Route 66:7 Judges: A Cautionary Tale

Four hundred years ago, brave, or foolhearty, adventurers struggled against local tribes in America. They often made mistakes, but believed God had put them here.

For the Israelites, it seemed like the God of the Exodus had abandoned them. In turn, the majority began to follow false worship much like that of unbelievers around them.

The vicious circle began. The more they lived like the pagans, the further they seemed to be from God. They were either becoming pagans or hiding from them.

A number of unremarkable men, and one woman, were raised up by God to become saviors for a time. But the system of judges failed in the long run, even leading to fatricide and civil war.

The children of Israel learned the hard way that you can't run your life "from the heart.

Route 66, Stop 6. A Warrior's Reward

It had been forty long years, but Joshua Ben-Nun had made it to the promised land. He had missed his friend and mentor Moses, but the Lord's words to him upon his commission held true. As he had been faithful, he found that God was ever so much more so.

Under his guidance, the tribes joined together to take on overwhelming odds with God in control. Time and time again, armies of Gentiles fell. Many natives fled in their wake, leaving land, food and housing behind.

In the end, though, in spite of the miracles, many of the people forgot the true God in favor of the imaginations of men. As he was close to retirement, he called on the people to make a choice. In telling them his choice was the LORD, the God of Moses, he scolded many in their unfaithfulness.

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  --
Joshua 24:15 (KJV)

Can you imagine thinking that service to the One true God was evil? The so-called gods of the native population were as perverse as those who worshipped them, but the majority report had mot changed since the days of Moses.

Joshua chose to believe. The result was peace with God and with men. Cam we say the same?