Title: This is God
Judges (7) This is what God is (Judges 2:11-23)
1. A Jealous God
Israel forsook God and served Baal and Ashtaroth (verses 11-13). Baal was the ‘god of fertility and fertility’ worshiped by the native Canaanite people, and Ashtaroth is one of the three major goddesses of Canaan along with Asherah, the wife of Anath and Elsin. What was the result of idolatry? God was angry and delivered them into the hands of plunderers to be plundered, and wherever they went, the hand of God brought calamity upon them, and they fell into great distress (verses 14-15).
Seeing the suffering of such people, God appointed judges to save them, but they did not obey the judges, but followed other gods and committed fornication (verses 16-17). God describes following other gods as fornication. It means to look only to God. God is a jealous God when he sees other gods (Exodus 20:5). Do not put anything other than God before God. If you put God first, your life will be ahead, and if you put God behind you, your life will be behind.
2. God Raises Leaders
There are leaders who drive others because they are too confident. They can achieve great results temporarily, but they are bound to fail. God does not force humans. They give you freedom, give you the ability to do something, and wait for you. The Lord stands outside the door of our hearts and knocks, but does not break and knock on the door. God works through good leaders who have such leadership of the Lord.
3. The God Who Changes His Will
No matter how great a sin you commit, if you repent with tears and pray earnestly, God will hear your prayer and change your mind (verse 18). Everyone lacks. Even the great forefathers of faith in the Bible have many faults and mistakes. God doesn't look for perfect people. God knows our weaknesses. Therefore, it is not your own knowledge or strength that matters. What God is looking for is an open heart toward the truth and repenting in tears before God. The most unfortunate people in the world are those who do not know repentance and reflection.
David was a God-fearing man. But he wasn't perfect either. Captivated by the lust of the moment, he committed adultery and murder by taking Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, a faithful general. However, God gave him a greater opportunity to serve as he repented, and he did not disappoint and became Israel's greatest saint. God is a God who turns his will to prevent the tragic situation he originally intended for those who truly repent.
4. God Leaves Problems
Why didn't God deliver the Gentiles into Joshua's hand and expel them from the land of Canaan until the faithful Joshua died? It was to test Israel's obedience to God's word (verses 19-23). This history still holds true today. Why does God allow faithful believers to still have trials, pains, and problems? It was to see if they were living in obedience to God's will through those trials, pains, and problems, and to give them mature faith.
God is a God who leaves problems behind. In life, we sometimes encounter problems, but there are very few problems that cannot be solved. The problem is there to be solved. The problem is that God placed them in order to make them a bigger person. After all, problems are opportunities for growth. There is nothing a believer must do to be saved, but a saved member must overcome problems in order to win and mature in the spiritual warfare. Since you are leaving problems for such a good purpose, do not become discouraged in the face of problems and prayer topics.