T'was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and all through the land, folks were deciding what plans would be grand. "Do we have our friends over, does the family come? If we don't see others soon, we will be quite glum. Will we feast on turkey and the sides we adore or will we just let Uber bring it straight to our door? Our Zoom time is limited and facetime's just quirky. I wonder if that hunter will share his deer jerky?"
'Tis Thanksgiving 2020, no Christmas, not yet! Our next month and 1 week will be the best part of it yet! With all of the things that this year has brought down, it can't stop our thankful or the joy that we've found! Yes, there is joy, though hard to find in this year. 'Tis worth all the effort, the search brings great cheer! Joy can be found right there where you sit! You cannot give up, you cannot say quit!
'Tis Tuesday my friend! The best day of the week! We're here to bring part of the joy that you seek! This blog it has music and musings to ponder! It will fill you with joy! It will fill you with wonder!
So let's take a breath, we've still got some year left. To lose your joy now would be a great theft! Let's just settle in with new mem'ries to make. Today's Notes could start a Hard Habit to Break...
The 2nd single released from Chicago 17, was "Hard Habit to Break". It continued the rebirth in popularity for the band from the windy city. They had seen a huge resurgence with their previous album, Chicago XVI. "Hard Habit to Break" would continue and expand on this rejuvenation as it was nominated in 4 Grammy categories. Arrangers David Foster and Jeremy Lubbock would win the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals. (Didn't know that one existed either...)
Numbers and numerals have always been a part of the Chicago moniker. Here are a few integers about the band you might find interesting. Chicago 17 represents the pinnacle of the band who celebrated 50 years of records and touring in 2017. This album alone has sold in excess of 6,000,000 units (6 X Platinum) making it the best-selling Chicago record to date. It peaked at #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 and would be the last album (the band's 14th studio album) featuring Peter Cetera on lead vocals and bass. It was the 2nd record on the Full Moon/Warner Bros label and 2nd of 3 that were produced by David Foster (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Carol of the Bells" (David Foster/Pentatonix)). The album received 6 Grammy nods (including Record of the Year) and took home 3 of the awards. (Producer of the Year for Foster, Best Engineered Recording for Humberto Gatica, and the aforementioned award for "Hard Habit to Break". Chicago 17 also includes today's featured song, the 11th Chicago song highlighted as a feature on Tuesday's Musical Notes:
Numbers and numerals also have a special place here at Tuesday's Musical Notes. In fact, over the last 13 weeks, we've covered The 10 Commandments, the other rules that the Israelites would live by, and the instructions for creating the 1st church/worship center/tabernacle as given to the Hebrews camped at the base of Mt. Sinai. The Israelites were 3 months removed from being slaves in Egypt by this time. They had seen the 10 plagues do ruinous things to Egypt where they had been living as captives for 400 years. But it would be the next 40 days that would determine many things for the future of the fledgling nation.
Moses has been summoned up Mt. Sinai to be given in stone the physical representation of the covenant that God had just made orally with the Israelites. This would become known as the Aseret HaDibrot or the Decalogue. While Moses is on the mountain, the Israelites begin to grow restless questioning what they are doing out in the middle of nowhere and wondering what could have become of Moses. "...Being without you takes a lot of getting used to..." Moses' absence only heightens the complaining they have been doing continually since leaving Egypt as they begin to grow wary about the unknown aspects of their journey. This groaning has turned into a habit. With practice, this hard habit to break begins to manifest itself in some very evil ways.
The story of the golden calf incident is one that is very familiar to anyone who has been in a Sunday School environment in the last 100 years. Poor worship habits coupled with the Egyptian worship influences of their past, create for the Israelites a hard to break cycle of honoring gods made by human hands. It seems incredulous that a people who had heard the voice of God booming "Thou Shall have no other gods before Me" less than 40 days ago, would take the gold they had and turn it into an idol. Even more difficult to believe is who "fashioned it with a graving tool", Aaron, Moses' brother! Can you hear Moses? "Aaron, you had 1 job to do...!!!"
The most egregious thing to come from this story is the bad habit and blatant disobedience of idol worship by the Hebrews, but there are some other aspects to this chapter that sometimes get overlooked:
1) Moses serves as a precursor of Jesus: In verses 11-14 we see Moses pleading with God on behalf of the Israelites much like we are told that Jesus pleads with God on our behalf. Romans 8:26-39 NASB/AMP/KJV
2) After the idol had been destroyed and the remaining Israelites had a very expensive glass of water, Moses goes back up the mountain to continue to intercede and find out what God's next instructions may be. Moses goes so far as to accept his own death at God's hand rather than have the Israelites wiped out. God forgives and tells Moses that He will not blot Moses, nor the Israelites out of His book. Does this suggest that everyone begins in God's book? Does this mean that our predestined eternity when we are born is heaven and that the only way that changes is based on our decision to accept or deny Holy Spirit's drawing? If we grieve Holy Spirit and God turns us over to our own reprobate minds (Romans 1:18-32 NASB/AMP/KJV), are we then blotted from God's book as he suggests in Exodus 32? The Notes confesses the need for more research on this one, but it begs the question...
3) Finally, this chapter closes with discipline for the Israelites. Sin has immediate consequences as seen in the death of the 3000 men at the hand of the sons of Levi (the priestly tribe) and the drinking of the gold-laced water. But as Proverbs 3:11-12 NASB/AMP/KJV indicates, God must discipline those He loves. God metes out this discipline with an undescribed plague to those who had been part and parcel to the rebellion all the while showing mercy and grace during the time of discipline as He promises His angel to continue in leading them on their journey.
As we continue through the Old Testament we will soon see that the bad habits at the base of a mountain are replicated many times. The question arises, how can we break the chain of repeating bad habits? Here are a couple of suggestions:
Habits can be good. Practicing your artistic creativity, getting reps in your chosen field of athletics, and reading the Bible consistently are all good habits to cultivate. But as we have seen in today's Notes, there are evil things that we continually do that become hard habits to break. Though there are always consequences if those bad habits become sin, God through His love, mercy, and grace provides the discipline to break the habit and help us learn from our mistakes. He is just and willing to forgive us from ALL unrighteousness if we will repent (turn away) from our sin.
...cue the horns...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by Serving You,
randy
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