Tag Archive | judges

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 96 & 97

Apr7
Day 96 and 97.  Reading Judges 19 – 21 and Ruth 1 – 4
 

Read today’s scripture.

How are you encouraged in the book of Judges?

How is God shown as faithful in the book of Ruth?

DAY 96.

Judges 19.

Wow, today, we finish Judges.  I’m glad we do. This section is really horrible.  It shows so clearly what happens when people turn from God and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

This is a story about a despicable Levite (not the same one who traveled north with the Danites).  This one lived in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a concubine (servant with benefits) from the tribe of Judah. She was unfaithful to him and ran home. The Levite went there to get her and was kind to her, but the woman’s father kept him staying day after day and night after night eating and drinking. Finally the Levite got tired of that and left with the woman.

In another town in the land of Benjamin, they were forced to spend the night in the town square until a nice old man said it wasn’t safe and invited them to stay with him.  So they were eating and drinking and making merry.

And then….  (Replay Sodom at Lot’s house.)  Men from the city came seeking the Levite. These aberrant men lusted after him. The old man went out to calm them down and offered his two daughter for them to “use.”  But their lust was not satisfied and demanded the man.  Then the Levite threw  out his concubine forcibly. The men abused her all night until she died.

Next morning, the Levite saw her lying at his doorstep. “C’mon let’s go.” But she didn’t move. He three her body on his donkey and took her home.  THERE, HE TOOK A KNIFE LAND CUT HER UP INTO PIECES!!!!!  THEN HE SENT ONE OF EACH OF THE TWELVE PIECES THROUGHOUT ISRAEL TO THE TRIBES.”

Judges 20.

Well, all the men of Israel came out – from Dan to Beersheba (far north to far south) – over 400K men.

“This is what happened when I stayed in a town in Benjamin.” the Levite said.

After a lot of palaver, talking, and deciding, including inquiring the High Priest about what to do, Israel gathered together and fought against Benjamin, destroying over 25K of the men of valor. Then they struck the cities, and men and beasts with the edge of their swords. And finally set all the towns on fire.

Judges 21.

Then when the remaining Benjamite people wept, saying, “O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”

“What shall we do?”  Their great idea was to go up to an area that had not sent men to fight, kill all the men and wives, and bring back the virgins to the remaining men of Benjamin.  They did, and brought back 400 virgins.  Peace was proclaimed and the women were given to the tribe of Benjamin.  And, oh my, there was still not enough. So the army went and captured 200 more virgins from Shiloh and gave them to fill the quota.

The people of Benjamin took the wives, returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them.  And the army of tribes went back home and did likewise.

There was no king.

Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

(NO ONE thought to inquire of the LORD, turn to Him, seek His face…. or even read His Law.)

I am so glad this is the last of the book of Judges.

Tomorrow we’ll begin a book of HOPE after DISPAIR … a godly woman meets a godly man, and the royal line is established. Praise God!

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DAY 97.

Ruth 1.

“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.”  The text doesn’t say exactly, but figuring backward, the story could have happened during the judgeship of Tola (23 years) and Jair (22 years) from Judges 10: 1-5. 

A (local?) famine was in the land, and a man, Elimelech (my God is king). his wife, Naomi (pleasant), and their two grown sons, Mahlon (sick) and Chillion (pining) from the tribe of Judah (important) living in Bethlehem decided to migrate to Moab until the famine was over.  Sadly, Elimelech died there.  Naomi’s sons married Moabite women, Orpah (stubborn) and Ruth (friendship), but it doesn’t seem any children were born from these unions.  Finally, the two sons also died.

Three widows. In a pagan land.

It’s been ten years. Naomi decides to go home.  She sends her daughters-in-law back to their homes in hopes they can remarry and have good lives. Orpah hugs her and leaves. But Ruth refuses, even when Naomi insists and tells her the bleak story of what their lives would be like in Israel as widows.

Nope. Ruth remains firm. “Do not urge me to leave you, or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.  Where you die, I will die and there be buried.  May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

WOW. How many young women love their mothers-in-law like that today?

