"Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High."
- Psalm 107: 10-11
Prisoners of their own choosing. Not someone who was forced into slavery, but rather someone who chased after those things which are addictive, destructive, and life-sucking specifically to fill a need, a desire, a void that only God alone can fill. Or maybe just to run away from God. It says "they rebelled against the word of God", so whatever the reasoning is they have done the opposite of what the Gospel calls us to do, which is to "pick up your cross and follow Him".
What they are chasing is evil, wrapped in darkness and death. They are completely and totally encased in this sin, chains and irons holding them down. They chased alcohol, drugs, sex, fame, fortune, or maybe all of the aforementioned and instead of making them happier, prettier, more desirable, loved, accepted, powerful it has stripped them of everything they have. Any freedom they think they have is fake, lackluster, painted on. They are locked down with no way to free themselves.
Thank God, He allows us to see the situation we are in. Thank God, He opens our eyes.
"So He bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help."
- Psalm 107:12
How do you wake someone up to the prison they live in? How do you snap someone out of a psychotic break? How do you make them realize that this life they live is completely broken and enchained?
You weigh their hearts down and separate them from all friends, family, and kind strangers. You make them fall on their face, tangled up in chains with no way to get up. And then, when they can taste the bile and filth of their prison and all they can see is the rough concrete floor underneath them, only then can they finally release their pride and stop pretending that they are in control. Then is when they admit "I've got mhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=106784583541308202yself in a huge mess and I have no hope of getting out."
God is not a cruel God to put people through something like this. In reality, He didn't put them in chains. We are very good at doing that all on our own, the one thing we can do without Christ's help. This added weight that God puts on these prisoners, this unbearable burden that throws them on their face and immobilizes them is an example of God's grace, not wrath.
"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart."
- Psalm 107:13-14
Without being broken, these prisoners would never surrender. They would continue to live life as if they weren't chained in irons. God had to break through that fog of pretending and make believe to show them "You need to be rescued" and then had to convince them that they can't rescue themselves, that only God can come in and save them.
God is brought the glory through our brokenness. We are designed, I think, to have to reach the outermost limits of our abilities, to fall on our face, to try and then fail so that God can rescue us. So that God can be brought the glory. So that God can glorify Himself and God allows us the ability to join in the party and glorify Him as well. So that everyone can see that God is Lord over everything, because it was obvious there was no getting out on my own. It was obvious that someone much greater and more powerful had to come in and save me.
Aren't those the most amazing stories? When someone is wrapped up in meaningless sex, living with drug and alcohol addiction, pursuing empty fame and worthless money...isn't it amazing when we see these people hit rock bottom, lose everything, on the brink of suicide or death in some other fashion. When there is no hope left and we expect them to just die, God reaches down and opens their eyes. And they look up and see the face of God and suddenly their hearts are changed from stone to flesh. They are broken by their sin and desperately just want to be near to God. And so God, who cannot do anything but love perfectly and wholly, reaches down, breaks those chains of addiction, and pulls us out of our prison we constructed for ourselves.
"Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron."
- Psalm 107:15-16
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so"
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