I tell ya, Hollywood has NOTHING on the Bible when it comes to violence and gore--just today, we get a sword through the stomach and a stake through the head (?!?). I'll freely admit that either one of these events would probably ruin what might be an otherwise-pleasant day.
I'm more interested in the time frame, which is:
1. 8 years of slavery (Judges 3:8)
2. Salvation through Othniel (Caleb's brother), followed by 40 years as Judge (3:9-11)
3. 18 years of slavery to Moab (3:12-14)
4. Salvation through Ehud (a left-handed man--somehow, THAT'S worthy of note), followed by 80 years of peace
5. 20 years of oppression by Sisera (4:1-3)
I can't state it authoritatively, but that's close to 164 years of history covered in one chapter (point 4 could have been concurrent with some of the other events, for all I know), but a people who had been enslaved by Egyptians for who knows how long (and we DON'T know--we only know they were in Egypt for 430 years, but have no idea when their status changed from welcome guest to unpaid labor) had managed to displease the Lord enough to be throw back into slavery THREE separate times within 200 years of the Exodus. (Note--for you fans of tight writing, that last sentence was 97 words).
Two of my favorite 25-cent words come to mind when I consider a people like this:
1. Recalcitrant--defined as "stubbornly resistant to authority or control"
2. Recidivism--defined as "a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior," usually used when discussing criminal repeat offenders.
Yes, they were a stubborn and stiff-necked people, and yet God still loved them and rescued them from their repeated transgressions and blasphemy. Lucky for us we know better today and simply obey.
Scott
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