January 1, 2025

SIN AGAINST GOD

Judith 5:20-21 (not in the Protestant Bible)

“Now my lord and master, if there is any sin of ignorance in this people and they sin against their God, then we will identify their offense and will go up to defeat them. But if there is no lawlessness in their nation, then let my lord leave them alone, lest their Lord shield them, and their God defend them, and we will become a reproach before the whole earth.”

Personal Challenge

Judith is another one of the great apocryphal books that will not be typically found in the Protestant Bible. This is such a loss. This passage falls in the midst of the account of Holefernes, a ruthless general in the Assyrian army. He has been ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar to take the nation of Israel and destroy their military. Prior to invading, he captures an Ammonite, a neighboring people to the Israelites, and seeks to gain insights about his enemy. He is told that if the Israelites have remained true to their God, then they will be invincible. On the contrary, if their is sin in their nation, then they will be conquered. How does this inform us today? It has nothing to do with Christion Nationalism. God’s only kingdom is not of this world. It has everything to do with those who proclaim to be His followers. Our lives will be impacted by how we follow Him. Are we loving Him and doing what He wants us to do? Are we loving our neighbor by taking care of those in need, caring for the foreigner amongst us, providing for the widow, the orphan, and the poor? We are seeing for too many things happen today that brings tears to the eyes of God and saying that we are doing them for Him. This is the true lawlessness in our nation. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!