Apathy

Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. [Judges 4.3]

Does it not seem strange that Israel waited 20 years before crying out to God because of Sisera's oppression?

It does seem strange, but, not unusual.

I venture a speculation here that one of God's enemy's greatest weapons against God and His people is apathy. There really is no other reason why God's people would see something wrong and do nothing (not even pray) about it. 

Apathy is best described in the cool pot of water containing a live frog in it that is placed over a flame. The gradual increase in heat is, for some reason, unrecognized by the frog who is cooked to his death. Had the frog some sort of standard to compare water temperature by (besides his own built-in sensory system) he could have recognized danger early on and taken precautionary measures.

So it is with God's people. Unless we utilize some external system (not our own senses) to warn us of impending danger, we are incapable of recognizing the slowly eroding conditions around us that will be our demise. That external system should serve as our standard to which to compare our current circumstances in order to determine if something is changing.

We have an external system - a standard - to alert us of danger! It is God's Holy Spirit confirmed by the Bible. Israel had a warning system in place as well - the Law.

However, when people fail to give their "standard' due attention, there is no system in place to warn them of impending doom. And so, the end result for those who are relaxed, lazy, or indifferent toward their standard is suffering at best and doom at worst.

Even grace is only good as it is recognized and believed (faith). All the grace in the world is of no use if it is unknown.

This brings up two very good points: We need to know God, and, make Him known.

Otherwise, the results of progression of time will be oppressive (at best) because our enemy (God's enemy) is constantly "turning up the heat."

Father, help us to learn more and more about You. Help us to listen to and know Your Spirit by Your Word - the Standard.