Summary #14

Weekly Summary
Judges 8 - 1 Samuel 3

In our last post, we meet Gideon, our reluctant judge. After hiding in a wine press, taking down altars at God's command in the middle of the night, and demanding several signs, he finally ponies up and calls his people to fight the Midianites. God winnows the men down from a reasonable fighting force of 32,000 to a paltry 300 men against a huge army. The battle strategy that God gives them? Make a lot of noise. So they do, and the Midianites are defeated. Another battle follows, but this one does not seem as God-directed, and Gideon has some trouble convincing the rest of the Israelites to come and fight alongside him, but eventually, they won. When the Isrealites tried to make Gideon a king, he declined, but made another ephod (God had decreed there be only one, given to the high priest), and named his son "Son of the King". Hmm.

True to form, after Gideon dies, the Israelites turn to other Gods. His son, Abimelech, goes to his mother's people, the Shechemites, and gets their support for his leadership, and then kills all of his brothers except the youngest, who escapes, but curses Abimelech for his treachery. Abimelech takes his position as ruler of Israel for three years, and then Shechem revolts, and decides that they want a different leader. Turns out they deserve each other, these Shechemites and Abimelech, and in the end they destroy each other: Abimelech traps them all in a tower and burns it, but a woman drops a millstone on him and kills him. The curse of the youngest brother is fulfilled.

So after Abilelech is killed, we see Tola and Jair as the next judges of Israel, and then, of course, Israel "once again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" and turned to other gods. So they are defeated by the Philistines and the Ammonites. After pleading with God, he raises up the son of a prostitute to lead the Israelites out of bondage: Jephthah, who takes on the Ammonite king first with logic, which is ignored, and then with the sword. On his way to the battle, Jephthah vows that if God is with him, he will make a burnt offering of whatever comes out of his door on his return. Tragically, that turns out to be his only daughter, who greets him after his victory over the Ammonites. He follows his vow, with much sorrow. Ephraim is in a snit again, saying that they weren't asked to help in the battle (they had had the same complaint against Gideon), and they revolt against Jephthah, who takes them down. All this happened in the six years that Jephthah ruled Isreal. He is followed by Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.

Color me surprised: the Israelites again "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord". This time they are given over to the Philistines for forty years. A special child is born, whose birth is foretold by an angel, and who is raised as a Nazarite - nothing from the vine, no cutting his hair, and he shouldn't touch anything that is dead. Samson chooses a Philistine for a wife, despite his parents' plea that he marry a nice Jewish girl. On the way to the wedding, he kills a lion, then later finds that bees have made honey in the carcass. He eats the honey (defying the ban on touching dead things), and then taunts his wedding guests with a riddle about the whole thing. The guests get his wife to wheedle the riddle out of him, and when they come up with the answer, Samson is so mad that he kills thirty Philistines, and while he is gone, his best man sleeps with his wife. Wedding feast gone wrong....

Outraged that his father-in-law gave his wife permanently to the best man, Samson burns the crops of the Philistines. The Philistines retaliate by burning his wife and her father. Sampson declares that he will avenge this, and at this point, 3,000 men of Judah take on Sampson and tell him to knock it off - in fact, they are going to deliver him to the Philistines to make sure they're not at the bad end of a war. Sampson agrees to go, but only bound, not attacked by the Judeans. When they deliver him bound to the Philistines, the new ropes practically dissolve, and Sampson kills 1,00 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. He continues his feats of strength until he is undone by Delilah, who gets the answer to his strength out of him the same way his wife did, and betrays him just the same. God's strength leaves Samson, and after being captured and enslaved by the Philistines, Samson finally turns back to God and asks to do his will. God gives him his strenght back, and he brings the roof down on them in spectacular fashion.

Later, things just fall apart in Israel: people make idols and tribes make war with each other. A Levite takes a concubine, and when he tries to find hospitality in Jerusalem, it turns out things are just as bad as they were in Sodom and Gomorrah. Israel goes to war with the tribe of Benjamin, and since they swear that none of their daughters will marry anyone from that tribe, the Benjamites must find their wives from conquered clans or unsuspecting dancers. Things are truly a mess in Israel.

During the time of the Judges, when things are falling apart all over, we get a wonderful story: the story of Ruth, a Moabite widow of an Israelite, who travels to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law. She claims the Israelite God for her own, and vows to take care of her mother-in-law. This story of a kinsman-redeemer is beautiful, and Boaz, a relative, saves Ruth (and her mother-in-law) from poverty by marrying her. They produce a son, Boaz, who is the grandfather of king David. God truly uses the uncelebrated, the outsider, to bring glory to his name.

Well, it's on to Samuel. Will Israel ever find a way out of this cycle of desperation? Will they ever grasp the importance of following only one God? Of doing what was commanded? Tune in next week...

Day #96

Sermon - Audio
Judges 19-21 - Audio
Judges 19-21 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

The closing chapters of the book of Judges describe the spiritual wasteland that Israel had become. These chapters describe a morally unthinkable event happening in Israel that can only be compared to the wickedness of Sodom in Genesis 19. When faith in God disintegrated the unity of Israel was broken too. They could have taken complete possession of the land if they had obeyed God. But when they forgot the Lord, they all did what was right in their own eyes.


