Doing Better Not Worse

Judges 2:18–19 (ESV) Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

This is a sad prequel of what will be the testimony of the Judges period in the life of Israel. 

Israel will have an on-again-off-again relationship with the Lord whereby they will forsake Him, suffer terribly, cry out, and God will rescue. But notice the final result of each cycle: The judge will die and the people will do worse than their fathers before them. If you read through Judges you will see that each Judge is more questionable in character and each time Israel cries out they do so less than the previous time. Consider that by the end of the book's cycle, the most questionable judge is in power - Sampson, and the people didn't even ask for relief before he came along.

The truth is Judges reveals the state of the human heart before Christ. The Lord saved Israel in the first place out of serving the Egyptians SO THAT they would SERVE HIM. Note the only option of NOT serving the Pharaoh is to SERVE the One who made them and called them. The original command of Moses to Pharaoh is just that:

Exodus 7:16 (ESV) And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed.

Bob Dylan said it well: "You are going to serve somebody." If it is not the Lord, it will be the objects of our world or the benefits God gives. Who will you serve? 

The natural inclination of the human heart is to degenerate further and further into idolatry and away from God. So much so that we stop even caring about the consequence of faithless behavior. This is a sad state of the heart of a man. 

The good news is there is hope. God is going to develop Israel even through their overarching disobedience during the Judges period.

Judges 3:1–2 (ESV) Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.

NOTE those words: "It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war". This is huge. Because it is showing us God's grace in spite of Israel's sin of not advancing and conquering the entire territory. There will be strategic nations the Lord raises against Israel so that Israel LEARNS how to fight and LEARNS they need a God-given leader to fight FOR them. 

I think the same holds true for us as New Testament believers. The Lord wants us taking on new challenges in the mandate to rule and reign with Christ over the powers of this age. When we do not commit to that, the Lord will allow obstacles that push us to our limits. We then have a choice, despair or dig deeper in faith and call out to God. You see for Israel, the trials of the Judges period points them to their need for Divine help. That help is first David but ultimately the Son of David, Jesus Christ. 

Christian, God wants you fighting! Not fighting people but fighting for your rest in Him. And as New Covenant people, we have the wonderful reality of knowing our true and better David has come and is ready to help us. The best part is He never dies. So we don't grow worse, we grow better.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (ESV) Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.