Could This Be True Of Our Time?
Jeremiah 31
KJV
29+ In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
The context of this statement has to do with suffering for the sins of another, a thought that was dominant in Israel at the time. It was a “blame game” statement where succeeding generations blame their predecessors.
Though God told the Israelites not to repeat this “ proverb “ anymore but instead focus on how they live since each shall bear the consequences of his wrongs, it can not be denied that the “proverb” originated from the Realities they were experiencing.
The opportunities that were missed by previous generations, which imposed untold misery and suffering on them gave birth to what became a “ proverb”
We do or say the same today. Have we not as a church blamed past generations for the sufferings we are experiencing today?
For example, we are finding it difficult to get land to construct meeting places in the cities. Even when we get it, we are unable to buy because of the high cost!
At the time when the work began, Land was available and lowly priced in areas which have now developed into cities. Many have accused our forebears of not being proactive, which is the same as saying “ the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge. “.
Look at the difficulties the majority are going through to purchase land let alone build meeting places. Look at the appeals and the responses. Etc. Are we not repeating the same mistakes we accuse our predecessors of making? We are!
A sad and very disappointing picture we are painting. Surely generations after us will say the same about us, as we see opportunities passing by and we are unable to seize them.
But what is our hindrance? Is it the lack of funds? Not at all, it is our lack of unity! It is a leadership failure. It is organisational failure!. It is fear! It is a lack of understanding of what we can do as a collective; without violating any biblical principles. The list of what is holding us back is a tall one.
During my active duty, several meetings have been held with the view to finding solutions to this challenge. Agreements, proposals, plans etc were discussed and agreed. What was lacking was implementation!
In the secular world this would be described as lacking the “ political will” whereas in the religious, it is the lack of “ spiritual will”. To lack the “ political will” is to be vision-deficient. To lack the “spiritual will” is to lack love for God’s mission/business on Earth. Love-deficient!
Remember Jesus’ answer to his parents when they came looking for him when he was declared and reported as missing!
Read it
Luke 2
KJV
49+ And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
Interestingly his parents, just like us did not understand what he meant by “ my Father’s business!”
Read it ;
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Are we missing something here? Why could He not use any other word than “ business “ to describe what He was engaged in? And why did He describe it as “ Father’s Business?”
Could it be that we’ve not fully studied let alone understood what the Church of God is on Earth? I think we haven’t fully grasped the meaning and purpose. If we do then our approach will not be as it is.
Just look at how we approach our personal businesses and compare them with that of the church! Here is where the leadership failure mentioned earlier comes to the fore. If leaders understood the church as the “ Father’s business “ their approach would not be as we see today.
So yes, as we say about our predecessors, the same shall be said of us. , 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'
To avoid this indictment the solutions lie in collective decision, collective action! A few will have to set the pace ; since we can not get all to see and feel the humiliation that we’ve found ourselves in.
There was, is and will always be the “ anti-collectivist” group as was the case in the time of Nehemiah; no matter what we must start from somewhere.
A thought to share. Lamentations of a veteran soldier.