Naomi gives in and the two make their way back to Bethlehem. Naomi tells the women of the town to call her “Mara” (bitter) “for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full and the LORD has brought me back empty.”

It was near the end of April, the time of barley harvest (the famine had ended!).

Ruth 2.

A close relative of Naomi’s husband (important), whose name was Boaz (strength) was someone she could “maybe” go to for help. He was “a man of valor” (like Gideon and Jephthah) and could manage and protect his property. He’d never married, or maybe was a widower too.

Naomi sent Ruth to his barley fields to “glean.” God’s law said that farmers were to leave the corners of their fields, and any grain that dropped, for the poor to pick up. (See Leviticus 19:10-11, 23:22)  Ruth labored long and well in Boaz’s field.  Later he happened to pass by and saw her. He asked his men who she was and learned her story, 

Boaz went to Ruth and told her to stay and work in his fields only. His men would not interfere, and if she got thirsty, she was to go to the water the young men had drawn and drink. 

Ruth bowed deeply and asked why he was so kind. He told her he’d heard about her faithfulness to Naomi. “The LORD repay you and may a full reward be given you by the LORD under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

At the noon break, he invited her to eat bread, roasted grain, and wine with the reapers. When she returned to work, Boaz told his workers, “Let her work among the sheaves too, and do not reproach her. Also, pull out some stalks from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up.”

After gleaning all day (back-breaking work) she went to the threshing floor and beat out the grain. This she took to Naomi (about 30-40 pounds!).  Naomi was astounded at the amount and told her to stay in his field. So Ruth worked there until the end of the barley harvest.

Meanwhile, Naomi’s heart lifted. Boaz was a near redeemer in her family. That meant he could rescue them. He could marry Ruth, and their firstborn would be accounted to Abimelech’s line, like a grandchild to Naomi, so her husband’s name wouldn’t be lost in Israel. After that, the children would be for Boaz.

Ruth 3.

Naomi tells Ruth about Boaz as their redeemer and explains what she should do to let him know that she is available and willing for him to redeem. 

He was willing and gave her a pledge of 6 measures of barley.  He explained that there was one glitch (a closer redeemer) that he had to take care of first. She should be patient.

Ruth 4.

Boaz went to the gate of the city – where business was transacted – and approached the man who was a closer redeemer. He told the man about Ruth and Naomi and asked if HE wanted to be the redeemer.

At first, the man was willing, but when he learned there was no offspring from Elimelech, and he would need to provide one, he turned down the offer.  He had children of his own, and didn’t want to split up their inheritance for the dead man’s offspring.

Boaz was formal, but inside he was rejoicing. Ruth could be his. And sure enough, soon they were married.  And the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Naomi was once again blessed by the LORD, and when she held the baby boy, her own grandson, she rejoiced.

They named him Obed.  He was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, who would become KING in Israel (and ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus).

  • Wow, what a wonderful ending, after those horrid accounts in the book of Judges.  During all that sin and forsaking of the law, God had His eye on one family, descended from Judah through Perez, Salmon (with Rahab), Boaz, and on to David, a “man after God’s own heart” and eventually to the “Son of David,” to the Savior, His only begotten Son, Jesus. PRAISE HIM!

Yay! We’ve now finished the  8th and 9th books of the Bible, in our Chronological Reading!

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 95

Apr5
Day 95.  Reading Judges 16 – 17 
 

Read today’s scripture.

Is there anything that encourages you from the book of Judges?

Judges 16.

Oh, Samson. Your lustful eyes and arrogant pride will be your downfall. (Literally.)

Samson goes down to Gaza, the southernmost Philistine city, and there he sees and uses a prostitute. When the people learn their arch-enemy is in town, they surround the house, thinking they will kill him at dawn. But Samson wakes at midnight, goes to the gates of the town (which are closed/locked for the night), pulls up the posts, and carries them and the gates to the top of a nearby hill.  So much for locking him in!

Then, in another place, Samson sees and falls for Delilah. Instead of trying to “take” Samson at dawn, as the people of Gaza, these Philistines offered to pay Delilah $35K to discover the “trick” to his strength.

