Great Resolves of Heart
by Leon Mauldin
via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014
Judges 2 records how the Angel of the Lord rebuked the people because they had broken their covenant with God; they had not obeyed His voice (Judges 2:1-3) and had allowed the idolatrous Canaanites to remain in the land. Israel’s reaction is instructive. The “people lifted up their voices and wept” (Judges 2:4). They wept so much that the place was named Bochim (Heb. “weepers”). Further, “they sacrificed there to the Lord” (Judges 2:5).
At first, it would appear that there was genuine sorrow and reason for optimism. But no real changes were made. Though moved to tears by divine rebuke, they did nothing to correct the situation or turn from their sinful course. After the tears and sacrifices, they went back to doing the same old thing. Nothing changed.
“...their sorrow was because of the consequences of their sins and not because the wickedness of their sins had convicted them. It was a shallow and temporary sorrow that never led them to true repentance (II Corinthians 7:8-11).” (1)
“The response of the people to the angel’s sad pronouncement was to weep loudly (v. 4). Like the weeping of Numbers 14:1, when the spies announced that Canaan could not be captured, here the crying does not necessarily imply repentance.” (2)
Similarly, Judges 5 records the “Song of Deborah,” praising God for deliverance from Jabin, king of Canaan. This prophetess and judge commended the tribes that helped with the battle (Judges 5:2,14-15). But others thought about it and talked about it, yet stayed safely at home. “Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds ... [they] have great searchings of heart” (Judges 5:15-16).
You can visualize the Reubenites meeting together, discussing the situation, passing resolutions. But it never went any further than that. They were emotionally stirred, their hearts were moved, but their feet never went. They were stirred, but not to the point of personal participation.
Once I was visiting a wayward church member with my friend Bob Waldron, a member whose father had recently died. She had told Bob, “It’s sad that it takes something like the death of a loved one to get your attention.” But there was no follow-through, no change. When Bob and I went to see her, he said, “What is sadder still is when even that doesn’t do it.”
Footnotes:
- Wiersbe, W.W., Be Available (p. 17).
- Wolf, H. Judges, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 392).
