Genuine Confession

"Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, 'We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.' The Lord said to the sons of Israel, 'Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.' The sons of Israel said to the Lord, 'We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.' So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer." -Judges 10.10-16

Once again Israel has strayed from God. As a result they have been oppressed, this time it's the Philistines and the sons of Ammon. After eighteen years of oppression the people cry out to God for help, but they don't get the response they are hoping for.

Initially God says, "No, deal with it. This is what you have chosen." He reminds them of every time He has delivered them in the past, listing the enemies He has defeated. He points out how in spite of all that He has done they have turned and served other gods, and so He is no longer going to deliver them because they have made their choice. The false gods they have chosen will need to rise up and deliver them.

The people know they have made the wrong choice. The continue to cry out to God, admitting their sin, and acknowledging their need of Him. The text then tells us that they put away the foreign gods and serve the Lord. They no longer worship pagan idols, but turn to God and begin to follow Him. It is at this point that God is ready to deliver them. He has seen that they are genuinely repentant, and now He begins to deliver them.

Men, how do you cry out to God? Is their genuine confession? Is there a real desire for transformation? Do you want God or are you simply looking for Him to make your life easier by taking away some hardship? Do you seek God for what He can do for you, or are you genuinely interested in Him for who He is? Is your confession a genuine acknowledgment of your need for God, or simply a desire for convenience?

Let us be men who turn to God and forsake everything else. Let us be men who are transformed, and rescued, with genuine confession.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor