The Importance of a Word from God

Judges 6:7–8 (ESV) When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites, 8 the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery.

For the first time in the Judges cycle, when Israel is oppressed they don't get a deliverer, they get a prophet. The point is clear. God knows their previous and current repentance has been superficial. They have only lamented the loss of their freedoms or abundance. God will now speak to them about what sin has really cost them: Himself. 

You and I were made for God. The scripture says of Him:

Romans 11:36 (ESV) For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

You are from God. You are living THROUGH God, and you are going back to God. Your entire being for eternity is established and sustained in God. Any departure from His is only death all the time. This is the main theme of the Prophet's word to Israel. Remember, Israel is our example. Their relationship to God can have the same manners of our own. Up and down, left and right, hot and cold. They are on the pages of scripture so that we might learn from them and benefit by doing things better. 

Remember when Israel is brought out of Egypt. The Promised Land was given to them, yes, but before that, the real aim of the exodus was stipulated in Exodus 19:4.

Exodus 19:4 (ESV) ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

The point of the exodus was the presence of God well before it was ever the promised land. This is why God doesn't rush them. There need to be words from Him, a clear expression of this kind of life and a testimony to the nations of what life with the Creator is like, how good it is, the benefits and blessings. Israel was to be case in point: God is the blessing for those made in His image. 

Now in Judges, we see the purpose of the nations left by the Lord to test Israel: He is testing whether or not they have an appetite for Him. They do not. This sad reality has been revealed through the cycle of good and bad to this point in Judges. God has shown them thus far He can save with a left-handed savior, a tag-team of the obscure with a tent peg or a guy with an ox goad (See Shamgar in Judges 3:31). God doesn't need impressive tools to bring us back to Himself. The tools are not the point, His presence is. 

The difference is between grief and repentance. These two are not synonyms. Grief has to do with the loss of things in the world due to our actions or the actions of others. We lose love, friends, family, things, jobs or money and we grieve over them. Repentance is much deeper than grief because the object is must more important than those things. The object of repentance is our loss of God's presence. His presence is where we belong and where we are never dissatisfied.

Paul unpacks the difference between grief and godly grief producing repentance in 2 Corinthians 7:10.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV) For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Notice the term: "Godly grief." It is not monetary grief or friendship grief. It is grief that hinges on God not being there. And when we exercise that kind of grief it leads to a change of mind that brings salvation and leaves no regret. Why is there no regret? Because God's presence will never disappoint. 

Now how does God transmit His presence into our lives? Through His Word. The Word of God is the activity of God expressed in language for us to hear and know Him. We see Him through the Word so that we might properly relate to Him through His Word. To the rebellious grief-stricken Israelites God sends a Prophet. Because there is nothing like the Word of God.