Judges 10:6-18--Further Disobedience and Oppression

Judges 10:6-18
English Standard Version

Further Disobedience and Oppression
6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

10 And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 And the LORD said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

​17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

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As we would expect because we know the theme of this book, the people returned to their idols--the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines (notice these are all people they were to destroy and drive out of the Land and were forbidden by the LORD to worship these gods).  They forsook the LORD and did not serve Him, so the LORD was angry with them and gave them over once again into the hands of the Philistines and the hands of the Ammonites so that they crushed and oppressed the Trans-Jordan Israelites (in the land they called Gilead) for 18 years.  This would be the land where Reuben, Gad and the eastern Half-Tribe of Manasseh lived.  The Ammonites then crossed over the Jordan River to make war with Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim and all Israel was severely distressed (notice though that Israel does not appear to be distressed until the oppressors cross over the Jordan River...the western tribes seem to have no care or concern about their brothers living in Gilead).

​The the people cried out to the LORD saying that they had sinned and asking the LORD to save them.  The LORD replies that He has been in the business of saving them ever since Egypt and lists the various people groups that He has saved them from, and yet the people continue to be like dogs that return to their vomit (this is the way that the Prophets will describe Israel returning to idolatries time after time after time).  God tests the people and says that He will save them no more because they have shown they want the blessings without the obedience.

The people cry out again and say, "We have sinned.  Do to us whatever you want to, only deliver us this day."  They put away (but did not destroy) their foreign gods and they only worshiped the LORD so that He could no longer bear the suffering that Israel was going through.

Then the Ammonites encamped against Israel in Gilead and all of Israel gathered together at Mizpah to make their camp for war.  The leaders of Gilead looked for the man that would lead the Israelites into battle and promised that such a man would be made head over all the inhabitants of Gilead (see how they are already wanting to have a king like the other nations?).  This is where the story leaves us hanging until we get to chapter 11 where the LORD will raise up Jephthah of the land of Gilead as the next judge who would lead Israel into battle.