If one of the wisest men who walked the earth turned away from God, then who are we to think we are immune from such a danger? We must cling to God all the days of our lives.
Samson’s story reveals a sad but common pattern: instead of celebrating the One who gave him his gifts, he preened his ego and applauded himself. Listen in to learn from the consequences of his disobedience and avoid his mistakes.
The human tendency is to rely on our own resources instead of the Lord. Knowing this, God made it abundantly clear to Gideon that His hand alone would save Israel—it was not human might that defeated Israel’s enemies.
Civilizations and circumstances change, but the human heart does not. Every one of us has to choose whether we will rebel against God or whether we will submit to His will.
The book of Judges stands as a sad, stark contrast to the book of Joshua. Whereas the people of the conquest obeyed the Lord under Joshua’s leadership, they quickly fell into rebellion after his death. Because they had set aside God’s law, their enemies were defeating and oppressing them.
At the end of his life, Joshua gave a farewell speech to the people of Israel, exhorting them to remember God’s faithfulness in order to trust and obey Him.
God has made Himself known, so all people are without excuse, and we all walk in disobedience. But the good news is that He has given us Jesus to redeem us.
God warned the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience. But the tangible idols of this world drew their hearts away from Him, just as they do ours.
Have you ever idealized the past so much that you forget God's faithfulness? Numbers 14 shows that this mindset caused the Israelites to rebel against God.