So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
God gives people up by leaving those who refuse to listen and heed Him to follow the lusts and carnal promptings of their own hearts and to walk in their own counsels and plans. Israel forgot God and was scattered, and those left to their own course suffer its bitter results in a path that grows worse until its shame is exposed, whereas had they listened and walked in His ways He would have subdued their enemies and provided abundantly for them. God first makes duty clear by His expressed will, circumstances, facts and reason, and gives opportunity to reform by enlightening, mercy, warning and reproof, but people set that evidence aside because it conflicts with natural inclination, pleasing inducements, reward, the solicitations of friends, and pride of heart. They then urge their case in prayer until He allows them to have their own way, and mistake their strong inclination and earnest feeling for the leadings of His Spirit, as Balaam did when after being told not to go he asked again in covetous eagerness for reward and was permitted to go though his way remained perverse. The same warning applies today to those in the church and to nations and cities that in pride refuse His guidance and invitations, for they are given up to their own ways to be filled with their own doings and reap what they have sown, and lose the blessed future, protection, and deliverance from calamity they could have received.
Words and Setting
Israel was scattered because they forgot God. The same forgetting of God is happening in the churches in the land today. To be given up means that when they refused to listen to and heed Him and rejected Him, He gave them over to the lusts and carnal promptings of their own hearts and minds and left them to walk in their own counsels and plans.
Those who are left to their own course are left to face and suffer the results of their chosen course. That choice leads to bitter experience. When warning and reproof are stubbornly rejected, the course of following their own desires and counsels grows worse until its shame is exposed.
Had Israel listened and walked in His ways, He would have subdued their enemies and provided abundantly for them.
Why God Gives Up
Duty is already made sufficiently clear by God's expressed will together with circumstances and facts and reason. Before giving anyone up, God first gives opportunity to reform and enlightens about sins such as love of self, and sends messages of mercy and warning and reproof. He has chosen to give light through the simple means He has ordained, but when what He shows is doubted and not received it bears only a feather's weight and cannot move or convince.
That evidence is set aside because it conflicts with natural inclination and pleasing inducements and reward, and through the solicitations of friends in harmony with their own inclinations people swerve from duty and pass over the clear evidences. In pride of heart they refuse His guidance, stubbornly persist in their own desires while rejecting His direction, and reject warning and reproof. Their course then grows worse until its shame is exposed.
They then pray to gain consent to do what they favor, praying long and earnestly for light while urging their case and pressing until God allows them to have their own way. They mistake their strong inclination and earnest feeling for the leadings of God's Spirit and claim a wonderful experience, though they are deceived and this course grieves the Spirit. God will not be trifled with but leaves them to follow their own selfish desires and plans and to suffer the outcome.
Balaam illustrates this, for after being told not to go he asked a second time, and in covetous determination and eagerness for Balak's reward he pursued a journey he knew depended on God's permission. God permitted him to go, yet his way remained perverse, so God intervened to obstruct and warn him. When duty is clear, people should not ask God to excuse them from it but should humbly ask for strength and wisdom to do it.
Warning for Today
The warning of the verse falls with equal force on all who refuse divine invitations and appeals, for when they will not listen and reject what is offered, they are given over to the desires of their own hearts and left to follow their own plans. What is forfeited is a blessed future gladly intended for them, a welcome place among the saints, and a protection going before and behind that would have saved from great calamities. Had there been listening and walking in the appointed ways, enemies would have been subdued and abundant provision supplied, but by choosing disobedience the blessings that might have been received are lost.
Within the church the corrupt-hearted, the selfish, and the self-exalting are given up to their own ways to be filled with their own doings. Opportunity to reform is first granted and light is given concerning love of self and other sins, yet when heeding and reform are refused they are left to walk in their own counsels. Then they are led by excitement and sympathy that will deceive some, while in mercy the church is relieved of them. By this separation every honest one may be enlightened, may remain with the peculiar people, may hold fast the truth, and may follow the humble path unaffected by those thus left to themselves.
Nations and cities are dealt with in the same manner, for messages of mercy are sent that would save them from great calamities if accepted. When in pride of heart they refuse guidance and know not the time of their visitation, they are left to follow their own counsels and, like the ancient people, reap the harvest they have sown. So when any turn from righteousness and are determined to follow their own judgment, they may be allowed to do so. That patience does not make the course right, and freedom to go the chosen way exposes weakness and ignorance and proves personal judgment an unsafe guide, whereas drawing near brings clearer insight into faults and duty.
