Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
We want to stand hushed in solemn awe as we think of Moses willing for God to blot his name out of the Book of Life because of (a) his love for Israel that they not perish, and (b) his concern for the honor of God's name before the wicked, pagan world. (The fantastic story is in Exodus 32.)
Jesus said that there is no "greater love" possible than for one to "lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). But that "life" is more than this present physical life; if you "lay down [that] life" in hope of getting it back for eternity in the first resurrection, that's wonderful, but Moses did far more than that! He laid down his eternal life, because if your name is "blotted out" from the Book of Life, you are in the second resurrection category, and that ends in "the second death" (see Rev. 20:12-14 and 2:11). That's the death with no hope whatever. And that was the commitment Moses made! That's why he was chosen to encourage the Son of God as He was facing His cross (Matt. 17:2, 3). Nobody else from the previous 4000 years was quite so able to penetrate into the thinking of Jesus at that time.
Well, there was one other man who stood with the Son of God on the Mount of Transfiguration--Elijah (translated without dying, 2 Kings 2:11). He too had had an experience like that of Moses--he "requested that he might die, … O Lord, take away my life" (1 Kings 19:4). He must have been down in the worst depression possible! Yes, he had been through deep waters: (a) Not one person had stood with him on Mt. Carmel--he saw himself utterly alone (1 Kings 18:21). (b) Now the government of Israel, God's true people, wanted to kill him with the "curse" of the second death (that was their idea; vs. 2). (c) Elijah saw himself as a total failure in serving God in "the great controversy between Christ and Satan." He did not yet have a clear concept of the resurrection, as we have today; for him, "life" here and now seemed all there was to it (Job wrestled through that, too). Elijah, like Moses, meant, "Take away my [eternal] life."
Yes, Elijah was in Moses's league; thus he too could encourage the Son of God in His darkest hour (Matt. 17:2, 3)! But why is God going to send "Elijah" back to us now (Mal. 4:5, 6)? Do you have an answer??
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 3b, 2001.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
We want to stand hushed in solemn awe as we think of Moses willing for God to blot his name out of the Book of Life because of (a) his love for Israel that they not perish, and (b) his concern for the honor of God's name before the wicked, pagan world. (The fantastic story is in Exodus 32.)
Jesus said that there is no "greater love" possible than for one to "lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). But that "life" is more than this present physical life; if you "lay down [that] life" in hope of getting it back for eternity in the first resurrection, that's wonderful, but Moses did far more than that! He laid down his eternal life, because if your name is "blotted out" from the Book of Life, you are in the second resurrection category, and that ends in "the second death" (see Rev. 20:12-14 and 2:11). That's the death with no hope whatever. And that was the commitment Moses made! That's why he was chosen to encourage the Son of God as He was facing His cross (Matt. 17:2, 3). Nobody else from the previous 4000 years was quite so able to penetrate into the thinking of Jesus at that time.
Well, there was one other man who stood with the Son of God on the Mount of Transfiguration--Elijah (translated without dying, 2 Kings 2:11). He too had had an experience like that of Moses--he "requested that he might die, … O Lord, take away my life" (1 Kings 19:4). He must have been down in the worst depression possible! Yes, he had been through deep waters: (a) Not one person had stood with him on Mt. Carmel--he saw himself utterly alone (1 Kings 18:21). (b) Now the government of Israel, God's true people, wanted to kill him with the "curse" of the second death (that was their idea; vs. 2). (c) Elijah saw himself as a total failure in serving God in "the great controversy between Christ and Satan." He did not yet have a clear concept of the resurrection, as we have today; for him, "life" here and now seemed all there was to it (Job wrestled through that, too). Elijah, like Moses, meant, "Take away my [eternal] life."
Yes, Elijah was in Moses's league; thus he too could encourage the Son of God in His darkest hour (Matt. 17:2, 3)! But why is God going to send "Elijah" back to us now (Mal. 4:5, 6)? Do you have an answer??
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 3b, 2001.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