19.1-19 This painful event represents the spiritual low point of the book of Judges. Notice how eerily similar the experience of the Levite is with Lot's experience with the men of Sodom in Genesis 19. A concubine was an accepted part of Israelite society, but clearly not pleasing to the Lord. They had many of the responsibilities of a wife, but with few of the privileges. The incident is even more painful because the uncaring Levite actually surrenders his concubine to save his own skin. It makes all of us ask ourselves if we have sacrificed the health and stability of our families for our own selfish and self-centered reasons. If so, we are the ones that should accept the consequences of our own behavior. The Levite blamed the Benjamites and did not recognize his responsibility in the turn of events. If certain behaviors or some other problem is harming our loved ones, we need to be looking at our responsibility for the problem. When we come out of denial and accept responsibly we can get the help we need.


20.8-25 Perhaps the leaders of Benjamin did not have all the facts, but is more likely they were too proud to admit that a serious crime had been committed in their territory. The effects of this crime did not need to be experienced outside of the local community where it occurred. The men who did this act should have been brought to justice. We are often highly resistant to the fact that we are in need of recovery or help of any kind. The tribe of Benjamin self-righteously set out to defend its honor. This is a powerful illustration of what denial is like how things go from bad to worse if we are unwilling to get honest about our sin and character defects. Because the Benjamites had been unwilling to discipline Gibeah, the rest of them could have survived. But their lack of humility and repentance kept them from confession and almost all of them were destroyed as a result.


21.1-12 In the heat of anger or strong emotions, many people needing recovery or find themselves moving through difficult times make rash or unrealistic vows. Here the Israelites were forced to keep their vows because they were made publicly and before God. They had not learned from Jephtha the danger of making a vow before thinking it through.


21.25 The people of Israel experienced pain because everyone became his or her own authority and acted on their own opinions as to what they thought was right and wrong. The results brought death and disaster, as it always does. We live in a similar day with similar results. We have become our own voices of authority without reference to God or the people that God has placed in our lives to lead us. As we would say in recovery, "How is that working for you?"

Day #95

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

Daily Insights - Please Comment

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.

Day #94

Sermon - Audio
Judges 13-15 - Audio
Judges 13-15 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Judges 13-15

Samson was no hero. Although most of us are familiar with the story of Samson, I think most of us know the Sunday school version. His story falls near the end of Judges. Looking at the larger narrative in the book, we see that Israel is in steady demise. Things are getting worse. We'll find out just how bad things have gotten when we read last five chapters of the book: Levites building idols, brutality, murder, rape, and other acts that were characteristic of Sodom and Gomorrah. The book concludes, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (ESV).” See the problem?

Samson is in the same “mode.” He's a selfish brute who does whatever he pleases. In chapter 14 he sees a philistine woman (not Delilah) and demands his parents fetch her to be his wife. When his parents object that she is a philistine, Samson gets angry, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes (ESV-truer to the Hebrew here).”. A prostitute later, he meets Delilah. Once more, he sees something he wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. After three failed attempts at seduction followed by philistine ambush, it must have been obvious to Samson what would happen if he told Delilah how to truly weaken him, but it didn't matter. His selfish desire was too great. In vs. 16, the Hebrew says literally “he grew impatient” and then he gave in. He couldn't think farther than what he wanted; it led to his capture, enslavement, and humiliation.

God calls us to think outside of ourselves. It is easy to do what is right in our own eyes, but it is for our own good to do what is right in God's eyes. We are to live for more than our own desires.

Judges 13

13.3: As God often does, he works through a barren woman. He brings life to where it seemed there could not be. The birth of a son is announced by an angel. This is an incredibly rare event in the Bible. He is in special company with John the Baptist and and Jesus. Curious because Samson's character will be so different. One wonders if Samson was meant to save Israel from the Philistines but because of his eventual deviance fails at this. Although he will kill many Philistines before the end of his life, he has not solved the threat of the Philistines. The fact that he will not fully succeed is already hinted at in verse 5 “he will begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Then the question is: if Samson doesn't deliver them from the Philistines, who does? There is no resolution in the book of Judges. Real victory against the Philistines is not accomplished until King David.

13.5: This is the first named so-called Nazirite in the Bible. I say so-called because he will break his vow even before he shaves his head. To come into contact with dead bodies breaks the vow (which Samson did plenty of).

13.6-14: Note that Manoah does not recognize the angel as supernatural (as of yet). He calls him a “man of God” and so recognizes him as simply a prophet. The New International Old Testament Commentary remarks: “God graciously accommodated Himself to His people of old [by sending a messenger appearing as a man]. As the centuries passed such appearances became less frequent, for communion and communication became increasingly inward and spiritual. In our own day, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to be as sure of the will of God as when it was revealed in such a striking manner to Manoah and his wife.”

13.15-23: Manoah’s request to serve this man a meal shows significant hospitality on his part. This kind of hospitality is not uncommon for people who are obedient to God in the Bible. Things get a little bizarre in verse 20. This “amazing” thing is semantically related to the angel’s name that is “too wonderful” for Manoah to know. There is something about this Angel that is beyond human understanding. In verse 22, Manoah cries out “We are doomed to die…we have seen God!” Now the lines are blurred between this “angel” and the LORD (whose name was not pronounced). The lines are further blurred because back in verse 19 where it says, “The LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched” there is actually no subject given in the Hebrew. The “LORD” is the implied subject. At the very least, the LORD and his angel/messenger are so closely related that little distinction is made.

