How we interpret Gods countenance personally depends on how we interpret His heart scripturally.
Speak to Aaron and his sons saying, ” This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them : the Lord bless you and keep you ; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you ; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace. ( Numbers 6: 23-26 NKJV ) Seemingly at the end of an intensified instruction process regarding the tabernacle the Lord then speaks to His children through Moses saying that His desire is to bless them ; something that humans are prone to forget in the midst of any exhaustive process ; a process that we can nonetheless trust was essential for these specific immature believers. And the fact that the Lord once again refers to them as children is a reminder that they were still in this important learning process.
Though the process these Israelites were subject to does not specifically apply to us today that does not lessen the importance it took on at the time it occured ; for this was a different time in mankinds history. In fact important enough for God to seclude a people in the wildernesss that history ( scripture ) could record what specifically happened during this time. And even if one does not fully understand all that it entailed it nonetheless is possible to understand and was ultimately a part of the all important redemption process from which believers in Christ have benefitted.
Much like the process the children of Israel were going through so to is the rest of the bible ( as well as our own lives ) a process as well. A process that is used to impact the soul in ways the Lord in His wisdom deems neccessary. Looking back at the children of Israel and their waunderings through the desert one is inclined to focus on the negative aspects of it rather than the awe and wonder that went through the hearts and minds of those who realized that the creator of heaven and earth was taking them and their people by the hand and leading them out of spiritual darkness ( the idolatry and bondage of Egypt ) into a victoriously distinct relationship whether they understood it, embraced it, or believed they deserved it. For not unlike the process of birth, which can be uncomfortable, the end result would nonetheless be miraculous !
Sadly, even when, as the opening verses state, the Lords desire is to be gracious and give individuals peace the at times difficulty of the process is nonetheless how to many have interpreted our merciful Lords intentions and character. For other than Christianity what other religion offers a redeemer at the beginning and end of a redemption process. Whereby to those other religions I say, ” Without such a victorious hope, what hope have you” ? And even in Christianity do we tend to feed to much off of the at times hopeless spiritual projections of the process, rather than the victorious eternal facts whereby an eternal God came to earth to help us distinguish between that which is earthly and religious, and that which is eternal and thus faith strengthening.
Though lifes journey for most people is different that process by which the Lord tries to impact us is really not. For despite different peoples ( and thus religions ) interpreting the creator in different ways the fact is that our Lord is a miracle worker. Miraculous in the sense that this world even exists. And with the human species having begun with Adam and Eve there has nonetheless been a continual procession leading even up to you and I. A world that has unfortunately become so commonplace that it can to easily be taken for granted and accepted at face value along with the difficulties and sometimes misery that accompanies what in reality is the full blown fruition of the fall. And most tragically mans religion has taken on such a non victorious faithlessness it discourages the most spiritually needy among us from even opening their eyes to allow the love filled countenance of God in Christ to shine upon them and give them peace.
O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD
Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !
All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/
yeh right.. great post, Thank You
Poetically just posting this comment to tell that I seize your blog daily.
Hello, it really interesting, thanks