Week 70, Day 1: Too many men
Today’s Reading: Judges 7:1-25
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
This chapter is a great example of how God knows what to expect from man. Gideon has rallied men of the Abiezrites, Manasseh, Zebulun and Naphtali to him. At first he has about 32,000 men with him. But God tells him that this is too many. Too many! Can there be such a thing when you are about to go to war? From man’s standpoint, no. But God knew that if he delivered Midian into their hands that they might boast that it was because of their own strength. So 22,000 who were afraid were sent home. And still God said that 10,000 was too many. In the end God delivers victory to Gideon through the use of 300 men. So clearly it was God who delivered the hord of Midianites into their hands. No man could boast that it was anything but a victory given by the power of God.
Another thing that happens that shows God’s knowledge of what is in man is how God gives yet another reassurance to Gideon that the Midianites will be defeated before him. God tells Gideon if he is still afraid then he is to sneak down to the camp of Midian and listen. God has caused a man to have a certain dream and the other interprets the dream as showing that God will deliver the camp into Gideon’s hands. So here God helps give Gideon the strength he needed by provided yet another time to reassure him. Before we are too harsh on Gideon for not having confidence after seeing the many signs he had seen, think of all the times that we falter even though we know that many mighty works of God. Gideon is facing a camp of people who are described as being as numerous as a swarm of locust, and he has only 300 men. But God has given him plenty of reasons now not to doubt or be afraid.
Question: What does the name given to Gideon (Jerubbaal) mean? See verse 32 in chapter 6 if you don’t remember. Why do you think Gideon is called by this name here?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 69, Day 5: Midian’s oppression
Today’s Reading: Judges 6:1-40
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
After being delivered yet again from the Canaanites, Israel becomes unfaithful yet again. Midian is sent to oppress Israel and the oppression is to such an extent that Israel begins to live in dens within the mountains. Things are so bad because Midian comes upon the land like locusts and consume everything. Can you imagine living in a time where you are hiding in caves and far out places and scraping to keep enough food for yourself and your family?
We are told about the angel of the Lord coming and convincing Gideon to lead Israel in defeating the Midianites. I am impressed with how much it takes to convince Gideon to go and that God is truely with him. This seems similar to when Moses tried to escape from delivering Israel from Egypt by making excuses for his speech. I wonder at times if we sometimes need a hard, firm kick to get us going along the path that God wants for us? Perhaps our problem is looking at ourselves instead of looking to God and trusting in Him.
Question: What hinders you from being more confident or bold in serving God? How can you overcome such hurdles?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 69, Day 4: The Song of Victory
Today’s Reading: Judges 5:1-31
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
We have here a song sung both by Deborah and Barak. There is not a lot of indication in the song who is singing which part. We are given a few more details in the song about the battle, such as that no one came from the city of Meroz to aid in the fight. We are told that not a shield or spear was seen among 40,000 people in Israel (vs. 8). Weapons were very scarce. Also, the other tribes were absent from this battle (only Naphtali and Zebulun came).
It is good to note that Deborah is very prominent after the battle is over. Here she sings this song about the victory with the commander of the army. She had told Barak that the honor would not be his because he would not go up unless she went. I think we see a reflection of that pronouncement here.
Question: What does it mean in verse 20 that the stars fought from heaven?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 69, Day 3: Jabin
Today’s Reading: Judges 4:1-24
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Once again Israel is unfaithful to God after the death of the judge Ehud. They are again given over to oppression by Jabin, king of Canaan. The main point I want to emphasize in this post is how Jabin had 900 iron chariots. We have seen several times already that Israel was mentioned as not being able to overcome some enemy because they had chariots. Israel showed a fear of fighting enemies with chariots. This account of Jabin’s defeat shows that the problem was not that God could not deliver ANY enemy into their hands but that the problem lies with Israel. Israel’s doubt, lack of trust, or unfaithfulness prevented them from being able to defeat their enenmies.
Question: Why did Barak insist that Deborah go with him? Why would the honor be hers?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 69, Day 2: Oppressed
Today’s Reading: Judges 3:1-31
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Israel has now fallen to the lowest level yet. They have now gone into the next step of their sin. First was to let the inhabitants remain. Now they begin to give their daughters in marriage to the Canaanites and married their daughters. Along with this they begin to serve their gods. How quickly things have broken down within Israel. Where is the faithfulness and devotion to God?
Because of their evil deeds God gives Israel over to be ruled by someone else. I am always impressed that God still hears Israel when they cry out to Him. He had every right to ignore their cries and leave them in the mess they had gotten themselves into. But He would send a deliverer to overthrow the rule of these oppressors. The depth of God’s mercy is very impressive. Israel will keep this cycle of depart, return, and depart for a while.
Question: At what point do you think it would have been better to start over (like what God spoke of doing with Moses)? How would man have handled Israel’s unfaithfulness? What lessons can be learned from God’s longsuffering and mercy?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 69, Day 1: Stubborn and Unfaithful
Today’s Reading: Judges 2:1-23
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
The angel of the Lord is sent to tell Israel that because they have not obeyed God, the Lord will no longer drive out the remaining inhabitants before them. Instead they will become like thorns in their sides and their gods will be a snare to them. Israel had not kept from making covenants with the people of the land (ex. subjecting them to forced labor would require an agreement to be made) and they did not tear down the altars in the land. Now Israel would be plundered (vs. 14) and the hand of God would be against them.
