Wishy washy (Judges)

"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 21:25

The book of Judges runs about 350 years from 1400BC-ish to 1043BC-ish, but I can clearly see our American culture and even my own personal behavior interwoven into these scriptures. This brings to mind a mantra from my days with my precious Boothmakers, "For I, the Lord, do not change" (Mal 3:6) and therefore...We the people, do not change! It's almost sad to think that after thousands of years, we people are still making the same mistakes over and over and over...no wonder Satan's still in business. His bag of five tricks still applies and we fall for them all the time!

The Israelites were miraculously released from Egypt after 400 years of oppressive slavery. God maintained them for an entire generation as they wandered, homeless. He handed them city after city for their possession, and now Joshua has gone on to be with the Lord and they were left without a leader. Over and over and over Moses told them in Deut to REMEMBER what the Lord has done for you! Talk about it all the time, tell your children about it, take time each week and several times a year to reflect on the miracles and great mercy God has shown you and offer your thanks and praise for His undeserved love. This attitude of humility and gratitude was sure to keep them on course, but they chose to go their own way instead.

In some ways, this book was painful to read. Israel went in a vicious circle over and over again and could never seem to remain steady. Their command when taking the Promised Land was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes...so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deut 20:16,18) That seems pretty clear, and it's obvious God had good reason for the command He gave. He knew the effect disobedience would have on Israel...it would draw them away from Him, and He knew that HE was what was best for them. After Joshua passes, there was still a lot of land left to be taken, but Israel chose not to finish well. "Manasseh did not take possession..., Ephraim did not drive out..., Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants." (Jud 1:27-33) In many cases the Israelites put the Canaanites to forced labor, but this was not their command. They had been commanded to destroy. So why didn't they follow through? I don't know. Maybe they grew compassionate toward the Canaanites, maybe they were unable to rally the military without Joshua, maybe they were simply tired of fighting and didn't want to put forth the effort any more, maybe they thought what they had already accomplished was good enough? Either way, this first generation after Joshua dropped the ball. They did not obey the Lord in battle, they did not obey Moses' commands to remember His goodness, and as a result, "all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) That statement frightens me...could that be said of my generation?

And so the see saw begins. Because Israel chose to live among the Canaanites instead of destroy them as they were commanded, their self seeking idol worship became appealing and lured in Israel until "the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger." (Jud 2:11-12) The Lord sold them into slavery (Jug 3:8). It took eight years for the oppression to finally get through to Israel. Like the prodigal son, they finally remembered that they have a Father who can help them and the cried out to Him. This "cried out" is za-aq in Hebrew meaning to shriek from anguish or danger, to assemble, to gather together. Mercifully, the Lord raised up a deliverer, the first Judge, Othniel. This "deliverer" is yasha in Hebrew and it means to be open, wide, free, to be safe. This same word is often used to describe God himself in the Psalms (Ps 18:2, 40:17, 70:5, 144:2). So the Spirit of the Lord came on Othniel and he led Israel to victory over their oppressors "and the land had rest forty years" (Jud 3:11). But as soon as Othniel died, the cycle started again...Isreal "did evil in the sight of the Lord" then they cried out (za-aq) then God provided a deliverer (yasha). Over and over and over they repeated this cycle for 350 years! Some stretches of peace were longer than others, but it never fails that they end up back in the cycle.

Somehow, I feel like we're still in this cycle today...as a culture. If you look back through world history, there are periods of great revival and periods of great darkness. Even in our own century you can see the cycle...the "Roaring 20s," the Great Depression, the conservative 50s, the free love 60s and 70s. The question is, where are we in this cycle today? On we on our way toward God or are we pulling away from Him? I think the answer to this varies, depending on your perspective...are you a half empty or half full kind of person? It would be easy to point out the climbing divorce rate, the growing (awareness) of the sex trade, the failing morals of our culture, the number of abortions being performed and say that we have slapped God in the face. In a lot of ways, I agree. Our culture, as a whole, has told God that we are not interested in His "intolerant" ways. However, Toby and I intentionally choose not to immerse ourselves in our country's media, but to rather investigate what God is doing today around the world. God is on the move today, people! Hearts are coming alive for Him all over our planet! Yes, there is great oppression and moral decline to compete with, but people are crying out, they are za-aq, they are shrieking out for God to help them. And He is just as faithful today as He was thousands of years ago. He is showing mercy and bringing life to any and all who call on Him!

So how can we stop this cycle?
Moses told us the keys waaaay back a few generations ago...

REMEMBER
"Give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." (Deut 4:9)

KNOW AND DO MY WAYS, TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut 6:5-9)

HE WILL POUR OUT BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO SEEK HIM
"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." (Deut 7:9)

As a parent, this hits me square in the face! Not only am I to pursue Christ with everything I have, but I am to teach these things to my children. In the very next verse after Joshua dies, we read "there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) It is critical that we pass on these things to our children, and not just head knowledge and the ability to recite felt board stories. Our children need to know (yada - to ascertain by seeing, familiar friend, kinsmen) the Lord Jesus. They need to be able to recognize His voice and understand His Word for themselves. They need to know who they are...they are sons and daughters of the most High God! They are eligible for great blessings and anointings, and should live a life expecting amazing things from our God. Are we teaching them that? Or are we teaching them happy Bible stories, and that it's rude to be disobedient, and that good Christians go to church on Sundays? What a challenge! About a year ago, I heard a parenting speaker say, "You can't expect your children to be something you're not." In other words, how can I expect Haley to walk in a manner worthy of God's anointing when I don't do that myself? It is up to me to live that way now, to model it for her, and to teach her His ways as she grows. I don't want her to grow up and be a mini-Carey. I want her to grow up and be like Jesus, so that is who I need to be modeling for her!

Today I heard it said, "You will only pass along one of two things to your children...God's promises or your fears." I don't want to communicate my fears or doubts to my children. I want them to see me stand firm in the promises of God and for them to see, with their own two eyes, how our God is faithful to meet those promises! That is what will build their faith. That is what will keep them grounded in our Jesus when they go off to college, and that is what will turn our culture to the greater stage of this cycle. Will we become a nation that cries out...ZA-AQ...will we shriek in anguish for God to come heal our land and make His name famous?!? Or will we continue with the status quo and our box checking religion? We have the power to turn this cycle...will we?

Sweet Jesus, Your endless patience and mercy are beyond anything I can comprehend and we are so unworthy of the outpouring of love You offer to us. Please help us to put ourselves aside, open our eyes to the truth of the state of our culture. Give us a hunger for You and a desire to see You sweep across our nation and our world. Give us the wisdom and the boldness to go after the things that matter to You and pass by the things of no eternal significance. Help us to teach our children about You. Reveal Yourself to them and help us equip them to continue the battle we are beginning now. Thank you for your new mercy every morning...a new chance to do it over and make it better. Thank you for allowing us to work for Your kingdom! Give us the wisdom and the grace to love well all of those You put in our path, so that they will feel Your love and turn to You.