(1) Our defeat is God’s shame
(2) He gives us victory in order to keep His Own reputation

These two thoughts are clear and are also repeated in the Bible several times. And it’s not difficult to understand why.

A father understands God’s position better. The defeat and failure of the son is the shame of the father. For this reason, how many parents—to the surprise of many people—rescue their children even when they commit horrible things?

You can go to any police station, courtroom or prison, and you’ll surely find mothers and fathers with their eyes red from crying, running up and down with lawyers, trying to take their son or daughter out of prison. “How much?” they ask. “Five thousand? Ten thousand? One hundred thousand? It doesn’t matter, take all I have, but let my son go…”

When we fail or are defeated in our battles, God is the one who is put to shame. He knows He can’t count on our own justice or merits in order to deliver us. So, He delivers us for His Own sake, for the zeal of His name, and not because we are good people.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.” (Ezekiel 36:22)

“‘Not for your sake I do this,’ says the Lord God, ‘let it be known to you.’” (Ezekiel 36:32)

When God heard Hezekiah’s prayer regarding Sennacherib, He gave him the reasons why He was going to deliver the people:

“The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor build a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return; and he shall not come into this city,’ says the Lord. For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’” (2 Kings 19:31-34)

The zeal of God will do this. Let’s meditate on this.

Renato Cardoso