She woos him, plays on his pride, and using her feminine wiles, has him “confess” three times the key to his strength. She calls the men, but Samson breaks the bindings like wax. She is peeved (seeing that cash melt away) and eventually tricks Samson into telling the true source of his strength – his Nazarite Vow, which forbids him cutting his hair.

Samson sleeps, Delilah calls a barber then the Philistines. Yep, he’s as weak as a babe.  The last thing Samson sees before losing his eyes is Delilah counting her money.  Betrayed!!!  Such glee among the Philistines! They make him “perform” and then put him to work like an ox, grinding grain at the mill in prison.

(Was Jesus thinking of Samson when He said, “If your eye offends you, gouge it out.”? (See Matthew 5:27-29)

But Samson’s hair begins to grow.  And perhaps repentance and submission to God too.

Years later at a great feast for their god, Dagon, who has the head of a man and the body of a fish, the great crowd gets bored and calls for some entertainment. Samson.  The blind man, with a head of hair to his shoulders (DIDN’T THEY SEE THAT???) is brought in to perform and be mocked.  They laugh and cheer and guzzle their wine.

“Young man,” Samson whispers, “let me feel the pillars with my hands so I may rest.“

The boy places Samson’s hands on the two center columns.

He pretends to sag with exhaustion.

“O LORD God,” he prays silently, “please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my eyes.”

God hears him. 

Samson grasps the pillars with his hands and leans forward.

“Let me die with the Philistines!” He prays.

And he pulled with all this strength … and the house fell down.

“The dead whom Samson killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.“

His brothers buried him in the tomb of his father, Manoah. He was a national hero who died for his God and country. 

DID YOU KNOW? Samson is on the list of the heroes of the Faith in Hebrews 11:32, along with Gideon, Barak, and Jephthah.

Judges 17.

This story is evidence that the people of Israel had NOT been reading the Law of God annually.  They had no idea about His commands, statutes, rules, and laws.

Micah, a man from the tribe of Ephraim was a thief to begin with.  He stole 1,100 pieces of silver from his mother but returned it. She was so happy that she dedicated some of it to make a silver image. An idol!! She put it in her son’s house along with the ephod he made and a bunch of other household idols. This inspired Micah to ordain his son as a priest. (MAN!!! How far can they go from the LAW OF THE LORD??)

“There was no king in Israel in those days. (So) Everyone did what was right in his OWN EYES.

Then a true Levite living in Judah’s land journeyed to the land of Ephraim. When Micah saw him, he thought, “Wow, here is a real priest!!” He invited the man to stay with him. The smug Micah then thought to himself, “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me because I have a Levite as a priest.” SERIOUSLY??

Judges 18.

Dan, the tribe from which Samson came, “was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then, no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them?”

(WHAT??  What about that small area on the coast including Joppa? Judges 1:34 tells us that they were indeed given that land, but THEY HAD FAILED TO SECURE IT and let the Amorites press them up into the hill country.)

Anyway, now this very small tribe was looking for some land they could easily take. Spies left Zorah (Samson’s town) and came to Micah’s house. They asked the wayward Levite priest living there for God’s direction. “Oh, all is cool,” said the Levite. “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD.”

So the five spies went waaaayyyyyyy north into the land of the Sidonians (not the land that God had given to Israel).  The people there were isolated and quiet. Cool. No problem.  They returned to their fellow Danites and said, “Let’s go up against this people, for we’ve seen the land and it is very good. Don’t be slow to go and possess the land.  The people are unsuspecting. The land is spacious. We will lack nothing there.” 

So 600 Danites, armed with weapons of war went up and arrived at the house of Micah. The 600 men went into his house and took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved silver image.

“What are you doing?” asked the Levite.

“Keep quiet. Come with us. You can be a priest of a whole tribe in Israel, and not just one man. “

“Cool!” said the priest. He took the artifacts and went with the Danite troops.

Micah, of course, was not happy.  “Why are you taking my priest and my gods?“

The Danites told him to be quiet or else he’d “lose his life.”

