"Moved to pity by their groaning."

[Joshua 2:18]

As a son of Adam, I am very comfortable worshiping my god of comfort and myself.  My siblings of the human race, likewise, have this propensity to worship self rather than the selfless one, the man rather than the Son of Man.  My interactions with others, then, often follow this approach: "How does this person cater to me?  How can I be served by this other person?  Is he living up to my standard I have for him?"  This is especially true when I deal with other drivers on the road;  I get easily angered and frustrated by lack of "courteousness" / Ryan-respect displayed by my fellow man while behind the wheel.

I am easily angered.

Also, generally being a conservative American, I am frustrated by the bullying an Evangelical worldview faces in the current culture -- particularly about hot-button issues like abortion and homosexual unions.  I would assert I have a right to be frustrated with a righteous frustration that comes from this world being fallen, groaning, and blatantly defying God's holy law.  However, my responses are not always of the purest form with the best motives.

I am easily angered.  And in my anger, I often sin.

Judges 2 recalls Israel's reluctance to obey God and cleanse the land of the pagans.  They had been commanded to let none remain among them, as the chosen people would be corrupted by the other nation's temptations and fall into the worship of other deities.  And, surprise!, this is precisely what happened in Israel's history.  They whored after other gods, denying YHWH -- their covenant God, who brought them out of Egypt, having baptized them through the Red Sea, having provided all their needs in the wilderness.  This covenant-breaking on Israel's part meant that YHWH had the right to completely abandon those who professed faith in him.  The nation of Israel deserved that.  It was what their works had earned them.  That could have been their earned-wage.

But God was moved to pity.

This astounds me a bit.  I am not sure why; I am well-familiar with the good news that God pities and mercies his chosen people.  But perhaps the fact I am astounded is a good thing -- it means the news of God constantly pursuing and preserving his people has not grown old or become old hat to my mind and soul.  It is not stale.  That news continues to nourish my ears and bring about thanksgiving and praise.

God was moved to pity his people.  He heard their groaning and responded mercifully.  In those days, he sent judges for the people -- which they did not deserve.

I have thought about how both our proclamations and our responses to the fallen world should be made out of pity.  Children of wrath cannot help but behave as children of wrath, after all -- which, by nature, we all are.  We know no better.  Actually, we do know better ... we just willingly and joyously rebel against King Jesus.  We had nothing good in us that would merit being saved.  No amount of offering that could be counted as valid currency in God's economy.  We were God-haters by nature.  I was a God-hater by nature.

But God was moved to pity me.  As a result, my sins are forgiven in Christ.  My heart of stone that hates God has been replaced by a heart of flesh.  My desires changed, my debt paid, my righteousness gifted to me from the perfect account of King Jesus.  Because of the kindness of God, I was pitied.

Let this be a motivation when proclaiming the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.  Not from a self-righteousness view... but from a Christ's righteousness view.  Those who die in sins will suffer the wrath of God for all eternity.  We must pity those and share the good news with them, that they may also turn from their rebellion and submit to the rule of the King this side of eternity.  Lovingly, we give them the good news that Christ died, was buried, rose again, and is returning, that they may know the Lord.

God pitied me.  He gave grace.  May we go and do likewise.