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He Remembers and Restores, He doesn't Cancel Us
21 Plays1 year ago
We are in Leviticus and talk about what happens when people don't follow God's commands. We talk about how He, our amazing God, remembers us. No matter how unseen we feel. No matter how much we think we have screwed up. We are deeply loved and remembered.
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Transcript
Introduction and Transition to Numbers
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fillingyouupwithhope
Hi, it's Abby from Filling Your Life with Hope and welcome. and If it's your first time, we go through the Bible every week and we go through a couple verses and we look into them and we tie it to the hope and love there is in Jesus because that's what life is all about no matter what we are going through. And it's just such a gift to be able to do this. And we're already at the end of Leviticus. We are gonna be in numbers next week. So, and so last week was in Leviticus 23. And so, and we talked about
00:01:00
fillingyouupwithhope
about Sabbath and rest and about how resting is about resting in God, resting in that we don't have to worry. but We don't have to
Understanding Leviticus 26 in Context
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fillingyouupwithhope
fear because we have Jesus and resting in Him and turning to Him. And now we're going to be in Leviticus 26 today. Leviticus 24 and was about you know putting these commands into action, putting these laws into action, and taking care of of the people in the community. And then, Leviticus 25 is a lot about like and Sabbaths and Jubilees and that fresh chart. So you can look through and read those.
00:01:55
fillingyouupwithhope
but twenty 26 is kind of harsh, right? It's kind of harsh. If you
God's Remembrance vs. Societal Cancel Culture
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fillingyouupwithhope
just read the beginning, it is it's kind of harsh. and But we always have to read things in context, right? And if you finish it, there is so much hope. There is so much hope. And it's talking about when people turn away, when people fall short.
00:02:27
fillingyouupwithhope
And I think if we're honest with ourselves, we all, like every day I fall short um and and stumble. and And the Israelites too, right? They they fall short. and But there's so much hope at the end of the chapter that we're going to get into. And it ties to, he remembers us. God remembers us, He restores us, and He doesn't cancel us. And society canceling as you know happens all the time. If you sing the wrong thing, if you if you do the wrong thing, and yes, people make,
00:03:18
fillingyouupwithhope
we you know none of us are perfect and we fall short. That happens. But God is different. And no matter what our history is, no matter how like unseen we feel, we have were we are heard by him, we are seen by him, we are validated by him. I'm a therapist and I've been reading this book about emotions and it talks about how just like sharing our feelings and just
00:03:58
fillingyouupwithhope
Like having someone like reflect them back, you know, it makes us feel validated and it calms someone who's like dysregulated. And we, as Christians, like we really need to know deep down that we can give those to God, those feelings, and that He validates us. Like she
Inclusivity of the Gospel and God's Love
00:04:21
fillingyouupwithhope
He hears us, He sees how we're feeling, and He knows our hearts. So, and that is the biggest validation of all that you are loved by God. So, so something to take in that, that there's, even though society tells us that some things cancel us. And I think that a lot of us cancel
00:04:55
fillingyouupwithhope
groups and people, right? And we forget that everybody, God loves everybody and the gospel is for everybody. We've been talking about that at my and my church and acts that, you know, it's not just for Jewish people anymore, right? It's for everyone. It's for every everyone for everyone um to turn their hearts to Him and repent and live this life with him, which is the biggest gift. So no matter how unseen you feel right now, right? Or if you think that you've done things that are too too much and that you're just a hopeless case. The point is, is that no one is a hopeless case. And we're gonna talk about different examples of that today.
00:05:54
fillingyouupwithhope
And it just, it gives me so much hope. So, Leviticus 26, when people fall away, right? When people fall away. And he's talking about what is going to happen with the Israelites. They've already, like they were just rescued, right? And they were complaining in the wilderness, take me back to slavery. um And you know, eventually they're going to be in ex living in exile, they're going to, many will worship other gods, you know, they will fall short, like I said, just like we all do, right? And
Consequences and Hope: Leviticus 26
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fillingyouupwithhope
it talks about that in Leviticus 26 at the beginning, right? um He's talking about when people don't obey him,
00:06:51
fillingyouupwithhope
and don't carry out his commands. So this is verse 14. But if you do not obey me and do not carry out all these commands, if you reject my rules and despise my my regulations, not doing all my commands and covenants, then I will do the following to you. And this is where like it gets harsh, right? It is harsh. I will bring horrific things wasting diseases and fevers that make eyes frail and drain life away. And it goes on, right? And, you know, you might just read part of that, this chapter and say, God is so harsh, right? He's so harsh. But then you you need to read the end, right? Because that's where the hope is.
00:07:51
fillingyouupwithhope
starting in verse 40, right? And you know, we're supposed to have fear of the Lord where there are consequences for our actions. And so this is, that's like a reminder, like there are consequences for our actions, but God tells us what we need to do when we fall short. And that's what happens to Israel, right? And then Um, so this is, this is verse 40, but if we can, if, if, but if they confess there and their ancestors guilt for the wrongdoing, they did to me and for their continued oppression to me, which made me oppose them. So I took them into enemy and enemy territory. And then it goes on. And then verse 42, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob.
