1/17/20

Cry For Deliverance by B. Johnson



Cry For Deliverance

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?
Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)