A New Kind of Pain


Judges 6:1-10
1The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord. 7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

After 40 years of peace and relative stability brought through the godly wisdom of Deborah, Israel once again falls into idolatry. This time the troubles are centered in the tribe of Manasseh and the leader who will emerge is Gideon. First, the author sets us up with historical information and describes the type of punishment God metes out because of the defection of His people once again. This time, it isn’t enslavement that decimates God’s people, but starvation and deprivation.

The people of Manasseh had gone so far as to erect private altars to Baal and Ashtoreth. Of course this is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. And while this sin resided in Manasseh one can assume that it pervades the rest of Israel as well. Because of this sin, God allows the Midianites to overtake Israel on a regular basis and consume all of the nation’s resources. The strategy was to strike Canaan’s breadbasket in the Jezreel Valley at planting time, live all winter off the land, and then, when the rains stopped, exit via the coastal highway, the southern city of which was Gaza. This leaves Israel in a constant state of want. Their food supplies were yearly consumed by an invading force. This moved them into hiding in the hopes of retaining some of their food. I find this manipulation of the resources to be an interesting and creative way for God to get the attention of the people. Clearly their new gods, Baal and Ashtoreth were not providing for them and this is interesting because these are both gods of fertility and harvest. Worship of these two was obviously not working. The people were starving to death.

When we pursue other gods, we are going to starve to death – spiritually. I didn’t see that application coming. But it stands true. When I pursue foolish things I am going to find myself in a spiritual wasteland of my own making and life will become far less than what God had planned or I would enjoy. When I neglect my relationship with God it seems that all aspects of my life take on a darker and less vibrant quality which will eventually and inevitably lead to my separation from God. We may even find ourselves hiding in the caves of our own making, hoping for a shred of peace found in places where peace doesn’t exist. It’s a grim picture. That is where idolatry takes us.

Dear Lord Jesus. Please guard my heart and mind from my own foolish wandering. Holy Spirit, please keep me on the path of truth and grace that You have established. When my heart forgets Your goodness, dear Father, please draw me back. Don’t let me hollow out a cave of despair where I seek peace and forgiveness in all the wrong places. Instead keep me on the path that leads always and only to You. Where I chase after other gods, draw me up short that I might always be turned back to You alone. In Your name I pray. Amen.

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