Judges Chapter 10
After the death of Abimelech there were two judges that did serve Israel, but not much is known about either one. They both served a fairly long time and must have had some Godly influence over the people because it was not until both had died that the people of Israel went back to worshipping idols and pagan religions. It cannot be overstated what an evil time this was in the life of Israel. The Bible says that they purposefully “forsook God,” and went after worship of other gods. They didn’t just pick one false god either. The Bible mentions them worshipping many different gods. No one can say that they didn’t know what they were doing. The Israelites knew exactly what they were doing – they were forsaking God and flaunting their rebellion right in front of His eyes.
Let's Reflect
1. The second judge, Jair, apparently thought of himself as kingly because he took on multiple wives. This bothers me when I read this in scripture, and it should, because having more than one wife was never God’s plan, right from Genesis. Jair was a picture of the true heart of Israel. A heart that wants more and is never satisfied. We know he was also wealthy. What do we know about Jair that tells us he was wealthy?
2. God gave Israel what they wanted. He removed His hand of protection over them and let them wallow in their sin. God used an interesting phrase in that “he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites.” Obviously, there was no money that changed hands between God and these people. And yet it’s as if there was an exchange of money, because Israel became what to the Philistines and Ammonites?
3. You might be asking yourself why would the Israelites keep falling into this same pattern? Why did they keep going back to worshipping false gods? The answer is the same answer that we battle with today in our culture. The lure of wealth, sex, posterity, power and prestige draws people to do things they know they shouldn’t do so they can have the things they think they want. Can you think of an example in our culture today where you are watching people make some incredibly unwise decisions to go after things they think they want?
4. In verses 11-12 we see God remind Israel of how He had “bought them” – this is the definition of redemption; God bought the people. He paid for them to have freedom in Him. How many times had God done this?
5. For some 18 years the people were oppressed. God had allowed this to happen, and He told them He would not do what when they cried out to Him?
6. According to verses 16 and 17 what did Israel finally say and do that caused God to have compassion on them once again?
7. Not only have the people been severely oppressed, but now they were about to be attacked by an army. They recognized they needed God’s divine intervention. And according to verse 18 they recognized they needed God to give them what?
