“I Can’t Stands No More” #2: Old Testament

In the movie “Network” Howard Beale (Peter Finch), anchor of the UBS Evening News, is notified that he will be off the air in two weeks because of declining ratings. In an act of desperation, he tells the nation to go open their windows and scream, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

What is it that makes you want to yell out your window, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!?” The world around us is getting worse, not better. Inequities abound; poverty overwhelms; corruption runs rampant; children can’t read; AIDS in Africa is a pandemic. Half of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars per day.  Nearly 20% or 1 billion people in the world live on a dollar a day. Meanwhile, the world’s wealthiest 16% consume over 80% of the world’s natural resources? If that list doesn’t make your blood boil, nothing ever will!

People – believers in Christ – those who are called by His Name – we must DO something to bring the love of Christ to a broken world. Fortunately, in every generation throughout history, God has raised up someone who has said, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

In this post we’ll look at some of the people God raised up in the Old Testament. In later posts we’ll examine similar people in the New Testament and the modern era.

For 400 years the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They were held captive, mistreated, and nearly starved as their “masters” worked them to death. When the Israelites met impossible work quotas, their sadistic overseers increased the benchmarks. The cries of the Israelites were heard in heaven, and God raised up Moses who said, “I’m not going to take this anymore!” God worked through Moses to lead His people to freedom.

During the Babylonian captivity the Jewish people were marked for extermination. God raised up Mordecai who said, “I’m not going to take this anymore!” Mordecai lacked a platform to intervene, but he knew someone who could. He implored his niece Queen Esther to use her royal position to save God’s people. Fortunately, Esther stepped to the plate and prevented a holocaust.

Nehemiah was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. He tasted the food and wine before the King was served. One day he received visitors from Jerusalem and asked about the living conditions there. The report was so distressing that Nehemiah sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. Something broke inside Nehemiah, and he said, “I’m not going to take this anymore!” With the King’s full support, Nehemiah led an expedition that rebuilt the walls in 52 days and triggered a spiritual revival among the Israelites.

Hebrews 11:32-34 states, “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.”

What about you? What do you see in this world where something breaks within you, and you say, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Maybe God is calling you to do something about it. What do you think?