The Danites then went up to the people of Laish, a quiet and unsuspecting people, and struck them with the sword and burned their city.  There was no deliverer for them since Sidon was so far away. 

The Danites rebuilt the city and named it Dan. They set up the carved image and had the priests as their own. And so they remained until the day of the captivity of the land. 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 94

Apr4
Day 94.  Reading Judges 13 – 15
 

Read today’s scripture.

What encourages you from the book of Judges?

Judges 13.

Samson, the Old Testament Super Hero?  Not, when you get to know him!

The story begins as it has in the last chapters:

  • The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
  • So the LORD gave them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years.

This time we don’t read about the people crying out to God for help, but you can be sure they did.  The help would come from the tribe of Dan this time.  Remember, their land allotment was a small area at the Mediterranean Sea around Joppa. This was just north of the five main cities of Philistia (Ashdod, Gath, Ashkelan, Ekron, and Gaza). 

The town of Zorah, where Samson’s parents lived, was just east of Ekron and north of Gath. (kind of scary!)

As in so many of the Bible stories where God chooses special people for specific tasks, we see a man with a barren wife. One day the Angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah and told him that his wife was going to have a son. He was to be a Nazarite FROM BEFORE BIRTH. That meant that not only would the son NOT have his hair cut, and would not eat anything unclean or connected with grapes (juice, wine, raisins or skins), and never touch anything dead, but his MOTHER would also not eat anything from the vine or unclean.

The Angel of the LORD also told him that this son would “begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”  The couple believed, and asked God for more instructions on what they were to do with the child born to them. And the angel returned to instruct them.

Manoah asked the Angel for his name and the answer was amazing! “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”  This immediately reminded me of Isaiah 9:6, speaking about the Messiah to come.

  • “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

It was surely the pre-incarnate Jesus, talking to this Danite man.

And… in due time, Manoah’s wife conceived and bore a son. They called him Samson. “And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him.”

Sounds good, so far……

Judges 14.

Samson went to Timnah, a boarder town of Judah, saw a Philistine girl there and told his parents to get her for his wife. His parents were of course upset, thinking their nice Jewish boy should marry a nice Jewish girl.  But they forgot that God was going to use Samson to “begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”  Samson was “seeking an opportunity against the Philistines” and this was from the LORD.

As the three journeyed down to Timnah, a lion rushed out at them. YIKES!  Samson grabbed the cat with his bare hands and tore it to pieces (in the power of the Spirit).  WHAT???  Then they calmly went the rest of the way and talked to the woman. (I assume they made the deal for the bride price.)

A few days later, Samson went back to claim his wife and saw the carcass of the lion he killed. THERE WAS A SWARM OF BEES INSIDE … AND SOME HONEY.  Samson scraped out some of the honey and ate it! (Now did he touch a dead body?)  When he saw his parents later he gave them some and they ate too. 

Now, why is this in the story – other than to show Samson broke the Nazarite Vow?  Because our clever “judge” made up a riddle for the wedding party guests to guess.  The winning prize would be 30 changes of garments, awarded to the guests if they guessed the answer, or kept by Samson, if they didn’t.

Here it is:

  • Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.

Of course WE know what it was, but no one else could guess.  CHEATERS!!  Yep, the young men went to Samson’s fiancé and threated her to find the answer. She did and told them.  They smugly gave him the answer,

Samson was furious.  “If you had not ‘plowed with my heifer’ you would not have found out my riddle!”

The Spirit of the LORD rushed on him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed the young men in hot anger.  He returned to his parent’s home, and his new bride was given to his best man.   Oh, boy!!!

Judges 15.

After he cooled off, Samson went down to claim his wife, only to discover she had been given to the other man.  The dad offered her younger sister, but Samson was angered again.

He caught 300 foxes (how did he do THAT?), tied there tails together with torches and lit the torches.  The foxes ran wildly though the grain fields and burned up all the crops and the fig trees.

This enraged the Philistines, so they came and burned Samson’s “wife” and her father with fire.

Samson struck them all with great blows, braking their hips and thighs. Then he went to sulk.

