July 27
Judges 10: Repenting from an X-rated Festivus
Judges 10; Acts 14; Jeremiah 23; Mark 9
The bloody, grubby tale of Israel during the time of the Judges rolls on, in the aftermath of Abimelech’s atrocities (see Judges 9). As is their habit, the Jews recover and experience two good reigns of Judges, those of Tola and Jair (1-5).
But then they seem to look back on their past sins and say, “Hold my beer.” They turn from the living God to serving false god Baal and the Ashtaroth, which was a fertility cult observed around poles. Basically an X-rated Festivus. Moreover they served the gods of all their enemies: Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines (6). This is wholesale, headlong, deep-end-of-the-pool defection from God. “They forsook the LORD and did not serve him” (6).
To which God essentially responds, “You want to worship their gods? OK, have it your way.” This is the way God most often expresses His anger, and it is a fearful thing. For when we fall into the hands of an angry God, for then he puts us in the hands of brutal men to allow us to experience where idolatry leads. So then that year and for 18 more the very nations they joined together for worship brutalized and oppressed Israel (8). Moreover, this had power opened the door for the oppression of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, too (9). Misery loves company.
Now, finally, the people respond. Why 18 years? Perhaps they were led by the younger generation, but that’s only conjecture. Regardless, they confess that they have sinned and worshiped other gods (18).
But God seems to see what we cannot: that this is not true repentance but just wanting out of consequences. So God does not relent (11-14). Instead He responds with perfect sarcasm:
“Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress” (14).
So the people humbled themselves (15) - always a good sign - and began to serve the LORD again, regardless of what God does next (16). This is another good sign.
This portion of the narrative ends with a beam of light in the darkness, in this lovely turn of phrase:
... and he [the LORD] became impatient over the misery of Israel.
It is lovely because it expresses a characteristic of God that’s hard to put into human words. God is impatient with Himself in His discipline. What He would rather be doing is relenting and relieving the pain and suffering of His people.
But He knows that He must first see true repentance. The first two signs of authentic repentance are humility and a renewed desire for God. Repentance is TO God, or it’s not repentance.