Tag: You Have Not Obeyed My Voice

Same thing over again

“Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.”

Judges 3:30
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years

Judges 4:3
Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years

Judges 5:31
And the land had rest for forty years

Judges 6:1
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.

Judges 6:7
When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. ’ But you have not obeyed my voice.

Psalms 106:42
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love

 

With the right godly leadership Israelites had rest from battles for 80 years, and then again they fell away and did not obey him and were treated cruelly for 20 years.  Once again they called out to God in their distress and God delivered them.   They had rest for 40 years and they fell away from God and were in bondage for 7 years.  Drifting away from God will never give us rest or peace.  What is it that this world offers us that has appearance of rest and peace?  Money, material gains, with out need of much of anything.  Do we really think this will give us rest, peace and happiness?  What does God have to do to get our attention away from this false sense of peace?  Does He need to put us in bondage.  Does He give us government officials who do not follow after Him?  Does He allow us to follow our heart away from Him?  What will it take for us to understand that all we have has come from Him.  It is not ours but rather we are stewards of it.  All abilities and gifts we have, have been given to us from Him.  We are blessed beyond measure with the eternal gift of life through Jesus Christ.  For this alone we should humbly serve Him for His honor and glory.

Drive Them Out

“Thus says the Lord, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you”

Judges 1:27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33,
Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants
When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely

And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites
Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants
Asher did not drive out the inhabitants
Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants

Judges 2:1
Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars. ’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

Deuteronomy 31:16
And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them.

The plan of God was known and understood.  The covenant with God’s chosen people was sure and true.  Why is it that the people chose to abandon what God had clearly told them to do?  It is easy to look back and say why did they not listen to what God told them.  I have to think it has to do with not staying in His word, not remembering what He has done and promised to do, and living life with Him in the back ground.  Do we think we are any different?  We have God’s word at our finger tips every second of the day.  We have recorded history of what He has done.  We have testimonies of people who declare what God has done and is doing.  Yet we chose to live two separate lives.  One full time for us and very little part time for God.  Do we think for a second we are different and what God has done in the past will not be done in the present or future?  He wants our whole heart, mind, and soul.  He wants our desire to be for Him alone.  Are we afraid that this will not be enough to fulfill us?  God will give us the desire of our heart.  If it is without Him we will surely get that and along with it much frustration, no lasting satisfaction and eternity in Hell.  If it is with Him, He has promised to guide our path, that He will never leave or forsake us, He will be our power, strength, hope,  and joy,  He will continue to give us more understanding, He will give us peace that passes  all understanding and most importantly eternal life with Him in heaven.