An Interesting OT Verse

I ran across an interesting verse today:

So the Lord said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."

And the children of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray." So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel. (emphasis mine)

Judges 10:11-15

What an incredible glimpse into God's heart! One thing I've learned over the past few years is this: if you're not paying attention, you could miss an opportunity to learn something about God. It's like those Highlights pictures. At just a glance, it looks like just a picture. But if you spend time looking, you can find hidden stuff. I think God likes showing us hidden stuff in His Word. It develops your relationship with Him.

Anyway, when I look at this verse, I think God as having the heart of a father. He was punishing them for their disobedience, to be sure, but His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel. So He did something about it.

Here's a verse that came to mind as I thought about this thing:

But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Isaiah 49:14-16