Bochim Is Not Enough
Scripture is full of unusual names that God or His people used to mark significant moments—reminders of lessons that should never be forgotten. Names like Ichabod (1 Sam. 4:21–22, “The glory has departed”), Ebenezer (1 Sam. 7:12, “Stone of help”), Marah (Ex. 15:23, “Bitter”), Lo-Ammi (Hos. 1:9, “Not My people”), and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa. 8:3, “Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey”) each carry a story and a lesson.
One name I read this week was “Bochim” in Judges 2:5. The word means “weepers.” God’s people gave this name to themselves after hearing this hard message from “the Angel of Yahweh” (the preincarnate Christ): “I will not drive them out before you, but they will become thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
When they heard this, the people “lifted up their voices and wept. So they named that place Bochim, and there they sacrificed to Yahweh” (vv. 4–5).
This encounter exposed a sobering truth: obedience to God’s commands is not optional. God had “sworn” to give His people the land of Canaan, promising, “I will never break My covenant with you.” But He also commanded, “You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.” The divine verdict was clear: “But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done?” (vv. 1–2).
Israel’s response appeared to be genuine grief. They wept over their sin, named the place Bochim, and offered sacrifices. Yet they would still live with the consequences: “Their gods will be a snare to you” (v. 3). There is no reason to assume their tears were fake or merely the “sorry-we-got-caught” variety. But tears alone did not motivate a godly transformation.
Two Lessons from Bochim
Bochim is not enough: Tears are good, and sorrow for sin is necessary, but if sorrow does not lead to repentance, it reveals nothing changed beyond the tear ducts. Israel soon returned to idolatry, which became their Achilles’ heel for generations. Paul points to this reality in 2 Corinthians 7:9–11, distinguishing between “worldly sorrow that produces death” and “godly sorrow that produces repentance.” Yes, cry over your sins, but let those tears lead you to forsake them (Prov. 28:13).
Snares are the sad fruit of disobedience: God warned Israel that failing to obey fully would leave snares behind (Ex. 23:33; Ex. 34:12; Deut. 7:16, 25; Deut. 12:30). That’s exactly what happened: they allowed remnants of idolatry to remain, and those “leftovers” became stumbling blocks. “They served their idols, which became a snare to them” (Ps. 106:36). The same is true for us: the sins we tolerate become the snares that entangle us. That’s why we must remember: “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Prov. 29:25).
We give thanks that our Lord and Savior is compassionate, keeping His covenant even when we sin and fall short of His glory.
Pastor Jeff
Foundational Faith Statement #3:
Q: How Does God Reveal Himself?
A: God reveals Himself as the only true and living God who exists in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:21–22; Jer. 10:10; 2 Cor. 13:14).