Judges 3-5 (Psalm 90)

Psalm 90:3 (NKJV) "You turn man to destruction, and say, "Return, O children of men."

The Hebrew word for 'turn' is shuv, which also means repentance. It's a term used in traveling for someone to change directions from one way to another, before I've heard teachings about repentance and have always understood repentance as turning away from sin and turning toward God. In the last chapter of Joshua there is an emphasis made on the Israelites serving or worshipping YAHWEH alone, which the people turn back to after falling away almost every other generation and after each judge. I think about sinful patterns in my life throughout the years, a sort of sin-repent-sin-repent cycle without true freedom or breakthrough it would seem that this is not representative of heart change.

Judges 2:19 (NKJV) "They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way."

What I find absolutely interesting is that YAHWEH left certain groups of Canaanites in the land so that He might test the people of Israel. I have understood that when God tests his people He is looking how we respond to injustice - due to the unfaithfulness of Israel through the worship and idolatry, God delivers them into the hands of the Hittites, Canaanites, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites and Jebusites who were not driven out of the land after Joshua's death. Judges 2 indicates that God allowed the people of Israel to be sold into slavery, plundered and oppressed. Interestingly through the judges God planned on teaching this generation of Israelites to know war, in preparation for the eventual king Saul and David. 

Judges 3:4 (NKJV) "And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses."

What are the ways that the LORD is testing you in today? How will you respond to injustice? Trust and obedience or pride, selfishness and violence against the Creator? Our response should be like Joshua's one of worship and service holy unto the LORD. Choose this day to fear YAHWEH and worship Him and Him alone.

Joshua 24:15 (NET) "But I and my family will worship [or serve] the LORD."

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