God Speaks
A Recap of Israels History; the Angel of the LORD; the Next Generation
Verse of the Day: “After that whole generation [those Joshua had led to conquer the promised land] had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Eygpt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the LORD’s anger . . .” (Judges 2:10-12 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Judges 1-2.
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Judges 1
1. God directs and assists people who humbly ask Him what they should do, then obey Him.
2. People often fail to carry through on all that God has told them to do, and they suffer the natural consequences.
Judges 2
1. Whenever the Israelites violated the covenant God had established with them after bringing them out of slavery in Egypt, they met with opposition and oppression from their neighbors. However, whenever they would turn back to Him crying out for His aid, the LORD, in His mercy and grace, would set leaders (judges) over them and use these people to rescue them.
2. After the passing of godly leaders, like the Israelites during the time of Judges, people tend to quickly abandon the way of obedience to the LORD’s commands.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Judges 1-2?
Dear Almighty God, thank You for Your willingness to direct and assist me whenever I humbly ask. Holy Spirit, please enable me to carry out everything the Father asks me to do. Don’t let me leave anything undone. I know there will be consequences if I don’t complete Your assignment. In Your mercy and grace and because of Jesus’ sacrifice for me, please forgive my failures. May I learn from my mistakes (sins) and hold more closely to You from here on. May I also learn from the mistakes (sins) of others and not repeat them. Thank you for the leaders You have placed in my life. Bless them for how they have served You and blessed me. Forgive those who have failed You, me, others, or themselves. Thank You, Jesus, for dying so that all of us humans can be forgiven. No one can continually follow in Your ways without the help of the Holy Spirit. Only by His empowerment can we bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Judges 1-2? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask the LORD to bring godly leaders into my life.
- I will communicate my gratitude to a godly leader in my life.
- I will reach out to mentor someone younger or younger in faith in Christ.
- I will take specific steps to strengthen my personal interactions with Almighty God–Father, Son, and Spirit.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.