Compromise

Day one hundred ninety-seven

I am just really grateful these days and I really feel like it's important that I let Heavenly Father know it.  Life has been a little crazy, but it is a good crazy filled with great teaching moments and even some joy.  Anyone who knows me knows that I like to keep busy, but I am looking forward to spending some quality time with the family and enjoying seeing some good friends.  It's time to recharge!  So my prayer is one of gratitude for His love and for all the blessings that He has put in my life.  I hope that He considers me a blessing in His life!

Judges 1-2

All did not remain well in Israel.  Notice Judges 2:7, 10.  These verses tell us that the old generation that had seen God move in power and glory died out.  A new generation came of age that forgot their heritage and denied the God that had made them what they were.  Israel began a slow, steady descent down the slope of compromise.

When they entered the land, they had been commanded to utterly destroy the people of Canaan (Num. 33:51-56).  They are warned in those verses that if they fail to drive out the nations, they themselves will be afflicted and that God Himself will turn against them.  This became a reality in Israel.

After some initial success (Judges 1:4-19), Judah came up against some people that they feared (Judges 1:19) They did not drive these people out.

We are told here that many of the tribes did not drive out the people of the land, but merely put them to tribute.  That is, they enslaved the Canaanites and forced them to work for Israel (Judges 1:27-30).

It gets worse!  In these verses we are told that some of the Israelites “dwelt among the Canaanites.”  They became accustomed to the vile and wicked ways of the Canaanites and accepted them for who they were (Judges 1:32-33).

Of course, this same trend can be seen today!  We have already taken many of the same steps down that slippery slope that Israel took all those years ago.  Remember, the key verse of this book is Judges 17:6 which says, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  That means that there was no fixed standard of right and wrong.  People did as they pleased.  They did what they wanted to, without regard for God or what He had to say about the matter.  That is where we as a nation are heading.

In 1960 a poll was taken that showed that 65% of Americans believed that the Bible was the inerrant, inspired Word of God.  Another poll was taken in 1992 and by then only 32% still believed the Bible was the perfect Word of God.  In other words, less than one-third of Americans believe that there is a perfect standard for judging what is right and wrong.  Judges 2:10 is being lived out before our eyes!

Another poll taken in 1992 asked this simple question: Do you believe that there are moral absolutes?  Do you believe that there are some things that are absolutely wrong and some things that are absolutely right?  70% of those who answered that poll said that they did not believe in moral absolutes!  That is scary! Our children are being taught that there are no absolutes.  There are no wrong answers.  Nothing is right and nothing is wrong.  That is frightening if you follow it to its logical end.  It means that abortion, murder, drugs use, alcohol use, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, etc, is all right if you want to do it.  It's no wonder we find ourselves in the mess we are in!

Well, thank goodness we have Christians in the world right?  Not so fast!  A recent survey found that only 57% of professing Christians believed in moral absolutes.  With no clear standard for right and wrong, the door is open for people to do as they please; just as they did in the days when Israel was sliding into the chaos of compromise.  Remember this verse:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! " (Isa. 5:20) This is a verse that speaks to our day very well!

 We have become a nation of compromisers.  We are afraid to take a stand against sin for fear of being labeled “intolerant.”  We are so politically correct that we are afraid we might offend someone with our “religion.” We are already paying a high price because of these compromises, but I fear that we will lose more.  I would like to close with a quote:

"One of the truest tests of integrity is the blunt refusal to be compromised."  ~Chinua Achebe

Something to think about!