Israel Hath Sinned

 

 

 

What doth hinder thee

From thy forward march?

The command has been given

But we are yet to start.

 

We have prayed a lot

And we have fasted too,

But little sign of movement

From me or from you.

 

Could it be, I ask,

That prayer is a cop-out

And things that we can do

We now have doubts?

 

Or, are we afraid to do

What we can do

And so, we just pray to God

To take us through?

 

Are there untouchables

That we dare not touch

For these are special people

That are giving much?

 

Too much to be lost

If they are exposed

So, no sense opening that door;

Keep it closed!

 

Going through the motions

Has become the norm,

And like the prophets of Baal,

Prayer is a mere form.

 

 

 

A ritual more or less

If you see what I mean

Where within a given hour or so

We blow off steam.

 

With shouts and screams

We try to convince God

That He needs to do something

About what we appall.

 

We fight the devil

And we do so with might

Believing that through prayer

We could put him to flight.

 

And having silenced him

Our church will glow

In spite of the disagreeableness

That festers and grows.

 

 

It is still united we stand

But divided we fall

And in the latter, forward march

Will come to a stall.

 

Then we could pray

Until the cows come home

Nothing much will be achieved

If we’re in the wrong zone.

 

Call a solemn assembly

But not to pray,

Rather, pinpoint what’s wrong

And go the right way.

 

Often in a huff and puff

We make bad decisions

That have far-reaching effect

On our institutions.

 

Then we point fingers

And apportion blame

And this looks to the outsider

As though we are insane.

 

  

See the great Joshua

Down on his face

Praying and beseeching God

After the Ai’s disgrace.

 

Imagine the horror

Brought on by one man!

Defeat followed a great victory

Because of Achan.

 

A far weaker opposition

Gained the ascendency

Over the Joshua-led Israelites’

Superior army.

 

Bitterness is accursed

And weighs one down,

Bitterness with unforgiveness

Hinders getting along.

 

It impedes progress

As in forward marching,

It is like spinning top in mud

And severely crippling.

 

God will not do for us

What we ourselves can do,

Never mind how much we pray

We won’t get through.

 

If something is wrong

We must talk it through

And we must act out this in love

As believers should do.

 

Search out the camp

And our own selves too,

There’s a whole lot together

That we can do.

 

 

Get up from praying

And brush off your knee,

Get together with the brethren;

This is my plea.

 

Stewart Russell © January 9, 2025