Lesson from the Talking Beasts and Israel

From the Chronicles of Narnia, by C S Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, Chapter 10.



Aslan, after creating Narnia and  distinguishing some of the animals as "Talking Beasts", told them:


"Creatures, I give you yourselves." said the strong, happy voice of Aslan.

"I give to you forever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you Myself. The Dumb Beasts who I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not so."

"No, Aslan, we won't," said everyone.

But they did go back....


The Israelites, were chosen by God to be His witness and testimony of light in a dark world,

but they also went back...

    He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of
     the enemy he redeemed them...

     Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.

     But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for
     his counsel...
    
     They forgot the God who saved them...they mingled with the
     nations and adopted their customs...They worshipped  their
     idols, which became a snare to them.
                                        -- Psalm 106



 And the prophet Zechariah reminded them again --

     This is what the LORD God Almighty says: Administer true
     justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.

     Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the
     poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.

     But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned
     their backs and stopped their ears.

     They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen
     to the law or to the words that the LORD God Almighty had
     sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets.

     So the LORD Almighty was very angry.

     'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called I
     would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty.

     'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations,
     where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate
     behind them that no one could come or go.

     'This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'
                                      -- Zechariah 7:8-14


Is this our story?

We can learn much about the character of God from the way He deals with His people.

Words of great mercy and grace are being whispered to us from His Word:

     But he took note of their distress and he heard their cry;
       for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great
       love he relented...Psalm 106:45

He saved them again!

     Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the
       great love of the LORD.  Psalm 107:43