The purpose of this lesson: To emphasize that we cannot insure ourselves against hard times by seeking to obligate or manipulate God on the basis of “His investment.”
Believing people tend to look at God’s acts as an investment. People have a difficult time abandoning anything that represents an extraordinary effort or a huge infusion of personal funds. Literally, people can reach a point of investment that declares, “We have too much involved—we cannot abandon this effort and loose all we put in it.” It is possible for people to invest so much that they will continue a doomed effort in an attempt to salvage the investment. In such cases, success changes definitions—saving the investment becomes the definition of success.
The terrible tendency to think that God is a superhuman continues! We place such significance on (1) effort and (2) material resources that we become certain God does also. Among the many results of such thinking, we become convinced that God thinks as we think, God values what we value, and God is motivated in the same ways we are motivated.
People assume God also can have too much involved. They assume God has invested so much effort, so much power, or so much “time” that He could not possibly abandon the effort. Thus we think, for example, that God “has to bless the church,” or “has to save me” because He has too much invested. The point IS NOT that God seeks for ways to abandon His attempts to bless His people. The point IS that we can consider God’s involvement to be so great that our behavior or obedience is irrelevant. Thus we can behave and act without regard to God’s ways because God has too much involved to abandon us. “God could not possibly let that happen—He has too much to lose with all He has invested.”
It is assumed by many people that God has too much involved to abandon an effort. To God, He does not abandon an effort by beginning again or choosing to accomplish the same result in another manner. What we may regard to be “abandoning an investment,” God may see as pursuing a useless means. God wants to BLESS HIS PEOPLE, but God has no desire to bless those who oppose His purposes and values.
With that reasoning, some conclude that God could never allow hard times to come to His people. “We are too valuable to God for God to let that happen.” The reasoning: God has to act favorably because He has too much invested. He must protect His investment!”
Enduring hard times in this physical existence is not proof of God abandoning His people, but a demonstration of the existence and power of evil in physical existence. God cannot be manipulated because He must protect His investment.
As an example, consider God’s relationship with Israel. In Exodus 32, Moses was on the mountain a long time with God. In Moses’ absence, Aaron made a golden calf to serve as an idolatrous object of worship. God was insulted by Aaron’s act and Israel’s idolatrous worship, and Moses was deeply angered by Israel’s idolatrous act. God was so insulted by Israel’s idolatrous act, He wanted to destroy the people of Israel AND BEGIN AGAIN WITH MOSES (Exodus 32:10). Moses intercession spared the people. In the intercession, Moses appealed to God’s character, not the people’s worth.
Christians can learn much from God’s interaction with Israel. Carefully note (1) the mindset of Israel [do not overlook their motivations] in the incident of the golden calf, and (2) the reaction of God to Israelite rebellion. God seeks people who trust His character, values, and purposes; He does not seek people who are deceived by their conviction that they can manipulate Him. We must have God; God can do quite well without us.
Consider. God (in a difficult effort) sent Moses to rescue these slaves. God performed ten powerful miracles to humble Pharaoh. God led Israel across the sea on dry land. God defeated the Egyptian army. God gave them water at Elim and at Rephidim. God gave quail and manna to eat. God enabled them to defeat the forces of the Amalek. Does all this sound like a major investment? Yet, God was willing to begin again with one man to fulfill His promise to Abraham! In spite of what seems a major investment to us, that investment meant nothing to God. The insult of ingratitude was more significant than the investment!
From our perspective, God made an enormous investment in those Israelite people.
Continue the example by looking beyond of the Exodus 32 incident to the incident in Numbers 14. A few months have passed. Israel was brought to Canaan’s border and could enter the land God promised. Israelite spies entered Canaan. Upon return, most of them report that the territory was fertile, but it was too difficult for Israel to conquer. The Israelite people were discouraged by the report, and they refused to enter the land God promised.
Relate the incident of Israel’s rebellion at the border of Canaan. Note the preparation for invasion, and the reasons Israel gave for refusing to invade.
God reacted to Israel’s lack of faith in Him in disgust and anger. Read Numbers 14:11, 12. God was incensed that Israel rejected Him by having no faith in Him in spite of all He did for them. God’s solution was to do as He wished to do in Exodus 32. He would destroy Israel, and begin again with Moses. The end result would be a greater and mightier nation. Moses interceded again by appealing to God’s character. With all God had done for Israel, He had not done so much that beginning again was not an option.
Note: (1) God regarded Israel’s refusal to invade as a lack of trust in Him (stress invasion was God’s idea, not a desire arising from Israel), and (2) God had no desire to abandon His objective (His unchanged objective could take a different path—the people of Israel were not essential to God achieving His objective).
Do not think you can obligate God or manipulate God on the basis of what you consider obligations to achieve some type of protection against hard times. Christians do not belong to God in order to escape difficulties. They belong to God to cope with difficulties.
We create grave difficulties for ourselves when we think we can obligate or manipulate God. We must never think that the objective of being Christian is to escape hardship in this physical world.
Read 2 Peter 2:20-22. Peter spoke of people who had come to Christ and turned away from Christ. These people exercised their power of choice to come to Christ, and they exercised their power of choice to leave Christ. The consequences of their leaving Christ included (1) they are “again entangled” and “are overcome” (2) with the result that their condition became worse than it was before they came to Christ.
It is essential to realize this statement was written concerning those who abandoned Jesus Christ. It was declared because of Christians who were disillusioned by facing physical hardship in this world. Consider verses 18 and 19.
Three things leap out. (1)They needed to be on guard lest they fall from their own steadfastness. (Do not take God for granted—it can happen to you!) (2) You can be led away from Christ by unprincipled people. (In an environment of no principles, it is easy to become an unprincipled person) (3) It is easy again to do what you knew how to do before being a Christian. (What one did before knowing Christ can easily seem natural and desirable.)
Call attention to these things. Note how sobering each is. At the core, faith involves responsibility. Faith does not encourage irresponsible, godless behavior. Life is not about having fun or self-indulgence.
Beware of holding God responsible for your poor judgment! May God give us wisdom when we determine causes!
FOR THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION
1. Believing people tend to look at God’s acts how?
Believing people tend to look at God’s acts as an investment.
2. People have a difficult time abandoning what? Why?
People have difficulty abandoning things that represent extraordinary effort or a huge infusion of personal funds. Such people have ”too much involved.”
3. Some conclude that God would never allow what? Why?
God would never allow hard times to come to His people. God has too much invested, and He must protect His investment.
4. What was the incident in Exodus 32 that insulted God and angered Moses?
The incident was Aaron’s building of and Israel’s worship of the golden calf.
5. State God’s “investment” in Israel at that time? What was God willing to do?
God was willing to start over with Moses.
6. What was the incident in Numbers 13 and 14?
It was the first opportunity Israel had to enter Canaan.
7. How did God react to Israel’s lack of faith? What did God wish to do? What would be the end result?
God wanted to destroy Israel. God wanted to begin again with Moses. The end result would be a greater and mightier nation.
9. What should we never think?
We should never think we can obligate or manipulate God.
10. In 2 Peter 2:20-22, what people did Peter write about? The consequences of such people leaving Christ included what?
He wrote about Christians who abandoned Christ. The consequences included being entangled again and overcome, and being in a worse condition than they were prior to conversion.
11. State three things that leap out?
12. Christians should beware of what?
We should beware of holding God responsible for our poor judgments.
13. For what wisdom should Christians pray?
We should pray for wisdom as we determine causes.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 4