The Lord Said: "You Have Misrepresented Me!"

Job 42:7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

In the previous two chapters, God and Job had quite a discussion, with the Lord clarifying areas where Job didn't get things quite right.  But before He restores Job and gives him a life even better than before, He turns to Job's three "friends."  Not only had they tended to self-righteousness and failed to be good friends; they had misrepresented God.  We tend to take too lightly this strong phrase we find a number of times in scripture: "My anger burns against you." Those are not mild words.  Do we misrepresent God at times? Do we make Him angry and ignore it? Are there ways we have failed to let people see how Good God really is? 

The Lord Answered...

Job 38:

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action like a man;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.

We like to blame others, including God.  We like to think we know what we are doing, and He does not. Whenever we start thinking that way, this chapter is a good place to come.  God takes us deep to try to answer the questions of life for which only He knows all the answers.  He has the wisdom, and experience, we need. He alone has the master plan for creation.  We cannot "run the world." Only He can. So, let's hang in there and see how good His plan really is.

The Lord Said: "Where Have You Been?"

Job 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”...2:2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 

This conversation between God and Satan is one of the most unique discussions we find God has in Scripture. The closest might be that of God and Adam after the Fall.  It begins with God asking Satan what he had been up to.  Like make questions God the Father or Son ask, it seems unnecessary, as God already knew where Satan had been and what he had been up to. God does it to draw Satan out and to give us a picture of how Satan operates.  Chapter 1 goes on to tell all about the testing of Job, then, as seen above, chapter 2 begins the same way.  God wants Satan to know He knows, and that in the end God will win. Those are two lessons for us: God knows all about us and He also is Lord over all; He will ultimately win.

God Says "It Could Be Worse..."

II Chronicles 34:26 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’”

Young Josiah inherited quite a mess: idolatry, immorality, injustice abounded everywhere in the kingdom. Then they found the scrolls of scripture.  When they realized how far they had strayed from God's Word and will, they were determined to make things right.  The bad news was that the consequences of their sin had piled up so much, there would be judgment to pay.  The good news was that it would be delayed during Josiah's reign. His humility and commitment to holiness would keep him from seeing the fallout. We live in a very fallen world with much evil.  There is so much God "keeps from our eyes" when we are humble and repentant before Him.

The Lord Said: "Why?"

II Chronicles 25:14 After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. 15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

As we saw yesterday, during the times of the kings, God was sending prophets with His messages to His people, especially their leaders. On this occasion, God's question was simple: "Why would you do something so stupid and rebellious.  Like Amaziah, we don't like such direct confrontation of our actions and motives, but God is in a position to see them both.  Before the prophet can finish, Amaziah rudely interrupts him, questioning the prophet's authority. We often do the same, blaming God's spokesman as trying to play the Holy Spirit.  Let us not be so hasty in doing so.  God still uses his people to help us see things we are often too blind to see ourselves. 

The Lord Said through Them

 

II Chronicles 24:20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’”

As we work our way through the books of Kings and Chronicles, we find less and less mention of "the Lord said", "the Lord spoke", "God said", "God spoke", and more and more of prophets saying: "Thus says the Lord..."  Even priests were called on by God to speak at times - usually to proclaim disobedience on the part of the people and/or leaders, the judgment involved, and the changes God was calling for.  The above instance is but an example of the repeated theme.  Sad to say, the people refused to listen, and sad to say, as was often the case, killed the messenger. When we find ourselves drifting from God, thinking it is hard to hear Him, it is not because of Him, but us.  When others remind us, we have a choice: realize we are the ones who moved or close our hearts and ears, drifting further away. May we choose wisely today.

God Speaks without a Word.

I Kings 8:6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

The one main thing David left undone as king was keep his promise to build a permanent temple for God. This his left for Solomon.  We find no direct revelation from God reminding Solomon to do this, only his references to David's promise as he was building it. Finally, when it was completed, and all the other furnishings brought in, the Ark of the Covenant was brought in. Solomon said a lot; all God had to do to answer in approval was fill the Temple with His glory. It was the strongest, most appropriate word to say. Often God speaks powerfully without words; we know it's him because of our history with Him. 

The Lord said: "What Would You Like?"

