The Weekly Rhythm: This quality will make or break your family.

We read a passage in small group this week that struck me hard.

The context of this is God’s relationship with His people in the Old Testament. There’s a character quality which is pushed to extreme ends here. Can you pick it out?

“You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into churning waters. You led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go. You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions, and good statutes and commands. You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them, and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction through Your servant Moses. You provided bread from heaven for their hunger; You brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and possess the land You had sworn to give them. But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands. They refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, and You did not abandon them. Even after they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, “This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,” and they had committed terrible blasphemies, You did not abandon them in the wilderness because of Your great compassion. During the day the pillar of cloud never turned away from them, guiding them on their journey. And during the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go. You sent Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst. You provided for them in the wilderness 40 years and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. You gave them kingdoms and peoples and assigned them to be a boundary. They took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it. So their descendants went in and possessed the land: You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them, to do as they pleased with them. They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness. But they were disobedient and rebelled against You. They flung Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. So You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. In their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.”

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭9:9-27‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

What character quality stood out as your read the passage? There’s two main players. God and His people. How does God act toward His people? How do the people act towards God?

His love for them is based on His choice to love them. If it were a contract, they would have broken it. Rather, it is a covenant, which is a fancy word for a promise with a consequence if it’s broken. There may be a consequence, but that doesn’t cease the relationship.

Have you heard yourself saying things like this? “If you keep doing that, I’m going to keep doing this.” Or, something like, “If that’s the way you’re going to act, then I”ll leave you to yourself.” This is not the way that God loves. When the Father’s heart has set itself upon His people, His disposition is, “I will always love you no matter what.”

If our love does not pursue and bless and seek the good of those we say we love, do we actually love them? The pitfall is always present. We’re never out of danger of slipping into a non-verbal contract. If we do not love like God loves, this can break our family not only as we know it but for generations to come.

For you to think about this week:

1. Is my love for my family like a contract or like a covenant / promise?

2. Has there been any times where I have offered love like a contract?

For you to act on this week:

1. Read the Nehemiah passage with your family and ask them what they notice about how God acts and how His people act.

When soft-hearted people in the Bible hear how they have acted against God, their response is humility. “I have sinned. The shame is mine.” If you or a family member displays a soft-heart this week, this is a moment to rebuild what has been broken apart.

That’s it for this week! Next week we’ll talk about why reading passages like the one today is worth returning to again and again.

Talk to you soon!

~ J.P.

I don’t get any kind of kickback for this.

A friend of ours has a Kickstarter campaign for Bible Object Lessons for Kids from the Old Testament. Check it out and share the project. It would be a huge help to share a link on your social media.