By
Beth Johnson
When
the people of God fail to keep their part of the covenant He has made with
them and fall into sin, God disciplines them with the rod of men.
Many accounts in scripture show this pattern.
"I
will be his father, and he shall be my son. If
he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the
rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy shall
not depart away from him, as I took
it from Saul, whom I put away before thee" (2 Sam 7:14-15).
The
Israelites were by no means in the same position as God's children today,
especially because of their perpetual disobedience and 'alway erring in their
hearts' (Heb 3 & 4), and the fact that most
never seem to have been converted in the first place. The
Lord showed the beginning of warning in a pattern that occurred in the
book of Judges. There the people fell away, cried to the Lord, and were
delivered over and over. We see the same pattern occurring throughout
Israel's 1620 year history. The people fell away, cried to the Lord and were
delivered.
-
And
when the children of Israel
cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to
the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of
Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. (Judges 3:9)
-
But
when the children of Israel
cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer ,
Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed: and by him the
children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. (Judges
3:15)
-
And
the children of Israel
cried unto the LORD :
for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily
oppressed the children of Israel. (Judges 4:3)
-
And
Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the
children of Israel
cried unto the LORD.
(Judges 6:6)
-
And
it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because
of the Midianites, That the LORD sent a prophet unto the
children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of
Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the
house of bondage; (Judges 6:7-8)
-
And
the children of Israel
cried unto the LORD ,
saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our
God, and also served Baalim. (Judges 10:10)
-
And
the children of Israel said unto the LORD , We have sinned: do thou
unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray
thee, this day. (Judges 10:15)
Even
though Deborah was greatly honored by God because of her leadership and
judgment during this time, it certainly was no honor to the people of Israel
that their leader was a woman. We see in several passages that it was a sign
of God's keen displeasure when a woman ruled over them.
-
Woe
unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands
shall be given him. As for my people, children are
their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which
lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. (Isa
3:11-12)
-
And
I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
(Isa 3:4)
-
Behold,
thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be
set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars. (Nah
3:13)
God
chastened his people and caused them much pain, yet He was faithful to restore
them to himself as soon as they repented. What better example could we have
for what is happening in our nation today than to read the examples from His
word. Truly He is merciful and just in His dealings with the children of men. Shall
we learn from these examples so that we are not totally destroyed?
"He,
that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and
that without remedy" (Pro 29:1).
