Week 70, Day 5: Jephthah’s vow
Today’s Reading: Judges 11:1-40
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
The ninth judge to deliver Israel is one that is of a different “mold”. We will see a similar situation with Samson. These men were not the examples of high moral living, and yet God chose to use them to deliver Israel through. When I say this about Jephthah I am referring specifically to who gathered around him in Tob.
I wonder if Jephthah knew God’s commands well. He made the vow to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house to greet him. It is clear from his reaction that he thought some animal would come out to him first. But he had made a vow and appears to keep it by sacrificing his daughter. And yet God never commanded human sacrifice and condemns such practices by Israel later. This vow overshadows Jephthah’s actions. He was a very able politician and military leader. He spoke well to the king of Ammon, showing intelligence through his reasoning and tactfulness, but he showed great shortsightedness when he vowed to God. Consider carefully before you make a vow to the Lord. It is better to not vow than to make a vow and break it. And as Jephthah found out, if a vow is made rashly then it may cost you much.
Question: Why do you think Jephthah spent so much time retelling how Israel came to possess the land east of the Jordan?
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Week 70, Day 4: The misery of Israel
Today’s Reading: Judges 10:1-18
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Chapter 10 is my favorite chapter in Judges. Why is because it shows God’s great amount of mercy. Again, Israel turned to the Baals and gods of the Canaanites. After 18 years of oppression and harassment, they cried out to God. God’s response is that He has delivered them so many times already. From the Egyptians, from the Amorites, from Ammon, from the Philistines, from the Sidonians, from the Amalekites, and from the Maonites – so many times already. They have had so many opportunities already to wake up and realize the need to serve the true God. God tells them to go and let these other gods they serve deliver them.
Even though God tells them He will deliver them no more, when Israel repents of their sin (they put away the foreign gods and began serving God) then God could no longer endure the misery of Israel. He was moved with compassion for the misery and suffering of Israel. This should teach us about the nature of God’s mercy. People who have made a real mess out of their lives can still wake up, repent, and turn to God. God will receive them and save them from their sin. But they must first have that wake up moment, like Israel did, where they realize they need God. Unfortunately many people are still in the cycle of going back and forth from the world to a short stint of service to God and then back to the world again. Such people will not be able to find rest and peace for their souls until this cycle is broken.
Question: How many times does it take before God will deliver no longer?
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Week 70, Day 3: Trouble from Within
Today’s Reading: Judges 9:1-57
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
At the end of chapter 8 we are told that Israel did not repay Gideon’s household with kindness in accordance with the kindness he had shown them. Chapter 9 explains what Israel did to Gideon’s household. Gideon had 70 children born to him. The sons of Israel had tried to make Gideon their ruler and his children to rule as well. Gideon had refused, saying that God would rule over them. But we see a reflection of this desire for someone to rule over them in the actions of the city of Shechem. Shechem is persuaded to help one of Gideon’s sons rise to power because having one man rule over them is better than having 70.
The wickedness of Abimelech and the city of Shechem is repaid by the Lord. We are told that the Lord sent an evil spirit between Abimilech and Shechem. This verse does not explain what exactly this means. We are told how the discord escalates into conflict. It is interesting how God chooses to bring about punishment. The Lord could have just struck the wicked people dead, but He chooses to cause the former allies to turn against each other. We are told the Lord caused the events to happen like this to bring about the curse of Jotham (vs. 57). In this instance God chose to bring about a fulfillment of a man’s curse.
Question: Since the people had begun to practice evil again, why is it not suprising that they elect to put an evil man as ruler over them? What does the ruler indicate about the people?
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Week 70, Day 2: As soon as
Today’s Reading: Judges 8:1-35
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
This chapter again demonstrates for us the trend of Israel. “As soon as” Gideon was dead the sons of Israel played the harlot with the Baals (vs. 33). I find it interesting to think about the timing that we see these things happening. 40 years of peace had happened. The timing is not always the same but this amount of time just makes me wonder if this is a younger, new generation that are playing the harlot or if it is everyone? Why I wonder about this is do we see a repeat of the statement in Judges 2:10. Then arose a generation that did not know the Lord nor His works. 40 years would be enough time for another generation to arise who, if not taught, would not know Jehovah’s greatness. I wonder how much of Israel’s repeated spiritual failures were related to their parenting failures. They never taught their children well.
Question: Why did the cities of Succoth and Penuel refuse to give Gideon bread?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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