Where two or three are gathered

Last night, only three of us showed up! Our group has always been small. When we joined with the other group, they were kind of small...then they lost some members and....well, I'm worried about the future with this few of people. Joyce and Ron sure had great insights. We carried on a wonderful conversation.

So, we discussed the Song of Moses...Moses is at the end of his days and God tells him so. He appoints Joshua as his successor and then he makes provisions for the future generations to read the law during Sukkot. Isn't the story of Josiah quite surprising then. (2 Kings 22). They're about to take out the trash, and his secretary finds the book of the law. They LOST the Torah? So Josiah tears his robes...and changes the course of the country.

And then God tells Moses this song...a prophecy (?) for the future. It's a scary and stirring song...warning about Israel's future running after...oh...what's a nice word? Harlots?

That language is very reminiscent of the Hosea story. God tells him to marry a harlot and then tells his to name one of kids Lo-Ammi (Not my people). That's just what Israel was to God in Deut. 32. Verse 5: They have acted corruptly toward him;
to their shame they are no longer his children,
but a warped and crooked generation.

But there is love there too...this is in no way the end of the story. Listen to the love God has:

"When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more I [a] called Israel,
the further they went from me. [b]
They sacrificed to the Baals
and they burned incense to images.

3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.

4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their neck
and bent down to feed them.

(Hosea 11)

And listen to the ultimate promise from Revelation 21:

3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Awww...sweet redemption.