Unrelenting God


Judges 10:1–18
1After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.
3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. 6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed. 10 And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel. 17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

As we march through Judges the landscape becomes darker and darker. The people continue to spiral further and further away from their gracious God. Violence seems to rule the people rather than peace and prosperity. Life without God is gloomy and desperate. As I read chapter 10 this morning, I cannot help but embrace the sadness of the people. Their lives are fraught with hunger, war, and insecurity. What we find is a definite void in godly leadership. Tola and Jair are mentioned but not in glowing terms. They may have been named as the judges but they seem to do nothing to draw the people away from idolatry. It’s difficult to read.

As we sink into the despair of the Children of Israel, who struggle to deal with their own sin, we must look at God and what we find is hope. While He punishes the people for their idolatry, He does so with one purpose in mind; restoration. What we find is our God in a place of grief. He is constantly and consistently present with them, seeking to get their attention. God does not give up on them but instead moves to regain their love. God’s faithfulness cannot be outmatched.

So instead of letting the situation in chapter 10 lead us to despair, instead we see the steady hand of God. He still loves His people (enough to discipline them) and continues to pursue them. I have known people throughout my life who are hoping God will get through to an unbelieving relative or friend and have prayed for that to happen for years. This is a valid prayer because it is certainly within keeping with the character of an unrelenting God.

Dear Lord God, I take heart in the fact that You do not get bored with me and wander away. You do not give up on me in anger over my sin. In fact, You are so committed to us that You sent Jesus to die for our sins even when we were still wicked sinners. I am so grateful for Your continued and persistent pursuit of me and for your never-ending love. Thank You for providing a way for our salvation while we were still sinners. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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