Today's Passage: Judges 9-10
These chapters are a chunk of historical events involving some folks you may or may not have heard of. Chapter nine is a story of deception and overthrow. Abimelech deceives Schechem, he kills his family, and they make him king. Heavy consequences fall to Abimelech and Schechem. Chapter ten is another segment in the story of the Israelites. They again choose to worship other gods and suffer the consequences.
Consequence seems to be the theme, so what do we do with these chapters?
Chapter 9
I think we can all easily see that we are faced with the choice of who we put are trust in. The people of Schechem did not have integrity or a moral resolve when confronted by Abimelech, so they were swayed. So, what leaders are we trusting in? Who are we putting in leadership positions over us?
Chapter 10
We can also see that we, just like the Israelites, have many other things that we worship besides God. When the stresses of life overwhelm us and we turn to shop, to drink, to look where we shouldn't look, to turn inward to self pity and depression, we bow down to a variety of gods. If we're really honest, I think we find it doesn't even take the stresses of life to get us to bow down to these idols. Sometimes we just want to wander! In verse 6 of chapter ten we read, "Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord." In the previous five verses it doesn't say anything about life being particularly hard on the Israelites, they just wandered! And when the consequences came and they cried out to God, He said, "Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress."(Judges 10:14) In times when we don't feel like God is hearing us or answering us, I wander if He's saying the same thing to us.
Of course, He does not leave us there, just like He did not leave the Israelites there. The Psalms are full of verses that testify His lovingkindness lasts forever. I John 1 tells us that when we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I think He sometimes lets us stew awhile in our own mess (rebellion, stubborness, self-help) until we realize that HE is really IT--THE ANSWER--THE HELP-- THE SUPPORT --THE LIFE ---THE ONE AND ONLY GOD!!
May God bless the reading of His word!
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