What's Wrong?

[Chopper]

I've been a student of the Old Testament (Covenant) for years now. Originally, I wanted to see first hand what delighted the Heart of God (Jehovah). I also wanted to know what displeased Him and what He did as a result. I believe that the nature of Jehovah is very important information for me to have because if I know what His nature is, I know what His will is.

As I was in my Old Covenant studies this morning, I'm going thru Judges verse by verse. Today was Chapter 8 and although I've read these accounts of Israel being faithful to Jehovah sometimes, other times they went after the Baals. After 40 years of rest, thanks to Gideon, he died. Lets look at Verse 8....

Judges 8:33 "As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
8:34 And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side,
8:35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel."

The purpose of this thread is to discuss two main topics. 1. What's wrong with this picture of Almighty God (Jehovah) saving Israel's neck from their enemies who wanted to wipe them out? Just look at the miracle of Gideon taking 300 men and conquering thousands of the enemy. Israel can't figure out who they should worship? Jehovah Who saved them, or Baal who is not alive, can't do anything, can't speak or hear? So what do you think is the reason that Israel changed their dependence on Gideon and Jehovah, and switched to the Baals.

2. Kind of a sub topic is the nature of YHWH as expressed in all the names for Jehovah. Such as Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-rophe and so on. I see these names as important because Israel, at different times, were recipients of these particular aspects of His divine character and revealed nature as to meeting Israel's needs. So, why would Israel as a Nation fail to keep their worship only to Jehovah their Elohim Who accomplished so much for their welfare and then rebel and worship an idol that can't do anything?

 

[B-A-C]

I would suspect there were multiple reasons they tuned to false gods.
1. It says in verse 28 that there was peace for 40 years. Sometimes, when there is no reason to
seek God, we search for other things to take His place. (it doesn't have to be a statue).

2. Gideon was dead, it's sometimes like we need a spiritual leader to talk to God for us. Pastor
Smith retires, so people stop going to church. Dad passed away so there's no one to encourage us
to seek God anymore. -- and after a generation or so... they don't know Him anymore.

There are false gods and idols are all around us... the media is full of them, the stores are full of them,
but you hear very little about the God of the Bible.

 

[Chopper]

I was reading in Judges this morning and saw this....
Judges 10:10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
10:11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
10:12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
10:13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
10:14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

So there ya go, even Almighty God want His people to know that there is a limit to His grace. He ultimately rescued them but this statement must have shook them up real good.

 

[amadeus2]

The thing that was wrong is what has always been wrong with people and still is. Solomon nailed it right on the head even though he also failed to take corrective action in himself:

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Prov 21:2

Evil men may simply not consider God at all and go their own way for their own purposes, but some presumably "good" men who know God still trust their own minds and logic and even previous experiences with God to make another decision instead of always putting it before God prior to acting.

What is it God wants from me now? We may ask the right question, but where is it that we get the answer? Even a man of God can forget to ask in order to receive necessary instruction and as a result fail... Remember the unnamed prophet who was sent by God out of Judah to Jeroboam the first k king of the northern 10 tribes who prophesied truly before the king and then later was killed by a lion because he failed to consult with God one more time [I Kings 13]?

The time to stop asking God is never!

 

[Chopper]

The thing that was wrong is what has always been wrong with people and still is. Solomon nailed it right on the head even though he also failed to take corrective action in himself:

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Prov 21:2

Evil men may simply not consider God at all and go their own way for their own purposes, but some presumably "good" men who know God still trust their own minds and logic and even previous experiences with God to make another decision instead of always putting it before God prior to acting.

What is it God wants from me now? We may ask the right question, but where is it that we get the answer? Even a man of God can forget to ask in order to receive necessary instruction and as a result fail... Remember the unnamed prophet who was sent by God out of Judah to Jeroboam the first k king of the northern 10 tribes who prophesied truly before the king and then later was killed by a lion because he failed to consult with God one more time [I Kings 13]?

The time to stop asking God is never!

Thank you my good friend. I read 1 Kings 13 and was deceived by another Prophet. You're right, we just can't stop seeking the will of the Lord. A Prophet might not deceive us but Satan surely will.

 

[robaston]

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Prov 21:2

that very important, for even when we think we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we still need to seek first the Kingdom