“The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years He gave them into the hands of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:1 NIV)
The Lord will allow His people to experience the pain of sin and separation from Him while there is still time to do something about it. This is grace towards us, not maliciousness. A loving God will let His children experience oppression and impoverishment for the sake of their souls.
“Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.” (Judges 6:6 NIV)
Severe discomfort in this life leads us to repentance and divine relational restoration. Temporary pain pushing us toward remorse today is far preferred to permanent pain for eternity. God loves us enough to let us hurt while we can still do something about it, while we can turn back toward Him.
In my research this week, I learned that the gods the Israelites gave themselves over to had everything to do with fertility. The surrounding culture believed that if the fertility gods were ignored or offended, barrenness would follow. Barrenness meant no crops, no livestock, no children, no legacy and ultimately, no nation. It seems the that the Israelites gave into peer pressure and superstition; including this fertility god in their worship for fear of barrenness. The habits of the previous inhabitants of the land infected their souls and made off with their worship. Ironically, it was the bowing down to false gods that brought on barrenness in their nation. They misplaced the fact that God had promised them fruitfulness in exchange for their faithfulness.
“For I command you today, to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.” (Deuteronomy 30:16 NIV)
Generations had passed since Moses’ entreatment and the Israelites had all but forgotten God’s instructions. Suspicion snuck in: that same old snake with the original Garden accusation whispered it’s lies to God’s people. “Maybe He’s holding out on us?” They bought the falsehood: hook, line and sinker. They bowed to wooden idols. They brought barrenness on themselves.
What can we learn from this today?
There are two entities endlessly at war in our story. A liar and a truther.
Our enemy is always lying. It is best if we just assume everything he whispers is falsehood. He subtly, slyly convinces us he is for us, that he has our best interests in mind and that his way will lead to the life we long for. He steals God’s character and wears it as his own. At the very same time, he sows suspicion about a just and holy God. Is He truly for us? Can we really trust Him? Beyond identity theft, our enemy also specializes in projection; he projects the truth about himself on God, attempting to sully the Creator’s reputation with his own disastrous track record. Listen to what Jesus said about the devil.
“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NIV)
There are two entities at war in our story; there’s a liar, but there’s also a truther. God never lies. His word is unfailing – it goes out and never returns empty. He doesn’t change; He is the same today, yesterday and forever. He loves us and He is for us, He’s stated it over and over again in His Word. If He makes a promise, it is as if it is already so.
“For all the people are like grass, and all their glory is like flowers of the field’ the grass whites and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24-25 NIV)
Satan is the liar and God is the truther.
Go all the way back to the Garden with this observation in hand and consider the difference it might have made with Adam and Eve. Move forward through scripture and identify the pain encountered over and over again when people lost sight of who God was and instead listened to the lies of the enemy. Perhaps, most notably, examine your own story. When have you forgotten God’s Word? What falsehoods have you swallowed and how did they tug you along toward death?
Like the Israelites, we often forget that God’s Word is unfailing. His promises stand for eternity. Conversely, the enemy of our souls will say anything to pull us off course. When he breathes, he lies. When we lose sight of this, we fall prey to his traps. We send ourselves into oppression and bondage.
Make the correct identification today. Satan is a liar. God is a truther. Let the enemy’s lies fall off you and take God’s promises to the bank. Make God’s Word the loudest voice in your life.
Lord, we see how You have spoken to humanity since the beginning of time. We realize that You are for us, that You love us and that Your promises never fail. We also recognize that the enemy of our souls is just that, the enemy. Help us differentiate between Your truth and his lies. We want to build our life on truth, not fiction. We decide again today to listen to You. Amen.