13.24: Samson is finally named. Note that this name was not given to him by the Angel but by his mother. Samson means “like the sun.”

Judges 14

14.1-4: Here Samson is not only disobeying his parents wishes, but also marries a Philistine (forbidden by God’s law in Exodus 34.16). I see the parenthetical phrase stating that the Lord was looking for an occasion to confront the Philistines not as God commanding Sampson to break his law, but as using even disobedience to work out for his purposes. Did God need Samson to marry this Philistine to accomplish that? Absolutely not. Note: I referenced verse 3 before. Samson is doing what is right in his own eyes.

14.8-9: Here is Samson's first encounter with a dead carcass (in defiance of the Nazirite vow). This partly explains why he did not tell his parents. It also foreshadows his remark in verse 16.

14.10: Contrary to Israelite custom, this wedding is held in the wife's town (normally it would've been held in the husband's). This further shows the dissension of Samson's actions.

14.13: This linen garments are highly valuable. Think of them as designer brand.

Judges 15

15.1-2 A further sign that this marriage is all wrong. Samson's wife is still living with her father...whereas in a true marriage: “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Gen 2.24).”

15.2-6: Samson's act of revenge does not turn out well for him. The New International commentary points out Samson's excessive cruelty to animals in this act. In the end his wife is burned to death along with her father.

15.8-9: Two wrongs don't make a right.

15.9-20: Instead of uniting Judah against the Philistines, Judah turns against Samson. Samson doesn't “need” them however. He turns out to be a one-man-army, killing 1,000 (probably symbolic) Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. This does not put either Samson or Judah in the right. Judah, it seems, has submitted to the more powerful philistines and have lost their faith in God as their deliverer. They were certainly blinded and motivated by fear. Even as Samson routes the Philistines, there is no indication that Judah rallies behind him.

Day #93

Sermon - Audio
Judges 10-12 - Audio
Judges 10-12 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Judges 10

10.1: Tola's name means "worm". There is a sense that contrary to Abimelech who thought highly of himself and came to ruin, Tola has a right attitude and is successful. Tola's family in 1 Chronicles 7.1-2 is noted for being mighty warriors. The fact that he lives in the hill country of Ephraim implies that Issachar has not yet taken over their inheritance.

10.4: To have donkeys was to be wealthy. Apparently Jair was a man of means.

10.6-7: The continual theme of unfaithfulness comes around yet again.

10.8-9: The oppression began on the East side of the Jordan, but eventually spread into the land of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. This reminds us that the judges did not deliver all of Israel, just parts of it from oppression.

10.10-15: This is an interesting section. There is a dialogue between God and the people, but we are not informed as to how this dialogue took place. No prophets are mentioned, no visit to the tabernacle, only the reality of God telling the people of their continued unfaithfulness and their begging for deliverance.

10.10: This is the first confession of sin in the book of Judges. Before they cried out because of their trouble but did not speak of their sin.

10.11-14: God doesn't buy their confession. He points out that they are confessing only because of the trouble they are in.

10.15: The demand to be delivered "this day" shows that their confession remains hollow.

10.16 he became impatient over the misery of Israel. Many scholars see this as a reference to God’s great mercy and his capacity to be moved by Israel’s misery and repentance (cf. 2:18). Another interpretation is that it is Israel’s unfaithfulness, the cause of their misery, that makes God impatient. This would indicate that Israel’s “repentance” here was only a superficial one. ESV Study Bible

10.18: The people don't look to God for their deliverance, instead they try to find someone who can lead their armies.

Judges 11

This story of deliverance is an unusual one in Judges. The New American Commentary says, "Although Yahweh will empower Jephthah with his Spirit (11:29) and be credited by the narrator with his victory over the Ammonites, he is totally out of the picture in the account of Jephthah’s rise as leader and deliverer of Israel. Whereas in every other narrative cycle Yahweh had played the decisive role in the emergence of a deliverer, Jephthah’s emergence is treated as a purely human development. Yahweh is indeed invoked as a witness to the covenant between Jephthah and Israel, but this is a far cry from earlier episodes."

11.1-3: Jephthah has a less then stellar background. Like Abimelech he gathers less than stellar people around himself.

11.8: Instead of turning to Yahweh, the people turn to Jephthah.

11.10: An ironic promise since the people didn't really follow the LORD (Yahweh).

11.12-28: Rather than going to battle Jephthah first seeks to bring resolution through negotiation. Since the people of the land were to be driven out by Israel this is a picture of compromising on the call of God.

11.12ff: The negotiations are carried out on the basis of ancient claims verses Yahweh's giving Israel the land.

11.26: The time for making a claim on the land passed long ago according to Jephthah.

11.30-31: A rash vow is made. It may be an attempt to manipulate God into acting for Jephthah in the upcoming battle. If so, this shows that Jephthah doesn't distinguish God as being different then the gods of all the other people.

