What Old Testament examples show rejection of God's presence similar to Mark 5:17? A familiar moment: Mark 5:17 “And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.” The townspeople saw the power of God in Christ, yet fear and discomfort led them to send Him away. This scene isn’t unique to the New Testament; the Old Testament records several parallel refusals of God’s nearness. Echoes from Israel’s early days • Exodus 20:18-19 — After the Sinai fireworks: “When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain covered in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. And they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’” – God’s presence produced awe, yet their plea was, “Keep Him at arm’s length.” • Numbers 14:1-4 — At Kadesh-barnea, on the edge of promise: “Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. … And they said to one another, ‘Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.’” – Faced with giants, they preferred slavery in Egypt over trusting the God who dwelt among them. National rejection of divine rule • 1 Samuel 8:4-7 — A king instead of the King: “So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. … ‘Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.’ … And the LORD told him, ‘Listen to the voice of the people … for it is not you they have rejected, but Me as their king.’” – They pushed God’s governance aside for something more familiar, mirroring the Gerasenes’ request for Jesus to leave. When outsiders feared the Ark • 1 Samuel 5:10-11 — Philistines under judgment: “So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as the ark entered Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, ‘Why have you brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people?’ … ‘Send the ark of the God of Israel away; let it return to its own place….’” – Like the townspeople in Mark 5, the Philistines saw tangible power and concluded, “Send it away before more trouble comes.” Prophetic voices silenced • Isaiah 30:10-11 — Judah’s determined deafness: “They say to the seers, ‘No more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us the truth. Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions. Leave this way; turn aside from the path. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!’” – The people explicitly rejected the Holy One’s confronting presence. Common threads • Fear of divine holiness or judgment • Preference for familiar comfort over transformative power • A heart posture that values temporary security more than lasting deliverance Key takeaways for today • The impulse to distance ourselves from God often surfaces when His presence upends our routines. • Rejecting Him never removes His sovereignty; it only forfeits blessing. • Welcoming the Lord—even when His nearness unsettles us—opens the door to freedom, just as the delivered man in Mark 5 experienced. |
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