When Judges are Absent…
The absence of a ‘judge’ will be the opportunity to “see what is in the heart of the people.”
What would be the impact to a godly person, in the absence of the Scriptures or Spirit of GOD (judge)? Would that also be opportunity to “see what is in the heart of the people?”
The Biblical term for "judge" is "shofeṭ". The term is closer in meaning to "ruler" or "military leader" than to "one who judges in the sense of trying a cause".
NOTE: The term was originally attached to a similar significance as "regulator" in the Phoenician language.
NOTE: The term "shofeṭ" was given to those rulers who presided over the affairs of the Israelites during the interval between the death of Joshua and the accession of Saul, the first Israelite king.
“Now the angel of YHVH came up from Gilgal to Bochim.
1. Gilgal means: circle of stones. In ‘word-play’, it has been used to mean “roll away”, or “roll off.”
2. Gilgal means: “wheel” or “place of the return.” All-in-all, these were locations in the journey of the people of GOD.
NOTE: The most likely meaning of the stones in chapter 2, is to remind any passersby what the GOD of Israel did for them. Historically, any time Israel was delivered from the enemy, or a significant moment in time happened, they erected “standing” stones as a memorial.
…and He said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, 2 and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars, ’but you have not obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from you; but they will become like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” 4 Now when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the YAH” –Judges 2:1-5
NOTE: Bochim means: “People who weep”, or “weepers”.
When you and I consider the manifold ways and times we have dishonored and disobeyed the One Who has helped, delivered, healed, fed and protected us and we turn to intentionally disobey the Spirit of Truth and the Word of GOD, what do ‘we’ expect Him to do?
Do you justly assume the LORD will turn His head, close or pluck His eyes out to be blind to what He is seeing of us?
When He asks, James [me], “Why have you done THIS?” What am I to say? Do I again and again blame Eve? …maybe my wife, or say, “the neighbor made me disobey You.”
‘‘I will not drive them out from you; but they will become like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
There is a place you and I are supposed to be. That location is often a dwelling of destiny. We would never know or realize that if we have lacked follow-through and obedience to do our parts.
[Moses] and Joshua went “by way of all men” and a surprising thing happened; Father did not quickly give the people a new leader. I am sure you noticed that ‘sore thumb sticking out’.
What happened next was telling. “People did what was right in their own eyes” and…
”11 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, 12 and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them; so they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.” –Judges 2:11-13
Take a look at the nation of Isarael today. Take a look at the ‘Christian believers’ today. Have we/they not been snared by the gods around us? All the things that we’ve been sucked into and invited our homes and lives because we have become spiritually soft and (1) brought the world of baal into our lifestyles and (2) walk/run into the places that are ruled by those ‘other gods’ the “angel of ADONAI” mentioned above.
“What is this that we have done?”
We should NEVER think that the Holy One of Israel would swoop into our lives of filth and ignore the cesspool we so willingly live in. What happened to monitoring ourselves, even when it appears that we have no leadership? When He does arrive, after we invite Him in post repentance and submission, He would have to hover above our lives of sewage. He would be unable to step foot into my world, until the cleaning sweeper of obedience comes to get to work.
The spiritual leaders of that day had the Torah (Word from GOD’s mouth), just as we have that same Word of GOD today (with books of personal visual details). Oh, and we have the Holy Spirit living among us and in us. Yet, we still choose to walk and serve baal.
It is no wonder He ‘I will not drive them out from you and I…” He is unable, because we refuse to obey the acts we were told to do so He can come, and help is to have dominion in the place He has provided for us.
“…but they will become like thorns in your sides…”. The applicable word for "thorns" is "shayit". It is a noun masculine and means a wild growth of briers (as if put on the field) and an adamant flint. scrub or trash, i.e. wild growth of weeds or briers (as if put on the field). The word for "thorn" is "shamir". It means to be adamant, a flint [hard and sharp to deal with], because they live among you, beside and alongside. Wherever you look, they will be there to irritate, be a pain and cause you to struggle.
“…and their gods will be a snare to you” is also used to express the idea of being the cause of ruin or destruction of something or someone. …and they will be a noose [for catching animals] and a hook (for the nose) – a trap.
Why would the LORD ever ‘take/lead’ us somewhere? If “He” is leading, the place we are going or have arrived to is a place He has set aside for His pleasure. There is always work for us to do. There is always growth to be had. There is always a testing to undergo.
We need to see “what is in out hearts”. Do we not? We say, “Lord, Lord”, but our hearts [faithfulness and devotion] are faaaaar from Him. Go and revisit Deuteronomy 8 in its entirety.
14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He handed them over to plunderers, and they [RE]plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand against their enemies. 15 Wherever they went, the hand of ADONAI was against them for evil, as YeHoVaH had spoken and just as YHVH had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.” –Judges 2:1-5
Why do we expect mounds of blessing when we don’t give or do what is expected and/or required of us? Would you and I receive a paycheck if we did not show up to work?
Would we have a job much longer?
If you and I were adulterers and unfaithful spouses, would we be married very long, once he or she found out?
”Then YAH raised up judges who saved them from the hands of those who [RE]plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they committed infidelity with other gods and bowed down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the Commandments of the Lord; they did not do the same as their fathers. 18 When GOD raised up judges for them, ADONAI was with the Judge [ELOHIM] and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity [grace] by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them; 19 but it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate ways. 20 So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “because this nation has violated My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice, 21 I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the Way of ADONAI to walk in It as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So ADONAI allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them [the inhabitants of that time] over to Joshua” –Judges 2:1-5
NOTE: Calev was still alive, but interestingly enough, was not selected to lead, or become a judge. However, later on, his brother was selected to be a judge. –Judges 3:9-11
What a cycle of unfaithfulness we live in. …and we want to blame the Lord of our Creation for our disobedient acts. Father, all we did was marry our sons to their daughters and likewise, give our daughters to their sons. That is all! Why are you displeased with us?
All we did was take in the idolatrous holidays and make them our own. Why are you displeased with us?
Jesus, why are you angry with us serving other gods? What is the harm in that?
READER: When you marry her or him, you and I marry and serve their idols, gods, images, green trees, we consent to the worship that comes with that acceptance.
Maybe you knew.
Maybe you did know what you were getting into.
You ONLY willingly turned a blind eye and blind spirit towards it all, in the name of love, or under the guise of sex.
Maybe we don’t really love Him.