#BaconAndEggs

Peanut butter and jelly or bacon and eggs - some things just go together. Then, there are some unusual connections that may cause us to stop in our tracks.  When someone is speaking gracious words, words that lift our hearts and minds, words of praise and worship and then begin words of warnings, it is disconcerting.  

Suppose you are a Jew and live in the land of Israel.  There is peace and prosperity in your country and a pleasant future to look forward to.  Your parents have told you the history of your ancestors being slaves in Egypt for 400 years and how God had raised up Moses to deliver them through the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and led them through the wilderness for 40 years.  The story of how these freed people had been so arrogant to test the Lord God at Meribah was part of their history.  You remember hearing how they had grumbled because there was no water for them to drink.  They had even begun to believe that God was not with them because of their need.  Just a few days before they had witnessed the waters part and they walked on dry land to freedom.  This done by the hand of God.  Yet, they began to doubt.  What an insult to God their doubts were displaying.

Psalm 95 is nine verses long.  The first seven verses are a reminder of the greatness of God.  It is asking people to sing for joy and thanksgiving for the Lord is a great God.  It reminds people that the whole earth, from the peaks of the mountains to the depths and the sea are in His hands, for He has made it all.  It is asking people to worship this King and give Him the praise He deserves.  Verse seven changes the tone.  Today, today, it says, if you would hear His voice, harden not your hearts as at Meribah.

Then comes the warning.  Blessings and warnings are here together like salt and pepper.  As that people had experienced God's blessings and yet tested Him by doubting Him and showed that they had not taken an interest in learning of Him and His ways, this Psalm ends with the result.  They would not enter into God's rest.  And so it went, all but two men died in the wilderness and did not enter the land promised to them.

We should take note of this sugar and spice psalm.  The thing that made God angry was that His people doubted Him.  God is faithful. God is trustworthy. We honor God by believing His Word. Let us not harden our hearts because we have needs.  There is a reason for everything God does or does not do.  Let us praise Him.  Let us worship Him.  Let us believe Him.