11.35: The idea that he can't break his vow in the light of Israel constantly breaking their vows to Yahweh seems odd. What is it that keeps him from breaking his vow or being faithful? Is he more concerned about what will happen to him if he breaks his vow than he is about his daughter's future?

Judges 12

12.1: Ephraim has issues. They are self-important, but only are willing to go to battle after the battle is done. Now they come to Jephthah's place and threaten to burn down his house because they perceive he has dissed them.

12.2-4: Gideon did some smooth talking when he dealt with the people of Ephraim, Jephthah isn't going to be so gracious.

12.7: The writer of Judges wants us to see the continuing disintigration of the situation in Israel. As Jephthah's story comes to a close we are not told that Ammonites were finally defeated or that the people lived in peace. The downward spiral is moving faster.

12.8-10: Ibzan is politically astute. He extends his clout by marrying his daughters outside the clan and bringing in wives for his son from outside the clan. His name means "father of coldness" which leaves us to wonder if his political calculations reflect a calculating and cold personality.

12.13-15: Abdon’s tenure is distinguished above all as a period of peace and prosperity. Like Gideon (8:30), Abdon had the ideal royal family consisting of seventy descendants. Forty of these were immediate sons, but the narrator looks to the future by noting that Abdon also had thirty grandsons. As in the days of Jair (10:4), the fact that each of these men rode on his own donkey is a sign of the tranquility of the times. But Abdon governed for only eight years before he died and was buried in Pirathon. New American Commentary

Summary #13

Weekly Summary
Joshua 12 - Judges 7

Having conquered the southern and northern kings of Canaan, the Israelites divide up the the land between the tribes, with some on the east side of the Jordan, some on the west, and the Levites getting certain towns throughout the land. Judah and Manasseh end up not being able to drive out certain Canaanites from their land, making them slaves instead.

After the land is allotted, Ephraim and Manasseh plead for more land because they have a large population, and they are given additional hill country. After the first five tribes receive their allotment, Joshua sends out three men from each remaining tribe to portion out the rest of the land, and then they draw lots to see who gets which territory.

People start settling in to the newly divided territory, and Joshua sends home the men from the tribes that had been given territory on the east side of the Jordan. They gather their plunder and head back to their tribe, ut when they cross the Jordan, they erect a huge altar, which can be seen from the other side. The people of the West are indignant, thinking that this altar signifies a break from the rest of the people, and especially from the rest of the people, and especially from the worship of the one true God. They send a delegation, headed up up by Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, famous for his zealous and immediate killing of the Israelite defiling the meeting at Peor. The Eastern tribes, knowing full well what Phinehas is capable of, hasten to assure the delegation they they set up the altar as a witness, to remind the Eastern tribes that they serve the same God as the Western tribes, and both the delegation and the rest of Israel is satisfied that this is true.

Peace settles on the land, and Joshua gathers the people to remind them of all that God has done for them. He reminds them that that not one promise from God was untrue, and just as true are all of the things God told them would happen if they served other gods. The people renew their promise to follow only God, despite Joshua's warning that God is a jealous and holy God, and will not abide apostasy. After setting up a monument as a witness to the renewal of their covenant, Joshua dies at 110 and is buried on his land.

Yet another peaceful ending.... sort of. The book of Joshua ends with the people settled into the land that God promised them, but not the way they were supposed to have settled in. Instead of driving the Canaanites out completely, we see that the tribes have pockets of them living in the midst of them, often as slaves, but they are not gone, as God commanded.

Nearly all of the next battles are God-directed and the Israelites are victorious as Judah and Simeon take on Canaanites and the Perizzites, and many more after that. Only Jerusalem remains unconquered, while the rest of the area falls to the Israelites. God leads them on in taking over the land.

Except that what follows next is a long list of the people that the tribes DIDN'T drive out. God calls this to their attention and reminds them that they are breaking the covenant that he created with them. The people repent, and cry out -- for a while. Then as the elders die off, the next generation does not know the Lord, or remember what he has done for them. Then they do "what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (Remember that phrase; it's going to become quite familiar to you in the next weeks, I promise) and serve the Baals.

When God sees the people serving other gods, his anger is kindled against them and they start falling to the "plunderers", and are oppressed by the people around them. Remember the cycle in the wilderness, where the people would grumble, God would be angry with them and punish them, they would repent, and then start the whole process over again by grumbling? We've got a new cycle forming up. The people follow other gods, they get oppressed by other nations, they cry out to God, he saves them, and they repent... until they start following other gods again. Anyway, it starts here. The people call out in their distress, and God sends judges to save them.

Years into this cycle, we find Othniel, the first of the judges named in the story. He was Caleb's nephew, and he freed them from the oppression of a Mesopotamian king, and they had forty years of peace.

Ehud is the next one. He's a left-handed man who uses this unusual feature to hide a sword on his right thigh, where apparently the people protecting King Eglon (who was currently oppressing the Israelites) didn't think to look. So he gets King Eglon alone, under the pretense of paying tribute, and instead of paying tribute, he sinks his sword all the way into the king, burying even the hilt of the sword in his belly. Not a story for the weak of stomach. Anyway, without their king, the people of Moab cannot withstand the attack of the Israelites, and God frees the Israelites again, giving them peace for 80 years. Shamgar is the next judge, who led the Israelites against the Philistines.

