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More Judges commentaries
Judges 3:1-11
The Sinful Failure of Israel
Judges 3:12-31
Israel’s Apostasy is Described
Judges 4:1-24
Israel’s Woman Liberator
Judges 5:17-31
Those Who Love Him Will Prosper
Judges 6:1-10
Conditions in Israel
Judges 6:11-24
The Commission of Gideon
Judges 6:25-29
Destroying the Pagan Altar
Judges 6:30-40
Confirming the Will of God
Judges 7:1-15
Who is on the Lord’s Side?
Judges 7:16-25
The Defeat of Gideon’s Foes
Judges 8:1-12
The Surprise Attack
Judges 8:13-23
Gideon’s Sense of Justice
Judges 8:24-35
The Concluding Days of Gideon
Judges 9:1-15
The Renegade Who Lusted for Power
Judges 9:16-29
The Troubled Reign of Abimelech
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Conditions in Israel
Judges 6:1–10
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
D. L. Moody was visiting a prominent Chicago citizen when the idea of church membership and involvement came up. “I believe I can be just as good a Christian outside the church as I can be inside it,” the man said. Moody said nothing. Instead, he moved to the fireplace, … More
Forty years of rest and the next generation of Hebrews had once more forgotten God and reverted to an easy-going religion that threatened to do away with Israel’s trust in God (v. 1). To punish His people, God sent in warlike tribes from the desert (vv. 2-3). These Bedouins and shepherds who lived in the land of Midian far south of the Dead Sea joined forces with the Amalekites who occupied the area south of Judah. For seven years they swarmed like grasshoppers over Israel, devastating the land and driving the Hebrews into hiding.
These nomadic people were interested in grain but not in the extensive farming of the Israelites so the crops were destroyed (v. 4) and the animals were taken away (v.5). A new “secret weapon” was employed in the use of the camel which is the first record of this animal being used in a military campaign and it gave the Midianites and their allies a great advantage. The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the LORD for help (vv. 6-9). When Israel once again called on God to come to their rescue an unnamed prophet scolded them for their disobedience and idolatry (v. 10).
Application
I need to discuss with my family how important it is to always be involved in some avenue of service for the Lord. A life that is all intake and no outlet becomes stagnate like the dead sea. There is a church in Texas where you cannot become a member unless you agree to accept some area of responsibility in the Church family. A sure way for me to backslide in the Christian life is to just become un-involved.
Judges 6:1-10 (English Standard Version)
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number--both they and their camels could not be counted--so that they laid waste the land as they came in. And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD. When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites, the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. And I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.' But you have not obeyed my voice."
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