Judges 2:20
But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
Do you ever wonder what their “evil practices and stubborn ways” were?
In this chapter it was following other gods, serving, and worshiping them (Judges 2). They worshiped the gods of the people around them. They turned away from obedience to God. They ignored the judges that God sent to them.
Judges is a book of success and failure. It’s a book about what happens when people go their own way and do whatever they think is right. Israel would turn away from God and sin. God allowed their enemies to have victory for a while. Then, because of his love for them, God would raise up judges to rescue his people and call them back to him. Israel would follow God for a while and then turn away again.
The punishment that God allowed was actually his mercy – He wanted Israel to do what was best and was showing that to them by setting boundaries.
What similarities do we have to this passage?
What other gods do we follow?
What would be the “evil practices and stubborn ways” in our lives?
Are there areas of punishment in our lives?
Sometimes I wonder why parts of Judges are even in the Bible. When I came across this section in my personal reading a few months back I have to say I was so discouraged by it. Every day I was reading about failure upon failure in a book of (so-called) heroes.
Then I read about the church in Florida whos pastors are divorcing and the pastor in Texas who is now “cured” of his sins with other men and drugs and I cant help but wonder: were there people at the time of the Judges like me who watched this stuff happen with frustration and longing for a change?
Then I realized that – while I am not comparing myself to God, merely echoing him – God was probably watching his people fall away after he blessed them in so many ways. He is still watching them fall away even after blessing them with 23,000 member churches or putting them at the head of worldwide Evangelical organizations.
How frustrating it must be. How much longing does he feel for a time when he can bless his people and not watch in horror as they corrupt those blessings.
Sometimes I wonder why parts of Judges are even in the Bible. When I came across this section in my personal reading a few months back I have to say I was so discouraged by it. Every day I was reading about failure upon failure in a book of (so-called) heroes.
Then I read about the church in Florida whos pastors are divorcing and the pastor in Texas who is now “cured” of his sins with other men and drugs and I cant help but wonder: were there people at the time of the Judges like me who watched this stuff happen with frustration and longing for a change?
Then I realized that – while I am not comparing myself to God, merely echoing him – God was probably watching his people fall away after he blessed them in so many ways. He is still watching them fall away even after blessing them with 23,000 member churches or putting them at the head of worldwide Evangelical organizations.
How frustrating it must be. How much longing does he feel for a time when he can bless his people and not watch in horror as they corrupt those blessings.
Add an “e” to heroes before someone reads it! Ahh, the failures of His people! :)
Add an “e” to heroes before someone reads it! Ahh, the failures of His people! :)