In our culture, we often celebrate strength and success while hiding our weaknesses. However, what if we considered weakness to be a hidden gift instead?

The Bible tells us in Judges that “the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites” (Judges 6:1). This statement raises two important questions: What was the evil they committed, and why did they keep returning to it?

What Was the Evil?

The evil act committed by the Israelites was a fundamental forgetfulness—they turned away from the true God and placed their faith in false gods. This theme of spiritual unfaithfulness recurs throughout the book of Judges, but we’ll see it highlighted later in the story of Gideon.

Why Did They Do That?

The reason behind their repeated disobedience can be traced to what I term the “paradox of peace.” Peace, as a gift from God, can ironically lead us to forget him.

Let’s clarify this: peace is indeed a divine blessing. As Psalm 29:11 reminds us, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” However, this blessing can sometimes become a burden. The narrative of Judges reveals a consistent cycle: the Israelites experience peace, which leads them to turn away from God. Consequently, they lose that peace, find themselves oppressed, and then cry out to God for help. God delivers them, restoring their peace, only for them to forget him again. This cycle repeats time and time again.

Just before the Israelites turned away from God in Judges 6, the text states, “Then the land had peace for forty years” (Judges 5:31b). A thorough reading of Judges leads to an undeniable conclusion: peace often precedes their disobedience. While peace itself is not the problem—since it is a gift from God—it can sometimes lead us to forget the very source of that peace.

Real-Life Implications

This paradox extends beyond ancient Israel; it resonates in our lives today. When we experience peace—whether in our marriages, family dynamics, financial situations, or health—it’s easy to forget the reasons behind our stability. We may neglect to remember the blessings of our relationships, the wisdom we gained through faith, and the guidance we’ve received in managing our lives. Thus, peace, a gift from God, can subtly encourage us to forget about God himself.

Pause + Reflect

• • Some of you might find yourselves in a season of peace, and that very peace could be edging you toward complacency.
  • Conversely, others may be experiencing turmoil, which might serve as a sign that you’ve drifted away from the God of peace.

Learning from the Israelites

We cannot afford to make the same mistake as the Israelites. Recall Judges 6:1: “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.” During those seven years, what did the Israelites fail to do? They did not cry out to God—not once in seven years! This stark silence illustrates how profoundly their peace had led them to forget God.

Their lack of remembrance resulted in significant suffering. As a consequence of Midianite oppression, “the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds” (Judges 6:2). This image is powerful: they abandoned their homes, fields, and villages, seeking refuge in the mountains.

As I reflected on this, I felt a stirring in my spirit: they ran to caves instead of to the King. Are you turning to something that you believe will provide safety—like money, achievements, status, or possessions—rather than seeking refuge in God?

The Cycle of Oppression

Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, they faced invasions from the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples who devastated the land (Judges 6:3-5). The devastation was so complete that the Israelites became impoverished and finally cried out to the Lord for help (Judges 6:6).
The term “impoverished” in Hebrew (dalal) encompasses a range of difficulties, from financial hardship to emotional turmoil, illustrating the deep pain they endured.

Here we encounter another paradox: the “paradox of pain.” Our pain grieves God, but it can also lead us back to him.

• • On one hand, our pain deeply troubles God: In Matthew 9:36, we read, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The word “compassion” derives from terms meaning to suffer together—Jesus felt their pain as his own.
  • On the other hand, pain can drive us toward God: Sometimes, God allows us to reach rock bottom so we can discover that he is the solid rock waiting for us there. As Tony Evans aptly puts it, “Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so that you will discover that he is the rock at the bottom.” We often misinterpret our struggles, thinking they signal God’s punishment or abandonment. What if, instead, our pain serves as an invitation to draw closer to God?

God’s Response

When the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord because of their suffering at the hands of the Midianites, God responded by sending a prophet. The prophet relayed this message: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land” (Judges 6:7-9).

This is a pattern God uses throughout Scripture when we succumb to the paradox of peace: He reminds us of what he has delivered us from and what he has delivered us to.

• • For Israel, this meant liberation from Egypt and entrance into the Promised Land.
  • For Christians today, it signifies deliverance from sin and a relationship with our Creator.

Finally, the prophet reminds them: “I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).

Take-away Questions

• • What has God delivered you from? Consider struggles such as addiction, marital strife, financial hardship, or feelings of hopelessness.
  • What has God delivered you to? Reflect on the blessings in your life that you may have taken for granted.