Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.
Psalms 119:153
Affliction – `oniy / on-ee’ [H6040] from 6031; depression, i.e. misery: –afflicted(-ion), trouble.
Trials are a vital part of growth. How many times did we fall while learning to walk? How many times did we fall while learning to rides a bike? How many times did we fall when learning to love?
Life is full of trials, and our reaction to them determines what kind of life we live. Failing taught us what not to do so we could succeed.
Sometimes, however, success is an obstacle to growth. How many grew up with this shape sorter? As a young child, it is probable that you failed often as you learned to discern which shapes fit into which holes. As you became more proficient, you may have tried to fit other shapes into other holes and your parents had to stop you from sticking something in an electric socket.
Your parents had to teach you not to touch a hot stove, not to play in the street, and not to consume strange substances from the cleaners’ cabinet . . . and this often had to be instilled by some form of chastisement (affliction).
The Army uses failure to assess leadership and promote growth. Army units travel to National Training Centers (NTCs) and conduct exercises with domestic Opposition Forces (OPFOR). These OPFOR are American soldiers who are stationed at the NTC so they have the advantage of knowing the terrain (as would any overseas enemy we may have to encounter).
They also have the advantage of numbers. The Army assures that the OPFOR will eventually ‘win’ by adding increasing numbers of OPFOR to the battlefield until your unit is defeated. The Army knows you cannot evaluate leadership when you are winning – a leader’s true behavior and character are exposed when he is failing.
(as a side note, ‘winning’ was assessed by how many OPFOR were introduced into the battlefield. If it took nearly all the OPFOR personnel to defeat you, then one might claim a ‘victory’. If many of the OPFOR never even deployed to the battlefield, then it was time to find a new job or learn a lot of lessons from your mistakes.)
Learning from failure is a victory.
There are three choices when reacting to affliction: Learn from the failure, keep doing the same thing and keep failing, or quit.
Since it is Memorial Day weekend, I will share a personal Army experience of failure (but only one since my list of failures was rather lengthy).
In 1990, during a platoon evaluation, I was short half my strength due to mechanical problems. We were tasked with assaulting an ‘enemy’ defensive position and I did not have sufficient numbers to achieve the mission without a miracle.
There was no miracle, and the mission was a total failure. When my wingman’s vehicle was ‘hit’ (its yellow beacon started flashing – the Army used laser tag technology . . . boy, howdy), my vehicle was the sole one left facing two enemy vehicles that were dug into fighting positions. Success was impossible, so I determined to evacuate my ‘casualties’, so at least my men would know that I would do my best to take care of them if something happened.
Even though I used the wingman’s vehicle as a shield, the OPFOR were still able to ‘hit’ and destroy my vehicle. I had eliminated my entire platoon.
The After Action Review (AAR) was brutal. I had failed the mission, killed my men, and cast serious doubt over my leadership. The facilitator of the AAR gave me some advice: “Bob, if you see a yellow light . . . get the fuck away.”
I made a poster of that comment and hung it in my office at the company.
Less than a year later, I was on an actual battlefield.
During the early morning approach to the airfield at Jalibah, Iraq, my wingman’s vehicle was hit. Seeing the onboard explosions, I knew that there were actual casualties.
My first thought was, “I have to help my men,” which most normal people would want to do. My next thought was the poster hanging in my office, “IYSAYL . . . GTFA”.
I radioed a message about the encounter and drove past the wounded, much to the consternation of the dismounted squad leader in the back of my vehicle. Half of his squad was on the other vehicle, and had there not been a turret shield door between him and me, he may have subdued me in order to go back for his men.
By leaving my men, I was able to take the fight to the airfield and medics were able to treat my wounded, unmolested by enemy fire. Had this fight taken place a year earlier, I would have stopped, endangering the people on my vehicle as well as the rest of my platoon, who would have followed my example.
I had learned from my earlier failure. I was a better combat leader because of my earlier failure.
We are all a product of our experiences, but our successes in life do not have as profound an effect on us as does our afflictions.
Have you been divorced? Did you learn from it? I am 31.5 years with my second wife, and I am still learning.
Have you changed your church or your faith?
This one is actually very difficult. Many people go their entire life without questioning their faith. I will contend that if you are not questioning, then you are not learning.
Jacob struggled (literally) with a divine being, and Jacob’s name was changed by Yahweh to “Israel” (struggles with God – Genesis 32:24-28; 35:10). Imagine! One of the patriarchs of “God’s chosen people” (Deuteronomy 7:6) and Yahweh names him ‘he who struggles with Me’!
After flunking out of law school, I enrolled in a Catholic seminary in Indianapolis (not as odd a shift in vocation as one might think, but the history of that decision is too lengthy and too mundane to go into with any detail). At the same time, I started attending a Bible study . . . something I had longed for for a long time, but something that the Catholic church does not encourage (ask a friend who is Catholic . . . they will confirm). I soon found out why.
I was constantly given to asking, “why does the church teach ‘this’, when the Bible says ‘that’?” The response was always some form of “Church doctrine teaches . . . .” or “Church tradition states that . . . .” Finally, their response was “you are too orthodox for us.” They asked me to leave. This affliction led me to better embrace the Word of Yahweh.
I was raised to believe that Roman Catholicism was the only path to salvation (of course, most every Christian denomination – as well as other faiths – was teaching the same thing). Would I have been allowed to embrace the Bible had I stayed and become a Priest? I think the answer is “no”.
