He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. (Psalm 106:41-42)

You may be thinking, “How can anyone be inspired and encouraged by such a statement as this?” What can we possibly glean from, “He gave them into the hand of their enemies,” that would impact me positively as I go about my day? The reality is Scripture is replete with warnings, admonitions and accounts of “what not to do” so that we may be encouraged and inspired to do what is right in the eyes of God. Let’s face it: in this day and time, it takes courage to go against the cultural current, and therefore we need to be encouraged to walk upright lest we succumb to the same end as Israel of old. Let’s put it this way — do we really want to be like the nations so much that we are willing to be ruled by them? That is the point being addressed in the verses above. For God’s people to abandon His ways means that, eventually, they will be subjected to the tyrannical laws of men.

It was William Penn who famously said, “Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.” This truthful concept is based on what we observe in Scripture, particularly in regard to those in covenant with God. Through Ezekiel, the Lord said of rebellious Israel, “Because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes … therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live” (Ezekiel 20:24-25). It is the same idea expressed by Messiah when, referring to God’s people as the salt of the earth, He said, “But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13). 

All of this is to say, a warning of what will happen if we disregard God’s ways should be an encouragement to do what is expected of us as a covenant people. Knowing that God desires for us to prosper and be blessed, we should interpret His admonitions as words spoken by a loving Father who only wants the best for His children. If we could learn to focus on that notion, then maybe we could be just as inspired by warnings as we are the promises of blessing. None of us want to be turned over to our enemies just to learn that God’s ways are better for us; so then, let us be determined to obey Him of our own volition and avoid the painful process of learning the hard way.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill