Nov 2 ~ Turning Away

Turning Away God faithfully brought the Israelites into the land He promised. He made a covenant with them committing to keep them safe and blessed if they would follow His commands and seek Him always. They served Him completely while Joshua was alive. Joshua was already an older man when they entered the Promised Land. He served God and led the Israelites. He reminded them of God’s covenant and their responsibility to love Him and obey His laws. Israel did so until Joshua died. Joshua died when he was 110 years old. Sadly, the generation, that had seen God’s miracles and knew His faithfulness, died. The younger men and women didn’t know God. They turned away from the covenant made with Him. They didn’t obey His laws. They did evil things and worshipped other gods. Because they turned away from God, He removed His protection. They were attacked, and God did not defend them. They were defeated. God gave them judges who heard from Him. When Israel was in distress, the judges would remind them to repent and follow God. They would obey, and God would rescue them in His love. Soon, however, they would again turn away from Him. Repeatedly, they would repent and be saved. Then they would turn away and be defeated by enemies. God was faithful, but they were not. They did evil. God allowed the Philistines to conquer them. Among those God gave Israel to rescue them was a man named Samson. Before he was born, God instructed Samson’s mother to set him apart for God because God would use him to begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The angel of the Lord gave specific instructions on raising Samson. One instruction was to never cut his hair. Samson grew up to be a powerfully strong man. God used his strength to conquer the Philistines. Samson’s strength was connected with his long hair. When his hair was long, he was used to fight for Israel. Samson should have searched for a righteous woman from Israel. However, he fell in love with a woman from their enemy. He loved her deeply. The Philistines tried again and again to defeat Samson, but he was too strong. They went to the woman he loved, who deceived him. She convinced him to tell her the secret of his great strength. After many attempts, he did. She betrayed him, and told the enemy. When the Philistines learned the secret of his strength, they cut his hair and were able to capture him. He lived as a prisoner until his hair grew back. When he was strong again he destroyed a building full of Philistines. It fell killing many. Sadly, Samson was also killed. After Samson’s death, Israel continued to live apart from God.