Contempt For God
Contempt: the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn. disregard for something that should be taken into account. the offense of being disobedient to or disrespectful of a court of law and its officers.
How could we ever look at God with contempt? There would have to be some deception involved. We would have to somehow believe that God is not for us, but against us. We would have had to believe a lie rather than the truth. We would have to allow ourselves to be distracted from the promises of God for us and get caught up simply in what we see. This is really the only way I can see someone looking at the Lord with contempt because of who God is.
Admit it or not, we all at some point during our lives have been tempted to look at the Lord with contempt, and if you have not; you will need to keep on living. This is a discomforting result of being broken because when we are broken we do not always see right or think clearly.
God’s response:
The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? Numbers 14:11
Not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. – Numbers 14:22-23
Have you ever been tempted to disobey God due to being in a hard circumstance for some time where you thought to yourself God could just get me right out of this? I have, but it was my love for God that did not allow me to give in to temptation. God can take us right out of situations easily, but there is something for us in the process. This is where a demand is placed on our trust in the Lord. Disobedience to God is a form of looking at God with contempt. However, when we honor our intimate relationship with God and love for God above the comfort of circumstance; we too can pass the test of looking at God with contempt. Caleb, Moses, and Aaron had the same experiences that the rest of Israel had, but one party chose to honor and believe God; while the other chose to disregard God.
This is why an intimate relationship with God on a consistent basis is so important. God cannot be looked at as a God to provide comfort and things only. We must be committed to knowing him.
He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. – Daniel 11:32 (ESV)
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” – John 14:21
Our example in Numbers 14 shares how many of the children of Israel who had spied out the land of Canaan looked at the Lord with contempt. Because they came back with a negative report despite the fact that God said he would give them the land shows their contempt for God’s ability to do what he said.
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