Futility and Broken Faith

Synopsis     Deuteronomy 28:30-44     3/20/2018

Moses’ continued to describe the curses that would befall the Israelites if they were to break the covenant with God. These curses focused on the persistent frustration and utter futility of all the people’s efforts.

Futility and Broken Faith

It is written, there is “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel [that] prevails against the LORD.”

Moses was describing what the Israelites would experience if they departed from God. He made it sound like a deliberate wrath from God. And perhaps that was the intent. But it also describes what life is like for anyone who doesn’t know God or live in harmony with His precepts.

Self-Organized Criticality

Scientist and author Per Bak has observed that, “self-organized systems” drive towards criticality – towards instability. In other words – they always eventually break. The Tower of Babel was an effort at self-organization. The effort broke. It resulted in a deep and profound frustration.

And yet, the universe, as far as anyone can tell, is expanding. It is stable. So, not everything is unstable. Not everything has to fail. Not everything has to be frustrating.

This is the offer that was extended to the Israelites. This is the offer before each of us today. The stability of God is found in the givenness of things.

The hope of success is found in responding to what is given.

“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple” Psalm 19:8