Why would a loving God test us?

Scripture Read: Judges 2:20-23 So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice, I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers did, or not.” So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Application: Israel stubbornly refused to abandon her false gods. What was so attractive about these idols? Consider just two: Baal was the god of the storm and was responsible for the rain. Ashtaroth was the goddess of war and fertility. When Baal and Ashtaroth had sexual union, it resulted in abundant crops. The nations that embraced these gods believed in sympathetic magic…they must act like the gods; so for worship they would go to the temple and engage in sexual activities with “priests” that were there to service them. In simple terms the temples had glorified prostitutes, and worship was nothing more than sexual orgies! It is amazing what our flesh will justify when its desires are satisfied. A very important principle concerning how You work Lord in our lives is in this section. Many times we desire to be delivered from some trouble or weakness in our life, but You leave it there as a way to test us. That very thought is what the enemy and our flesh grab to try and bring an accusation against You. The question that is brought forth is – “If God is a loving God why would He test us?  There are several things that we must deal with in this context if we really desire to be honest about this.

First: If we really believe You are God, then what right do we have to question at all? I know You have extended to us that grace, so we can ask questions like this, but if we are going to be honest we need to ask ourselves; if God be God, then I really have nothing to say. He can do whatever He likes, because He is God! This is a thought many resist or even despise, I have found that surrender to it is the most liberating thing I ever did. You are God and You alone have the right to do whatever You want.

Second: If we consider the word “test” we can see Your loving purpose. נָסָה (nāsâ) test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof, put to the test. In most contexts nāsâ has the idea of testing or proving the quality of someone or something, often through adversity or hardship.^[1]

This is not the word for “tempt” which means to entice to do wrong. This word conveys that this is an opportunity for growth. You are giving us a chance to grow in things that are eternal, which will remain after everything else is burned away.

Third: How can I not trust a God that sacrificed His only begotten Son for me so I could live with Him forever in eternity? This is the question we need to keep before us. No matter what “feelings” we may have, this fact speaks very loud! We may not understand it all, how could we, our vision is so limited. Even so, we can see what Your love brought You to do and our only response can be trust if we are honest.

Help us Oh Lord to see the tests in our life as tools to learn and grow. Also Lord, remind us that many times once the lesson is learned, the trouble or weakness vanishes!

Meditation Questions: What circumstances or things are in your life right now that you don’t want? What are you doing about them?  What does your answer show you? How could God be using those things in your life right now? Are you letting Him? How many of the same kind of trials have you experienced over and over again? What does that say? What happens when you go through a trial and see yourself have a victory? If that happens, what will the next possible trial look like? What des your answer show you?

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^[1] Harris, R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. (1999). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (581). Chicago: Moody Press.