Other-oriented

dead tree

Pharaoh just loves to think about giving conditions to God in regards to letting the people of Israel go and then not letting them go.

Then the king hurriedly called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.Now forgive my sin this one time and pray to the Lord your God to take away this fatal punishment from me.”Moses left the king and prayed to the Lord.And the Lord changed the east wind into a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and blew them into the Gulf of Suez.[a] Not one locust was left in all of Egypt.But the Lordmade the king stubborn, and he did not let the Israelites go. – Exodus 10:16-20 GNT

He acted not only as if he was ruler over everything, but he thought he was over God too. I see myself not being very different. I notice when I really do not want to surrender fully or obey fully. I hear myself bargaining or giving my terms and conditions to God. I also hear my prayers asking God to answer them and meet all my needs. Sounds like what Pharaoh has been doing.

The story Jesus gave about fig tree illustrates the idea of what Moses did for Pharaoh.
Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none. So he said to his gardener, ‘Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?’ But the gardener answered, ‘Leave it alone, sir, just one more year; I will dig around it and put in some fertilizer. Then if the tree bears figs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.’” – Luke 13:6-9 GNT
Is the gardner’s example of intercession for the tree not a great example of when it is the right time to intercede for others? Should I pray for those I preach to? I like the attitude and approach the gardner makes. Notice that he does not pray, “never cut it down” but rather “leave it alone for this year.” As another side note, notice that there is grace given by the gardner to a tree that did not necessarily deserve grace. This tree was condemned to die and the gardner stepped in and said wait, he offered grace – love that. I think there are a lot of fig trees out there that have not produced fruit and I believe God would have us pray for mercy. Then I must stand in the gap, to add some fertilizer. I know it is not to be forever, just a period of time, sufficient time. While it is great to be praying for someone and for others to be praying for me, they are just that – offers of grace, but not repentance. That has to come from my own faith and prayers. I love that someone will walk with me and another will allow me to walk with them but at the end of the day the one who is receiving the prayer of grace has to humble themselves and begin to walk with God too. I am not too sure what it will take for unfruitful followers of Christ to be awakened. For me, the Holy Spirit uses testimonies. They have a large impact on me. For others I know it is remembering the promises of the gospel. These are things that are warming and fattening as manure to a tree. 
“The triune God existed without the universe and without any need for it. Father, Son and Spirit – the divine Family – have existed from eternity in their free, mutual self-giving and self-receiving love. Relationship or communion is intrinsic to this “household” (or economy) of divine persons who, though distinct from on another, are inseparably united in other-oriented love. This divine inter – (and inner – ) connection of mutuality, openness, and reciprocity has no individualistic competition among the family members, but only joy, self-giving love and transparency. Rather than being some isolated self or solitary ego, God is supremely relational in his sef-giving, other-oriented nature. Within God is intimate union as well as distinction – an unbreakable communion of person. The persons of the Godhead can be distinguished, but not separated. God is both community and unity. – Paul Copan

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