And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.” Judges 6:10
Fear Not because of God’s Patience
The Israelites living in the times of the Judges fell into a pattern. They would forget God. God would send trouble to goad them back to Him. They would respond in faith. God would send a deliverer. The people would worship God. But then they would forget… and the cycle would start again.
God sent a prophet to the Israelites at the point where God had sent trouble… this time in the form of the fierce Amorites. They were the toughest folk in the region. And the people were instantly afraid.
And God tells them not to fear. He reminds them of HIM. The Lord, mighty. The Lord, fiercer than Amorites. The Lord, almighty!
But God also reminds them of why the Amorites were so active. He reminds the Israelites that this is THEIR fault.
And then God continues His redemptive cycle.
God, you see, is patient. While I would probably let Israel get away with this cycle three times… or MAYBE four. God is patient. I imagine Jesus was remembering God’s cycle of forgiveness when the disciples asked how many times they had to forgive…
The cycle ended with Jesus. The ultimate forgiveness. The ultimate powerful WOW act. It ended with Grace and Mercy.
“Fear Not” doesn’t mean ignore the trouble. “Fear Not” doesn’t mean keep on with the same “not obeying God’s voice” that gets us INTO the trouble we face. “Fear Not” doesn’t mean the Amorites will quickly go back home.
“Fear Not” means understand what God is doing. Learn. Change. But know that God is patient. Know that nothing, no one, no thing is bigger than HIM. And He loves you.
And so, even in the midst of the cycle, God tells Israel to Fear Not.
And He tells us that, too. That’s why this story is in His Bible. Remember God’s patience. And fear not.