Judges 10:15 – 18 “We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.
Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”
The Israelites are under attack from the Philistines on the west and from the Ammonites on the east. Despite all the warnings God has already given the Israelites regarding false gods, they have continued to follow these same worthless idols. When enemies attack, have the Israelites sought deliverance from their idols? Have they sacrificed animals in hopes of getting the attention of their gods? There is no record that any such thing has happened.
God has reproved the Israelites and they have actually taken that reproof to heart and have repented. Amazingly, once the Israelites repent, God begins to act on their behalf. These verses constitute an amazing demonstration of God’s mercy. The Israelites have made a complete mess of things. Most of us would tell them “Tough! You made your bed; you can lie in it!” But God gives second chances, and third and fourth and fifth chances. If not for the mercy of God, there would not be a nation of Israel today.
APPLICATION: How many of us put our trust in something, only to have it fail? Perhaps we have put in years as a professional, admired by our peers. Perhaps we have trusted friends or family members to help us. Perhaps we have highly placed friends in government. But people can die; governments can change; your peers can turn on you, and in this age of vindictive social media, your reputation can be in tatters overnight.
Psalm 146:3-10 says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them– the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.”
The Israelites have made terrible mistakes, but God has shown them mercy. The lesson for all of us is this: put your trust in the One who can help you and not in anything else. And if you find that you have trusted the wrong things, pray to the One True Living God, the only One who can save you. Let’s pray.
PRAYER: Father God, forgive us! We have trusted all the wrong things and we have worshiped money, position, reputation, and even our own brilliance. Lord, help us to worship You and nobody else. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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