Today’s reading covers about two hundred-plus years of Israel’s history. During this time, God’s faithfulness and mercy are apparent! God is faithful to chasten Israel when they stray from Him into idolatry. God’s mercy is evident when Israel repents, rescuing them from their oppression by raising up a judge.
Then the LORD…gave them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim…But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them… (Judges 3:8–9, NLT)
Once again the Israelites did evil…and the LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil. But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD again raised up a rescuer to save them… (Judges 3:12 & 15, NLT)
So the LORD turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king…So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. (Judges 4:2 & 23, NLT)
What stood out to me in the reading were the instruments God’s mercy blessed in overcoming the enemy once there was repentance. For example, Ehud used a homemade dagger to kill a king. Shamgar used an oxgoad (a wooden pole with a point on one end to “goad” the oxen when plowing; the other had a flat piece of iron to scrape mud off the plow). And a woman, Jael, used a hammer and a tent peg to kill the commander of an entire army! In other words, once Israel repented, God mercifully blessed some humble, ordinary means to either start or secure victory over the enemy! Wow!
This same God is just as faithful and merciful in our lives as believers! He lovingly corrects His children when they stray and is merciful to them when they repent. Victory over sin, empowered by repentance, is often far more humble, simple, practical, and far more frustrating to the enemy than we tend to think.
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. (Hebrews 12:11–13, NLT)
Believer, no sin has such a hold on us that repentance and a “tent peg” can’t overcome it! There is no enemy that God’s mercy and an oxgoad can’t defeat! No child belongs to God that He won’t faithfully correct so that there is the blessed harvest of right living! Therefore, rejoice that God loves us! He is faithful and merciful in correcting us. Through repentance and practicality, we can experience the blessing of right living in our lives for His glory and our good!
Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3–5, NLT)
Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Judges 3:1-5:31.