While we might see His grace more clearly in Jesus, the Savior who bled and died to set us free and draw us near, the Lord’s heart and ways haven’t changed.
Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about the “angry God of the Old Testament” versus the God of grace demonstrated through Christ. Upon first glance, the historical accounts of ancient Israel’s history, fraught with battles and plagues, appear to support this stark contrast. A deeper look at the cultural and literary context surrounding the seemingly harshest passages, however, displays an attentive, protective, and merciful Father who longs for humanity to thrive. While we see His heart for us from the first page of Scripture to the last, some of the most vivid displays come from the period referred to as the time of Judges.
The Backstory
Exodus through Joshua records how God liberated His people from four centuries of slavery and oppression in the land of Egypt. During that time, He faithfully led and provided for these often faithless and rebellious people, ensuring they had all they needed. God also made good on a promise reiterated for generations and settled them in an agriculturally rich land. His words to Abraham, their patriarch, generations prior, indicate He intended the Jews to herald His life-giving invitation to all mankind.
The Jews’ strategic location helped facilitate this by placing them at the crossroads between Egypt and Asia. This allowed information to travel with merchants along the ancient trade routes.
Sadly, once Joshua, the warrior-leader who brought God’s people into Canaan, died, the people turned to wickedness and idolatry. According to Judges 2:12, they rejected God, relied on idols, and followed the barbaric practices of the people around them. This included worshiping the Canaanite deities Ba’al and Ashtoreth, religious practices that often involved self-mutilation, temple prostitution, and child sacrifice.
The Pervasive Nature of Evil
One can easily envision the type of culture such dark and cruel rituals created. Consider the developmental impact of growing up in such an environment and the generational dysfunction and abuse likely to follow.
I can’t help but think of what occurred in Germany under Nazi rule, in the Antebellum South, or in today’s sex-trafficking industry. History proves it doesn’t take long for the forces of darkness to infect humanity. Only evil could motivate people to treat others in such horrific ways.
Without God’s influence, corrupt and wicked systems tend to worsen and multiply as people become desensitized to sin and violence. Yet, most of us have also witnessed the beautiful transformation that occurs when families and communities turn to Christ and His ways.
We see both realities in the oft-repeated struggle recorded in Judges. After a period of peace, God’s people became progressively self-reliant and complacent. Living increasingly disconnected from the Lord, they lost their capacity to love Him and one another. Soon, greed, vengeance, corruption, and violence took over, creating a survivalist mentality that only led to greater selfishness and moral decay. Eventually, God gave the Israelites the autonomy they desired and removed His protective hand. Soon after, another nation raided the land and oppressed the people.
God’s Response to His Children’s Despair
Deeply distressed, the ancient Israelites cried out to God in desperation. Reacting with immediate and unhindered mercy, He then raised up a warrior judge and empowered him and his vastly outmanned and outmuscled military force to overthrow their tormentors. After this, the people enjoyed a time of peace.
Sadly, however, this only lasted while the warrior-leader remained alive. As soon as he died, the people resumed their wicked ways, and the cycle repeated. Not once. Not twice. Not four or five—but seven—times.
God’s Long-Suffering Nature
Eventually, one would expect God’s patience to run out, but that’s not what Scripture records. Each time His children sought His aid, He showed them instant and very undeserved grace. We also don’t see Him lecturing or shaming the people for their abhorrent behavior. Instead, He welcomed them close as if they’d never rebelled.
I’d like to say God’s radical display of tender love and unmerited favor captured His people’s affections. Unfortunately, the biblical books that follow demonstrate this is far from the case. In fact, although the nation experienced a season of revival under the reign of Israel’s first and second kings, the people soon spiraled back into depravity. This, in turn, provided a vivid backdrop for God’s unfathomable mercy and grace as He pleaded with His people, for centuries, to live, once again, beneath His Fatherly embrace.
When our daughter was young, we loved catching and rewarding her for doing something right. This was never difficult as she generally liked to please us. This practice proved much more challenging years later when we fostered a teenager with oppositional defiance disorder. Amid his constant acting out, we remained extra alert for the slightest signs of good behavior. This became so challenging that we began praising him for going a certain period of time without doing something harmful.
I wonder if God ever felt the same toward the ancient Israelites. I sense such parental anguish in Isaiah 30:28. Communicating God’s heart, the prophet said, “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.” This paints the picture of a grieving Father watching His wayward child, anxious to see her stop self-destructing while He waits with bated breath for an opportunity to bless her good behavior.
The Lord is, and always has been, for us. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. Notice how God described Himself to Moses, the man called to liberate His people from slavery in Egypt: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).
He could’ve said, “The All-powerful, All-knowing Ruler of all Creation,” or, “The Brilliant and Sovereign One.” He certainly possesses each of those attributes. But that, apparently, wasn’t what God most longed to convey. Above all, He wanted Moses to know He was driven by tender, unfailing, and inexhaustible mercy.
While we might see His grace more clearly in Jesus, the Savior who bled and died to set us free and draw us near, the Lord’s heart and ways haven’t changed. The same God who continually responded to His people’s desperate cries during the time of Judges and all of the Old Testament remains alert to ours as well.
According to James 4:8, the moment we turn toward Him, He is already moving toward us. While we’ll all act like rebellious teenagers on occasion, as Judges demonstrates and Romans 5:20 promises, where sin abounds, God’s grace increases all the more. May we take comfort in this immutable truth: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
In Malachi 3:6, God told the corrupt people living about four hundred years prior to Christ’s birth, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (NIV). In other words, it was because of His mercy, as seen and proclaimed throughout Scripture prior, that He hadn’t abandoned His people to their self-destruction. Although their world was dark, His light still provided a restraining force against evil, just as it does today. God never has and will never forsake His people (Psalm 94:14). And while He is powerful and sovereign over all creation, He is also the source and perfect embodiment of love.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/RapidEye
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.
