The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:11-14,
"When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the
Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried
to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have
forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go
and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you
are in trouble!"
OK. I know I used a dicey phrase in the subject line... but I really
wanted to catch your attention because of something wonderful
believers have encountered that Israel lacked in the book of Judges.
Follow me on this...
The book of Judges illustrates the truth Paul presents in Romans 3.
Mankind is sinful. His observation of mankind in general is clearly on
display in the history of Israel. We all have a bent to turn from our
Creator, go our own way and follow the promptings of our own sinful
nature. As Paul quotes Psalm 14 and 53, as well as Ecclesiastes 7:20,
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who
understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even
one." Romans 3:10-12. Apart from God's intervention we just drift
further away from the One who created us for his own purposes.
As we read in Romans 8:20-21, God brings distress, frustration into
our lives to draw us to him, "For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who
subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from
its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the
children of God." This we see played out again and again on a national
level as God brought enemies against Israel in the midst of their
abandonment of God to bring the nation back to him.
Again and again we see Israel brought to her knees and cry out to God.
Again and again God, in his wonderful mercy, compassion and kindness,
lifted the suffering from Israel through judges or leaders. He would
bring them relief as his purpose in bringing enemies against them
became accomplished.
Here is the frustrating dilemma of sin: as soon as the suffering and
threat was eliminated, the removal of the very stimulus that brought
them to their knees before God, the Israelites would follow the
promptings of their sinful natures and turn their backs on God yet
again. We might consider that God's blessings of relief, peace and
prosperity for Israel provided opportunity and set the stage for
Israel falling into sinful rebellion all over again. In a sense, God's
compassion for the nation afforded the Israelites the opportunity to
rebel against him. To be sure, it was not God's compassion that caused
the sinful rebellion, but the sinful impulses of the nation. What a
dynamic on display in the book of Judges! Sin in the heart of man
turns God's compassion into an opportunity for sinful rebellion! Each
time we see this cycle take place. And, I am reminded, it isn't just
the thick-headed Israelites, it is also me. I know all too well the
promptings of my own sinful nature.
But thanks be to God! The promptings that influence the things I
think, do and say are no longer monopolized by an overbearing sinful
nature! God, in his wonderful kindness has provided us an unspeakable
gift in the Holy Spirit. In announcing his new covenant that he would
establish through Jesus Christ, he said, "I will put my law in their
minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will
be my people." Jeremiah 31:33. This he has accomplished by sending his
Holy Spirit into all the hearts that have embraced him in faith since
the Pentecost following Jesus ascension to heaven. "I am going to send
you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have
been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49. As we read in
Romans 8:9, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but
by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
How wonderful that on a personal level we do not have to be caught up
in the kind of cycle the nation of Israel was caught up in the
historical accounts we read of in Judges. How wonderful God saw fit to
bless those who have embraced him in faith with his indwelling Holy
Spirit that we can live a new life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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