I Kings 3:3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

This is the first mention of Solomon having a discussion with God. We notice Who initiated it. It is almost startling that God would offer Solomon whatever He wanted. It is equally intriguing what Solomon asks for.  It demonstrates a humility and the seeds of the wisdom he requested. Whenever we look at such an account we are forced to ask ourselves: "What would I ask for? Obviously, our situation is different than that of Solomon, but our answers should not be that far removed from His. Wisdom is the principal thing; seek wisdom. 

The Lord said: "Choose Your Consequences"

II Samuel 24:10 But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” 11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” 

David's act was one of pride. After all the Lord had done for him and through him for Israel, David called for this census.  Eventually, David confessed his guilt over the matter and confessed.  God sent a message through a prophet, just as he had done before.  And as before, forgiveness was offered, but there were to be consequences for David and his people.  What plans are we blindly pushing for which are in fact, acts of rebellion against God?  The sooner we come to Him, the better. 

The Lord Said: "Make Things Right"

II Samuel 21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 3 And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?”

Sometimes in serving the Lord we inherit other people's mistakes.  David had enough of his own sins to clean up after, but he also had many of Saul's, which had affected his people.  David did not even realize the root cause of the issue - that he only received by "seeking the face of the Lord." The rest of the chapter tells of the painful decisions and actions David had to take to make things right. Sometimes we would rather not know, but if we are to be faithful in our obedience to God, we need to ask and act. 

The Lord Said: "I'm Talking about You."

II Samuel 12:1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man!

To many the above words are familiar: The Lord gave a message to Nathan to confront David after his series of sins involving Bathsheba and the death of her husband, Uriah. David added sin upon sin in an attempt to hide his sin, but he couldn't hide from God. God set David up with this story. Sometimes we need that to see our own sin and failure.  We need to listen to God's Word not for others who need it, but for how we need to hear its convicting truth.  May we always approach what God has to say that way.

The Lord Said: "That's Nice... But No"

II Samuel 7:4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 

David was thankful for all God had done for him: choosing him to become king, giving him victories on every side, bringing him back home where he could worship with God's people and bring the Ark of the Covenant back from the Philistines. The least he could do was build a temple for God.  But God said "no." Over time God shares his reasoning, but at this point David accepts God's "No." He is grateful for what God had called him to do and was willing to not do what God did not have in mind for him to do. Often, we can come up with things we think would be great to do "for God." They are not bad things in and of themselves (though having a temple tends to make us think we have God trapped in one place), but they are not the things God has for us. We need to learn to listen well enough that we don't do it anyway. 

The Lord Said: "Not That Way..."

II Samuel 5:22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

The one big assignment David was charged with was getting rid of the Philistines. The judges had failed to do so; Saul had failed to do so; it was now David's charge.  He kept asking God and asking Him specifically what to do and where to go.  God faithfully answered and David proceeded accordingly. He was able to do what others had not.  May we continue to ask God if, what, how, when, and where. 

The Lord Said: "Keep Asking"

II Samuel 2:1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

David had waited and waited for Saul to be removed as king, unwilling to do what only God should do. He also kept asking God for directions, especially where he should go. The Lord listened and answered.  The time had come.  David here was chosen as king of Judah and ultimately of the whole nation. It was not time for him to stop asking or listening. It was actually a new beginning.  We often view the Christian life as setting up a goal and when God gets us there we slack off and stop asking and listening.  It is more of a series of new adventures waiting to see where He will lead us next. 

The Lord Said: "Yes, That's What I Said."

 I Samuel 23:1 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David's men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

The Lord does not mind repeated questions.  David's leadership showed a marked difference from that of Saul. David asked God.  God answered.  But David also received conflicting advice, so he asked again. Rather than rebuking David for doubting Him, God repeated His answer with the assurance of victory. It was a less for David and his men. God indeed was able to deliver, and David was learning to listen to God. We need to be willing to ask God again and again. We also need to pay attention to those whom God answers and learn to listen like they do. 

The Lord Said: "My Kind of King"

 

I Samuel 16:1  The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.”

Israel had begged for a king.  God gave them what they asked for. It didn't turn out so well.  But then God gave them another king.  It wasn't that they wanted a king, but they wanted a king instead of Him. He had a very different picture of what a king should be.  A man after His heart. A leader who served.  A leader He provided.  God is not limited by man's politics. He has a plan He will work out. He wants us to trust Him.

