Dave R Phillips

January 11, 2017

Request for a King

Samuel becomes the leader for Israel; they listened to his advice and rid themselves of the idols that filled their homes.

On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah. 1 Samuel 7:6

The Philistines heard the Israelites were gathered together they devised a plan to attack them. From a military perspective this makes good sense, but not when God is involved! (ok, that sounds a bit weird…God is always involved). Anyway, they attack the Israelites, but God threw them into confusion and the Israelites chased them away, killing many as they fled.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12

And so we understand the verse in the old hymn Come Thou Fount, “Here I lay my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come.”

Samuel was a good and effective leader for Israel, but some bad news:

But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 1 Samuel 8:3

More than bad news, this is sad. As a father, it makes me sad to read about children wandering far from their father’s ways. Surely Joel and Abijah saw the favor with which the Lord looked upon Samuel, let alone all of Israel. Yet somehow, in their minds, they wandered.

Give Us A King!

The Israelites know Samuel’s sons can’t be heirs, they are simply not worthy. Since Samuel is getting old, they approach him and ask him to appoint a king. Samuel asks God for advice and he tells Samuel to give the people what they ask for with a warning to ensure they fully understand. A king means taxes and much more. It changes their organizational structure for sure, but it reveals their inability to trust fully in the Lord.

Samuel warns the people, gives them a long list of problems they can expect by having a king rule over them, but the people insist.

We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles. 1 Samuel 8:19-20

“Then we will be like all other nations…” Exactly what God was teaching them NOT to become. The narrative of the Old Testament to this point has been about making Israel God’s people, set apart from the rest, distinctively different. The Israelites keep resisting–they want to fit into society, to be like those around them.

We are set apart.

It’s not that we are special in and of ourselves, but as Paul tells us,

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17

We are the children of God. We don’t need an earthly king, but the Israelites have chosen a path that will take them on a new journey in a very different wilderness.

And so we begin to see kings of Israel.

January 10, 2017

The Ark Captured; the Ark Returned

1 Samuel 3-6 and Psalm 40

Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40:5

Psalm 40 is personal. It is profound. It is written by King David, a man after God’s own heart. It speaks to me today and truly captures my present circumstance:

I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.
Psalm 40:8

I will make this into something that involves wood and a scrollsaw to serve as a reminder each and every day. It is my #1 desire, to do the will of God. Lord speak to me each day, open my ears to hear each whisper.

The reading in Chapter 3 begins in an interesting way, “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” I certainly can relate in my impatient, microwave mentality as I constantly pray for the Lord to provide a vision!

The Lord calls Samuel in an audible voice, though it takes Eli a few times to figure that out. The imagery is poetic.

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

The Lord tells Samuel he will “carry out” his vengeance on Eli’s family, namely the incredulous Hophni and Phinehas, for their scandalous behavior. Eli encourages Samuel to tell him what the Lord said, not to hold back. He could probably sense Samuel’s reluctance, so he pried it out of him. Eli knew. Sad.

The Ark Captured

The Israelites were camped at Ebenezer and set to fight the Philistines. When defeat entered their camp, the elders called for the Ark to assure them of victory. The Philistines were scared, but rallied behind the call to action, “Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” (1 Samuel 4:9) They were and they did, including running off with the Ark.

During the battle 30,000 foot soldiers died plus Hophni and Phinehas. But the day was not yet done. A messenger ran back to tell Eli the horrible news.

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years. 1 Samuel 4:18

The Philistines took the Ark and place by their god Dagon. The next morning, Dagon was face-planted, so they put Dagon back upright only to find it face-planted and without head and hands. The wizards of the Philistines quickly figured out having the Ark in the same place was a bad idea. They moved it from Ashod to Gath to Ekron. Everywhere they moved it there was trouble so they devised a plan to return the Ark.

The Ark Returned

Basically, the Philistines hitched up “two cows that have calved and have never been yoked” (1 Samuel 6:7) and put them on autopilot set for an Israelite village along with some gold and stuff to appease the Israelite’s God (in their minds). So the Ark was returned. Unfortunately, some curious Israelites looked inside the Ark and died for their transgressions, some 70 people.

Eli and much of his family is dead; now Samuel begins his loyal leadership.

January 9, 2017

Samuel’s Birth

1 Samuel 1-2

Another Ephramite story, this time we read about Elkanah and Hannah. Elkanah truly loved Hannah. Even though she was barren, he gave her extra portions of food and spoke kindly to her, “Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8).

One day, in Hannah’s misery, she began to pray to the Lord silently, weeping bitterly. Eli (the chief priest) saw her lips moving and assumed she was drunk! “Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.'” (1 Samuel 1:13-14). She assured Eli she was not drunk and he blessed her, assuring Hannah that her prayers would be answered. In short order, Hannah became pregnant.

She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Samuel 1:20

Hannah fulfilled her promise to the Lord after he was weaned, very young. She gave “him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Samuel 1:11).

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.1 Samuel 1:27-28

Hannah’s Prayer. The first half of chapter 2 contains Hannah’s prayer. 1 Samuel 2:1-11 Later on, she would have 3 more sons and 2 daughters. Truly blessed!

Eli’s Wicked Sons. The narrative takes a sudden change in verse 12: “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.” It’s interesting to know that the “preacher’s kids” are not honorable like the preacher. Depressing as well. Eli rebuked them, but they ignored him as a stereotypical teenager in modern times. “His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.” (1 Samuel 2:25)

But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 1 Samuel 2:30

The wickedness of the sons cannot be ignored by God. The promise is this: And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.” (1 Samuel 2:34)

Samuel begins.

