December 21, 2009 (Judges 9-12)

Judges 10, beginning with verse 6 tells again of the same pattern. The Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight. They worshipped images of other gods. Not only that, but they abandoned the Lord completely and no longer served him at all. So it says "the Lord burned with anger and handed them over to the Philistines and Ammonites who oppressed them for 18 years. Finally, after all that time, they cried out to the Lord and acknowledged they had sinned." Eighteen years they put up with oppression. What is so evil about the human heart to make us so blind about what sin does to us? And why do we put up with it for so long?

Here is God's response:
^{Judges 10:11} The Lord replied, “Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, ¹² the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you. ¹³ Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore. ¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!”

¹⁵ But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, “We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies.” ¹⁶ Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery.

I find it interesting that only after God told them He wouldn't rescue them, that they put aside their foreign Gods. It tells me they still had a heart of disobedience. It was kind of like they weren't willing to really submit until they knew He was at "the last straw". Kind of like what we train our kids to do without really realizing it. Out of grace, we let them slide because we love them, and then they develop hearts and habits that don't take us seriously or obey us. It's only when the voice gets louder and the threats and frustrations set in, that they know we are serious.

So they put aside their foreign gods and served Him, but it doesn't say that He rescued them right away. It seems they were still in misery, and He was "grieved" by it.

Our actions have consequences. Everything we do affects our lives and others. And the only way for what we do to have "good effects" is to live for God. God doesn't want us to live in rebellion to Him. It "grieves" His heart.

^{Romans 14:7} For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. ⁸ If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.