The Disobedience Principle

This blog was posted on The RAMP's web site, and I wanted to share it.

One of the best ways to describe Israel's history is by the simple word "cycles." In reading the Old Testament, you find over and over and over again God's people falling into idolatry, consequently being in bondage, returning to God in repentance, being delivered, and then falling into idolatry . . . . The cycle goes on and on. You especially see this cycle in the book of

Judges: idolatry, bondage, repentance, deliverer, idolatry, bondage, repentance, deliverer, etc.

During one of these particular periods of idolatry, the consequence of Israel's disobedience manifests itself in an interesting way. Judges 6:3-6 describes how Israel would sow seed, but then Midianites would destroy the produce, leaving Israel impoverished and hungry. Israel was applying a Biblical principle of sowing and reaping.

However, they were not reaping what they sowed because their own disobedience. Disobedience makes null and void Biblical principles from producing fruit in our lives.

As Damon Thompson was teaching this recently at the Ramp, he asked how many times we apply Biblical principles, don't see the expected results, and then get frustrated with God when really the problem was our own disobedience the whole time. It's a Biblical principle

that the elders of the church would anoint the sick with oil, prayer the prayer of faith, and see the sick healed. How many times do we apply that principle without seeing the fruit of healing? Could disobedience be robbing the fruit?

It's wrong for us to expect God to ignore areas of disobedience and idolatry while also expecting fruitful lives because we apply a few principles like tithing and prayer. God will not ignore if we harden our hearts to Him.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves where the cycle ends. Where can we find relief from our disobedience and idolatry? Sin dies at the cross. God raising up a deliverer over and over again is a prophetic picture

of the ultimate deliverer who would conquer us once and for all. Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Jesus' one offering has once and for all delivered us.

Today, God wants us to walk in lives of fruitfulness. He wants Biblical principles to operate in us. But more than that, He wants us wholly given to Him. He will not share us. At the cross, we are delivered, and our disobedience dies. Then, fruitfulness lies ahead of

us.

-Micah