Judges 10:10-16 [The Children of Israel Who Sinned Repeatedly, and God Who Was Grieved Again for Them]

[Things to Meditate On]

1. As the passage above says, the children of Israel had already sinned against God many times before, suffered because of it, cried out to God each time, and were delivered. Yet once again they forsook God and served Baalim, suffered again, and were now asking God for forgiveness again. God said that He would deliver them no more (verse 13), but because of His great love, He was again grieved for the children of Israel who cried out to Him once more (verse 16, Nehemiah 9:25-31).

Psalm 118:1-4 "1O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. 2Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 3Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 4Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever."

2. This sad and frustrating story of the children of Israel repeatedly sinning and crying out does not seem to be merely a story from the distant past. The reason their story does not sound like someone else’s story to us is that we today also repeat sinning and repenting. And this fact helps us realize that just as the children of Israel in the past needed the mercy of God, we today also need the mercy of God. Therefore, just like the children of Israel in the past, we today must also plead with God to have mercy on us.

Psalm 31:9 "Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly."

Psalm 51:1 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions."

Psalm 27:7 "Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me."

3. Because we are all insufficient sinners, we must always plead for the mercy of God, as the passages above show. And just as we earnestly need the mercy of God, we too must now be able to show mercy to others. Jesus said that if we desire to receive mercy, we must show mercy to others. He also said that if we do not show mercy to others, we too will receive judgment without mercy (Matthew 18:23-35). Therefore, we must now become people who can show mercy to others, just as we ourselves earnestly need the mercy of God.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

James 2:13 "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."

[Decision and Application]

Just as God was again grieved in His heart for the children of Israel who repeatedly sinned and asked for forgiveness (verse 16), we must now always understand through the Bible how much God is grieved for us and how much mercy He shows us. The Bible testifies that God loves us, and as the proof of that love, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

These words clearly show us that the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is the sure evidence of God's everlasting love and mercy. The reason Jesus is called the "only begotten Son" here is that there is no other (Acts 4:12). In other words, apart from Jesus Christ, there is no further expression of God's love and mercy. Jesus testified to this even more clearly when He declared, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Therefore, now all of us must always be "in Jesus" in order to receive the mercy of God. That is why the Bible says that when we are in Jesus, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1-2).

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Romans 8:1-2 "1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Therefore, all of us must abide in Jesus. And in order for us to abide in Jesus, we must cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5-6). This is because with a divided heart, we can never be in Jesus, nor become one with Jesus (Amos 3:3, Luke 9:23). As mentioned above, Jesus Christ is the final and greatest expression of the love and mercy that God has confirmed to mankind. Therefore, there is now no other way and no other method for us. So we must strive and labor daily to abide in Jesus, even if we must forsake all things (Philippians 3:5-12). We must never forget that the mercy of God can be received only when we are in Jesus.

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Hebrews 4:14-16 "14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Amen.