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THE TIME OF THE JUDGES (V)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5
Judges 2:11-23

Exodus 34:5-9

 

“When they cried unto thee, thou

heardest them from heaven…”

 

THE TIME OF THE JUDGES (V)
 
The period of the judges is not only a picture of the failures and rebellion of God’s people (Israel), it is also a picture of God and His grace and mercy, His longsuffering and goodness. It magnifies the attributes of God, who in His covenant faithfulness according to His promise to the Patriarchs, made sure that His mercy like light shone brightly in the darkness of the day’s apostasy and rebellion.
 
“Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them…” (Judg 2:16-18). In a period when anarchy reigned, God repeatedly raised judges. Men who, despite their personal weakness and despite the national apostasy, would rise up to face the national emergency, and would champion God’s cause. These were men raised for such a time, and men who would serve in their time. Men who would be filled and empowered by the Spirit of God, and who through God’s leading would bring God’s people out of the servitude that their sin had led them into. Men who, after all they did, would still be forgotten and whose influence would wane with time as the nation would slip back into apostasy and anarchy. The longsuffering of God, and His grace and mercy, were magnified by the fact that, though the turning to the LORD was superficial and temporary, God would still in mercy relieve the nation. God, though seemingly used as a kind of emergency and crash aid service, mercifully heard their cry and raised up men to deliver them.
 
Though each cycle of apostasy seemed more severe, God’s grace was sufficient and abundant (Rom 5:20). Indeed! Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Conscience can be dulled and lulled by cycles of sin, but God’s grace and mercy are able to revive it and bring it to true repentance. Their faith always had to rest in God and not men! The men used of God were varied by time and tribe, the help they gave was short-lived with differing effects, but the God who chose and used these men abides forever and is ever gracious and merciful, all-knowing and all-powerful.
 
THOUGHT: “Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes, God leads His dear children along.”

PRAYER: (Use Psalm 108.)

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