Cushan-Rishathaim

 

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:30-32 ESV).

 

After coming into the Promised Land, the children of Isreal slipped into their old habits spiritually. God allowed Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia, to oppress the people for eight years (cf. Judges 3:8). Mesopotamia symbolized the land of our past. It was the world of sin and idolatry that Abraham forsook for Canaan (cf. Acts 7:2-3). King Cushan-Rishathaim is a foreshadow of Satan, the devil, the power who once ruled your life (cf. Ephesians 2:1-3). And this wicked king, from the land of the past, came with his forces to oppress God's people once again. Satan knows that you are born again. But like Cushan-Rishathaim, he doesn't want you to enjoy the new life in God. He wants to reinsert himself into your life.

 

When God's people cried out to Him, He sent Othniel to save them (cf. Judges 3:9). Othniel is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ. His name means "lion of God." He was from the tribe of Judah. Like Jesus, the Lion of Judah, Othniel was anointed by the Holy Spirit to set the people free from their oppression (cf. Judges 3:10). Deliverance must begin with a cry. God will only respond when there is a genuine desire within us to see our past dealt with by Him. Many Christians today are aware that they are oppressed by their old hurts, old lusts and old habits. But they don't really have a desire to rid themselves of them.

God will only deliver you when you really want Him and allow Him to. The Bible teaches, "Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Joel 2:32). Whatever your Cushan-Rishathaim may be, Jesus is your present-day Othniel. As you cry out to Him for deliverance, you will find Him to be a very present help in your time of need. This promise is available to every believer. Old habits often do die hard, but they can be put to death because of the death already offered on our behalf through Jesus Christ. As we get closer to Easter, isn’t it time to acknowledge your need of the ultimate One who delivers from every Cushan-Rishanthaim in your life?