URC Daily Devotion Friday 24 April 2026
Judges 10: 6-18
The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, worshipping the Baals and the Astartes, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. Thus they abandoned the Lord, and did not worship him. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, and they crushed and oppressed the Israelites that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was greatly distressed. So the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, ‘We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our God and have worshipped the Baals.’ And the Lord said to the Israelites, ‘Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet you have abandoned me and worshipped other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods whom you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.’ And the Israelites said to the Lord, ‘We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you; but deliver us this day!’ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and worshipped the Lord; and he could no longer bear to see Israel suffer. Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead; and the Israelites came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. The commanders of the people of Gilead said to one another, ‘Who will begin the fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.’
Reflection
This passage begins like a standard deliverer story but it serves as an introduction (v.7) to both the story of Jephthah and the Ammonites (10:8-12:6); and the stories of Samson and the Philistines (14:1-16:31). Ammon, lying east of the Jordan alongside the tribal region of Gad, is oppressing Gilead one of the Israelite towns.
When Israel repents of their apostasy and cries out to God (v.10), God effectively responds ‘Enough is enough! Go and ask the gods you’ve been serving to deliver you from your oppressors.’ However, God’s compassion overrules divine anger when the people submit to God’s will, whether that results in deliverance or judgment; and seem sincere in their repentance.
The Ammonites gather and besiege Gilead. The Israelites gather at the neighbouring town of Mizpah. Will there be a stand-off? It is sad to read that it’s God’s people in Gilead who make the decision to initiate a battle – but who should lead them? It is also sad to read the presumption that such a military commander should also be regarded as the supreme leader over the whole community.
The third sad point to note is that no-one thinks it necessary to involve God in their planning, their decision making, their discernment of someone with skills to lead. No-one suggests turning to God in prayer or worship. They may have turned away from other gods; but there is little evidence that they have actually turned to the true God, for guidance, for deliverance, or for anything at all.
It’s easy to be critical of God’s people of old, to claim that because we have learned from Jesus and have the Holy Spirit to guide us, we wouldn’t make the mistakes they did – time and again. But I fear that we’re self-delusional and may be just as guilty of pushing God to the side-lines and only paying lip service to God in some of our worship in times of stress.
Honest self-examination is just as necessary after Easter as during Lent!
Prayer
Compassionate God,
thank you for never giving up on us.
Give us the honesty to recognise ourselves
in the ancient stories of scripture;
and save us from our headstrong tendencies.
Forgive us when we project our ideas
of how to respond to oppression
onto you and depict you as violent.
Remind us of your way of suffering love
that leads through the cross to victory over sin and evil
and to life for the world.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.