JUDGES
God had gone
to great lengths to get His people into this land. He certainly took them on
the scenic route, but they had finally arrived. They took possession of the
land and now it was time to get on with the rest of God’s promise, the part
about being a blessing to all the nations around them.
But they
still had a lot of growing up to do.
When their
fearless leader, Joshua, was about to die, he made the people promise that
they’d be good.
“We
promise!”
“Cross your
hearts and hope to die?”
“Cross our
hearts and hope to die, stick a needle in our eye!”
But the
people couldn’t keep their promise. They never could. After Joshua and his
generation died, the people started staying out too late, partying with the neighbours
kids, praying to the neighbour’s gods.
Thus began
one of the most interesting and boring parts of the Bible story, the period of
the Judges. Yes, interesting and boring, simultaneously. Kind of like college
was for most of us, and probably for a lot of the same reasons.
See, there
were lots of colourful characters during the period of the Judges, and they specialised
in doing strange things. There were obese kings and seductive women. There were
feats of strength and barbaric acts. Some people had low self-esteem, others’
self-esteem was off the charts and too high for their own good.
It was a
crazy time, and you never knew what was going to happen.
Except you
knew exactly what was going to happen.
It’s the
same thing over and over and over. It always starts well enough. The land is at
peace, and the nation is growing in wealth and influence. But then they get all
fat and sassy and start flirting with other gods. YHWH is a highly
differentiated person, so He’s not easily threatened, but He does consider
Himself a jealous God. He’ll let Israel go only so far with the philandering.
When they cross the line, He’s not afraid to let ’em have it.
Peace.
Rebellion. Painful (and sometimes embarrassing) correction in the form of an
outside oppressor. Remorse. Crying out to God. The emergence of a new leader to
overthrow the oppressor. Back to peace.
Lather,
rinse, repeat for 400 years, and you get the period of the Judges.
Father, when
I read the book of Judges I see that it is a series of warnings that were
written for our instruction. Through it, You teach the awful monotony and
destructiveness of rebellion and disobedience, and You warn me that to veer off
the way of trust and obedience is to take a path that leads to destruction and
death. I see in the stories of Judges that it is difficult to hold fast to You
when times are relatively easy and peaceful. In such times, I lose the cutting
edge of gratitude and dependence and I hope in the things of this world rather
than what You tell me to value. The cycles of sin are so predictable and
relentless, and when I get caught in this vortex, I lose my peace. By the power
of Your Spirit, I pray that I would hold fast to You, not only in times of
adversity, but also in times of ease.
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