And then comes the first female judge, Deborah, a prophetess. The Israelites have rebelled, and are under the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan. Deborah summons Barak, the leader of the army and says that God will deliver Sisera, the commander of Jabin's armies, to him. He is a bit doubtful -- in fact, he says, he won't go unless Deborah goes, too. She does, but tells him that because of his hesitation, a woman will defeat Sisera instead of him. They go to battle, and as the battle progresses, Sisera runs to what he thinks is a sympathetic place to get a little rest. Jael is a sort of relative, and she invites him into her tent for a rest, giving him milk, a blanket, and the promise of vigilance. Instead, as soon as he is asleep, she drives a tent peg through his temple. Another sort of squeamish scene here in Judges. And the Isrealites are freed of oppression by God again.

Right on schedule, the people of Israel do "what was evil in the sight of the Lord" and they are again subject to the Midianites. They cry out to the Lord, and he sends an angel to Gideon, who is threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites. Not a brave move, and Gideon doesn't seem to be a very brave guy overall. He demands a sign, which the angel gives him by having fire consume the unleavened bread and meat. Convinced, Gideon follows the angel's instructions to destroy the altar of Baal and the Asherah beside it. But, because he is not very brave, he does it in the middle of the night. When the townspeople see the destruction, they are angry and are about to take down Gideon, but Gideon's father convinces them that Baal should be fighting his own battles, and they should leave Gideon to be revenged by Baal, if he was able.

So our reluctant judge sounds the trumpet and summons a great army to go up against the Midianites. He asks for another sign, laying out fleece and asking that it be wet and the ground dry. Sure enough, that's what happens. Just to be very, very sure, he then reverses the plan, asking that the fleece be dry, and the ground around it wet. Also not a problem for God, so, out of excuses, Gideon starts out. How will it turn out? Check back next week and we'll see if our new judge gets any braver....

Day #92

Sermon - Audio
Judges 8-9 - Audio
Judges 8-9 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Judges 8

8.1-3: It's all about flattery. Gideon turns aside the anger of the men of Ephraim by buttering them up. It is a common form of middle eastern speech. But here it begins to reveal the true Gideon. He is not a man of honor, but one of flattery. The entire episode of Gideon reveals a move in the book of Judges that shows a continual downward slide both of the quality of the judge (Samson being the worst) and the downward slide of the people. (Notice the the people want to kill Gideon for destroying Baal's statute. The Torah called for people to be put to death for worshipping foreign gods. The whole thing is upside down.)

8.4: The battle of Gideon seems to follow the pattern of the invasion of the promised land. In the first part God works a miracle, in the second the people are called on to respond in faith and trust God by taking on the battle with God in the "background". But in this chapter God is not in the background nor anywhere else. The battle has turned from God's battle into Gideon's. So much so that Gideon will pursue the kings far beyond the land of Israel and treat Israelites as if they were Canaanites.

8.4-8: The people of both Succoth and Penuel were not convinced that the other kings had been defeated by Gideon. If Gideon failed these cities would be in grave danger. Gideon points out that if he succeeds they will be in grave danger.

8.20: Jether has not fallen to the level his father has and so refused to carry out blood vengence.

8.21: Gideon kills the kings not in response to God's command, but to prove his manhood.

8.23-24: Gideon's claim to have God rule over them is hollow. As soon as the words are out of his mouth he starts doing things that make him look like a king.

8.24: The words remind us of the creation of the golden calf in the desert.

8.26: 43 pounds of gold are given. Gideon also keeps the symbols of royalty from the Midianite kings.

8.27 "Gideon assumed a king’s role as sponsor of the cult by crafting an ephod and erecting it in his city, Ophrah. The nature of this object is not clear. Elsewhere in the Old Testament “ephod” (}eœpo®d) denotes the priest’s special breast piece.703 Because this object was “placed” (yaœsΩag) in Gideon’s city and became an object of pagan worship, this meaning seems unlikely here. The solution to the present problem may be suggested by the Akkadian cognate epattu, which, in several old Assyrian texts apparently refers to the costly garments worn by high officials and/or draped over images of the gods.704 The present usage suggests a figure of speech in which the part stands for the whole. Accordingly, the word “ephod” here represents not only the garment that clothed a sacred image but also the image over which the garment was draped and which became the object of worship for the Israelites. The narrator does not reveal the nature of the image, but it seems most likely that he has reconstructed the shrine to Baal he earlier had torn down at Yahweh’s command (6:25–32). This fits the response of the Israelites, who “played the harlot” (zaœna®, NIV “prostituted themselves”) with it and for whom it became a “snare.”705 But the irony and twistedness of his actions should not be missed. Instead of himself, an image of God, clothed with the Spirit of Yahweh (6:34), Gideon created his own image and clothed it with pagan materials". New American Commentary

8.30: Many wives = a harem.

8.31: His concubine breaks the Torah which forbad having foreign wives.

8.35: While at first glance these words seem to make Gideon look good, the fact that the people don't show "steadfast love" ESV to Gideon's family implies that a covenant had been made with Gideon and the people. This covenant would indicate that Gideon did take up some type of kingship in Israel.

