Posts Tagged ‘baals’

Spiritual Training 20 July 2012

Posted: July 20, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Book of Judges 

Judges 10:10-16 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”  The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands?  But you have forsaken me and served other gods, did I not save you from their hands?  But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will not longer save you.  Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen.  Let them save you when you are in trouble!”  But the Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned.  Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD.  And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer. 

These verses show how difficult it can be to follow God over the long haul.  The Israelites always seemed to forget God when all was well.  But despite being rejected by his own people, God never failed to rescue them when they called out to him in repentance.

Lets bring it home: God never fails to rescue us either.  We act just like the Israelites when we put God outside our daily events instead of at the center of them.  Just as a loving parent feels rejected when a child rebels, so God feels great rejection when we ignore or neglect him.  We should strive to stay close to God rather then see how far we can go before judgment comes.

Spiritual Training 19 July 2012

Posted: July 19, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Jephithah

Judges 10:6-9 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD.  They served the Baal and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines.  And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and on longer served him, he became angry with them.  He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shatter and crushed them.  For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.  The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress.  Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.” 

Once again the Israelites suffered for many years before they gave up their sinful ways and called out to God for help.  Notice that when the Israelites were at the end of their rope they did not look to their pagan gods for help, but to the only One was really able to help.

Lets bring it home: In your last resort? So much unnecessary suffering takes place because we don’t call on God until we’ve used up all other resources.  Rather than waiting until the situation becomes desperate, turn to God first.  He has the necessary resources to meet every kind of problem.