Day #95

Sermon - Audio
Judges 16-18 - Audio
Judges 16-18 - Reading

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Judges 16-18

Judges 16 – Samson encounters two more women, a prostitute and Delilah. Samson’s life comes to a tragic end imprisoned with his eyes gouged out. Samson’s premature death is also a heroic victory over Israel’s enemies.

v. 4-18 – Note that in none of the tests of Samson’s strength in this chapter talk about the spirit of God resting upon Samson. Because Samson did not put God first and allowed his lust to take priority in his life, he became publically humiliated.

v. 5 – Samson’s lust to abuse and exploit women. Delilah also viewed Samson as an object to be used.

v. 20 – This verse states explicitly that God departed from Samson.

v. 22-28 – There was no magical power in Samson’s hair, for his strength came only from the Lord. But the growth of his hair may indicate that God was renewing his previous power. Samson may also have begun to renew his faith (v. 28). (ESV Study Bible)

v. 31 – Samson, the last judge, was empowered by God’s spirit, just as the first judge, Othniel, had been. However much happened between the two judges. Samson and most of the judges before him were not models of virtue. In spite of their poor examples, God worked to deliver Israel to protect His name and reputation.

Judges 17 – The last 5 chapters of Judges beginning with Chapter 17 are often considered to be an appendix: there is no mention of Judges in this material, we are told 4 times that the events happened when “there was no king in Israel”. It is possible that these events happened after the period of the 5 major judges.

v. 1-6 – Thinking they were doing right, both Micah and his mother acted contrary to God’s requirements in Deut. 12. Could this be a consequence of Israel’s lack of good leadership? Who are the leaders that you have walking alongside you to help hold you accountable to living out the text?

v. 9 – Micah breaks another law by hiring his own private Levite priest. This priest was a wanderer possibly due to the fact that the Levites did not have their own territory. For Micah to have a genuine priest gave his shrine an air of legitimacy.

Judges 18

v. 1-2 – The Danites, like all the other tribes, had been given a share of land in Israel. But it may have been either the land allotment was not sufficient for its’ growing population or possibly it was unable to kick out the Canaanites, so they began to seek another area in which to live.

v. 5-6 – The spies inquire of Micah’s personal priest whether their journey will succeed. The Levite priest tells them “the journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord”. The actions of the Danites may have been seen by God, but that does not mean that they were approved by God.