Judges 9

9.1: Abimelech means "My father is king". It is another sign that Gideon acted as a king even when he didn't take the actual title.

9.4: The folks whom he hires reflects his character.

9.4-5: One piece of silver for each murder. The brothers are lined up and watch as the ones in front of them are murdered. It is a brutal scene.

9.7-21: A powerful speech by the son of Gideon. He points out the foolishness of this venture and the attempt of Abimelech to become the actual king of the people. He speaks a curse on both the people and Abimelech.

Note: Jotham proceeded to lecture the lords of Shechem with a story that has become a classic in world literature. In terms of genre vv. 8–15 contain the finest example in Scripture of a fable, which by definition typically involves a short narrative in poetry or prose that teaches a moral lesson and involves creatures, plants, and/or inanimate objects speaking or behaving like human characters. New American Commentary

9.22: "Three years" The number three tells the reader something is about to happen.

9.23-24: God becomes involved in what his happening. He brings justice to the situation.

9.25: Robbing people along the highway kept Abimelech from collecting his tariffs. It was an attack on Abimelech's financial well-being and his rightful rule.

9.26: Gaal's name means "contempt". He will show foolish contempt for Abimelech that will bring about the demise of Shechem's leadership.

9.31: The rule of the city was still on Abimelech's side. This ruler is especially put out because of the insults of Gaal against him.

9.36: Gaal seems a bit slow witted. He has insulted Zebul, but now accepts that what Zebul is telling him is true.

9.38: Zebul challenges the manhood of Gaal. Gaal goes out to fight so he will not be shamed.

9.45: Abimelech attacks not just the leaders of the city (the day before) but now attacks the citizens. His cruelty is shown in his destruction of the people and the city itself. Spreading salt on the city most likely reflected putting a curse on the city.

9.47: The very place that the opponents of Abimelech had held their party becomes a death trap. The words of Jotham come true as fire comes out from Abimelech and cruelly destroys the last of the people of Shechem.

9.50: Filled with confidence from his victory and convinced he's found a way to deal with strongholds, Abimelech takes on Thebez. It is a mistake.

9.54: To die at the hand of a woman would be shameful. Seeking to avoid the shame Abimelech has his armor-bearer kill him.

Day #91

Sermon - Audio
Judges 6-7 - Audio
Judges 6-7 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

6

v1 - And we are back again! The people did evil in the sight of the LORD.

v2-6 = The people's land, animals, and everything they owned was laid to waste on the account of the Midianites.

v7 = The people cry out to the LORD, and He sends them...

v8 = A prophet comes to the people to remind them of who God is and what He has done for them.

THOUGHT ON GIDEON: Gideon was not the most "faithful judge." We tend to put this part of the story up on a pedestal. However, Gideon questioned God many times and found it very difficult to trust God. Up until this point the judges have been seemingly faithful to God, Gideon is a sort of turning point as the judges start being easily corrupted. Gideon is a reminder that God will sometimes even use the weakest of us to accomplish His mission in the world.

8-9 = "Ancient Israelite thinking linked individuals with all of their ancestors and descendants. Thus, in the mind of the Israelites of Gideon’s day, because their ancestors had been rescued from the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt they themselves had, in effect, also been delivered “from the power of Egypt.” (ASB)

11 = Gideon probably didn't want the Mideanites to know that he was gathering wheat, or they had taken his proper tools to do so.

11-40 = "Gideon’s Call. God’s call of a reluctant Gideon is the focus of the next three accounts. First, the angel of the Lord appeared to him (vv. 11–24); then, Gideon destroyed an altar of Baal (vv. 25–35); finally, Gideon’s wavering faith is on full display (vv. 36–40). Gideon’s reluctance recalls that of Moses (Exodus 3–4)." (ESVSB)

12 = There is no reason to believe that Gideon was a "mighty man of valor" yet. This may be a discussion of what is to come.

13 = Gideon questions whether the LORD is with His people still. The circumstances prove to be hindering his comprehension of who God is.

14-16 = Gideon's clan of people is the smallest one of them all. Unless God is with him, they will die.

17-21 = A sign is given to Gideon that God's Word is true. The fire consumes the meat and unleavened bread. This sign should have been enough to convince Gideon.

22-23 = "According to Ex 33:20, anyone who sees God will die; this was Gideon’s fear, though he was not struck dead. But the Angel of the Lord, while truly a manifestation of God (Jdg 6:23; cp. 2:1), was not a revelation of His fullness (Ex 33:18–20). Or perhaps God displayed His mercy toward Gideon by choosing not to kill him (13:22–23)." (ASB)

25-32 = "Gideon wages war against the Baal cult. On the night after his appointment, the LORD commands Gideon to destroy his father’s altar of Baal, to cut down the sacred post next to it, and to build an altar to the LORD. Gideon fears the townspeople and works with ten of his servants under cover of darkness. In the morning, after a short investigation, the townspeople want to kill Gideon, but his father prevents them from doing so by saying that, if Baal is god, he can fight his own battles. This story mocks Baal worship, and explains the additional name given to Gideon: Jerubbaal (see v. 32), emphasizing that Gideon did battle with the cult of Baal." (JSB)

34 = Gideon is filled with the Spirit and blows his trumpet, and 32,000 men show up (Jud 7:3).

