Israel’s Rebellion and Repentance

My mother became a Christian when she was just a few months pregnant with me. I now realize she literally grew in her relationship with Christ while simultaneously teaching and leading me as she learned. In short, I grew up learning a lot about God. I participated in Bible memory contests, collected money for missionaries around the world, and had a part in both Christmas and Easter performances annually. And while my mother led me the best she knew how, I still rebelled.

I knew biblical principles, but I did not apply them to my everyday life. I knew the Bible as God’s Word, that He is the Creator of the universe, but I did not honor Him as my Father. I knew Jesus lived a perfect, holy, and blameless life, but I did not know He loves me when I cannot do the same. I knew Jesus died to save the world from sin, but I did not live as God’s forgiven daughter.

Having knowledge of God and choosing to live a life that honors Him are two very different things, and they will lead to two very different life experiences. This is exactly what is happening in today’s passage. There is no mistaking that the Israelites knew God. Judges 10:11–12 reminds us they had experienced His deliverance, His protection, and His love over and over again. Yet time after time they forsook the God they knew, preferring the comforts of what they could see and touch. They chose the false gods and cultural influences of surrounding nations over their faithful God. God did not want the Israelites to simply know about Him. He wanted them to know Him personally, to trust Him, confide in Him, and find their lives in Him.

God wants the same for us now. While we may not be tempted to worship Baal, our false gods are just as dangerous. The things we are so tempted to chase—money, people, success—are just as dishonoring when worshiped in place of the one true God. He wants His people to choose Him. It’s easy to look at the stories we read in the Bible and wonder how God’s people could experience His patience, love, and miraculous intervention and yet still put their trust in other things. It’s easy to point the finger in judgment, but it would be far more beneficial for us to reflect on our own idolatry. In doing so, we will likely find places in our own hearts where we need to repent, seeking forgiveness and healing from the God who longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18).

God is compassionate and merciful. He provides leadership, guidance, and personal opportunities to experience His love. But as His children, we must take action, choosing to surrender to Him and worship Him with our lives. The ultimate provision of His faithful love comes in the very person of Jesus Christ—the sure image of the invisible God the Israelites so longed for and the Savior we all need. He alone stands by ready to rescue. In our surrender to Him, we will experience the deliverance, forgiveness, compassion, and rest promised to His children (v.15).