Turning Aside

God will never be our accomplice. He won't be anyone's accomplice.

"One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." - Exodus 2:11-12 ESV

"And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, 'I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.' When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' " - Exodus 3:2-4 ESV

We must turn aside to meet God. Repentance is the act of turning to God and in our turn to examine the mystery of holiness we are also turning away from everything else.

It makes me think of this exchange...

"Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' " - John 2:2-5 ESV

Jesus would not be Mary's accomplice and she seemed to know better then to impose her will on Him. She turned aside expressing the need she saw and God did things His way.

What a wonderful picture of what prayer can be like.

Then there is the picture of Peter denying Christ on the night of His crucifixion...

"And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, 'Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.' But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are talking about.' And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.' " - Luke 22:59-61 ESV

Jesus was in agony gazing at Peter from afar, loving Peter, but loving Him far away from Peter's sin. Jesus walked the road that would end in Him paying for all transgression. Not a sinner Himself. No never. But He became sin.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

People may blame God for the sins of men because He forgives what no one else could forgive but His hands are clean hands.

Sin cycles can break when we turn aside.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." - 1 John 1:8-10 ESV

We are not our sins. God does not know us after our sins. It is when we turn aside that we discover who we are. Mouthing words will not accomplish that. Only seeing Jesus makes that happen. He is the bush that burns and Is not consumed. I want people to see those flames reflected in my eyes.

This is important for us also. We need God to show us the line between advocate and accomplice so that we can remain advocates.

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The Loyalty Of A Prince

I was also thinking about angels yesterday. Loyalty and angels.

"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." - Jude 1:9 KJV

"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia... But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince." - Daniel 10:13, 21 KJV

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." - Daniel 12:1-2 KJV

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels," - Revelation 12:7 KJV

Michael is described as one of the chief princes in Daniel 10:13 but then as your prince in Daniel 10:21. Angels are not human. They are a created host. It is interesting that Michael is referred to as a prince considering the fact that he is not a son of anyone in a traditional sense.

Princes are men of purpose. If your father is the king you are born and live your life as the son of the king.

"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" - Job 38:4-7 ESV

This is spoken to Job and Job doesn't know these things. He hasn't seen them and neither have we.

Micheal is a prince but we don't know why. He is a prince assigned to Daniel and Daniel's people. He goes to war and other angels heed his commands. He will stand up one day and it will be the beginning of the end of human civilization. This phase of God's plan will come to a close and a new one will begin. The Bible speaks about these happenings and they are glimpses of the future. We don't talk about these things very much... at least I don't. It behooves us to discuss grace, mercy, love and those things that are involved with having a relationship with God and each other.

Michael might as well be tucked away in a parallel dimension somewhere. We don't see him or relate to this ever loyal prince. We are told that angels are close by and there are those that claim to see and talk to them but most of the folks that do make that claim seem to end up in institutions. Angels just aren't visible to mankind at the moment.

As children of God we are princes also... even the ladies... we have all the rights and privileges of ancient son-ship.

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13 ESV

Michael wakened to existence in a moment before time began as a prince. We are adopted sons. God looks at us and sees princes. What kind of princes will we be? Are we loyal? Where is that loyalty?

David's sons and daughters seemed to have a great deal of liberty didn't they? Just read 2 Samuel. Some of it reads like an ancient soap opera. Love. Loyalty. Betrayal. Revenge.

Which son will we be? That is my meditation. Do I understand the grace of my father? Am I loyal to Him or a false perception and expectation that He would not agree with if I discussed it with Him.

The angels know their posts. There know where to be and when to be there. A third of them have left their assignment and fallen into ruin and rebellion. There will be war in Heaven because of it.

Do we stand for the grace of our father? Are we concerned with the honor of His house or are our loyalties non-existent or spread out in places that are less than royal in nature?

Grace align us. It shows us our post. When we give grace we are revealed to be a prince and not just any prince. In that moment we are a prince sent by God to stand for some one and defend them against accusation and invasion. We become living representations of God's honor, care and awareness.

These angels are God's invisible princes but we are His visible ones. Let's be sons that reveal our Father's heart.

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