Humans Need Some Soul-Shaking

Scripture: Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. Hebrews 12:18-19

Observation: There has been a major difference in the manner in which the Lord has revealed himself to the Christian believers compared to the original Jews of the exodus. In those days, the Lord revealed himself with fearful power. He literally shook a mountain, showed flashes of fire and lightening, and bellowed forth with a huge, rumbling voice. His great might was terrifying to everyone. After all this, those original Jews ... immediately violated the commandments, and created a gold calf to worship as if it represented God.

For the new covenant, the Lord has not shaken the earth, but instead has shaken heaven. He poured out himself from heaven, and brings his love and his spirit among us. He did not bellow, but simply spoke as a human. And he doesn't do this at an isolated mountain, but he does it right among everyone, in Jerusalem and every street in every town and city and location.

Application: This is the most curious thing about faith ... if God absolutely shows up with so much supernatural power that it shakes a mountain to its very core, those who see it will believe in it and be terrified with fear, but they will not believe in the Lord. Sure, they'll believe he exists, but they will not receive his word and obey his commands.

Humans don't like "proof" of things that don't align to their own logic. We create our own understanding of the world - what is right, good, normal - and reject evidence of anything contrary, or at the very least, resist changing our views and actions in light of such evidence.

This is why the message of Jesus is different. Yes, there is "proof" of everything about Jesus - his life, death, resurrection, miracles - but that proof will never influence most people to change their lives. What will influence them is life-events that require them to rethink their own logic. Contextualizing this Hebrews explanation, these life-events are not earth-shaking, they are heaven-shaking ... soul-shaking.

In the thinking about our annual outreach at Christmas, there will be people there who are going through some soul-shaking. It's time they heard from God.

Prayer: Lord, may we have the strength to communicate your love and truth to those in the midst of soul-shaking this Christmas season. Amen,