The Bible study I was participating in was with The Way International. The Way was meticulous in teaching its adherents how to read and study the Bible so we could know it for ourselves.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Timothy 2:15
The Way had its own faults, and its training on Bible Study allowed for many of us to question The Way’s doctrine. Some of the leadership of The Way was fired, and the rest of us were told to conform (sorry, if you know me, then you know I’m not much of a conformist).
I attended several different denominations, seeking a community that embraced truth as I was attempting to do. One of two outcomes was always inevitable: I left because their doctrine was counter to the Word, or they asked me to leave because I questioned their doctrine (in the silly belief that I could help them see God’s Word more clearly). These afflictions led me to a church that I could embrace and that embraced me.
The last church I belonged to was started by some ex-Way leadership that still taught how to teach the Word but did away with many of the errors taught by The Way. I thought I was finally in a good place.
Twenty-five years later, a personal altercation between me and the head of the church had left me out in the cold, again. I still embraced the doctrine, but the leader’s personal accusations toward me (which stemmed from my refusing to acquiesce to his dictates concerning my circle of friends) became a chasm that was uncrossable.
That is when my affliction led to real growth. A revelation led me to adopting the whole Word (all Christian churches say they embrace the entire Bible, but they seldom venture out of the New Testament, and when they do, they proclaim that the Old Testament, ‘no longer applies to the Christian’. If your church is telling you that, then they do not embrace the entire Bible).
I could not have accepted this revelation a year, or ten years, or twenty years earlier. My comfort-level with where I was had me embracing what I ‘knew’ to be truth, and my studying always focused on what my church’s doctrine was teaching.
I needed all of those earlier afflictions to get me to the point that I could have received the entire Word. The Hebrews, likewise, continually adopted the doctrines of the surrounding pagan religions, which always led to afflictions that always caused the people to, once again, long for the Torah and the favor of Yahweh.
And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Exodus 4:31
And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:
Deuteronomy 26:7
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10
8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:8-13
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Hosea 5:15
1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Jonah 2:1-2
Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
Psalms 119:92
. . . and many, many more.
Not all affliction is of Yahweh. Some is self-inflicted.
If you commit adultery and develop an STD, then you brought the disease on yourself. The law clearly prohibits adultery (Exodus 20:14). Following the Law would have prevented this affliction.
If you end up in jail because you stole, following the Law would have prevented this affliction.
Not all affliction is of Yahweh. Some is of the Devil who seeks to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10)
One should not look to someone who is afflicted with cancer (as an example) as someone who is especially wicked. If you are afflicted with cancer, you should pray AND get treatment. As cancer generally shortens one’s life, you should evaluate and assess your relationship with the Father.
A broken leg is an affliction, but not necessarily one from Yahweh. While we are to be thankful in all things, we do not have to be thankful for all things. (1Thessalonians 5:18) You can be thankful only one leg was broken rather than both.
Returning to my examples, many of my afflictions were (are) self-inflicted.
I wanted a strong relationship with Yahweh, but I refused to examine what the Word said about having Yahweh as a Father. I ‘confessed’ Yeshua as my Lord (Romans 10:9-10), but I refused to walk as he did (1John 2:3-6) and acted in ways that belied that he was my Lord.
Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)
Yahweh commands us to “afflict” [`anah / aw-naw’ [H6031] to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows):–abase self, afflict(-ion, self), chasten self, deal hardly with, humble (self), submit self.] ourselves and to do no work (verse 27).
During the “Days of Awe” (the ten days before Yom Kippur) we are to reflect upon our lives, but on the Day of Atonement, we are to thoroughly examine ourselves, repent, and ask forgiveness for our shortcomings.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1John 1:9
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1John 3:4
How can one be reflective of the sin in one’s life if they are unaware of what Yahweh has attested as sin? This is why the teaching that ‘the Old Testament no longer applies to us’ is so evil. Paul plainly states that we do not know what sin is unless we know the prohibitions stated in the Law.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Romans 7:7
A meaningful introspection is our last chance to change our outcome. That introspection cannot take place when one believes that they are permitted to do anything they want (“do what thou wilst” – Satanic commandment) because Christ died for the sins of man.
The unrepentant sinner, whether of his own design or unwittingly because of the false teachings of the false prophets (who may have been unwittingly taught) of their church, is destined for calamity.
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:13-15; 21-23
On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to express your repentance and make amends.
Yom Kippur is the only day that a Priest could enter the holy of holies and submit a burnt offering for the sins of the people. It is a foreshadowing of the Day of Judgment when Christ will judge all. Yeshua, however, as our High Priest, shed his blood once for an atonement for all people. (Hebrews 9:23-25)
The choice is to accept Christ as your Savior and live life everlasting or to face Christ as your Judge and possibly die in the Lake of Fire. I believe that those who never knew Christ can be judged as righteous based on whatever standard he chooses (the Law of his Father comes to mind), in their cases. Ultimately, Yeshua will be just in whatever manner he adjudicates.
Traditionally, Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. Orthodox Jews refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur.
Do not mistake a fasting as the affliction. Fasting is a form of affliction, but Yahweh desires that you get honest with yourself and truly repent unto life. Fasting is okay if you want . . . at any time . . . but it is neither a substitute for, nor a heightening of, your taking an assessment of your walk with Yahweh.
Life is full of affliction . . . and that is not necessarily bad. Use it to your ever-lasting benefit.
Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.
Psalms 119:153