The Philistines got up an army and raided Judah.  When asked why, they said, they wanted Samson.  So 3,000 men of Judah went to Samson and made a deal.  They bound him and gave them over to the Philistines. 

The Philistines shouted in victory when they saw the bound Samson coming.  But……………………

The Spirit of the LORD rushed on him and the ropes binding him melted away.  He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey (another dead body), grabbed it, and with it killed 1,000 Philistines!  And he sang a song about it.  Then he threw away the jawbone.

Samson was then very thirsty and called out to God, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

And God split open the hollow place and water came out from it, and Samson drank it.  WHOA!

And Samson judged Israel twenty years.

..

(But wait! that’s not the end of his story. Stay tuned to tomorrow when Samson meets Delilah.) 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 93

Apr3
Day 93.  Reading Judges 10 – 12 
 

Read today’s scripture.

What encourages you from the book of Judges?

Before I go on to today’s reading, I want to share this children’s church song.  I hadn’t ever remembered reading about that 1-verse judge, Shamgar (Judges 3:31) who fought the Philistines for Israel. (We studied him three days ago.)

And then I came across this song while looking for something else.  I wonder how many kids singing this, KNOW about this Canaanite Judge for Israel!! I just had to add it here!

 

Amazing, huh?

Judges 10.

Six more mostly short-term judges follow Gideon’s family and fill in before Samson.  After God fulfilled the curse Jotham made on Abimelech and the people of Shechem, the judge Tola arose to save Israel.  He was a man of Issachar but he lived in Ephraim.  He judged Israel for twenty-three years.

After him, Jair from Gilead (East Manasseh) judged Israel for twenty-two years. (He was known for his thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and ruled thirty cities.

Then … the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served Baals and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They forsook the LORD and did not serve Him, so His anger was kindled against them.  And … God gave them over to the Philistines and Ammonites who “crushed and oppressed them for eighteen years.”

The Ammonites crossed the Jordan River to fight against Judah and Benjamin and Ephraim. And Israel (surprise, surprise) called out to the LORD.  “We have sinned against you because we have forsaken our God and served Baals.”

But God was tired of rescuing them. He said, “I will save you no more.  Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”

That was a serious blow, and Israel got serious. “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to You. Only please deliver us this day.” (And they put away the foreign gods from among them.)

Judges 11.

And once again God raised up a judge for His people (Oh, the depths of His mercy and grace!)  Jephthah was a Gileadite (East Manasseh) and a mighty warrior.  After a time the Ammonites made war with Israel and they fetched Jephthah (after some bargaining) to help. 

Jephthah sent a long message to the kings of Moab and the Amorites, explaining how it came about that Israel took their land in the time of Moses … 300 years earlier!  But they would NOT LISTEN to reason.  So Jephthah decided to go to war.  He made a VOW that when he returned victorious, the first thing that came out of his house would be a sacrifice to the LORD.

Yikes!

Well, the LORD caused him victory in his battles and he defeated twenty cities of the Ammonites with a great blow.  He came home, and out walked – not a chicken, a cow, or a sheep – but his one and only offspring, his daughter.  GULP!!!

Now, Jephthah “could have gotten out of that foolish vow had he known the law of the LORD, which gives account for such thing.  He could have admitted sin and made a sacrifice for it, and saved his only child.”  But alas, he did NOT KNOW the law and after giving his daughter two months of solitary introspection out in the country to mourn her virginity…………… he sacrificed her. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Jephthah judged Israel for six years.

Judges 12.

Next there was a bit of intra-tribal fighting.  Soldiers of Ephraim were again miffed that Jephthah hadn’t called them to fight the Ammonites with him. They vowed to burn him and his house with fire.  What??? He tried to explain, but they got into a tussle fighting each other and 42K Ephraimites ended up being killed!!! 

(I guess none of the other tribes ever called them for help because they were such poor fighters!)

After that came Ibzan of Bethlehem. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He judged Israel seven years.

Then, Elon from Zebulun. He had judged Israel ten years. 

Next up was Abdon the son of Hillel from Ephraim.  He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 

Yes, I know. I’m tired keeping track of all the one-term judges.  Tomorrow we’ll start the study of Samson, the worst judge yet, albeit, the most well-known.