God gives people up by leaving those who refuse to listen and heed Him to follow the lusts and carnal promptings of their own hearts and to walk in their own counsels and plans. Israel forgot God and was scattered, and those left to their own course suffer its bitter results in a path that grows worse until its shame is exposed, whereas had they listened and walked in His ways He would have subdued their enemies and provided abundantly for them. God first makes duty clear by His expressed will, circumstances, facts and reason, and gives opportunity to reform by enlightening, mercy, warning and reproof, but people set that evidence aside because it conflicts with natural inclination, pleasing inducements, reward, the solicitations of friends, and pride of heart. They then urge their case in prayer until He allows them to have their own way, and mistake their strong inclination and earnest feeling for the leadings of His Spirit, as Balaam did when after being told not to go he asked again in covetous eagerness for reward and was permitted to go though his way remained perverse. The same warning applies today to those in the church and to nations and cities that in pride refuse His guidance and invitations, for they are given up to their own ways to be filled with their own doings and reap what they have sown, and lose the blessed future, protection, and deliverance from calamity they could have received.
Words and Setting
Israel was scattered because they forgot God. The same forgetting of God is happening in the churches in the land today. To be given up means that when they refused to listen to and heed Him and rejected Him, He gave them over to the lusts and carnal promptings of their own hearts and minds and left them to walk in their own counsels and plans.
Those who are left to their own course are left to face and suffer the results of their chosen course. That choice leads to bitter experience. When warning and reproof are stubbornly rejected, the course of following their own desires and counsels grows worse until its shame is exposed.
Had Israel listened and walked in His ways, He would have subdued their enemies and provided abundantly for them.
Why God Gives Up
Duty is already made sufficiently clear by God's expressed will together with circumstances and facts and reason. Before giving anyone up, God first gives opportunity to reform and enlightens about sins such as love of self, and sends messages of mercy and warning and reproof. He has chosen to give light through the simple means He has ordained, but when what He shows is doubted and not received it bears only a feather's weight and cannot move or convince.
That evidence is set aside because it conflicts with natural inclination and pleasing inducements and reward, and through the solicitations of friends in harmony with their own inclinations people swerve from duty and pass over the clear evidences. In pride of heart they refuse His guidance, stubbornly persist in their own desires while rejecting His direction, and reject warning and reproof. Their course then grows worse until its shame is exposed.
They then pray to gain consent to do what they favor, praying long and earnestly for light while urging their case and pressing until God allows them to have their own way. They mistake their strong inclination and earnest feeling for the leadings of God's Spirit and claim a wonderful experience, though they are deceived and this course grieves the Spirit. God will not be trifled with but leaves them to follow their own selfish desires and plans and to suffer the outcome.
Balaam illustrates this, for after being told not to go he asked a second time, and in covetous determination and eagerness for Balak's reward he pursued a journey he knew depended on God's permission. God permitted him to go, yet his way remained perverse, so God intervened to obstruct and warn him. When duty is clear, people should not ask God to excuse them from it but should humbly ask for strength and wisdom to do it.
Warning for Today
The warning of the verse falls with equal force on all who refuse divine invitations and appeals, for when they will not listen and reject what is offered, they are given over to the desires of their own hearts and left to follow their own plans. What is forfeited is a blessed future gladly intended for them, a welcome place among the saints, and a protection going before and behind that would have saved from great calamities. Had there been listening and walking in the appointed ways, enemies would have been subdued and abundant provision supplied, but by choosing disobedience the blessings that might have been received are lost.
Within the church the corrupt-hearted, the selfish, and the self-exalting are given up to their own ways to be filled with their own doings. Opportunity to reform is first granted and light is given concerning love of self and other sins, yet when heeding and reform are refused they are left to walk in their own counsels. Then they are led by excitement and sympathy that will deceive some, while in mercy the church is relieved of them. By this separation every honest one may be enlightened, may remain with the peculiar people, may hold fast the truth, and may follow the humble path unaffected by those thus left to themselves.
Nations and cities are dealt with in the same manner, for messages of mercy are sent that would save them from great calamities if accepted. When in pride of heart they refuse guidance and know not the time of their visitation, they are left to follow their own counsels and, like the ancient people, reap the harvest they have sown. So when any turn from righteousness and are determined to follow their own judgment, they may be allowed to do so. That patience does not make the course right, and freedom to go the chosen way exposes weakness and ignorance and proves personal judgment an unsafe guide, whereas drawing near brings clearer insight into faults and duty.