Lessons From "Things Written Aforetime..."

God told Moses to write of the children of Israel:

"The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods. - Deut. 31:16-18

WHY had these troubles come upon Israel?

THEY said it was because of God.

God said it was because of THEM.

Which was true?

Isn't this how it is with us?

Later, Israel would acknowledge: “As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth." - Dan. 9:13

The apostle Peter stated that Jesus was sent for this very reason: "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." - Acts 3:26

Is there calamities in our lives? WHY...WHERE IS GOD, it is often asked?

The answer is clear, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." - Rom. 15:4

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