Take Responsibility

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.  So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. [Judges 6.1a]

I know a lot of folks try to make bad things out to be something other than retribution for sin.  But over and again, we see in the Bible that Israel was blessed when they obeyed and served God and they were cursed when they turned away from God.

If only we put as much effort into finding the sin in our camp (story of Achan) as we did explaining why bad things happen to good people, we might finally get back on a solid foundation of truth!  We should be reminded that Achan's indiscretion cost the entire nation of Israel to suffer defeat - one man's sin!

So, while perhaps every other individual in our 'group' may be pure as newborn babies, it only takes one little sin by one little person to bring defeat upon the whole group!

We don't know the extent of Israel's sin in Gideon's day, but we know they "did evil in the Lord's sight" and we know that Gideon's father had an altar to Baal.  The scripture above states that "the Israelites did evil..." but it does not say if many or few participated.  Regardless, we know for fact that Israel was found by God to be in sin.

I believe modern Christians have adopted some strange religion in that when curses fall upon their lives, they discount the bad stuff as circumstance, or worse, they say it is some 'opportunity' from God to grow in some way!  Should we not be focused on finding and repenting of the sin in our camp instead?

Before we declare that we are under the New Testament, as if we are no longer subject to the curses of sin found in the Old Testament, let me point out that repentance is just as necessary today as it was in OT times!  Sin is sin throughout all history.  If we sin today, we are still responsible to repent!  However, today, we are no longer responsible to follow our repentance with ritualistic sacrifices and offerings - instead we have the blood of Christ to proclaim and believe in!  But we still must take responsibility and repent!

Father, when bad things come my way, help me to be thorough in my self-examination!  Help me to rid myself of anything that displeases You.  Even if I never know the reason for curses I experience, help me to take responsibility just the same!  I am but human and incapable of perfection!  You are sovereign and perfect and just in every circumstance!