  • O LORD, help me to learn more about You, and hide more of Your Word in my heart, so I don’t sin against You.

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 89 & 90

Mar31
Day 89 – 90.  Reading Judges 1-2 and 3-5. 
 

Read today’s scripture.

What do you find encouraging or challenging today?

Judges 1.

It seems that after Joshua died, the people of Israel tried to finish the conquest of the Land.  The LORD had Judah lead the charge, along with Simeon, who was positioned inside Judah.  They were successful with God’s help in several campaigns.

Interestingly, the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law also fought with Judah, south into the Negev. Judah and Simeon went west and captured three Philistine cities, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron. 

  • They cleared out and settled in the hill country, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because those people had chariots of Iron.
  • Benjamin could not drive out the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 
  • The house of Joseph (dual tribes) captured  Bethel with the help of a man of the city. They protected him and his family for the help – much like Israel had with Rahab and her family.  But Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants in some of their cities, putting them instead to forced labor. And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer.
  • Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of several areas but put them into forced labor.
  • Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, and other cities.
  • Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants in their area.
  • The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country and did not let them come down to the plain.

Joshua 2.

The Angel of the LORD came to the people at Gilgal.  “I brought you up from Egypt and into this land, I swore to give to your fathers. I told you I would never break my covenant with you, and YOU SHALL MAKE NO COVENANT with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, you shall break down their altars!”

“BUT, you have not obeyed my voice.  What is this you have done?  So, now I will not drive them out before you. They shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to trap you.“

And all the people wept.

  • And the people of Israel did what was EVIL in the sight of the LORD and served Baals.
  • They abandoned the LORD the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt.
  • They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them.
  • And they provoked the LORD to anger.
  • They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.

So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel and he gave them over to plunderers. And He sold them into the hands of their enemies, so they could no longer withstand them. And whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them.

And they were in terrible distress.

And then …. like a pitying Father … the LORD raised up judges (military leaders) who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

Yet they DID NOT LISTEN to their judges, for the whored after other gods and bowed down to them. 

Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD saved them from the hand of their enemies.  He was moved to pity for their groaning.

But when the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than before, going after other gods, serving them, and bowing down to them.

(The book of Judges follows those SEVEN CYCLES OF SIN, each worse than the one before.

  • LORD, help me to be more mindful of the important instructions you have given me (for YOUR glory and MY good). Let me not get so involved with “MY” desires and plans that I forget what You have told me to do FIRST. Clean out the enemy! After all, You have promised to help me do it.

.

Judges 3.

Here’s what the LORD did to test His people.  After those who fought and conquered Canaan under Joshua’s leadership died, the next generation seemed content to simply settle down in comfort. (Not a good plan!)

God wanted to teach “war” to those who had not known it before, so He left some of the pagan nations undefeated inside the Promised Land. Would young Israel obey the commandments of the LORD and drive them out?

Here are the nations: five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites and Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon.  (It looks like they didn’t make war on those.)  Instead the people LIVED AMONG the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 

They not only did NOT make war against them, they settled among them, intermarried, and served their gods.

Disgusting!

  • But wait….  Doesn’t the LORD also tell believers to cast off our old sin nature and cast down every evil thought against Him, and resist the devil? Hasn’t He given believers a suit of Armor to protect us, and the mighty Sword of the Spirit with which to stand and defeat the devil? Hasn’t He given us His Spirit to strengthen us?  So why don’t we make use of it all?  

1) “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served Baals and the Asheroth.” 

  • This angered God and He “sold them into the hand of the king of Mesopotamia for EIGHT YEARS.
  • They cried out to Him.  
  • The LORD raised up a deliverer who saved them – Othniel, Caleb’s younger brother from Judah. The spirit of the LORD was on him and he went to war and defeated that king.
  • So the land had rest for 40 years.
  • Then Othniel died.

