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Saturday 24 February 2024

Judges 10:8-14 - The Israelites cried out to the Lord

10:8-10

The Ammonites and Canaanites crushed Israel. As noted above, the emphasis in this account is on the Ammonites, and they oppressed the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan for eighteen years. In addition, they crossed the Jordan and fought against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. Only after all this did Israel cry out to the Lord. “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”  This is the first time in Judges that there has been a hint of repentance. Previously they have just been crying out because of their oppression. Here there is a recognition of the root cause of the problem, forsaking God and worshipping idols.


10:11-14

God replies to them, but it is not with soft words, but with a further condemnation of the people. Israel had been oppressed by various people, but God had rescued them from them all. But they still persisted in forgetting God and serving false gods. Therefore God declares that He will no longer save them. Instead He mocks them, telling them to cry out to the gods they have chosen to worship and see what happens.


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