The second promise of a new life at first may sound like it has nothing to do with us. When’s the last time you knelt in front of an idol?
Exodus 20:4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
However, the promises of a new life go so much farther than that. You see, making an idol was a way for people to understand their god. We want something that we can understand – that we can wrap our minds around.
This is the power of the second promise for a new life: You will not control me! I am going to take you on an adventure – a life that is outside of the box that you live in.
If I can understand God; if I can wrap my mind around Him; if I can define Him then I am at the same level of God- and I keep a huge level of control in my life. I am at the level of God!
But, when we see what God has taken us through; when we see that God has given us freedom; when God has taken us out of our own Egypt, we simply say, “WOW! I want nothing else! And not only that, but I give control up to God… Take me on this adventure!”
This is the power of the second promise!
Now, some of you may have read to the end and are saying, but Chaplain Brian, “What about that ending and the sins of the fathers on the children?”
Well, Let me just make it simple… When we try to control the adventure, we mess up our own lives – AND the lives of other people. We don’t just live for ourselves – we affect others.
However, the great thing is, we can effect positive change! The second part is that God lavishes His love for a thousand generations. You are receiving blessings from people you have never known in your family tree who loved God! And that power is greater than the power you have to hurt someone by your actions!
God is promising you the most incredible adventure! You will not try to box God up and He’s going to take you on an incredible adventure!