If I haven't mentioned it before, I teach the Adult Sunday School class at church while our regular teacher is out with medical issues (He is better but could use prayers for continued healing).
I have loved teaching this class. I've never taught adults before but I'm really enjoying the experience. This week's lesson was on 'Return to Obedience'. We are still on Judges. If you have never read Judges, it's a VERY interesting book. If you really get into reading it, it breaks your heart what happens. Jephthah's story especially.
So, we were studying Judges 10. Basically up until now the Israelites were on this rollercoaster: Worship God, New Generation, Worship Idols, Become oppressed by another country, Cry out to God, God raise up a Judge, Israel saved, Judge died, Israel worshipped Idols.
THAT is the entire book of Judges... but don't let that keep you from reading it. There are lots of interesting people and events that happen.
Such as...
In Judges 10:6-8, the Israelites had started serving not one god (Baal), not two gods (Baal and Ashtaroth), but SEVEN god/idols... SEVEN.
GOD. WAS. TICKED.
Things were good in Israel, so they threw God in a box, locked it, placed Him on a shelf until they 'needed' Him, and expected Him to be there for them.
Oh... were they wrong!
It got me thinking about marriage. My husband (bless him... I love him to pieces) is a good man. A very good man. However, sometimes I wonder how he thinks his clothes get from the bathroom floor back into his drawer; clean and ready to wear again.
When things are GOOD... when we have clean socks... when we aren't being oppressed by another nation... then we tend to forget to say 'Thank You'. Either 'Thank you God' or 'Thank you wife/husband/mother/etc'
And don't think that I'm comparing myself with God. Far from it. I'm not perfect. We have this huge bush in the front of our house and it was starting to run across the porch. I came home from with the other day and the Hubs was sitting here watching tv. After a while he said, "You didn't even notice the bush, did you?"
Um... No! The man cut down the entire bush... and I hadn't even noticed. I told him thank you for it later...
God 'cuts down our bushes'... He 'washes our socks'... and does MIRACLES for us every day, but maybe we are used to it (like Hubs is of his socks being clean) or maybe we are just too busy to notice (like I was coming home from work and just wanting to start supper).
HOWEVER, sometimes we get tired of not being noticed... of being ignored. This hasn't happened, but lets say that I decide I'm tired... and I'm NOT going to wash Hubs' socks any more. He doesn't appreciate it anyway... so why should I do it?
And then... he notices... and he says, "Ok, Honey, I'm sorry. Just get me some socks clean so I can go to work."
Is he sincere?
Um... No. He's not truly sorry... he doesn't want to change... he just wants his socks clean.
Just like the Israelites in Judges 10:10... and just like US sometimes. We want to keep God in his little locked box, drag him out when we need him (when we are in trouble), thank Him, put him back in His locked box, and place Him on His shelf... then go on doing what we want to do.
God gets a bit tired of being in that cramped box.
As a wife, you get tired of being unappreciated sometimes...
God knew the Israelites weren't really sorry... weren't wanting to change. They just wanted to be delivered from the Ammorites... And He'd had it...
He told them... Judges 10:13-14 Yet ye have foresaken me, and served other gods: for wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the god which ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation
WHOA! God basically laid the smack down on them! He told them "Don't come crying to me. Cry out to those other gods you serve. I'll just sit here in my little lockbox than you very much."
That's like a wife saying, "Don't come crying to me that your socks aren't washed. You have put other things before me. Cry out to your video games (or fishing, or computer, or whatever else that has been put ahead of you) and let THEM save you."
And the Israelites I'm sure got the exact same look our husband's get when they know they have pushed too far... or WE get when we know we've pushed our husband too far. OR the look we get when we know we've pushed God too far... the "OH NO! I've DONE IT NOW!" Look.
You can feel it on your bones that you have messed up... big time. And now all that is left is to make it right.
Israel knew they had pushed too hard and then cried out, sincerely, that they were sorry and that they wanted to serve God.
People know when they have pressed too hard. And Israel knew it at that time.
God knew they were sincere because he could feel their grief. Something we forget a lot is that God has feelings. If we are made in His image, and WE have feelings then, of course, He does.
We don't need to take God for granted just like we don't need to take our spouse/friends/family anyone for granted. Make an effort to take God out of that locked box on your shelf and talk to Him even when it's a good day. Talk to Him even when its not life or death.
Don't take Him for granted.
And remember, "Repentance 101-- God is not stupid and will not be manipulated by false sincerity." W. Gary Phillips.
Much Love,
Kelly