Consider the time of favor and flourishing the Israelites enjoyed during the early years in Egypt after Joseph rose to power followed by a time bondage, slavery and despair. We witness a similar pattern following Israel's time of favor and victory under the leadership of Joshua, now that Joshua is gone Israel has entered a cycle of turning from God, despair, deliverance, prosperity and then the cycle repeats itself. Over and over, each time the people cry out in despair God faithfully raises up a leader among Israel to bring deliverance to HIS people.
Judges 10:6-16 Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not worship Him. 7 So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to the Philistines and the Ammonites. 8 They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for 18 years ⌊they did the same to⌋ all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly oppressed, 10 so they cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You. We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.” 11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, 12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to Me, did I not deliver you from their power? 13 But you have abandoned Me and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not deliver you again. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your oppression.” 15 But the Israelites said, “We have sinned. Deal with us as You see fit; only deliver us today!” 16 So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, but He became weary of Israel’s misery.
Again and again our heavenly Father brings deliverance from suffering, affliction and bondage to HIS people. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, HE shares HIS simple desires for HIS people..."if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." HE DELIVERS BIG ON HIS PROMISES AND ASKS FOR VERY LITTLE IN RETURN! Over and over in scripture God clearly communicates HIS desires for HIS people. In Micah 6:8, we learn what HE requires..."He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" In love and grace God has shown us what is good and if our hearts are right we will joyfully delight to walk in the way HE has revealed! BUT THAT IS THE ISSUE...the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. We are corrupt, sinful, depraved and spiritually dead apart from the hand of GOD.
Bare with me for a moment while we jump to Jeremiah 31. In Jeremiah, we are blessed with some really good news, we learn of the new covenant that Paul speaks of in 1 Cor. 11:25. Why is this such good news? This new covenant is not in the blood of goats and bulls, BUT IS IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS. This new covenant is not written in stone, but in human hearts. Paul tells us in 2 Cor 3:3, clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 --“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
What does this have to do with our reading today. A LOT! Part of this is for us to learn that God is not after behavior modification, you can obey the law 99.9% and you will still go to hell. God is not after behavior modification, HE is after heart transformation.
Check out the experience of the two dudes on the Road to Emmaus.
In Luke 24:25-27 we see Jesus rebuke the two disciples for being slow and not understanding what had happened, even though we see in verse 16 that they were prevented from recognizing Jesus. "Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
How awesome to have Jesus himself teach you about HIMSELF from ALL THE SCRIPTURES! ALRIGHT CHECK THIS OUT...Lk 24:30-32 "He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
HOW AWESOME TO HAVE JESUS TEACH YOU THE SCRIPTURES HIMSELF! PLEASE HEAR ME HEAR...PAY ATTENTION NOW PLEASE...YOU AND I HAVE MORE! ARE YOU INSANE MARK? MAYBE! YOU AND I HAVE THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD'S PRECIOUS WORD AND REMEMBER THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD NOT COME ON THEM YET...Pentecost had not occurred. In verse 49 below Jesus tells them to go into Jerusalem until they receive the promise from the Father, until they are endued with power from on high. WE HAVE MORE, WE HAVE THE Old Testament and New Testament, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within our hearts.
What Jesus did for the disciples in opening their eyes and opening their understanding the Holy Spirit longs to do for HIS children today. Check out Luke 24:44-49 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Father in heaven,
I long to walk daily on the road to Emmaus with my heart aflame with YOUR Word. Holy Spirit of God, please open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see YOU, I long to be transformed, I long to be conformed to the image of YOUR Son, my LORD and SAVIOR...JESUS!
Grant me the passion, boldness and intensity to pursue YOU with a white hot passion...a heart ablaze with a longing for YOU and YOU alone...enable me to worship YOU in Spirit and in truth.
love,
m