The question is not – are there lessons, the question is – are we learning them?

Scripture Read: Judges 3:12-14 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. 14 The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

Application: Father as we work our way through Judges, help us to stop and remind ourselves of truths that this book brings forth time and time again. Before we go any further let’s remind ourselves of why Israel was in this situation. We will see it is a combination of “sow & reap” and of God’s grace and judgment. Consider; where did the Moabites and Ammonites come from? Remember when Lot was saved from the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah? The actions that took place afterwards set in motion repercussions that Israel would deal with for centuries.

Genesis 19:30–38 Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.  As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

The sin of Lot’s daughters brought forth the Moabites and the Ammonites. These nations have been warring with Israel since that day. Be careful not to identify individuals with a nation. Remember Ruth was a Moabite. The issue here is that the actions of these two women carried much greater consequences than they could imagine at the time. A lesson we all need to pay attention to. At the same time let’s remember why Israel is in the land:

Deuteronomy 9:3–5  “Know therefore today that it is the Lord your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the Lord has spoken to you. “Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them out before you, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you. “It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

A combination of, God’s grace to Israel, judgment on the idolatrous nations, and a commitment to His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our Lord works all things to His end, even when we do not see all that He is doing. Remember, God may have much more than one object He is trying to communicate in any lesson He is taking you through. Let us learn from these examples Lord and not repeat the bad ones.

Meditation Questions: When you go through a trial, how much time do you spend seeking to learn as much and as many lessons as possible? What does it mean to meditate? Is it possible to meditate over a trial? Why would that be helpful? Do you have friends that you can talk to about your trials and they talk to you about their trials? Why would this be important? We may not understand all that God is doing through a trial, but what are the things we can know?