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Day 13 - Judges, Kings and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

Bible Passage 

Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. (Judges 2:16-17)

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations... And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”... But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 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. (1 Samuel 8:4-5, 7, 19-20)

 

Adoration

How good of God to raise up judges and kings for His people to save and lead them! God never left His people leaderless, and in spite of their disobedience, He was faithful to provide. Our God is ever faithful, even when we are faithless. Worship God for how He never, never, never gives up on us!

 

Meditation

After Moses and Joshua, the people of Israel found themselves repeatedly in danger – threats like idolatry and worship of false gods inside Israel, and threats outside of Israel, like the threatening Midianites and Philistines who would oppress God’s people. In the book of Judges, God provided leaders who would guide and guard His people – twelve in total. Yet Israel fell into cycles of unfaithfulness repeatedly. Their unfaithfulness is most clearly seen when the people rejected God’s rule and demanded for a human king so they could be like the nations around them. How this must have broken God’s heart! Shouldn’t God have just given up on them?

But the mercy of God is here on display again – when we are faithless, He is faithful still (2 Tim 2:13). Haven’t we been equally idolatrous and unfaithful, like children who repeatedly disobey a loving Father? How patient and kind God is with His people, and in Jesus Christ, the perfect Judge and final King, He gives us the final leader who knows just how to judge us and fight our battles.

  • How are we, like Israel, running after other gods? Ask God for His mercy.
  • How has God shown us His kindness by rescuing us from spiritual disaster again and again? Thank God for His faithfulness.

 

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, we praise You for infinite patience and mercy. Your grace towards us is inexhaustible. We confess our idolatry to You. Lord Jesus, our perfect Judge and final King, lead us in Your faithfulness, deliver us from evil and lead us not into temptation. Give us new obedient hearts by Your Holy Spirit and keep us from worthless idols. We need Your help so much. This we pray this in the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

Pray for: 

  • The church in Singapore, that we will not be idolatrous like Old Testament Israel.
  • The leaders at GBC, whom God has tasked to guide and guard His church, to lead us well.
  • GBC’s Chinese Congregation that God will bless their ministry and growth to reap a harvest amongst the Chinese speaking community in Macpherson.