In this two-part series of
articles, we are taking examples from both Old and New Testament men and women
of faith, and exploring the antecedents and causes of their failures. From
these lessons of failure, perhaps we can learn how to avoid some of the
failures in our own Christian lives.
Failure Resulting from
Selfish Desires
1. Wanting our own way. The
LORD had told Rebekah, "Two nations are in your womb … and the elder
shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). In spite of this clear promise of
God, Rebekah and her younger twin son, Jacob, conspired to lie to the father,
Isaac, to obtain the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau (Gen. 27:1-40).
Jacob paid a heavy price for lying and cheating, receiving the same from his
Uncle Laban (Gen. 29:15-25; 31:7), and from his own sons (Gen. 37:32-34).
It is interesting to notice that
what Jacob wanted was exactly what the LORD wanted for him, namely, the
blessing of the firstborn. But because Jacob took matters into his own hands,
rather than letting the LORD work out His will in His way, Jacob lived a rather
miserable life. Not until the very end of his life did Jacob begin to manifest
that faith and trust in the LORD that gained for him a place in the "Hall
of Fame of Faith" in Hebrews 11 (Gen. 48:8-15).
The life of Samson has a number of
parallels with that of Jacob. During most of his life Samson was noted for
wanting his own way (Judg. 14:1-3; 16:1-20). This willfulness was the
underlying cause of Samson’s loss of strength and blindness. Like Jacob, not
until the very end of his life did Samson really depend upon the LORD for his
strength (Judg. 16:28).
2. Satisfying fleshly lusts.
David exhibited much faith and dependence upon the LORD in his lifetime (1 Sam.
17:37,45-47; 23:2,4,; 30:8; 2 Sam. 2:1; 5:19,23). However, he failed to submit
his fleshly desires to the LORD and sinned greatly in the matter of Bathsheba
(2 Sam. 11).
3. Desiring Vengeance. Saul
gave his daughter Michal in marriage to David (1 Sam. 17:25; 18:17-28), but
gave her to another man when David fled to escape Saul’s wrath (1 Sam. 25:44).
When David became king, the house of Saul warred against him (2 Sam. 3:1). As a
show of power and vengeance, David demanded that Michal be returned to him,
even though he broke up a happy marriage in doing so (2 Sam. 3:15,16) and never
gained Michal’s love and respect (2 Sam. 6:20).
4. Wanting glory for self.
Gideon, the divinely-appointed captain of Israel, gained a stunning victory
over the Midianites with his tiny band of 300 men with their trumpets and
pitchers (Judg. 6:14; 7:16-25). He resisted the request by the men of Israel to become their ruler, saying, "The LORD shall rule over you" (Judg.
8:22,23).
But Gideon had second thoughts. He
didn’t want to be king, but he wanted to be remembered more as a priest. After
all, the angel of the LORD had appeared unto him and revealed God’s mind
to him and not to the appointed high priest of Israel. Gideon had been treated by God almost like a priest, and he desired to be
commemorated in that way. So he made a golden ephod (simulating a high-priestly
garment), "which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house"
(Judg. 8:24-27).
The twelve disciples, who had been
so privileged to have such close fellowship with the Lord Jesus and to serve
Him, got into an argument over which of them should be accounted the greatest
(Luke 22:24). James and his brother John may have been ringleaders in this
(Matt. 20:20-24).
When God sees fit to use any of
us, His blood-bought children, in His service, and we faithfully carry out that
service with good results, let us be careful to give God all the glory,
keeping none for ourselves.
Failure Resulting from Zeal
"It is good to be zealously
affected always in a good thing" (Gal. 4:18). "Our Saviour Jesus
Christ … gave Himself for us, that He might … purify unto Himself a
peculiar [or special] people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:14).
As good and profitable zeal may be
when properly directed, wrongly-directed zeal led to failure in three pillars
of faith.
