This Psalm illustrates the great goodness of God, in His care of His people and in His guidance of them. It illustrates the abiding faithfulness of God, in fulfilling His promises and threatenings, as well; the sad tendency of human nature to ingratitude and departure from God, and it also illustrates the inseparable connection between sin and suffering.
The Israelites relationship with God serves as an example to us today. We can make application from these historical events and find answers to questions we have about our relationship to God as well. The question I would like us to consider this evening is this: "Why do Christians quit?"
Obviously the problem is not with the Lord but with the Christian. Is the Lord powerful enough to keep us going? Certainly He is. Does He give us all the provisions that we need? Yes He does. Then why do we quit? Christians quit when we take our eyes off of the Lord.
It's not that the task is overwhelming or that the Christian is weak, for God shines in such odds. The problem is that the Christian, for one reason or another, does not have his eyes on the Lord, consequently he does not have God’s power. We must keep our eyes on the Lord or else we will fail. This chapter gives us several examples of how we get our eyes off of the Lord, get discouraged, and then quit:
I. By a Lack of Total Commitment. (v.9)
A. The children of Ephraim, in which tribe Shiloh was, though they were well armed and shot with bows, yet turned back in the day of battle.
B. This seems to refer to that shameful defeat which the Philistines gave them in Eli's time, when they took the ark prisoner. cf 1Sam.4:10-11
C. God expects us to stand against the enemy, not retreat!
1. Note: Eph. 6:13
2. " Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
3. In the description of the Christian’s armour, there is no mention of protection for the back ... we are expected to stand against the enemy ... not run away!
D. A lot of Christians think they are committed until the battle gets hot.
1. Then they find out that they weren’t so committed after all.
2. Total dedication to the Lord means that we will not give up just because of persecution or opposition.
II. By a Failure to Fulfill Our Responsibility. v10
A. Ephraim failed to keep their covenant with God.
1. They knew what God expected of them, but they failed to fulfill that responsibility.
2. God made His covenant clear to Israel.
3. Their problem was their stubborn rebelliousness in refusing to walk in His law.
B. As Christians, we know what God expects of us.
1. But we presume upon His grace.
2. If most Christians approached their jobs or businesses with the same level of responsibility that they give to their obedience to God’s Word... they wouldn’t last 5 minutes!
3. God wants me to be willing to do what He tells me, as He tells me, when He tells me, and because He tells me.
4. That is my responsibility to Him.
III. By Forgetting what God has done. v11
A. They forgot His works, and the wonders that He had showed them.
1. Consider the history of Israel and all of the wonderful things that God has done for them.
2. His protection, His provision, His guidance, and His empowerment.
3. We might ask, "How could they forget?"
B. Yet we have problems with our memories, don’t we?
1. Some of us have had some very wonderful manifestations of the Lord's kindness.
2. And it seems they begin to fade when faced with new trials and battles.
3. We ought to be like David, who was encouraged to do battle against the giant.
4. Because he remembered how God had delivered him from the mouth of the lion and the bear.
IV. By Having a Heart that is Not Right with God. v35-37
A. Note the indictment against Israel in these verses.
1. When they finally did remember God.
2. They only gave Him lipservice.
3. Why? Because their hearts were not right.
B. Can that indictment be served on us today?
1. How foolish of us to think that we can deceive God by offering Him lipservice.
2. It is God who reads the hearts of men.
3. James said that Christians who try it only deceive themselves.
4. Note: James 1:22, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
1994 is history, 1995 is the future! Will you be the one who will get your eyes off of the Lord, grow discouraged, and then quit? Do not think that it couldn’t happen to you. Pride goeth before a fall! The only way to avoid it from happening is to determine that we will be totally committed to the Lord, that we will not take our responsibility lightly, and that we will not forget what God has done for us, but allow it to inspire us to serve Him with a greater fervor than ever before! Will you accept the challenge?