Judges 6:1-10
1 Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord handed them over to Midian for seven years.
2 The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
3 For whenever Israel had sown, the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the people of the east and march against them.
4 So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, nor a sheep, ox, or donkey.
5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts in number, and both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to ruin it.
6 So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.
7 Now it came about, when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of Midian,
8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of slavery.
9 And I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians, and from the hands of all your oppressors, and I drove them out from you and gave you their land,
10 and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not obeyed Me.’ ”
Plunder by the Midianites
Israel sins again
The Israelites once again sinned and reaped the consequences. No matter what kind of sin it is, the reaping will surely come. This time, the reaping of sin came in the form of plunder by the Midianites. (1) The Midianites, being nomadic by nature, had no interest in taking over the land of the Israelites and settling there. (2) The Israelites, fearing the Midianites, hid in caves, clefts, and strongholds, carrying only the necessary food for survival. (3) The Midianites, with their countless livestock and tents, descended upon the harvest fields, devouring the crops, and then went away. (4) After their devastation, nothing was left behind. The Israelites faced starvation, weakened national strength and crisis of national survival. Finally, they began to cry out to the One they shall cry out to, seeking help. The One they should cry out to is the Lord God of Israel. Crying out to the Lord God is the first step of repentance. When faced with difficulties, whom do you cry out to? Are you seeking help from the Heavenly Father who loves you?
Prophet’s rebuke
God answers their prayers by sending a prophet. The presence of a prophet who rebukes the Israelites is evidence that God has not yet abandoned them. Are you listening to the rebukes you receive from God? (1) God reaffirms the events of the exodus from Egypt and the subsequent history. (2) The land of Canaan was a gift from God. (3) However, the Israelites turned their backs on the Lord God and began to worship the idols of the Canaanites. Through the mouth of this prophet, we can hear God’s pain. If we express God’s thoughts in simple terms, it may be like this: “I have loved you so much and served you. Considering that, it would not be too much to demand complete loyalty from you.” Now, let us remember how much the Lord Jesus loved us. How are you responding to His love?
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ. I was forgiven and given life by Your love. Please help me live a life in response to Your love. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.