Week 13: Judges, The Most Tragic of Love Stories

Judges is one of those books that was difficult to write on every day. It really has one simple theme with several cases to prove the point: Israel’s lack of love for God. They are simply not going to choose Him. At the beginning of book, God declares His faithfulness to His people, despite their unfaithfulness to Him, “I will never break my covenant with you.” We must keep in mind that God knew the Israelites would never keep their covenant with Him when He spoke these words. Woven throughout this book of disobedience and rebellion is God’s unending grace. There are words that we cannot miss that give huge implication. His Word does not say that they rebelled, it says they prostituted themselves. We must always keep in mind God’s desire from the beginning of creation. Our very purpose for existence is to live in a love relationship with our Creator. God uses the term prostitution to make clear the desire of His heart. Why they would never love Him, I will never understand. Why so many choose not to love Him today, I will never understand. But, Judges says that “They quickly turned” from God. The book of Judges records a vicious cycle where Israel turns from God, He extends His mercy, draws them back through a leader, they follow Him but as soon as the leader is gone, so are their hearts. So much could be said about the bravery of Deborah and Gideon, but it just seems to all be overshadowed by Israel’s failure. We read over and over that they “forgot their God.” The sad ending to Judges: “everyone did whatever he wanted.” It truly is the most tragic of love stories.  And it would be wise for us to examine our own relationship with God. Do we live in the same vicious cycle, never really loving Him? Is our relationship with Him based on our circumstances? We cannot read the story of Israel without looking at our own story. God is just as faithful, relentless and gracious to you and me as He was to them. He is long-suffering, hoping, longing for the day we truly love Him. You see, this book is not about the lost, it is about His children. God did not save us only for someday, He saved us to love us today. Our love for Him now should stir within our hearts an overwhelming longing to be with Him someday, to delight in the thought of the day we behold our Creator, our Savior, our Father, our Warrior. The one who loves us with unrelenting love, a love we cannot fathom, simply longs for us to love Him in return. Yet, how often do we prostitute our hearts, giving our affections to another, only to find our hearts broken, disappointed and defeated? The love you long for, only He can give. He is fighting for your heart, your love, your devotion. How many times will we go chasing what is false, abandoning what is true and real?