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.” 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? 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. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 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.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.(Judges 10:10-16 ESV)
As we progress through the judges, we find that the people of Israel appear to have sunken lower and lower in turning their backs on God. This time when they call out to Him, God has some strong words: "I have had enough; go call out to your idols." But the people persist, proclaim the righteousness of God to just as He sees fit, and they act - even if it is "too late." They then proceed to prepare to defend themselves against the enemy, waiting to see who, and if, God will provide. Often we hear people ask: "Is it too late for us? Have we gone to far from God?" It doesn't matter. What matters is to call out to God, obey His voice now, submit to His justice, and wait on Him. And perhaps He will again "become impatient" and send the deliverance we need.
No comments:
Post a Comment