We are told that the people were faithful all the days that Joshua and the elders who were with Joshua. But after this a generation arose who did not know God nor His works done for Israel. How sad! How could things changge so quickly in just one generation? It seems obvious that Israel had failed to teach their children about God and His works. They had born children and then neglected to instill in them a knowledge and respect for God. So it is not suprising that Israel then began to serve the Baals.
Question: Was Israel’s problem just that they were unfortunate to have children born who were bad kids? It really wasn’t their fault because the kids were just “bad apples”. If not, then whose fault was it that the kids did evil? Why is this important to note?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 68, Day 5: Not Taken
Today’s Reading: Judges 1:1-36
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Judges chapter one raises several questions. We are told about what Israel did after Joshua died. They inquire of the Lord who should go to fight against the remaining Canaanites first. We are told what Judah did. This account gives details that overlap some of the things we were told in Joshua 15. So what we have read in the book of Joshua regarding the tribes taking their land included some details that chronologically happened later. This makes for some confusion in figuring out when Israel’s failures began to happen. Their failures being that they did not drive out the inhabitants of the land. Based on what Joshua says in Joshua 23:9, no man had stood before them to that day. So it would appear that Israel began to fail to take the land after Joshua died.
The other question that is raised is regarding Jerusalem. Judah takes the city and burns it with fire in Judges 1:8. But we are also told that Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem in 1:21. What happened to Jerusalem? In our other studies an explanation was presented that makes sense. As the Israelites pushed through the land taking portions of it, they would move on to another area to fight against those inhabitants. While they were away, the remaining Canaanites would resettle in some of the areas just taken. Remember for example that Joshua and the Israelites had been fighting for 5 years in the land before they divided up the land. So Israel was not dispersed throughout the land for 5 years but had been overthrowing cities. Easily, some one else could have come in during that time and reinhabited those places. In a similar way, how long was it between when Judah destroyed Jerusalem did the Jebusites reinhabit that city? This is a good explanation for what we see happening here.
Question: Why do you think the Israelites used the Canannites for forced labor instead of destroying them?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 68, Day 4: Choose
Today’s Reading: Joshua 24:1-33
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Joshua brings Israel together to address them one last time. He reminds them of all that God has done for them. He also points out that God brought their fathers from a far away land where they served other gods to this land. He emphasizes all of these things to convict them to be faithful to God alone. They need to choose who they are going to serve. Not going back and forth or being lead astray after the gods of the Amorites. They tell Joshua that they will serve the Lord. So Joshua sets up a “witness” against them because it has heard what they have committed to doing. This witness is a stone that was nearby. In the years to come the good land Israel inherited would witness the unfaithful acts of Israel. But as long as Joshua and the elders who lived during his time were alive, Israel remained faithful to God.
Question: Do you think Joshua knew that Israel would be unfaithful?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 68, Day 3: Joshua’s warning
Today’s Reading: Joshua 23:1-16
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Joshuas is nearing death. He gathers Israel to give them some last words of warning. Joshua is very aware of the trouble that surrounds Israel. They have many of the inhabitants of the land now living relatively close to the sons of Israel. There will be the temptation to interact with and be influenced by these people. Joshua gives Israel a strong warning not to associate with them, don’t adopt their gods, and don’t intermarry with them. They were to be firm. Not yielding or straying from God’s commands. The consequence for not obeying would be disaster.
Question: What does it mean when Joshua says in verse 14 that he is going the way of all the earth?
Popularity: unranked [?]
Week 68, Day 2: The Witness
Today’s Reading: Joshua 22:1-34
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
This chapter displays for us how attentive Israel was during this time to be want to please God. A blatent act of unfaithfulness was not going to be tolerated. When Gad, Reuben and Manasseh built this other alter it was perceived as being another place of worship (instead of the tabernacle at Shiloh) and therefore viewed as straying away from serving Jehovah. Notice that the chiefs refer to the sin of peor and the sin of Achan when speaking to Gad and Reuben. The leaders were very concerned about a sin among the children of Israel causing trouble and distress for the rest of Israel. They sought then to correct this problem quickly before it evoked God’s anger.
It is interesting though to see how Israel reacts to what is perceived to be a blatent act of rebellion verses more subtle actions. Was a lack of diligence in taking the land any less an act of rebellion? Israel was commanded to be diligent to drive out all of the inhabitants (Deut 7:2). This was a command just as much as being faithful to serve God only. Instead we read of times where when Israel became strong they made the Canaanites their forced labor instead of destroying them. Certainly God had said that He would drive out the inhabitant over some period of time so that the land did not become overrun by wild animals (Deut 7:22). But at some point the people begin to display a willingness to allow some to stay, a lack of trust in God to help them drive out the inhabitants, and a lack of dilligence in taking the land.
Question: How do you think we can be on our guard against the subtle acts of disobedience as well as blatent acts of disobedience in our lives and the lives of our family?
Popularity: unranked [?]