FROM OVER THERE!
By: Rev. J. Loren Russell, BA, MDiv
Deuteronomy 4:28-29 (NLT)
“There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”
My very close colleague in ministry, Rev. Anne Marie Wyche inspired me with this scripture on her Facebook page. The book of Deuteronomy is one my favorite books because it is the proclamation of a second chance for Israel. In this book, Moses gives the people a series of farewell addresses that focuses on obedience and disobedience. Obedience, he argues throughout the book, brings life, blessings, health, and prosperity, while disobedience brings death, curses, disease and poverty. It’s a no nonsense book that sets the record straight for the Israelites and for us. Her post made me think about how far we will go to please ourselves. We will not only go to the edge of there, we sometimes go over the edge to get there.
As I thought about the allure of over “there,” I asked myself, “What is it about over there that makes it so desirable? What is it about over there that would make us choose to forfeit the sure blessings that we have over here? What is it about over there that makes us ready and willing to forsake all that we know is true, all that we know is right, all that we know is pure, that we know is noble, all that we know is lovely, all that we know are virtuous, all that we know are praiseworthy, and chose all that is false, wrong, unimpressive, foul, immoral, and shameful?
Even in the times of the text, which was about 1400 BC, it was clear that choices were the prerogative of each individual, but Moses knew that the magnetism of there was enough to influence most to choose to go there. Most, but not all! There’s always a few who can avoid the crowd and walk the path of righteousness. Moses congratulates them in verse 4 for not being destroyed at Baal Peor earlier when he writes, ”But all of you who were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today—every one of you.”
So Moses was really addressing himself to those who were not destroyed for their rebellion, those who chose not to go over there. But he also knew the allure of the things over there even for these and gave statutes and judgements that would teach them how to avoid ending up over there. But the attraction of there is really strong, so Moses shares the hope for those who go over there.
What I am saying is that we ought never to lose our faith, even when our actions and decisions take us over there. That we ought never to think that we are so far out of God’s grace that He can’t reach us. That we ought never to think that we have crossed over to a place that redemption is impossible. What the text is telling us individually and collectively is that we have to know for sure that “from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”
Be Blessed +++
Rev. J. Loren Russell, BS, MDiv is President/CEO of The JLR Company, and an associate minister at both Goodwill and Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx.
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