When the children of Israel came to the desert of Zin, they found no water there, so they grumbled and complained against
Moses and against the LORD. Moses and Aaron brought the matter before the LORD
and the LORD told Moses to speak unto the rock and water would come out of the
rock for the people and their animals to drink. But Moses was angry with the
people. They had no right to complain against God. God was letting them off too
easy. So Moses spoke angrily to the people and struck the rock with his rod
instead of speaking to it. Water came out sufficient for the whole
congregation, but Moses was severely punished for his disobedience and
misrepresentation of God. Moses represented God before the people as being
angry with them, whereas God desired to manifest His grace and longsuffering
toward His people on that occasion. So carried away was Moses in his zeal for
the LORD that he failed to listen to the LORD and thus failed "to sanctify
[the LORD] in the eyes of the children of Israel" (Num. 20:1-13).
Simon Peter confidently exclaimed,
"Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison and to death"
(Luke 22:33). The Lord had just told Peter, "I have prayed for you that
your faith fail not." Peter didn’t pick up the hint. He did not honor the
wisdom of His Master. He essentially replied, "Not to worry Lord, you
don’t need to bother praying for me!" A while later the Lord found Peter
and two other disciples sleeping after He had told them, "Pray that you
enter not into temptation" (verses 40,45,46). We all know what happened after
that (verses 54-62). Peter’s zeal for the Lord, and confidence in that zeal,
led to his not taking the Lord seriously and not praying, resulting in his
sinning terribly against His Lord.
The apostle Paul’s "heart’s
desire and prayer to God for Israel [was] that they might be saved" (Rom.
10:1). But his strong desire for the salvation of the Jewish people led him to
disregard prophetic warnings not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-14). His zeal
and desire for Israel also led to his unwise involvement in a Jewish religious
ceremony that compromised the truth of the gospel (verses 23-27).
The apostle Peter writes that we
all need to have virtue, that is, courage applied in a good and right way. And
lest this virtue get out of balance and become misdirected (such as bombing an
abortion clinic), our virtue needs to be balanced by knowledge of God’s Word,
God’s will, and the example provided by Christ when here on earth (2 Pet.
1:5,6).
God’s Restoration and Blessing
of Those Who Failed
"Will the Lord cast off for
ever? … Thou art the God who does wonders" (Psa. 77:7,14).
Yes, "the God of all
grace" (1 Pet. 5:10) delights to work the wonders of restoration in souls
of His children of faith who have failed. Notice how Scripture speaks of
different men and women after they had failed and sinned and been restored to
the Lord:
1. Abraham. "In
blessing I will bless Thee, and in multiplying I will multiply Thy seed as the
stars of the heaven and as the sand that is upon the seashore" (Gen.
22:17).
2. Jacob. "By faith
Jacob … worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff" (Heb. 11:21).
3. Moses and Elijah.
"Moses went … to the top of Pisgah … and the LORD showed him all the
land" (Deut. 34:1). Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Ki.
2:11). Jesus "went up into a mountain to pray … and behold, there talked
with him … Moses and Elijah" (Luke 9:28-30).
4. David. "I have
found David … a man after Mine own heart…. Of [David’s] seed has God …
raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus" (Acts 13:22,23).
5. Peter. "Jesus said to
Simon Peter … Feed My lambs … feed My sheep" (John 21:15-19). Fearful
Peter became a bold witness for the risen Christ (Acts 2:14-36; 3:12-26) and
wrote two epistles.
6. Paul. The apostle Paul
preached the Word of God before governors and kings and wrote his prison
epistles after having failed out of zeal for Israel (Acts 23-28; Phil. 1:12,13;
4:22).
* * *
Brothers and sisters, men and
women of faith:do not rest upon your laurels, your successes, and your
victories of faith. Be alert to the various causes of failure, even in those
characterized by faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And should you have
occasion to fail, do not despair! The Lord is ready and eager to lead you to
confession and true repentance and to restore you to full fellowship with
Himself (Psa. 51:12).