Judges 10 (Listen)

10:1 After 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. And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.

After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 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. And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

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. 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, 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. 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.”




Devotional:

But the Israelites said, “We have sinned. Deal with us as you see fit; only rescue us today!” So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, and he became weary of Israel’s misery. (Judges 10:15-16)

Yet again we read about the people of Israel serving other gods and dishonoring the true God who loved and cared for them. This leads to punishment, as they are sold into the hands of neighboring nations. When the Jews had been crushed and oppressed by the Philistines and the Ammonites, they finally cried out to God, acknowledging sin and putting away their foreign gods. Yes, Israel would turn away again, but God could no longer bear to see them suffer and He put in motion a plan to rescue His people. The same is true for us; God saw our misery and put into motion His plan to rescue us. “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Give thanks to God today; put away your idols and serve Him.

Pray It: Father, I praise you for your grace and mercy that is on display not just in the text I read but also in my life through Christ. Help me through the Spirit to be quick to repent of sin when I fall away and to resist temptation more and more. Amen.

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