God Speaks
A Listing of Various Judges (Leaders) of the Israelites over the Years
Verse of the Day: The LORD replied. “When [various enemies] oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” (Judges 10:11-14 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Judges 10-12:
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 10
1. When God has had enough of His people turning their backs on Him to worship other gods, He lets them have their own way resulting in the disaster of being oppressed by their enemies.
2. When people have experienced enough hurt and oppression, they cry out to God for help.
Judges 11
1. As with Gideon and Jephthah, God seems to specialize in using the most unlikely candidates to carry out His plans for humanity.
2. People are prone to reject or marginalize those they consider inferior or flawed.
Judges 12
1. God sends His Spirit to empower the people He chooses to lead.
2. People in positions of authority, especially those God is using to fulfill His plans, must be prepared to face misunderstanding and opposition.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Judges 10-12?
LORD God, You are the ultimate source of all love, joy, peace, patience, etc. You loved people so much that You chose Abraham and his descendants to bless and be a blessing to all the world. After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, You gave them the Ten Commandments and the other laws in the Torah so that they would know how to behave toward You and toward each other. But throughout history, many people have abandoned You, LORD, and no longer serve You at all. At times, when You have had enough of Your people turning their backs on You by worshiping other gods, You let us have our own way. This always results in disaster of some kind, such as being oppressed by our enemies. When we have experienced enough hurt and/or oppression, we cry out to You for help. As with Gideon and Jephthah, You seem to specialize in using the most unlikely candidates to carry out Your plans to rescue humanity. Most often people reject or marginalize those they consider inferior or flawed. LORD God, please send Holy Spirit to empower the people You choose to lead us out of this darkness into the light of Your mercy, grace, and love. Put people in positions of authority or influence whom You can use to fulfill Your plans and promises. Prepare them to face misunderstanding and opposition. When they succeed, keep them focused on and obedient to You so that they can continue to 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 10-12? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will pursue ways to grow closer to God this week.
- When I feel hurt or oppressed, I will cry out to God for His love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.
- I will look for a practical way that I can assist someone who is being rejected or marginalized, then do it.
- I will be prepared to defend my reasons for believing in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.