The Lord Said in Third Person

 I Samuel 15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

The Lord had given the people their desire.  He tried to teach them to listen to Him.  Samuel served as their go-between and teacher.  Saul as king was to lead the way. Instead, he led them astray.  So God spoke again to Samuel and sent him with a message to Saul. That's it.  You have lost your humility and stopped listening to Me.  Saul said he had obeyed, trying to convince God and himself, even blaming the people, just like Adam and Eve passed on blame in the garden.  How about us. Are we still listening to God?

God Said: "I'll Show You"

I Samuel 9:21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

Israel had wanted a king.  Samuel had objected, but God had told him to give them their request. So they did what was often done: casting lots to determine who was to be king.  God had already told Samuel, but the people needed to be involved in the process.  But when Saul's lot was cast, he was nowhere to be found. God revealed his location: with the baggage?  Two things this reveals: 1) Saul did at this time have humility, knowing he was a long shot being from the smallest tribe. 2) Even though the people chose him, they needed God to reveal him.   They really needed God more than they needed a king. That's something we all need to remember.

The Lord Said: "Here He Is..."

 I Samuel 9:15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 

Did you catch that last verb?  Saul was just the right man to answer the request of the people. He was big and strong and good looking, making him an obvious "leader." He would go out before them, but he would also "restrain" them, hold them back, keep them from becoming all they could be.  He would lead them over the Philistines to deliver Israel from their heavy hand, but not fully rid them from the land.  Whatever they thought they would get in Saul is not everything they needed, but God would answer them.  Sometimes God gives us what we want to show us it is not really what we want or really need. 

The Lord Said... "Let Them Learn the Hard Way

I Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” 

As we saw yesterday, Samuel learned to listen to the Lord.  It wasn't long before people realized that and he became the go-to guy to find out what God had to say, and he became established as their judge for his whole long life.  But that did not mean they learned to listen at the time. They wanted a king, like all the other nations who gave them a hard time. Samuel was frustrated that they would not listen and told God. Of course, God already knew what they said and were thinking.  The people needed to listen and believe. They had a hard lesson ahead. How often are we so stubborn in our own plan, that we don't listen to Him?

God Speaks... Finally

I Samuel 3:10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 

At the end of Judges we are left with everyone doing what was right in their own eyes and God not saying much, so that in Ruth we find no mention of Him saying anything at all.  I Samuel begins with Him speaking through a man of God, foretelling the birth of Samuel.  Here, we have record of God finally speaking to Samuel.  His voice was so unrecognized He had to speak three times before Eli realized it was Him.  Eli finally realizes what is going on and Samuel gets his first lesson in hearing God speak.  It's not the best of news for Eli, as now that God is speaking He is also going to be cleaning house, beginning with Eli's sons.  But God is speaking, and we need to hear Him.

The Lord Said: "Go Up... with weeping"

Judges 20:18 The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”

As if entering the promised land and driving out the pagan nations was not enough, Isreal faced internal issues as a people.  Something horrible had happened with the tribe of Benjamin that needed to be handled. (See the opening verses of this chapter.) Justice needed to be served, but it is hard to do. The question arose as to which tribe needed to take the first step. As with the beginning of Joshua, the tribe of Judah was to go first.  But this was not doing to be easy. The first day of battle, Benjamin routed the other tribes. Should they continue or give up?

23 And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.”

This time the Israelites had more success, but the war was not won. Should they proceed?

26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord ... saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

Notice that this time they not only wept but fasted and gave sacrifices to God. It was a heart-breaking situation. God said to move forward and bring final resolution, as difficult as it was.  Obedience to God is not always one easy step. It takes persistence. When it seems hard and painful, God does not want us to become hardened and callous. He wants us to remain sensitive, coming back to Him over and over to make sure it is His will we are pursuing and not our own. 

The Lord Said... It's a Start

Judges 13:2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 

Israel had once again spiraled downward in her cycle of sin, falling into desperate bondage to the fearsome Philistines. God began to move, raising up one of the best-known of the judges, Samson. We are told much more about his personal and professional life than the other judges and there are many lessons to learn, so go on into the next few chapters and read the accounts. But to begin we notice what the Angel of the Lord says: he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. This is going to be a long process - in fact, it will not be completed until the time of David over a century later. But God was beginning to do something. May we have the patience to see Him through.

