The Relapses of Israel

The Old Testament is about a nation. However, to receive the full personal message God has concealed in the Old Testament, we should read it from the perspective that the nation is a person. That person is me.

Israel suffered countless relapses. Their greatest affliction was allowing things (idols) to be more important than God. We might believe we don’t worship idols today because we don’t bow down to wooden images. Do not be deceived. Anything that becomes more important than God is an idol. Drugs and alcohol were once our idols. According to the National Institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism the active addict spends 87% of their waking thought on the drug. That is almost 90% of the time you are awake you were thinking about using, hiding, and lying about your drug. There is no better definition of idolatry.

As we look to weather the storm of current economic trouble we should learn from those who have gone before us. Below is a small outline of the relapses Israel suffered.

The Golden Calf

This occurs shortly after the release form slavery in Egypt. Moses, their leader, went away for a brief period of time. Just like when dad goes out of town for a business trip the Hebrews were like an unsupervised teenager. No supervision and no discipline. This would be like the first time your parents left you alone for the weekend. The Hebrews only mimicked what they learned in Egypt. They forged a bull calf to lead them. The bull was one of the primary god’s in Egypt. This relapse was forged in ignorance and self-indulgence.

12 Spies Explore the Promise Land

Once the nation left the Red Sea area the intent was to march directly into the Promised Land. In less than two weeks they arrived. One spy from each tribe went to investigate the land. Overwhelmingly they returned with a discouraging report. “The enemy is fearsome. Taking the Promised Land will require a lot of work. It will require faith.” The nation rebelled at the gate to the Promised Land and not one who rebelled ever saw it again. This relapse was forged in the fear of the work and lack of faith.

The Era of the Judges

Prior to King Saul the political system of the day was a system of judges. One judge ruled over 100 people. One judge then ruled over 10 judges and so on. Judges were often warriors. The book of judges documents some of the most violent and vile behavior humanly possible. During this era Israel was locked in an addiction cycle. When things were going well the people would worship idols. God would allow consequences. The people would wail and repent. God would send a new judge to rescue them. The people would rejoice and repent. Then things would go well and they would begin to worship idols. This relapse cycle was forged by turning from God when things are going well.

The Era of Kings

Shortly after the reigns of David and Solomon turmoil caused the nation to split. 10 tribes to the north remained Israel while two tribes to the south became the nation of Judea. Essentially, the cycle from the era of judges continues to repeat. It seems Israel and Judea only gave attention to God when circumstances became too uncomfortable to ignore. Each relapse became longer and darker until eventually God allowed devastating consequences; the invasions of Assyria and Babylon. This relapse was forged in stubbornness and pride. It is important to note that even with this most devastating consequence God still did not give up on his people. He offered a path of redemption.

A review of Israel’s relapses shows they were forged in…

  • Ignorance
  • Self-indulgence
  • Fear of doing the work
  • Lack of faith
  • When things are going well
  • Stubbornness
  • Pride

It appears that relapse is more likely when things are going well rather than when times are tough. The reasons may be many. Perhaps our guard is down. Perhaps we justify. Perhaps that is when we actually become less content and we desire more.

This is not to minimize the stress of tough economic times. They are hard. But, there is hope. Where there is God there is always hope.

Be grateful for your current situation. The Rolling Stones were right. You may not have what you want. But, if you look around you will find you have what you need.

You may desire to get out of your current situation. But, you are right where God wants you. Your current situation might cause you to pray and rely on God more. If he were to grant your wishes of more prosperity at this time you might fall into complete self-reliance and stubbornness.

Max Lucado, in his book A love worth giving tells a story of Joni Eareckson Tada. She suffered a tragic accident and was left a quadriplegic. For two years during her rehabilitation she couldn’t move her hands. She learned to paint with a brush between her teeth. She prayed day after day to have her legs restored that she might walk again. Her prayers seemingly went unanswered. When asked several years later she stated she was not bitter at all. “I realized I’m right where God wants me. I now see this chair as a prayer bench and not a barrier. Had my legs been healed, thousands of heart-felt prayers would have been sacrificed to a busy life.” Joni is now a strong advocate for the disabled. She is also a well known and sought-after author and speaker.

Have the same attitude as Joni Eareckson Tada as you contemplate your financial situation. Don’t forget to tithe. It is one of the greatest demonstrations of faith. Remember the poor widow who gave all she could. She caught the full attention of Jesus. So much so that he used her to teach a lesson to his disciples.

The Old Testament serves as a great reminder of personal relapse triggers. Remember to remain faithful in both good times and bad. We would be wise to learn from the mistakes of Israel lest we fall into the same traps.