Many of the people of Israel, because they did not obey the commands of the Lord, fell defeated before their enemies and were subjected to slavery. This tragic reality did not happen by chance, nor because God lacked power to protect them. Rather, it occurred because the people became rebellious and allowed their hearts to turn away from the Lord. When obedience was replaced by stubbornness, the protection of God was despised, and the consequences soon followed.
Throughout the history of Israel, we see a recurring pattern: obedience brought blessing, while rebellion brought discipline. God had clearly instructed His people and had given them His law not to burden them, but to guard them. His commandments were meant to keep them safe, united, and dependent on Him. However, when Israel chose to ignore God’s voice, they exposed themselves to defeat and humiliation.
Although God had freed them from slavery and forced labor in Egypt, delivering them with mighty signs and wonders, the people quickly forgot what the Lord had done for them. The God who had opened the Red Sea, provided manna from heaven, and guided them with a pillar of fire was now being ignored. They despised the counsel of the Almighty God, the very One who had taken them out of darkness to lead them into a better and promised place.
This ingratitude reveals a deep spiritual danger. When people forget God’s past faithfulness, they begin to trust in themselves or in other gods. Israel’s rebellion was not merely a matter of breaking rules; it was a rejection of relationship. They no longer trusted the Lord’s wisdom and began to follow their own desires, which ultimately led them back into bondage.
In chapter 107 of the book of Psalms, the psalmist reflects on these events with spiritual understanding. He recognizes that some among the people were imprisoned with iron chains because of their great rebellion. These chains were both literal and symbolic. They were physically bound by enemies, but spiritually bound by their own disobedience, because they refused to listen to the message of the Lord that could have saved them from their enemies.
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
Psalm 107:11-13
These verses describe a powerful sequence. First, rebellion against the words of God. Second, contempt for His counsel. Third, humiliation and suffering. The psalmist tells us that God brought down their hearts with labor. This means that their pride was broken through hardship. When they fell, there was no human help available, because God allowed them to reach a point where they could no longer rely on their own strength.
This is often how divine discipline works. God does not discipline to destroy, but to humble and restore. By removing false sources of security, He teaches His people where true help is found. When Israel reached the end of themselves, they finally looked upward.
When we become deaf and rebellious, refusing to listen to the advice of our God, we inevitably face calamities. Ignoring His voice does not remove responsibility; it increases it. God speaks through His Word, through warnings, and through conscience, and when these are rejected, discipline follows. This discipline is not evidence of hatred, but of God’s fatherly care.
After having sinned against the Lord, the people finally did what they should have done from the beginning: they cried out to Him for help. Their anguish was very great, and their suffering had stripped them of all pride. This cry was not casual prayer, but desperate repentance. They recognized that only the Lord could rescue them.
It was at that moment that God freed them from their afflictions. Despite their rebellion, the Lord responded with mercy. Psalm 107 repeatedly highlights this truth: when the people cried out to the Lord in their trouble, He delivered them. God’s mercy proved to be greater than their failure. His compassion overcame their rebellion.
This passage teaches us something essential about the character of God. He is both just and merciful. He does not overlook sin, but neither does He abandon those who genuinely repent. Discipline may last for a season, but deliverance comes when hearts return to Him.
The history of Israel serves as a warning and an encouragement for us today. We, too, can fall into spiritual slavery when we ignore God’s Word. Disobedience may promise freedom, but it always leads to bondage. God’s commands, on the other hand, lead to life, peace, and protection.
Dear brothers, let us not stray from the path of the Lord. Let us learn from the mistakes of those who went before us. God has given us His Word, His guidance, and countless warnings because He loves us and desires to spare us unnecessary suffering.
Let us listen carefully to the advice of the One who knows everything. God sees what we cannot see. He warns us before evil comes, not to frighten us, but to protect us. Obedience is not weakness; it is wisdom.
If we listen to our God, we will avoid much pain and hardship. But even if we have already wandered, this passage reminds us that hope is not lost. If we cry out to the Lord with sincere hearts, He is able to deliver us from our afflictions, just as He did with Israel.
May this lesson encourage us to walk humbly before the Lord, to treasure His counsel, and to obey His voice. In doing so, we will walk in freedom rather than bondage, in peace rather than turmoil, and in fellowship with the faithful God who rescues His people.