WHEN GOD SAT ON HIS HANDS

We think of God as a very busy person for God inhabits

eternity. So in the beginning “God created the

heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). We believe in

the six-day creation. On the seventh day, having

finished his task, God rested from all his work (vs.

2). Moses, the author of the Pentateuch—or the first

five Books of the Bible—continues writing: This is

the account of the creation of the heavens and the

earth” (vs. 4).

During the six-day creation, God had said, “Let there

be light” (vs. 4). Now, millenniums later, picture a

dark world. Jesus hangs upon the cross of Calvary.

He is bearing the sins of the whole world. God has

turned his back on his Son and ignores his screams.

He cries out in a loud voice: “Eli, Eli, lama

sabachthami?” which means, My God, my God, why have

you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46 NLT). Jesus is the

sacrifice for our sins, and God the Father, as it

were, is sitting on his hands. The Son of God is

forced to hear the silence of God. Is it right? No.

Is it fair? No. Is it love? Yes. Only after his

resurrection, Jesus ascends to the right hand of the

Father.

Now that our redemption has been purchased, we are

commissioned to go and make disciples of all the

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 29:18 NLT).

This was a gigantic task requiring the empowerment of

the Holy Spirit. Amongst the early Apostles, we do

not read about une lethargic gain-seeking missionary.

As I am writing this lesson, a young man comes through

the gate wishing to talk with me. We have met before

on various occasions. My assessment is that he is

lazy. He wants on the mission payroll. I hired him

once to help clean up the gigantic lawn of the Casa

Grande. He does love to talk. He likes to sit on his

hands! Our mission has no place for the likes of him.

The family of an old and proven missionary wanted to

buy him a comfortable “Lazy-Boy” recliner. He said,

“No! --Unless I can rename it, ‘Busy-Boy!’”

May God bless His memory, Erwin and Jean Bourne