2) The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 

  • He strengthened King Eglon, the king of the Moabites, plus the Ammonites and Amalekites. They defeated Israel and took the area around Jericho, and served him EIGHTEEN YEARS.
  • They cried out to the LORD.
  • The LORD raised up a deliverer – Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite.  When Israel sent “tribute” to King Eglon, Ehud went too, and stealthily killed the king with an 18″ double-edged sword. (A kind of funny story – read verses 16-26a.) 
  • Then Ehud ehud and the Israelites killed 10L Moabites, so they were subdued.
  • So the land had rest for 80 years.
  • And Ehud died.

3) The next judge was a converted Canaanite, Shamgar, who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad and saved Israel.

Judges 4.

4) Again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

  • God sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan who reigned at Hazor.  The commander of the army was the cruel Sisera. And he had 900 iron chariots. He oppressed the people for TWENTY YEARS.
  • The the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help.
  • And the LORD raised up Deborah, a prophetess who judged Israel. She sent Commander Barak with 10K men from Naphtali and Zebulun, for the LORD had promised to give Sisera into his hand. He went and he LORD routed them all before Barak, pressing until they had killed the Canaanite king as well. 
  • Barak obeyed, knowing a woman would get credit for the battle’s win.  Not Deborah, but the wife Heber the Kenite, who fed the escaped Sisera some warm kefir and then pounded a tent stake through his skull while he slept.  YIKES!!
  • And the land had rest for 40 years.

Judges 5.

And they sang a song that Deborah wrote, all about the victory on that day, ending with, “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 95

Apr4
    Day 95 —  We have been reading the Bible daily for a quarter of the year and have begun a new month. Praise God! What have you learned about God? About yourself?

   Day 95 – Judges 16 – 18 (Samson, Delilah, His sacrifice, Levite, & Dan)

These chapters show the spiraling down of Israel’s morality caused by their lack of knowledge of God and His ways.

In Chapter 16, Samson lusts after two Philistine prostitutes, used for the most part to try to capture Samson, who has been plaguing their nation. It’s not until Delilah beguiles him four times that he gives up the source of his strength.  (Did this mean he did not actually “look” strong?) When Samson finally tells the truth that his strength is in his never-cut hair as part of the Nazirite status, God gives him over to the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes, mock him with women’s work, torment and imprison him.

But in prison, Samson’s hair began to grow. On a festive occasion, the Philistines were honoring and sacrificing to their god, Dagon, claiming that “it” gave Samson into their hands. They brought Samson out as entertainment. Perhaps they mocked him, tormented him, or just looked at his pitiable form and felt very brave.  Samson, who had been humbled, was about to be “lifted up” by God. It would mean his life.

He asked a young boy to lead him to the center columns of the temple, where Philistines were involved in pagan worship below and in the gallery above.  Then Samson “looked” up to God instead of himself and asked just once more to have strength.  For vengeance, yes, but also to do what God had called him to – defeat the Philistines. God answered. Samson pushed on the massive columns, and the entire temple fell, killing thousands of Philistine worshipers… and Samson.

In his lustful, self-centered ways, Samson squandered God’s calling and gifts. In a night, he lost his hair, his strength, his eyes, and the presence of the Spirit of God.

I wonder how I am using God’s giftedness to me. Is it for my own pleasure, to glorify myself, cause others to look at and praise me, instead of God? Am I taking my calling (intelligence, ability to teach and write) for granted?  How can I jump to the “end” of Samson’s example and be willing to give my life in God’s service if HE, and not me, will be magnified?

Chapters 17 and 18 tell a sad story of Israel’s further decline into sin. 17:6b  says, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  First, there is Micah, from the tribe of Ephraim, who stole silver from his mother. When he confessed, she forgave him and took some of the returned silver to make a carved metal image to worship (as the LORD). Micah added an ephod and other household gods and “ordained” his son to be a priest. When a discontented, traveling Levite from Judah passed by, Micah bribed, then “ordained” him as a “real” priest in his house.

Then, five able men from the tribe of Dan came by Micah’s house. (They were not content in the land God had assigned to their tribe and were “spying out” a better place. This faux priest told them their mission would be successful, and off they went.) Sure enough, way up north near Sidon (Lebanon), they found a very nice city and its surroundings.  After reporting it to their tribe, an army was sent, and they conquered it, naming the new place, Dan. (This was not an area originally designated by God for them to conquer.)

