How does Judges 10:7 connect to God's covenant promises in Deuteronomy? Setting the Scene • After years of peace under Jair, Israel again turns to idolatry (Judges 10:6). • Judges 10:7 shows God’s immediate response to that rebellion. Key Verse: Judges 10:7 “So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites.” Covenant Promises in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy lays out a two-sided covenant: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. Notice the specific warnings: • Deuteronomy 28:25 — “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies.” • Deuteronomy 28:48 — “You will serve your enemies… He will put an iron yoke on your neck.” • Deuteronomy 31:16-17 — “They will forsake Me… My anger will burn against them in that day, and I will forsake them… Many disasters and calamities will come upon them.” Points of Connection • Same covenant pattern – Deuteronomy foresees Israel’s drift into idolatry; Judges 10 records it happening. – The “anger of the LORD” (Judges 10:7) echoes Deuteronomy 31:17. • Same consequence – “He sold them into the hands of… enemies” mirrors the promised defeat (Deuteronomy 28:25). – Foreign oppression by Philistines and Ammonites fulfills the threat of serving hostile nations (Deuteronomy 28:48). • Same purpose – The covenant curses were designed to bring Israel to repentance (Deuteronomy 30:1-3). – Judges 10:10 shows Israel crying out, proving the disciplinary intent of those covenant promises. Takeaway Truths • God’s dealings in Judges are not random; they flow straight from the covenant spelled out in Deuteronomy. • Every blessing or curse announced in Deuteronomy is literally reliable; Israel’s history confirms it. • The passage warns against complacency—covenant faithfulness still matters (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11). • God’s mercy remains available: just as Deuteronomy promised restoration after repentance (Deuteronomy 30:1-3), Judges 10 moves toward deliverance once Israel returns to Him. |
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