Fully Devoted: Israel, Act 2Sample

The Exile It seems like the plans of God are falling apart. Israel and Judah have become two separate nations. Instead of a united family, they're a divided kingdom. Instead of a kingdom of priests, they’re an empire of perversion. Instead of being defined by the shalom and forgiveness of God, they’re defined by the chaos and violence of sin. And yet, God refuses to give up on His people. Because that’s not what He does. When the people of God abandon their covenant and reject their calling, God remains faithful and He continues to invite them back to Him through His messengers, the prophets. But one after another, the invitation is ignored and the prophets are despised. Rather than hear the words of God with humility and respond with repentance, they carry on in their wicked ways. Many years ago, the people of God were enslaved in the nation of Egypt. They were treated as less than human. Mere pawns in Pharaoh’s plans. Objects to be used for the building of his empire. But God called them out of Egypt and invited them into a relationship with Him. As He pulled them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, He used that time in the wilderness to pull Egypt out of them and draw them ever closer to Him. God brought them into the land that was promised to their ancestors. A land flowing with milk and honey. A flourishing land of promise. And He empowered them to drive out the Amorites and the Canaanites—empires of perversion. Empires built on the backs of slaves and the bodies of children sacrificed to their bloodthirsty gods. Israel was set up to be the place on earth where the rule and reign of God is the reality. Tragically, the people of Israel were not satisfied. Union with their Creator wasn’t enough for them. Instead, they saw what the other nations had: sex, money, power, and fame. They wanted it. They lusted for it. So, just as has happened so many times before in this story, they chose obedience to their desires over obedience to God . The tragedy of this story is that the Israelites were so focused on what the other nations had that they were blinded to what they had themselves! They had a partnership with the God of creation! They had purpose! But that wasn’t enough. Instead of enjoying the God of heaven, they were willing to give that up for the pleasures of this world. As we read this story, we know how ridiculous that is! Yet how often do we do the same thing? We get so preoccupied with what we don’t have, that we lose sight of what we do have. Instead of resting in the presence of God, we become restless and run ourselves into the ground chasing the approval of people. Eventually, God decides to give the people of Israel what they were asking for. He allows them to be taken by two of the empires that most exemplified sin unrestrained: Assyria and Babylon. God doesn’t force us to be faithful. He invites us to be faithful. And when we turn down that invitation, God honors our choice. In 722 BC, the northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by King Sargon II and the people of Israel were carried away to Assyria. Later, in 605 BC, Jerusalem, the capital of the southern Kingdom of Israel, was conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Over the next 20 years or so, the people of Judah were taken to Babylon. This is a tragedy. The plans of God seem to be falling apart. The people of God have been taken into exile. And by two of the most brutal and sinful empires imaginable no less! Did God fail? Did He give up? Has He finally abandoned the people who keep abandoning Him? While it can be easy for us to rush through this part of the biblical story because we know how it ends, the Jewish people living through this didn’t. For them, being taken into exile very likely seemed like the end of the road. They would’ve most likely assumed that either God had been defeated or God turned His back on them. How would you have responded to this? Journaling Questions * What verse or verses stuck out to you today? Take some time to write those down. Why did they stand out? * How do you think you would have responded if you were a citizen of Israel taken into exile? * What does it tell you about God that He allows His people to disobey Him? Memory Verse He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 NIV