The Lord Spoke... and They Responded

Judges 10:10 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.

After briefly mentioning a few judges whom God had raised up to deliver them (with no mention of God speaking), the historian now records a discussion between the Lord and His people.  Why should He once again deliver them when they kept repeating the same pattern? Should He come to their aid only to have them turn back and worship other gods?  The people responded with true repentance, and God could no longer watch them suffer. This lead to His raising up Jephthah to deliver them, but now without a few more lessons to about prejudice, bitterness and revenge.  Again, an account well worth reading. 

Learning to Listen Again...

 Judges 6:7 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.”

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

We have already seen the overall plot of the book of Judges: Israel failed to fully enter the land and drive out the idolatry around them; the idolatrous people infected them more than they influenced them; they found themselves in bondage all over again and God had to send a deliverer.  God was speaking to them differently. He is now speaking mostly through prophets and the Angel of the Lord. The people were listening so poorly that we find, like Gideon in this account, their respond is "Who are You talking to?" Many know the rest of this account, but if you do not, read on through chapter 8 and you will find the power of God revealed, as Gideon and his people learn to listen to God and obey His voice.

The Angel of the Lord Said...

 

Judges 2:1 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” 4 As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 

Something significant is taking place here in Israel's history.  No longer do we find "The Lord spoke" or "The Lord Said" or God said, except in a few cases like His discussions with Gideon.  Now The angel of the Lord often speaks.  There is good reason for this.  Israel stopped listening and obeying God's command to enter the land.  Like in the Garden, when man chooses to stop obeying there are consequences: the land will no longer cooperate, and the people get themselves in thorny situations.  This was indeed a cause for weeping, and they would find themselves doing so repeatedly. How much weeping could we avoid if we would just listen and obey?

The Lord Said: "You First..."

 Judges 1:1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.

After Joshua died, there were still cities and territories of the Promised Land which Israel did not control. They obediently continued the quest and were wise enough ask God for the first step. He told them Judah was to take the next step and that tribe wisely chose to work with the tribe of Simeon. These were good steps.  As a result, Judah took Jerusalem and the surrounding cities, and a couple other tribes did the same. However, the chapter goes on to list some of the many cities and areas the other tribes did not take over, which gives us a hint that all will not be well in this new book of adventures, and why God send judges.

The Lord Said: "This Is Longer than You..."

Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. 2 This is the land that yet remains...  (6b) I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

There's nothing quite like being told you're old - especially by Eternal God!  But facts are facts, and Joshua would not see the end of what he had been called to do, just as Moses never entered the promised land.  Like Moses, he still had things to do, like laying out the map of who would live where in the remaining land to be taken. This would make it clear and easier for those who would step into his sandals. The next several chapters spell out the boundaries for all the tribes, including what would go to Joshua's descendants. He then gave them the challenge to stop sitting around and waiting and go take the rest of the land.  God can see so much further than we can. 

The Lord Said: "Let Them Come..."

Joshua 11:4 And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel. 

6 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 7 So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8 And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. 

In this chapter and the two preceding it, we find God showed another way He had in mind for the Israel to take possession of the promised land.  The people who heard about Israel's wins at Jericha and Ai were so afraid they joined forces - many kings and their armies working together to repel Israel. It meant huge armies, as verse 4 above says: a great horde, but it also meant when God defeated one, He defeated them all.  Israel moved forward not one city at a time, but in chunks of territory, faster than they could conceive on their own. As our final verse says He left none remaining. When our problems seem to pile up and be insurmountable, God has a way of making them all turn out right, if we will only let Him do it His way.

The Lord Said: Don't Fear Failure

Joshua 8:1 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.

As we saw yesterday, Joshua was devastated after the loss at Ai.  The people had proven unfaithful and he appeared to be unsuccessful in his role as leader.  After such failure it can seem hard to move on.  But the Lord came to Joshua with words of encouragement.  This time God was telling him what to do and how to do it; it was not the people deciding for themselves. God was promising complete victory after humiliating defeat. We will never fully obey and please God, nor will we always have total victory over sin in this life. But God does not want us to wallow in our losses. But His grace and power He wants us to arise even more dependent and in tune with Him, to press on and see what He can do.