JU3-12: You Can Be Politically Correct Or Scripturally Correct But NOT Both!

“But the people of Israel again did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, so Adonai strengthened ‘Eglon the king of Mo’av against Israel, because they had done what was evil from Adonai’s perspective.”-Judges 3:12

In verse 12, we’re introduced to the final part of the repeating cycle of a Judge.

And that is after deliverance, the people of Israel fall into sin once again forcing God to respond by judging them.

Normally one or two generations passed before the new generation fell into apostasy.

I think it’s significant to note the generation that rebelled was a generation that hadn’t experience war. 

Perhaps they had become too spoiled by the victory won by the judge who came before them.

As a result, they let the temptation to do evil too easily overtake them.

And this triggered the start of yet another cycle of oppression, punishment, God raising up a new Judge and then deliverance all over again.

Now verse 12 doesn’t tell us exactly what evil Israel committed.

But no doubt, it was idolatry.

Idolatry was always the cause of God judging Israel in anger.

And keep in mind that idolatry did NOT mean Israel abandoned the Lord.

The problem was they mixed worship of Him with other gods.

It was the mixing that was an abomination. 

This leads me to a crucial point that is lost on so many modern believers.

I believe too many believers today have downplayed the importance the Lord places on our behavior.

We quote verses that say something to the effect that the Lord looks at our heart and not outward appearances and thus conclude that our behavior doesn’t matter so much to the Lord.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Here’s what you’ve got to understand.

God became angry with Israel and judged them when their behavior and appearance had reached the point where there was no difference between them and the Canaanites.

It didn’t matter one darn bit that their heart was in the right place internally.

God doesn’t care if your heart is in the right place when you eat unclean foods or incorporate pagan symbols into your worship of Him.

I find it fascinating that Israel back then (in the era of Judges) wanted what all believers pulled to and fro by the flesh today want.

They wanted to blend in and avoid being looked at as weird.

A perfect example is just how embarrassing it was to be found out to be a virgin when you were in high school (at least in my day, that was the case).

A girl or a guy who said I’m saving myself for the one who the Lord will choose for me would have been laughed right out of the classroom.

Heck, I know I lied about it when I was in high school.

And double the embarrassment if you were a college student and admitted you were a virgin. 

It’s like what ever happened to the pride of purity?

The lesson of Judges is crystal clear.

You can be politically correct or Scripturally correct but not both.

Choose this day whom you will serve.

Because you can’t serve 2 masters homie.