’re sinful and we deserve to die because of our sin! But God has always provided a go-between for his people—a mediator who will bring them his word and enable them to obey it and live.
We have a lot to learn from how God’s people respond to his word; they begged Moses to serve as their mediator, because they knew they couldn’t handle God’s glory in the midst of their sinfulness. Thank God today that he has provide the perfect mediator for you—Jesus Christ his Son. Trust Jesus alone for your salvation, forgiveness, and as the only way to a relationship with the Father.
This article is adapted from God’s Great Story: A Daily Devotional for Teens by Jon Nielson.
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