36-40 = Gideon starts to doubt whether God's Words are true.

36-40 = "Before the actual military engagement, Gideon again displays his reluctance to be a leader, for he asks for confirmatory signs from God (cf. v. 17). On the one hand, Gideon’s fears are understandable: the task he is preparing to do is difficult and dangerous. On the other hand, the angel’s appearance and promise (vv. 11–24) already included a confirmatory miracle (v. 21), and Gideon had already begun to obey (vv. 25–27) and to see God’s protection (v. 31). In any event, God stoops to Gideon’s level and grants the signs requested." (ESVSB)

7

1-3 = God wants the glory! Thus, he knows the people of Israel's heart. He knows they will try to take the credit for their victory, thus falling back into sin. He makes Gideon send home everyone who is fearful. By the way...there were approximately 135,000 Midianites already! He was left with 10,000 people.

4-8 = God makes sure that Gideon knows He means business. He will get the number of soldiers down even further.

5 = "God chose those who lapped like a dog, not those who knelt to drink. Some have suggested that those who lapped maintained a state of alertness; whereas those who knelt had to use their cupped hands to bring up the water, thereby letting down their guard." (ASB)

6-8 = The "army" is down to 300 men vs 135,000.

9-11 = God wants His mission accomplished and Gideon is still holding back from fully engaging in God's purpose for Him. Thus, God takes him and leads him by the hand through the process.

12-15 = I'm not sure that God could have made it any clearer to Gideon. Barley bread was a sign for the poor. The Midianites would be taken over by Gideon and his poor army. Not only is Gideon given that, but even his name is given by a person in the camp.

16-23 = The Midianites started killing one another and defeated themselves. After having had the dream about Gideon defeating them, the people were terrified to hear his name.

Day #90

Sermon - Audio
Judges 3-5 - Audio
Judges 3-5 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Welcome to the New Year!

3

1-4 = There were many still in Israel that had not been tested up till this point. God wanted His people to be tested or "to prove" themselves, as well as allow them a chance to see His hand working with them. Israel will be left to prove herself and her faithfulness to God. God could just destroy Canaan by Himself (Sodom), but He chooses to use His people.

Q. Why do you think God chooses to use His people to fight these wars?
Q. Does God still choose to use His people in His mission today?

3 = The word "lord" is not Lord or LORD. In this verse "lord" means "tyrant." ex...to "lord" over someone.

5-7 = The people did not listen to God. They intermarried with other nations, they worshiped other gods, and they did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Judges Thought (Overall) = "The downward spiral of Israel's Apostasy. The body of the book of Judges includes the stories of 12 judges raised up to deliver Israel from successive crises and to "judge" Israel. Their primary function was military in nature. Most judges failed to point people convincingly to the LORD. Indeed, in some cases the judges themselves were not exemplary (Gideon, Jephthah, Samson). The recurring pattern unfolds in a downward spiral: the first judge, Othniel, was raised up by God and empowered by God's Spirit, whereas the next-to-last major judge, Jephthah, made a foolish vow and offered his own daughter as a "sacrifice," and the last judge, Samson, was anything but a paragon of virtue." (ESVSB)

8 = The people of Israel are handed over by God to Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. They will be in bondage for 8 more years. The people would most likely have felt that they were back in Egypt.

9 = We see that the people of Israel cry out to the Lord and He raises up Othniel. It makes me wonder if they waited for 8 years to cry out to God...Had they gotten that far from Him? Had they forgotten?

10-11 = The Spirit is with Othniel and Israel advances its territory and the people are given rest (or was still). This must have been a very peaceful and enjoyable time in Israel, but....

12-14 = You'll never guess!!! The people do evil in the sight of the LORD again...and they are handed over for 18 years to Eglon, king of Moab.

15-26 = Once again the people finally cry out to the LORD for deliverance and they are given a man named Ehud. Ehud proceeds to kill Eglon in an interesting way. Most people fought with their right hand so it was unexpected that he would use the dagger in his left hand.

20 = "Ehud was not being deceptive when he declared he had “a word from God” for Eglon and then killed him. God’s messages were not always messages of well being or hope; they were, at times, messages of judgment and death. Nor were they always verbal; the Hebrew term for “word” (dabar) can mean “matter” or “thing.” (ASB)

27-30 = A change of heart happens with the people of Israel. They rally around Ehud and defeat the Moabites. Because they relied on God and trusted in His faithfulness, God gives them rest for 80 years this time. Because of one man having the courage to stand up for His people and God, the land gets rest.

31 = The next Judge was Shamgar. We don't know much about him except that he helped deliver Israel with a simple scraping tool that kept a plow clean.

4

1-3 = Guess What! They did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They are given to Jabin, king of this portion of Canaan. God must once again use another nation to call His people to repentance. They will be kept for 20 years.

4-5 = God raises up not only a judge, but a prophetess, Deborah. She would be a leader for Israel.

6-10 = Barak, a military commander, will not go into battle without Deborah being with him. This shows a lack of faith from Barak. Thus, a woman will get the glory in battle, not Barak.

