By: Obed Pineda
“There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness” (Proverbs 30:12)
Righteousness. Rejection. Retribution. Repentance. Repeat. The nation of Israel would remain inside this vicious cycle from the death of Joshua until the anointment of Saul as the first king of Israel; a period lasting possibly three hundred to three hundred and fifty years. It was undeniably one of Israel’s most unstable period as a nation since “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, 21:25). The books of Judges and Ruth covers the span of these three centuries of turmoil in Israel, and they do so from different perspectives. Where Judges provides us with the aforementioned cycle that Israel had engaged in for over three centuries as a lesson to mankind that God is a righteous judge and all our actions have consequences (good or bad), the book of Ruth illuminates the magnificent example of loyalty to God’s mandates and how it is possible to remain unspotted from the influence of a corrupt society. Regrettably because it is often ignored that the events of Ruth happened during the age of the judges (where Israel’s fidelity to Jehovah God was so unstable) the message of triumph from those who were able to “shine as lights in the world” is tragically overlooked (Philippians 2:15c). Yet, one must wonder what is the key difference between the children of Israel and Ruth that establishes their antipodal examples? Compromise. Rather, the mistake of one side making unwise compromises that defied God’s ordinances (cf. Judges 1:27-2:6)versus the iron will of the other who never compromised her morals and values for the preservation of her family (cf. Ruth 1:5-22). It is fascinating to realize also that when the children of Israel entered into covenants with the inhabitants of Canaan (disobeying God’s mandate against doing so) they essentially abandoned their children to the mercy of godless unions which led to the destruction of the home in Israel (cf. Deuteronomy 7:1-4, Judges 2:7-13). Ergo, where Ruth preserved her family by not compromising her position of remaining with her mother-in-law Naomi, Israel self-destructed by accepting a compromise of putting “the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out” (Judges 1:28b). This precedent of mediocrity would haunt Israel for the rest of its history because, true to God’s indication of what would happen if they did not finish the task of driving them out of Canaan, “they forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths” (Judges 2:13, cf. Exodus 24:32-33). The Hebrew poet, too, elaborates on Israel’s spiritual decline for the next three hundred plus years commencing when “they did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them” (Psalm 106:34-36). Settling for a monetary tribute instead of ridding themselves completely from their enemies’ wicked influence undoubtedly became Israel’s undoing. Israel was defeated through compromise because they did not consider the great cost of not seeing the conquest of the Promised Land fully through. The book of Judges illustrates an extraordinary example of the Master’s alert against falling short of finishing our spiritual race, because the cross seemingly becomes too heavy for us to continue to bear (cf. Luke 14:26-35). The house of Israel fell prey to believing that God would agree with their “alternate” solution to their predicament, failing to understand that they were in fact worsening it. Although Scripture does reveal that the generation that entered the Promised Land with Joshua remained faithful to Jehovah God, Israel’s future generations were lamentably neglected through the precedent of conformity that was set by them (cf. Judges 2:7-13). The inspired Psalmist continues to detail that “they even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds” (Psalm 106:37-39). These heinous crimes would result in the Almighty handing them over to their enemies until they would repent and cry out to Him with a contrite heart, from whence He would then raise a judge to liberate and restore them back to Him, only for the cycle to begin all over again when they would backslide to idolatry once the righteous judge would die (cf. Psalm 106:40-46). Israel’s set precedent of compromising their full commitment to God’s law by forging relationships and alliances with men and women who did not respect God or His commandments, sealed their doom as God had forewarned (cf. Exodus 34:12-16). Israel spiraled into an era of chaos, confusion, and contention because “they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel” and “they forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt” as well (Psalm 106:13, 21). It is imperative to glean from these Scriptures the peril of precedents established through unwise compromises. First, we are taught that one becomes defeated through compromise when one ignores the counsel given through God’s word. It is much too common in modern society where what the Bible commands is often replaced by what the majority prefers or likes. It behooves us to beware not to enter into a covenant with those who have no respect for God or His Word, because our emotions blind our eyesight of the clear and present danger lying ahead of such alliances (cf. Proverbs 13:20, 1st Corinthians 15:33). Second, one is overcome with these accommodations because it breeds a spirit of ingratitude toward the God who gave the commandment in the first place. It is extremely important to never forget that God’s purpose in calling us out of the world is to be a guide to the world toward Him (cf. Mark 15:15-16, 1st Timothy 2:1-7). This great commission becomes neglected when we mingle and blend in with the world; the light becomes snuffed out. Hence, when we do not comply with our celestial directive we are turning our backs on He who pulled us from death (cf. Ephesians 2:1-10). Therefore, let us learn from Israel’s defeat and let us emulate Ruth who knew that accepting Naomi’s bargain was unreasonable.