Judges 2:10-3:31 / Luke 22:14-34 / Psalms 92-92 / Proverbs 14:1-2
I want to continue to explore the Old Testament story of God’s people because I’m gaining further understanding of what God is doing. I talked about wondering if God meant for Joshua to appoint a leader after him. I wondered whether Joshua had asked God what to do before he passed from earth.
According to what I’m reading, God is ready to test His people to see if they will keep His commands without one leader over the nation. We’re now reading Israel’s history in the time of the Judges, but God only appoints a judge when His people pray to Him for deliverance.
They wouldn’t need to pray for deliverance if they obeyed and refused to worship false gods. But again, and again, they are drawn into the practices of false worship of the nations around them. Judges 2:22 says God stopped driving out the nations from the land to test His people. He did it to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the LORD as their ancestors did. It also says in verse 23 He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.
This is a test! Unfortunately, God’s chosen people are failing miserably. Every time they fail, they pray for help, God sends a judge and there is peace for many years. The trouble is this pattern continues to repeat itself for many generations.
Was it not enough that their ancestors had to wander the desert for 40 years because they could not obey? It would only have taken them 11 days to make the journey from Egypt to Canaan. Obedience = 11 days. Disobedience = 40 years. Lord, help us!
This has me wondering what has my disobedience cost me regarding God’s timing and promises. Our lives are a series of saying yes and saying no, both to God and to the temptations around us. I wonder how our journey would change if we could see from God’s view?
This is not meant to bring condemnation, only perspective. I love these 2 verses, and they bring hope when I’ve made a mess of the previous day (or week, month, year…). Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
So, even if you did blow it today, or 100 times in a day, God loves to show mercy and restore you! God was showing mercy every time His people prayed and asked for help by sending a judge to deliver them from their enemies. Now we have been delivered from our enemies for all time by the Great Judge.
