This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh - Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." (Jeremiah .23-26)Understanding the nature of God’s sovereignty in terms of process, or journey, is not simply contemporary and fashionable. This is integral to the revelation of the Old Testament. The World depicted there is one of cosmic chaos, where there are many influences and spiritual forces, including evil ones. But the Creator remains supreme, and the Creator deals with His creation in a forming, moulding manner. Out of intense, overcoming love. Even when that which He has created does not choose to conform to Him but rebel and decline from His plan and purpose, God elects to remould and reform that which he has made to conform to His character and will.
And when we open our lives to the Lordship of Christ, God will be relentlessly loving in bringing this about in us. Whether we like it or not.
Walter Brueggemann's new book is great at applying this profound and reassuring truth to present political realities. Old Testament scholarship well applied.
