Judges
chapter 10 contrasts feeling sorrowful with true repentance. The
chapter begins, “After
Abimelech
a man of Issachar… rose to serve Israel“.
The only thing we know about this man Tola was, “He
lived in the hill country of Ephraim“,
and “He
lead Israel for twenty three years… and was buried in Shamir“.
What did he stand for? What was his passion? We are not told. All
of us leave a legacy behind when we die. What will your legacy be?
In Mathew chapter 5 Jesus tells His followers they are to be salt and
light to the world around them. He explains that no one lights a
lamp then hides its light. They put the light on a stand. Jesus
explains, “In
the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven“.
Where do you put your light?
Next
the chapter introduces “Jair
of Gilead who lead Israel for twenty one years. He had thirty sons
who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns… when Jair
died he was buried in Kamon“.
This sounds like an example of the successful man in today’s
society. This man apparently had wealth and was into status symbols.
He had multiple wives, he ran a successful empire for a long time,
but left no lasting legacy beyond his life. What happens to the
wealth and status you build after you pass on? In Matthew 6:24 Jesus
explains that if wealth is your passion, it will eventually become
your master. “No
man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye
cannot serve God and mammon“.
The
chapter continues, “Again
the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord… and because Israel
forsook the Lord and no longer served Him, He became angry with them.
He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites… who
shattered and crushed them… for eighteen years they oppressed all
the Israelites“.
Next we read something very scary. The Israelites cried out to the
Lord, “We
have sinned against our God and are serving Baals“.
The Lord replied, “I
will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen.
Let them save you“.
Sometimes tears and words are empty. Feeling sorry for ourselves is
not the same as repentance. Repentance requires a turning away. The
inward change is reflected in the outward actions. Finally Israel
cries out to God, “Do
whatever you think is best, but please rescue us now“.
And note their words are accompanied with action, “They
got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord and He
could bear Israel’s misery no longer“.
Clearly God never stopped loving His people, but He allowed them to
suffer the consequences of their rebellion until the change in their
heart matched their words. God always begins to change us from the
inside out. Hear the prayer of the apostle Paul for all in need of
salvation: “I
pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power
through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts by faith“.
Amen!