Below is a very simple devotion I wrote for Indonesian class. I wrote it first in Indonesian and translated it to English. It reflects the central thought of a sermon I am preparing for a Small Catechism Workshop on the Islands of Mentawai, which will be held the last week of February. I hope to be able to write and preach it in Indonesian!
Tuhan Menghadapkan Wajah-Nya
“Tuhan memberkati engkau dan melindungi engkau;
Tuhan menyinari engkau dengan wajah-
Nya dan memberi engkau kasih karunia;
Tuhan menghadapkan wajah-Nya
kepadamu dan memberi engkau damai
sejahtera.”
Bilangan 6:24-26
Ketika saya memarahi anak saya, Eleanor, dia melihat wajah saya dan sudah tahu bahwa saya marah. Jadi dia mencoba memeluk saya dan mengatakan hal yang manis dan bilang kepada saya, “Aku cinta kamu, Ayah!” Ketika ini terjadi, Eleanor sedang mencoba mengubah kemarahan saya menjadi kecintaan. Kadang-kadang itu berhasil dan saya tidak bisa tetap marah. Kadang-kadang itu tidak berhasil dan saya menegur dia.
Gambaran wajah Tuhan dijelaskan oleh Firman Tuhan. Ketika Tuhan marah kepada kemanusiaan yang penuh dengan dosa, wajah Tuhan menjadi panas dan terbakar. Bagaimana wajah Tuhan berubah menjadi wajah yang penuh dengan kecintaan? Perilaku kita tidak bisa mengubah Tuhan, Bapa Kita di sorga. Yesus Kristus disalibkan dan mati untuk kita. Yesus Kristus menanggung dosa-dosa kita dan memaafkan itu. Pekerjaan dan perbuatan Yesus Kristus membuat kita menjadi suci dan sempurna dalam penglihatan Tuhan, Bapa Surgawi kita. Karena itu wajah Tuhan berubah dan menjadi penuh dengan kecintaan.
Dalam Bilangan 6:26 Tuhan menjanjikan bahwa Dia akan menghadapkan wajah-Nya kepada kita. Kita dibuat suci dan sempurna melalui Yesus Kristus sehingga ketika kita dilihat oleh Tuhan, Bapa kita di surga, wajah-Nya memperlihatkan kecintaan dan memberi kepada kita damai sejahtera.
God Lifts Up His Countenance
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon
you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
When I am angry with my child, Eleanor, she sees my face and knows that I am angry. So she tries to hug me and say sweet things and she says to me, “I love you dad!” When this happens, Eleanor is trying to change my anger into love. Sometimes it works and I cannot stay mad. Sometimes it does not work and I scold her.
The image of God’s face is described by the Scriptures. When God is angry at humanity which is full of sin, God’s face becomes hot and burns. How does God’s face change to become a face which is full of love? Our actions can not change God, our Father in heaven. Jesus Christ was crucified and died for us. Jesus Christ bears our sins and forgives them. The work and deeds of Jesus Christ makes us become holy and perfect in the sight of God, our Heavenly Father. Therefore, the face of God changes and becomes full of love.
In Numbers 6:26 God promises that He will lift up his countenance upon us. We are made holy and perfect through Jesus Christ so that when we are seen by God, our Father in Heaven, His face shows love and gives peace to us.