00:08:48
fillingyouupwithhope
I will also remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. So, and then it continues down into the verse that we're focusing on, verse 45. But for their sake, I will remember the covenant with the first generation, the ones I've brought out of the out of Egypt's land in the sight of all nations. In order to be their God, I am the Lord. So there is a way back. Even for people that don't obey his commandments, that fall short like every single one of us. There he is telling us that there is a way back and we need to confess and we need to turn to him and then there is so much hope. So, so much hope and there's
00:09:51
fillingyouupwithhope
There's also so much validation and that we are seeing and that he remembers, right? It says, I will remember the covenant. God remembers us, he knows us. And there's,
Faith Through Suffering: Examples from Genesis and Exodus
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fillingyouupwithhope
um this is in the Bible often, right? In Genesis eight, God remembered Noah. The earth was flowing, the flooding was waters all around him, just like,
00:10:19
fillingyouupwithhope
But we feel that way sometimes with stresses and all the things we're going through. and But what what does he do in Genesis? Right after that, she yeah God remembered Noah and he receded the waters.
00:10:34
fillingyouupwithhope
right He remembered Noah and and he took ah the the flood of waters away. And then in Genesis 30, 22, and God remembered Rachel and responded to her. So Jacob's wife, right? And her sister is married to Jacob as well. And he is able, sorry, Leah is able to have children and Rachel isn't. And so something to take in on all of these God remembers
00:11:13
fillingyouupwithhope
is that they were still suffering, right? It did not happen right away. The earth still flooded. Noah was still in that flood of water all around him. Rachel, it took her a long time to have children, right? And then Exodus 2.24, God heard their cry of grief and God remembered his covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God looked at the Israelites and God understood.
00:11:49
fillingyouupwithhope
So he remembered, he knows the Israelites, he loves them, but they were suffering. They were suffering. And we all suffer and we need to know at those times that God is listening to you. He does remember you. and just to keep holding on to faith. Because that's where faith grows, right? If it just happened right away, then where would our faith be, right? But this is where faith grows. Our faith
Transformation and Forgiveness: Paul and Jesus
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fillingyouupwithhope
in God. ah So, and and another example of this, of God remembering us is Paul in the Bible.
00:12:41
fillingyouupwithhope
Right? And acts, he's spewing out these murderous threats and trying to kill Christians. And, and you know, he's against the Lord's disciples who are spreading the way, who are spreading Christianity. And, you know, he thinks maybe that he's a good Jewish person because he's following all of the things that he's supposed to do as a Jewish person, but he's forgetting. um, love your neighbor as yourself. And like what we talked about, what we've, um, a couple of weeks ago, how it's about our hearts and what place his heart was in. But it's not like Paul, God just cancels Paul. Right. Like we would do in society. No, God.
00:13:37
fillingyouupwithhope
is so amazing and he works through Paul and Paul writes a lot of the New Testament and Paul paul preaches and spreads the gospel all over the place and he God works through him. And so no matter how far away we feel, there there's ah always hope. No matter what we've done, there's always hope. And it made me think, like, are we really taking in how forgiving of a God God is? And that, you know, cause that that's what, that's what the, this verse in Leviticus says to me, Leviticus 26 45, I'm going to read it again. But for their sake, I will remember the covenant with the first generation.
00:14:37
fillingyouupwithhope
the ones I've brought out of Egypt's land and the sight of all the nations in order to be their God, I am the Lord. Nothing takes away from the fact that he is the Lord, no matter the things that feel out of control in your life. nothing Nothing changes that he is the Lord and he's showing us his character. He's showing us that he is a forgiving God who remembers us. And so we need to take that and forgive others.
00:15:15
fillingyouupwithhope
Forgive others and really love others, right? And see their potential. Like God saw Paul's potential somehow, right? Even though he was murdering his people, God remembered him and he saw hit And I feel like we really see Jesus's character, right? When he's on the cross. So he's on the cross. He has criminals next to him, right? Who are also being put to get death. And so this is Luke 23 42.
00:15:56
fillingyouupwithhope
one of the So one of the criminals on the cross says, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus says, I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise. So even though he, that criminal committed, did things right, that were not things that he was proud of. Jesus is showing us with this, that the the forgiveness and the life
00:16:34
fillingyouupwithhope
that we can have when we have faith. When we have faith in those times
Conclusion and Invitation
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fillingyouupwithhope
of suffering and the good times and all the times when we focus on him and turn to him. So I hope that this left you and feeling heard and seen and loved Um, cause that's what our Lord, that's, that's how he treats you. He sees you and he loves you and, um, he doesn't cancel us and, and he restores us in a way that, um, is unlike anything. So, uh, I am so excited to go through more with you next week.
00:17:34
fillingyouupwithhope
I pray that your week is filled with hope and that you feel deep down how seen you are, how important you are to Jesus and that you're loved. And I'll talk to you next week.