AWOL

We have observed in previous discussions that God has us uniquely placed to do His work.  Our talents, passions, personality, work skills, and even our location all come together to identify our purpose.  Similarly, when one is in the military, he receives job training, is part of a chain of command, is sent to where he is most needed, and is assigned to a larger group with a shared purpose.  But what happens when a soldier opts out of his duty?  In that case, he is considered Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL).  What does being AWOL look like in God’s service? What does God have to say to an AWOL soldier?

Isaiah 59:14-16

So Justice is driven back,
    and Righteousness stands at a distance;
Truth has stumbled in the streets,
    Honesty cannot enter.
Truth is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no Justice.
 He saw that there was no one,
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so His own arm achieved Salvation for him,
    and His own Righteousness sustained him.

Things to think about:

·       Here’s the report from the battle scene:

o   The enemy has overtaken the city and forced out the rightful occupants

§  Justice, Righteousness, Honesty, and Truth are either being repelled by enemy fire, or are MIA / POWs of the conflict

·      Justice – the fair administration of the rule of law

·      Righteousness – doing what is right

·      Truth – the unwavering standard of right

·      Honesty – truth in word and deed

§  Whoever doesn’t fall in line with the invading regime is subject to execution

§  These are things worth fighting for.  How do we “hold our ground” in our day-to-day lives?

§  What are forms of injustice you see or that you are involved in reversing?

§  At what personal expense does resisting the enemy come?

o   Shockingly, the Commanding Officer learns His forces for good are nowhere to be found!

§  “The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no Justice. He saw that there was no one; He was appalled that there was no one to intervene.”

·      God is genuinely upset when His people are not to be found where the need is great.

·      What kinds of things take us away from the battlefield?

§  Who are biblical examples of “interveners”? Think of men or women who were willing to tell the truth and fight for what was right.

§  Who are people outside of the Bible you admire who are/were interveners?

·      What qualities do they exemplify?

·      Why do we admire people who stand up to injustice?

·      Our passage tells us that God will win, with our without our participation:

o   So His own arm achieved salvation and His own Righteousness sustained Him

o   The question then isn’t “is Good going to triumph over evil?” but rather “will we be His soldiers in the fight?”

·      While Isaiah was written around 700 BC, we can all plainly see the battle rages on until today.

o   How is God prompting you to take up the battle for Justice so that when He looks, at a minimum He will be pleased to see you intervening?

·      Bonus question – Does God hand out medals after the war?

o   James 1:12

o   Colossians 3:23-24

o   1 Corinthians 4:5

o   2 Timothy 4:8