Pastor's Corner: What happens when we cry out to God for his help?

This Sunday I will be preaching a sermon to our congregation called “A Few Good Men … and Some Women,” a sermon based upon the Bible Book of Judges. In that sermon, I will be telling the stories of the judges: Deborah/Barak/Jael, Gideon, and Samson. But for this article, I would like to make a point about some numbers in this Book of Judges, and what these numbers may mean for us today in this chaotic world in which we are living.

Judges 2:7 tells us “So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.”

Joshua was the leader of Israel who took over after Moses died. Joshua led the Israelites in the conquest of the Promised Land. Judges 2:10 tells us “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the works which He had done for Israel.”

Because of this, do you know what happened? The Israelites did evil. They served other gods and bowed down to them. The Bible says that they provoked the Lord to anger. So what did God do? God delivered them into the hands of enemies around them. Because the people had transgressed God’s covenant with them and not heeded His voice — God no longer drove out the enemies before them (like He had done for Joshua).

Let me make one point here. It is so very important that our children and grandchildren know the Lord and the works which He has done. It is one thing for me to know God and His works in my life. It is quite another thing for my children and grandchildren to know God and His works in their lives. It is not enough for us to just tell our children and grandchildren about the Lord and about His works — they need to experience their own relationship with God and they need to experience the works of God personally in their own lives.

Now, let’s get to the numbers. Throughout the Book of Judges, there is a dangerous cycle that develops for the Israelites: 1) they forget the Lord and worship other gods; 2) God allows an enemy to overpower them and rule over them; 3) they cry out to the Lord for His help; 4) God raises us a judge, a deliverer, to rescue them from the oppressive power; 5) they have a time of peace and prosperity; 6) the judge dies --- and then the cycle starts all over again … So, here’s the numbers:  8 vs. 40; 18 vs. 80; 20 vs. 40; 7 vs. 40.

The first number in each one of these pairs (8, 18, 20, 7) is the amount of years that God allowed an enemy to overpower them, and how long it took the Israelites to cry out to God for His help. The second number is each of these pairs (40, 80, 40, 40) is the amount of years that God blessed His people with peace and prosperity after they cried out to Him for help. When these numbers are paired up, do you notice something very significant? By comparison, the amount of time that God allows His people to be oppressed due to their turning away from Him is significantly less than the amount of time that He blesses them once they cry out to Him for help.

Here’s my next point: God does punish sinners, but only until the point that they turn back to Him, crying out for His help. Then God extends His grace to them for way longer (8 vs. 40 = 5 times; 18 vs. 80 = 4-plus times; 20 vs. 40 = 2 times; and 7 vs. 40 = 5-plus times)! And in this chaotic world in which you and I live; a world plagued by COVID-19, economic collapse, political upheaval, and racial tensions run rampant — in this kind of world, God wants us, as a people and as a nation, to turn our attention back to Him and cry out for His help.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

This is what we need: a massive turning back to God and crying out to Him for His help! Will you be a part of this crying out to the Lord? Will I? I pray that you will join me in this turning to God and crying out to Him for His help. If we do this, God will hear us. God will deliver us. God will forgive our sins. And God will begin to heal our land! Amen!

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The Rev. Edroy “Curt” Curtis is lead pastor of Havre Assembly of God Church— 11 years so far; president of Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association— 8-plus years so far, and chaplain of the Northern Montana Care Center — 6 months so far.