We Push Our Own Self-Destruct Button: Amos 4:6-13
God doesn’t want us to destroy ourselves in our own sinfulness, but in our free will we sometimes leave Him with no other option. He wants to be with us in love. He wants us to choose to follow. Unfortunately, we are sinful. Life is a tug-of-war. It is a battle between our stubborn heart and our desire for His love.
How do you get the attention of someone who doesn’t want to listen? In general, we start with small nudges of truth and progress through increasingly serious consequences until we have no choice but to let them create the vehicle of their own destruction. Then, if possible, we help them pick up the pieces and start over.
I do this with my students every day. I teach them, and since I teach math, I give them nightly practice. Most students learn the lesson, do the homework, master the skill, and find their level of success. Some students choose a different path. They don’t do the homework for several days in a row. At that point, I talk with them and warn them about how their grade on their assessment may suffer. If they persist, I show them what those zeros do to their grade. If they continue, I watch them get a poor grade on the assessment. If they still persist, I send an email home and get parents involved. If they still continue, the only option I have left is to let them fail in a self-destruction of their own making. I can provide multiple opportunities to recognize their mistakes, but I cannot force them to make good decisions.
This is exactly what God does to His people. They started living apart from God’s ways, so He gave them clean teeth. In other words, God gave them famine so they didn’t have any food to make their teeth dirty. They didn’t repent. God sent rain to one locale but not another. By sending sporadic rain, He demonstrated His control over the elements. They did not repent but foolishly crowded around what little water existed. God brought blight and insects to ruin their crops. They did not repent. He allowed violence to come so their young men died in battle. They did not repent. He brought calamity similar to Sodom and Gomorrah. They did not repent. God’s remaining option is allowing the people destroy themselves with a destruction of their own making. Assyria will come to claim their wealth they spent so much time cultivating and worshipping.
Sometimes, people refuse to learn. Remarkably, people do frequently repent and turn back when faced with enough negative consequences. But not always. Sometimes, in the right circumstance, people persist in obstinance, refusing to change or listen. Sometimes, the only option remaining is to allow the self-destruct button to be pushed. God doesn’t want us to destroy ourselves in our own sinfulness, but in our free will we sometimes leave Him with no other option.
