A Journey to Easter - Day 9
- Debbra Stephens
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.
(Judges 2:11-13 ESV)
What is the first thing you think of when you hear “unfaithful”?
It’s likely you thought of marriage. Or adultery.
When the prophets of God heard “unfaithful,” they likely thought of Israel.
Israel was unfaithful to God, their Husband (Isaiah 54:5). Because they failed to follow God’s wisdom to drive the Canaanites from the land, they were influenced by them to worship other gods—thereby giving their hearts away. Therefore, they failed to keep covenant with God and committed spiritual adultery through their idolatry.
The era of Israel’s judges was often dark and sinister. While the nation was unfaithful, God remained ever-faithful. Thankfully, God’s faithfulness does not depend on the faithfulness of His people. And, while He was provoked to anger and gave them over to their desires and consequences, He also raised up leaders to deliver them from their enemies (Judges 2:18).
However, “they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways” (Judges 2:17-19 NIV). This very pattern was habitually on repeat for over 400 years. Which tells us two things: the people desperately needed a more lasting heart-change and a permanent and greater deliverer.
Where faithfulness is in living a God-centered life, unfaithfulness is to live a godless life. But you can drop-kick the “un” with a turning back to God.
Judges 21:25 made this comment about that era: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” The spiral of Israel back into darkness and chaos didn’t have to be the end of their story. And it certainly doesn’t have to be ours. Because you have a King! He has provided the hope and the means for faithfulness. And He has demonstrated how to walk in faith, by doing what is right in God’s eyes.
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