The USA and Israel have much in common

 December 3, 2020

 

Judges 3:7-11

 

 

Othniel

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.   Therefore, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.   But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.   The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.   So, the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

 

God had mercy on the people after they had been slaves for eight years.  After eight years, we understand why God allowed them to be taken into the king of Mesopotamia, hands for they had gone after the Baals and the Asheroth.  What were they; Ashtoreth is the preeminent goddess in the Bible, and the plural Ashtaroth is a generic term for goddesses, used together with *Baal as a collective term for illicit worship (e.g., Judg. 2:13.”  God who does not change made it clear He was a jealous God and yet His chosen people, forgot God and chased after the false gods of this world.

 

I ask why eight years, it took that long before they came to a place of examining themselves, and repenting, and I’m fearful that the people of the United States may find themselves where God has had a gut full of us.  We are not Israel, for we live in a nation that many have never known the God of Abraham, nor His only Son, Jesus Christ.  We who go by the title of Christian, have not changed our world, nor have we told our neighbors of the hope we have in Christ.  We have been quiet, good neighbors who just wanted to get along.  But that is not what Jesus instructed us to do, was it?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice