As Long As… Ala!

One thing I have come to appreciate while reading the Bible is that introductions do matter. The first lines, paragraphs in every book matter.

Most of the time, we are so focused on chapters and verses that we forget those things were added much later. The original writers were not sitting there saying, “Now let me begin chapter two, verse sixteen.” No. These were flowing narratives, carefully structured to guide the reader into understanding what was happening.

I'm currently reviewing the book of Judges and the introduction is fascinating. Personally, I consider Judges chapter 1 up to around chapter 3 verse 6 to be the introduction section of the book. It sets the tone, explains the environment, and quietly warns you about the cycle you are about to witness over and over again. But there is one statement that stood out to me more than anything else. A statement so small you can easily skip over it: “As long as…” This is in line with the Good News version Bible.

The statement appears in both the Book of Joshua and the book of Judges almost word for word. In Joshua 24:31: “As long as Joshua lived, the people of Israel served the Lord…” Then again in Judges 2:7: “As long as Joshua lived, the people of Israel served the Lord…”

That repetition is not accidental. Whether you believe the same person wrote both books or copied one from the other or not, the writer clearly wants you to notice something and what he wants you to notice is uncomfortable - The faithfulness of Israel had conditions attached to it.

They served God… as long as. Let's underline that please. That phrase alone should make you pause. It made me pause because it means their loyalty depended on somebody’s presence.

The first thing that stands out is this: The Israelites seemed to serve God mainly when somebody important was watching.

• Joshua is alive? Everybody behaves.
• The elders are around? Everybody remains spiritual.

But once those people disappeared, things began falling apart faster than group discussions after the lecturer leaves the classroom. This still happens today. Some people are faithful:

- as long as the pastor is around,

- as long as the worship leader notices them,

- as long as the church environment is emotionally charged,

- as long as their mentor keeps checking on them.

Remove the supervision and suddenly even replying “Amen” becomes difficult. The problem is not attendance but foundation.

The second thing that stands out is who these leaders were. The text says they had “seen for themselves everything the Lord had done.” These were not people sharing recycled testimonies from YouTube clips and forwarded WhatsApp messages beginning with “I don’t know who needs to hear this…” These were witnesses who had seen things happen and experienced deliverance personally and because of that, they carried conviction.

But the next generation inherited stories/testimonials without inheriting experiences with God. That is dangerous because borrowed conviction has an expiry date. At some point, every believer has to answer this uncomfortable question: Do I know God for myself, or do I only know people who know God? That question can shake a person. Because many of us grew up around faith without actually developing faith.

• We inherited church culture.
• We inherited language.
• We inherited routines.

But personal conviction? That is a different matter entirely and the scary thing is this: you may not notice the weakness until your “Joshua” disappears.

Who is your Joshua?

The book of Judges quietly teaches something painful: A faith built entirely around human witnesses struggles to survive human absence and this is why leadership transitions expose people.

• One pastor leaves and half the congregation disappears.
• A mentor relocates and suddenly someone no longer prays.
• A parent dies and somebody’s spiritual life collapses completely.

Why?

Because their faith was deeply connected to a person rather than rooted in God Himself. That is why the phrase “as long as” is terrifying. It reveals temporary faithfulness, faithfulness with conditions, faithfulness tied to personalities and if your spiritual life only survives while somebody important is present, then your faith may still be standing on borrowed legs.

What makes this even funnier to me is the abbreviation. “As Long As” becomes A.L.A, which in Swahili “Ala!” is basically an exclamation of shock. Which honestly fits perfectly.

“They only served God while Joshua was alive? ALA?!”

That is how absurd it sounds until you realize we still do the same thing today. One realization that hit me hard while reading this was simple: If you serve men, you will only serve as long as those men are present.

• People retire.
• People relocate.
• People disappoint us.
• People die.

Think about it. Human-centered devotion always has an ending but if your service is directed toward God, then your foundation rests on One who does not expire, resign, relocate, or retire and maybe that is the hidden warning at the beginning of Judges. Before the cycles of rebellion even begin, the writer quietly tells us the real issue: Israel’s faith depended too heavily on visible human witnesses.

Once the witnesses disappeared, obedience disappeared too and perhaps that is a question all believers should ask themselves from time to time: If all the people who inspire my faith vanished today… would I still follow God tomorrow?

Previous reading: https://mapstage.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-three-paths-that-point-to-god-but.html