15.November 2025
BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
Daily Bible Reading
Judges 2 – Shifting Faith – Faithful God
Why Judges 2 is both a warning and a comfort
Bible Text – Judges 2 (KJV)
1 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.
6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.
8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
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Introduction
Judges chapter 2 is like a dramatic summary of what will repeatedly happen in the centuries to come:
God calls — the people respond briefly — and then fall back again.
It is the story of a God who remains faithful even when His people are unfaithful.
And it is a mirror showing how easily we today forget who God is and what He has done for us.
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Commentary
1. God’s Messenger Calls (vv. 1–5): The Pain of a Broken Covenant
The Angel of the Lord reminds Israel of three things:
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God’s faithfulness:
“I brought you out of Egypt… I will not break my covenant.” -
God’s command:
“Tear down the altars of the pagan nations.” -
Israel’s failure:
“But you did not obey My voice.”
The consequences are real: the nations remain in the land — not as a blessing, but as a snare and trap (v. 3).
The people weep, name the place Bochim (“place of weeping”), and bring sacrifices — but the sorrow is emotional, not transformational.
It is repentance without change.
2. A New Generation Without Memory (vv. 6–10)
Joshua dies. The elders die.
And then comes the shocking statement:
“A new generation arose that did not know the Lord nor the works He had done.”
This is the first warning sign of spiritual decline:
If God’s works are not told, they are forgotten.
If parents do not pass on what God has done, the next generation will search for its own “gods.”
3. The Spiral of Idolatry (vv. 11–15): The Downward Path
The Bible uses strong words:
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“They did evil”
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“They forsook the Lord”
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“They followed other gods”
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“They provoked the Lord”
The result is not arbitrary punishment, but consequence:
They lose protection, peace, stability.
God “sells” them into the hands of enemies — meaning He allows them to live out their choices and suffer the results.
A life without God always leads to bondage.
4. God’s Compassionate Rescue (vv. 16–18): The Judges as Signs of Grace
Even though Israel is unfaithful, God does not stay distant.
He raises up judges to rescue them.
Verse 18 is crucial:
“For the Lord was moved to pity because of their groaning.”
God is moved — even by a people who repeatedly break His heart.
He is a God who weeps when we weep —
and who rescues even when we fail again.
5. The Sad Relapse (vv. 19–23): Worse, Not Better
As soon as a judge dies, the people fall back — worse than before:
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deeper dependence on idols
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harder hearts
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stubborn attitudes
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deliberate refusal to learn
The nations in the land become an instrument of testing:
“…to test Israel, whether they will walk in the way of the Lord.”
God allows challenges — not to destroy but to reveal where the heart truly stands.
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Summary
Judges 2 shows us:
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God is faithful — Israel is unstable.
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God calls — Israel responds briefly, then returns to old patterns.
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God rescues — Israel falls again.
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God remains — even when Israel abandons Him.
It is a chapter full of pain but also full of hope:
Human unfaithfulness is great.
God’s patience is greater.
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Message for Us Today
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Forgetfulness always leads to downfall.
When we stop speaking of God’s works and giving thanks, our faith weakens. -
Idols today look different but are just as dangerous.
Success, consumption, approval, relationships, technology — anything can become a new Baal. -
God allows tests, but not out of harshness.
Challenges reveal what is inside us and where we turn. -
God never gives up.
Even after repeated failures, He calls, rescues, and remains. -
Every person needs spiritual memory markers.
Without intentional relationship, disobedience grows like weeds.
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Reflection Prompt
Ask yourself:
Which “idol” has quietly slipped into my heart — and is pulling me away from God’s path?
And then:
Which judge — which divine call — is trying to bring me back right now?
God’s story with Israel is also God’s story with you:
He sees the relapse —
but He also sees the possibility of return.
Today is a good day to leave Bochim behind and start anew.
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9–15 November 2025
BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
Weekly Reading – Spirit of Prophecy
Ellen White | Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 40
Balaam | A Warning Example of Compromise, Greed, and Spiritual Self-Deception
Read online here
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Introduction
The story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22–24 and is extensively commented on in chapter 40 of Patriarchs and Prophets.
It is the story of a man who knew God’s voice, yet followed his own heart — a prophetic drama between calling and bribery, truth and deception.
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Commentary
1. The Fear of the Moabites (Introduction)
The Israelites camp on the border of Canaan. Moab panics — not because of an actual threat, but out of fear of God’s power. Balak, the king, seeks supernatural help from a questionable prophet: Balaam.
Lesson:
Fear leads people to irrational decisions, especially when they do not understand God’s work.
2. Balaam’s Inner Conflict
Balaam had once been a true prophet, but greed had corrupted him. He knows God’s will — yet says: “I will ask again.”
Lesson:
When we know what is right but still keep “asking further,” we are often already walking toward self-deception.
3. The Wrong Path — and God’s Resistance
Balaam sets out despite God’s clear prohibition. God blocks his path through an angel, whom only the donkey sees. The prophet, spiritually blind, strikes the animal until God opens his eyes.
Lesson:
Sometimes animals recognize God’s intervention sooner than humans do.
Spiritual blindness makes us ignore — or even fight — God’s warnings.
4. From Curse to Blessing
Three times Balaam attempts to curse Israel — but God forces him to bless. His famous words declare Israel’s beauty and God’s favor.
Lesson:
No one can curse what God has blessed.
Even a resistant man can be used as God’s instrument — though to his own harm.
5. The Final Temptation and the Deep Fall
Despite divine interventions, Balaam’s heart remains unchanged. He seeks another way to please Balak — advising him to lead Israel into sin (Baal-Peor).
As a result, 24,000 die, and Balaam himself perishes.
Lesson:
The path of sin begins with small compromises — but it ends in judgment.
6. The Parallels to Judas
Like Judas, Balaam was spiritually privileged but poisoned by greed. Both betrayed God’s people for money — and both met destruction.
Lesson:
Great knowledge does not protect from falling.
Only daily humility, genuine surrender, and watchfulness can.
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Summary
Balaam is a tragic figure: a prophet who knew God’s voice yet followed his own heart. Despite clear divine guidance, he tried to bypass God’s will — using religious language to mask his own agenda.
He was spiritually blind, driven by greed and vanity. His life ends in judgment — not because God failed to warn him, but because he ignored the warnings.
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Message for Us Today
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Spiritual gifts do not replace character.
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God’s will is not negotiable.
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A single cherished sin can destroy a life.
The path of obedience may be uncomfortable, but it is safe.
The path of compromise may shine — but it ends in ruin.
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Reflection Questions
Where are you trying to adjust God’s will to your own desires? Is there a “donkey” in your life trying to stop you — but you are beating it? Is your spiritual vision clear — or do you need God to open your eyes again?
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