WATCH YOUR SIDES

Judges 2:1-5
The individual referred to as the "Man of God" moved from Gilgal to Bochim. Gilgal was the initial campsite for the people of Israel, and it is noted as the location where the reproach of Egypt was removed from the people of Israel. It is the place where prophets reside Samuel and Saul offered sacrifices to God and was the same place Samuel was made a Judge and Saul a king.  It can therefore be said to be a holy ground. Joshua made Gilgal his command centre – Gilgal appears 41 times in 39 books of the bible showing the significance of the area. The number 39 refers to the number of stripes Jesus was scourged with which can be linked to the sacrifice of Jesus to humankind. Joshua, Samuel and Saul offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord at Gilgal. Note that Gilgal was a dwelling place of prophets since it is about 7km away from Shiloh and Bethel.
The prophet left Gilgal a place where reproach was taken away, a place where sacrifices are made to God a place where Joshua made his first camp and same place God appeared to Joshua to tell him that the Egyptian reproach has been taken off them. Now the prophet moved from Gilgal to Bochim which signifies a place of weeping where God takes away his covering and are left to weep bitterly but at that same place God reproves you having realized your mistakes and sinful nature and turning away so you can be reproved to be on the right track. Bochim is likened to the Balsam tree or the Mulberry tree which is a tree that distills cold pungent smell connoting a place where you will be offensive, dismissed, repulsed and dispelled by people and most importantly God. Why would you want to get to a place where God abandons you and are left to be on your own and lose your identity and self-worth – a place of despondency. The man of God said the people you have associated yourself with and adapted their lifestyle, culture shall be a thorn in your sides and their god a snare to your life.
Thorn in your sides was what was pronounced on the people of Israel by the prophet having moved away from God. God used the word sides to describe his altar construction from the book of Exodus Chapter 25 to chapter 39 – that was when they were walking in the desert with God who protected them and sought that they build an altar to worship him. They have turned away from that following other gods reason God said they will be like thorn in their sides – initially it was God Almighty that was on their side. He also mentioned that their gods will be a snare to them – worldly trappings shall catch up with you in a web of trickery, deceit and wanton wasted life that has no meaning and purpose but filled with guilt and shame that emits pungent odors like the mulberry trees fruit

Our merciful God through the blood of Jesus cares for us and would not leave us alone on the slippery slope of sin, he sure will reach out just as the man of God moved from Gilgal to Bochim, God never leaves his own, just like Mary Magdalene who was rescued by Jesus when men could not stand the sight of she being close to the Messiah. God cares for you and is ready to transposition you from a place of weeping to a place of laughter, joy and worship.