13-15 = The chariots got stuck in the river Kishon (5:19-22). Sisera was defeated against all possibilities. God had sent a flood so the chariots would get stuck.

18-22 = Jael kills Sisera, thus getting the glory rather than Barak as Deborah has prophecied.

24 = It seems like the battle must have continued for a time until Jabin was defeated.

5

1 = "Deborah’s and Barak’s song of delight over the destruction of their enemies may strike one as a perversion of God’s love for all people. Such a reaction would be superficial. God had directed that the Canaanites be exterminated because of their perversion. Their slaughter was both justified, because God had sentenced them to death, and praiseworthy, because Israel had fought the battle in obedience to God’s command. Furthermore, Deborah and Barak gave credit to the Lord for the victory." (ASB)

10-11 = "All classes of society were to bear witness to the mighty acts of God, from the ruling classes (those riding on white donkeys) to the lowest classes (those who walk by the way, i.e., along the road). Watering places were public places where the entire community gathered." (ESVSB)

13-18 = The other tribes are mentioned and thanked with the song.

23 = Meroz is cursed because they did not help.

24-27 = Jael is praised for killing Sisera.

28-31 = Final Praises to God! It reminds me of Psalm 37:6, "He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Day #89

Sermon - Audio
Judges 1-2 - Audio
Judges 1-2 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

The name of the book of Judges comes from the title given to the 12 leaders ("judges," whose temporary leadership was both civil and military) of Israel during the period between Joshua and Samuel. The book is anonymous; nowhere in Scripture is any author indicated. The book consists of various blocks of material about different judges, which conceivably could have been written by multiple authors over a period of time. Late Jewish tradition ascribes authorship to Samuel, which is certainly possible. However, in the end, the book's author is not known. RSV Study Bible

Purpose: The book of Judges was written to show the consequences of religious apostasy and to point the way to a king who, if righteous, would lead the people to God. In contrast to the serene way in which the book of Joshua ends-with all Israel obeying God's commands, for the most part-the book of Judges shows that, in fact, Israel began to disobey God even during the time of Joshua. This disobedience continued and grew more serious-and more debased-throughout the period of the judges. Time and again Israel turned its back on God and embraced the gods and the ways of the Canaanites, as the introductory summary in 2:16-23 indicates. Israel's history unfolded in this period in a cyclical or repetitive way: each cycle took Israel further downward in its debasement and apostasy. By the end of the book, Israel had violated its covenant with God in almost every way imaginable. RSV Study Bible

Chapter 1

Soon after Joshua died, Israel began to lose its firm grip on the land. Although Joshua was a great military leader, Israel missed his spiritual leadership even more. Joshua was able to keep the people focused on the Lord. Joshua was the obvious successor to Moses, but there was no obvious successor to Joshua. Under Joshua, Israel and all of the tribes started very strong, but soon got side tracked by fear, lack of faith, and other gods.

One of the biggest failures on Israel's part was to not drive out all of the peoples from the land. This seems cruel and inhumane to our modern ears. (Although, in many places of the world this 'conquest' would not seem all that surprising.) The Israelites were under God's order to execute judgment on the wickedness of Canaan. The other nations were to be judged for their sin as God had judged Israel by forcing them to wander 40 years before they were allowed to enter the promised land. It is also note-worthy that God did not give Israel a pass, because eventually they too would be severely punished for becoming as evil as the people that they were ordered to drive out.

Chapter 2

2.1-5 The angel of the Lord could have been a manifestation of the Lord, or an angel that was speaking for God. He announces that Israel has failed to drive out the Canaanites and the difficult days are coming. The angel appears in other places in this book. The ESV Study Bible suggests that this angel was sent because people were not allowed to see God and live. For examples of what happens when humans see God check out Isaiah 6.1-6; Revelation 1.12-17.

2.6-10 Joshua's death is recorded here along with the death of his entire generation. We see a devastating critique of parents failing to live up to their covenant promises in vs. 10 (And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel). Not many Christians in North American worship idols like the gods of Canaan. But we have sacrificed our children on the altar of 'self.' God's rule in our lives has been replaced by telling our children that they are the "Center of the Universe." The message has been, "Your story is more important than God's story." This kind of idol worship plays itself out in a number of ways in Western Michigan. We see staggering biblical illiteracy among the church's young , but more time for sports, school, band, or whatever activity is making them feel affirmed and 'special.' Often when young people do serve we want to classify them as 'super-apostles,' instead of humble servants. We are only 1 generation from having no church.

The remaining parts of chapter 2 introduce cycles of idol worship, rebellion, and grace.


December 31 is a great time for us to examine these cycles in our own lives and begin to make changes that honor God. "One Day at a Time"


Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Step 7 - Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

The following comes from the "Daily Reflections" book from AA

......we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. AA Big Book, p 86

When said sincerely, this prayer teaches me to be truly unselfish and humble, for even in doing good deeds I often used to seek approval and glory for myself. By examining my motives in all that I do, I can be of service to God and others, helping them do what they want to do. When I put God in charge of my thinking, much needless worry is eliminated and I believe He guides me throughout the day. When I eliminate thoughts of self-pity, dishonesty and self-centeredness as soon as they enter my mind, I find peace with God, my neighbor and myself. Reflections, p 119