What happens when we leave the true God for the false gods of the culture? With the celebration of the sexual revolution, adherence to sexual immorality all around us, this is a question our generation must take heed to and learn from. Noteworthy, though, is the truth we are not the first to encounter such a problem. Judges 21:25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” To frame it another way, Israel did not want to follow the commands of God. They wanted to do what they wanted to do. As a result, they turned from the one true God. What we see, then, as we turn to Judges 2 is a summary of what happens when we rebel against the one true God.
First, we understand by our consistent disobedience that we are forsaking God. If we rebel against God, we are enemies of His and not in relationship with Him. In other words, we will not know Him nor will we experience His works (v. 10). It doesn’t stop with forsaking God, however. Forsaking God means falsely worshiping another. Israel abandoned the Lord and did evil in His sight by going after other gods (vv. 11-13). Notice in verse 12, “They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them”. This should be a warning for us. In a culture in which the god of sex perverts and distorts God’s original design, we as the church must stand firm and not given in to the pattern of the culture. If we do compromise, we will find we have forsaken God and have become false worshipers. Moreover, even if don’t compromise, we must not act like Pharisees but be reminded we are still people who “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That is why we share the message of the gospel. We have received grace and mercy so we extend to it. That is where Judges 2:14-23 takes us. We need the forgiveness of God. God would completely just if He judged us for our sins and handed down the punishment we deserve, death (Romans 6:23). However, God has not left us in despair. For the Israelites, God sent judges to deliver the Israelites. The problem was, while there was a time of deliverance, these judges eventually died. As Christians, our hope is in the deliverance Christ provided on the cross. These judges were a foreshadowing of Christ. Christ died, but then He rose again. The Lord showed compassion to the Israelites, and does so to us, for the purpose of responding in repentance and faith in Him (v. 18). Unfortunately, throughout the book of Judges, we see the Israelites go wayward. The question for us is, “What will we do?” Forsaking God and worshiping a false god, in whatever form, will only lead to destruction. Receiving the forgiveness of God is what will lead to your deliverance.
Reflection Time:
- How are you tempted to go along with the culture instead of remaining faithful to God? Have you received the forgiveness of God, responding to Him in repentance and faith?
Entrusted By GOD Ministries 