Grateful to Micah’s “priest,” for the favorable words, they returned, bribed him, threatened Micah, and took the “priest” as their own to Dan. Later, they ordained a line of priests from their own tribe, who served until the day of captivity.

Hint: things get worse!

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 90

Mar30

    Day 90 —  Now that we’ve passed Day 66, we have established a “habit.” So, CELEBRATE our habit of daily Bible reading! We are in the third month so far! Praise God!  We are studying the eighth book in our Bible reading!

   Day 90 – Judges 3 – 5 (Nations to test Israel, Four judges)

In Chapter 3, God uses pagan nations to “test” Israel. He wants the generations who had NOT fought to know war and be able to fight. He left five towns of Philistia and six areas of Canaanites. But the people did what was evil, intermarried with them, and began to serve their gods.

So, God “sold” them into the hands of the king of Mesopotamia. After eight years, Israel cried out in the oppression, and God sent the first “judge” to deliver them. Othniel of Judah, Caleb’s younger brother, led the people to war and prevailed against this king. God gave them 40 years of rest.

After Othniel died, the people again did evil in God’s sight, so he sent Eglon, the king of Moab, to defeat Israel. After eighteen years, Israel again cried out to God, and He sent the left-handed Benjaminite, Ehud, to deliver them. Verses16-26 tells a fun but gory account of how he did that! Then Moab was subdued for 80 years, and Israel rested.

Shamgar prevailed against the Philistines and saved Israel for a while.

In Chapter 4, Ehud dies, and again, Israel is ruled, this time by Jabin, a Canaanite king. At this time, Deborah, a prophetess, judged Israel.  She called Barak to come rescue Israel, but the cowardly (?) man refused to go unless she came along.  She does, but the war is determined won, when another woman, Jael, kills the enemy’s commanding officer, Sisera. With this win, Israel found the courage to fight with Canaanite King Jabin until he died.

The entirety of Chapter 5 is Deborah and Barak’s song of victory.  It accounts for the war and the victory, and praises God. It even honors Jael, the woman who “saved the day.”   And Israel rested for 40 years.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 89

Mar29

    Day 89 —  Now that we’ve passed Day 66, we have established a “habit.” So, CELEBRATE our habit of daily Bible reading! We are in the third month so far! Praise God!  TODAY, we begin the eighth book in our Bible reading!

   Day 89 – Judges 1 – 2 (Mopping up, but failing. idol worship and judgment, pleas and rescue)

Chapter 1 begins where Joshua left off, although it is written by a different author. The large tribe of Judah wants to obey God and drive out all the Canaanites in their land. They enlist the tribe of Simeon—living in the middle of Judah territory—and go to war. God gives them victory, even in Jerusalem (but they soon lose that city again). Then, the Judahites help Simeon fight the Canaanites still in their section of land.

All the other tribes fight the pagans in their areas, but every time (except for Issachar), they put the enemy to “forced labor” but are unable to drive them out ultimately.

Because of this, in Chapter 2, God tells them He will not continue to drive out their enemies. Instead, the people they allowed to remain will become “thorns in your sides,” and they will go further beyond toleration to actually serve them.” These useless gods will become “snares” to them.

There is a brief review of the end of Joshua’s life. and the sad proclamation that a new generation rose up “who did not know the LORD or the work He had done for Israel.”  This shows that fathers in the families disobeyed God at the very core of their lives, for they were instructed to teach their children the law of their God, speaking about it when they rose up, went out, ate, and slept. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

But Israel went farther, beyond toleration, to actually serving those idols. They abandoned the LORD their God and went after other gods. And the LORD was angry and let them be plundered by surrounding enemies to the point that they could no longer stand.

Then, out of mercy, God raised up “military leaders” (judges) who temporarily saved them out of the hands of the plunderers.  Safe again, Israel went right back to their old sinful ways. God let their enemies afflict them until they cried out to him again.

The book of Judges records SEVEN such cycles of sin.