Partial Obedience

"Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, 'I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, "I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars." But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? Therefore I also said, "I will not drive them out before you; but they will become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."'" -Judges 2.1-3

Judges 1.19-35 gives an account of the cities the tribes of Israel did not take and the peoples they allowed to live and remain in the land. Some of them became forced labor when the people became strong enough, but God's command was to destroy them completely. Israel has partially obeyed, they have destroyed the peoples that they were able to, and they have enslaved the rest, but God's command was never to take the people of the land as slaved.

At the beginning of Judges 2 an angel of the Lord comes and speaks to the people. He recalls God's promise and commands, tells how God has kept His promise, but not tells how Israel has not. Partial obedience is not sufficient. God told the people what would happen if they allowed the pagan nations of the land to remain among them. They would become thorns in their sides and a snare to the people. The influence that was allowed to remain would work its way into Israel's beliefs and practices and lead them away from God.

Men, partial obedience is not good enough. Doing part of what God said isn't enough. Partial obedience means that there is also partial disobedience. When God gives instructions we must be diligent to complete them. He says what He says for a reason, not just to hear Himself talk. Everything He says is for our good so that we can live in a better relationship with Him.

Israel's partial obedience left an influence that would work to pull them away from God. There is a cycle that unfolds in Judges:

The people rebel against God
The people are oppressed and cry out to God
God raises up a champion to deliver the people
The people are saved and follow God
Repeat.

This cycle was avoidable had they just completely obeyed God. Had Israel driven out all of the inhabitants of the land there would have been no one to lead them away from God. What cycles in our own lives are avoidable?

Let us be men who fully obey God. Let us be men who do all that He commands.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor