Title: Jehovah Rebukes with Suffering
Contents
* Judges 6:1 11 Jehovah rebukes suffering
The victories over Deborah and Barak brought peace to the children of Is for forty years. But this period of tranquility was also marked by idolatry and depravity.
Today's text begins with the sentence, 'Because the descendants of Is also did evil in the sight of the Lord', that is, they did evil, following the pattern repeated in Judges. (Doing evil - oppression - outcry - setting up judges - salvation) It is not surprising that the word 'again' here is no longer surprising, so it can be seen that the sins of the Is people are fixed and common.
As a result, Jehovah gives the people into the hands of the enemy for seven years, this time oppressing them through Midian. In particular, compared to the stories of the previous three judges, it can be seen that the content of the ‘oppression’ section is much longer and stronger. The identity of the enemy is diverse by mentioning ‘Midian’ four times (6:2 times 2, 3, 6) and adding Amalek and people from the East. With so many countries united, Is' suffering is more severe than ever.
The Midianites were from the Jordan region and were descendants of children born to Ab and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-6). But the Midianites were not descendants of Is, but formed an alliance with the Canaanites, especially the Moabites, and hindered Is's conquest of Canaan (Numbers 22:4). As nomads, they disappeared from history without being able to establish a distinct country or leave behind its culture.
Everyone! The children of Is, who have committed evil before God, are now shamed and humiliated, even by a nation that is never strong enough to be buried in history. It shows the shame that people who ignored God's covenant and people who forgot God's existence would suffer. We believe that the way to live by doing God's will, His Word, and His laws is the surest way to prosperity.
(2) The Midianites ‘overcame (Azaz, overwhelm, strong against !) the descendants of Is, who had lost the courage and spirit of faith. The children of Is, who had suffered from the violence of the Midianites without a proper defense, took refuge in the mountains. They also lived in naturally or artificially dug holes, burrows, and acids.
To escape to the mountain in this way means two things. First, they themselves gave up their human lives. Second, they did not follow God's command to conquer the land of Canaan and gave up being obedient people of God.
Everyone! Here, we must deeply understand the meaning of the writer of Judges, who recorded the renunciation of being God's people and the renunciation of human life as simultaneous events. The fact is that giving up on leaving God and living as God's people is the same as giving up on a human life. Knowing God and living as God's people is the wisest way
But (3~4) The Midianites came up and destroyed the produce of the land, leaving no vegetation in Is, leaving no sheep, oxen, or donkeys, and came up with countless men and camels to destroy the land of Is. Especially the time when Midian plundered Is was exquisite.
After harvesting the grain, the grain could already be stockpiled. Thus, knowing that the resistance and defense of the Is descendants would become stronger, the Midianites chose the harvest season to plan their invasion. If the grain was still in the field, it was easy to invade and take it (3).
They took what they took and destroyed everything that was not yet useful, preventing the children of Is from thriving. Because of this economic expropriation and the thorough destruction of the means of economic production, Is became very 'weak' (dalal, withered, miserable, weak). And the description of the enemies as coming ‘like locusts’ is reminiscent of ‘the day of Jehovah’s judgment’ in the prophets (Isaiah 2:19, Joel 1:4). It adds to the atmosphere of destruction.
In this situation, the desire for a savior to appear becomes more intense, and the Is people begin to cry out to the Lord (6). No one is more foolish than a man who remembers God only when he is in a miserable situation.
However, the text repeatedly uses the expression 'Israel (due to Midian) cry out to the Lord' twice (verses 6 and 7), so the response of the Lord is different from the previous judges' show that it is slow
The reason they cry is so simple. Because of Midian's oppression. However, instead of the judges appearing at this point, ‘a prophet (literally, a male prophet)’ (8) appears. This prophet is the first one whose name is not given. This prophet appears specifically in the role of an expositor explaining why Is is oppressed.
This prophet's message can be divided into six categories. Three focus on the Lord's deliverance of Is from Egypt (8-9). That is, “(1) I brought you out of Egypt, (2) I brought you out of the house of slavery, and (3) I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed them.” content that is. The relationship between Yahweh and the Is people, ‘I ~ you’, is emphasized.
The other three relate to the favor the Lord bestowed upon Is (9-10). '(4) I drove out my enemies before you, (5) I gave the land to you, (6) I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the land of the Amorites, where you live. It was not.” The most important emphasis here is on the last item.
Through the Exodus event, Jehovah gave identity to the nation of Is and formed the nation. And by giving them the land of Canaan, Jehovah proved that he was superior to the gods of Canaan. Therefore, the phrase ‘I am Jehovah your God’ is an expression of the covenant relationship with Is, showing that Jehovah’s claim as the God of Is has already been proven in their history.
However, the problem with the Is people in this relationship with God is that they forsake all these things. For this reason, the prophet finally points out their error, saying, 'You have not heeded my voice.' Therefore, it is a reminder that the suffering and oppression that Is is currently experiencing is paying the price of ‘breaking the covenant’ with God.
To summarize the words of the prophet as a whole, there are two things. One was that he did not ‘heard (shama, listen carefully, obey)’ to God’s word, and the second was that he feared idols in the land of Canaan. These two actually stem from one fundamental deficiency.
It is because the descendants of Is did not properly know who Jehovah God is. It is the fact that those who lack the knowledge of God do not fear the person they should be afraid of, but tremble in fear in front of beings who are nothing but empty shells.
Everyone! We can trust as much as we know God. We must strive to know God. Hosea 4:6 says: “My people perish for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being my priest; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.”
Knowledge here is the knowledge of Jehovah God. I sincerely hope that you will be able to experience the power of God by working hard to know God, to know and believe in God.
Dear all! Suffering Is was the price of forgetting God's grace. And because they did not heed the voice of the LORD their God, and did not have the knowledge of God. I believe that God is pleased with those who struggle to live by the Word, those who strive to know God, and those who risk their lives for the grace that God has given them. .
I bless you in the name of Jesus that you and I can all enjoy the precious grace of fighting with Jehovah God.