January 8, 2017

Ruth

Ruth 1-4

The story of Ruth takes place “in the days when the judges ruled.” The exact dates are not known, so I must conclude this isn’t central to the theme; rather, just understanding this was during the time of the judges provides all the context needed. Having just read Judges, I would say these were difficult times for the Israelites. Ruth provides an example of tragedy and triumph on a personal level.

Famine drives Elimelek and Naomi and their two sons to Moab to find food. While there, all the men die and Naomi is left with her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi hears that the Lord was providing for Israelites, so she made plans to return to Judah and tells her in-laws to go back to their people. Orpah concedes, but Ruth hangs on.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17

Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem as the harvest was beginning. Naomi is bitter, but no doubt happy to be home. Ruth makes plans to glean from the harvest to support them. This turns out to be a wonderful blessing as she gleans in Boaz’s field, a man from Elimelek’s clan. Boaz notices Ruth and instructs his people to treat her well. There’s no indication of lustful desire or love at first sight. It may be that Boaz was really a man of integrity, one who knew the backstory of Naomi and had compassion, even sympathy for Ruth. Boaz approaches Ruth and tells her to glean with the other women, have water when she’s thirsty, etc. Ruth knows this is special treatment and asks, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me–a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10).

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. Ruth 2:11

Boaz treats Ruth with great kindness, an example for us all to consider. He has nothing to gain by taking in Ruth. No particular honor, no prize or reward. He is however earning eternal rewards by inviting this foreigner into the fold.

Ruth goes home with a bundle from the harvest and Naomi is overjoyed (my term). It turns out that Boaz is a guardian-redeemer, a position in the family for those “responsible for protecting the interests of needy members of the extended family” (NIV Study Bible notes). Naomi has hope.

In Chapter 3 Naomi develops a plan for Ruth, a plan to secure Ruth’s future as a reward for her dedication. She gives Ruth specific instructions about lying down next to Boaz, what to do and when.

And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Ruth 3:11

Boaz is really impressed with Ruth and is making plans to invoke his guardian-redeemer wildcard, but there’s a catch: he’s not the closest relative [dramatic music plays, Ruth’s expression is one of confusion] (what a great drama!). Ruth returns after the night with more barley and tells Naomi about the evening.

Chapter 4: Cunning Boaz.

Boaz gathers ten elders and the next-in-line guardian-redeemer for a meeting. He begins by explaining Naomi is selling some land and the next-in-line guardian-redeemer has the first right to make the purchase. He jumps on the offer, but Boaz adds some more information.

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property. Ruth 4:5

Whoa Boaz…deal’s off…you buy the land and the foreigner with it! Part of me thinks this is all a formality, the other redeemer knew about Ruth, that she was gleaning in Boaz’s fields, etc. Not that this dilutes the story, perhaps even strengthens it by showing men of honor during difficult times.

We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. Ruth 4:11

Boaz has a wife and they have a son, a name that is familiar in a lineage that bears the name Jesus.

The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 4:17

The book of Ruth is such a wonderful relief from the dreadful stories in Judges. Here we see men and women of honor acting and behaving in a manner worthy of study. Jesus challenges us all to be kind to those in need (e.g., Matthew 25). Lord help me learn from the men of Ruth. Thank you for providing this story in between Judges and Kings!

January 7, 2017

Micah and the Levite; Benjamites Attacked, Given Wives

Judges 17-21

Micah’s Idols (Chapter 17)

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Judges 17:6

Micah recovers silver for his mother (a LOT of silver), so she sees fit to have an idol created for Micah (along with other household gods). It seems Micah has some recollection about setting up a shrine, installing a priest, etc., so he appoints one of his sons as priest. Voila! He’s in business! Even better, a Levite was passing through, so Micah hired him to be the priest, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.” (Judges 17:13)

The Danites Settle in Laish (Chapter 18)

The Danites were looking for a place to settle, so they sent 5 men out to “spy out the land” and find a suitable area. They stumbled upon Micah and his priest, so they asked for God’s favor. The priest said, “sure!” (ok, that shouldn’t be in quotes). The spies went home, provided their report and mustered 600 men to capture the land. The Danites force, along with the spies, returned to Micah’s house, took the idols and promoted the priest to be a tribal priest (rather than just one family). “The priest was very pleased” (Judges 18:20). Micah confronted them as they departed with his stuff and priest, but they looked fierce, so he “turned around and went back home.” The Danites attacked and burned down Laish, then rebuilt and renamed the town Dan.

A Levite and His Concubine (Chapter 19)

This is a sad story, like many, that begins with unfaithfulness and ends in a Sodom and Gomorrah like episode where the lewd men of Gibeah (Benjamites) rape and kill the Levite’s concubine. The Levite cuts her into 12 pieces and sends a message to each of the tribes.

Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up! Judges 19:30

No kidding, something must be done! What does it take to wake you from your slumber? From complacency? This kind of story MUST raise your blood pressure. Like many stories in modern times, do we react when we hear these?

The Israelites Punish the Benjamites (Chapter 20)

Israel (sans Benjamin) gathered to attack Gibeah. Thousands attacked, thousands died. Ultimately, Gibeah was destroyed to avenge the rape and murder of the concubine. Thousands. Bloodshed doesn’t create happiness.

Wives for the Benjamites (Chapter 21)

The Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,” they said. “How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an other by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?” Judges 21:7

The leaders come up with a couple of plans to secure virgins for the Benjamites and thus keep the tribe alive. First they killed every man and non-virgin in Jabesh Gilead and gave the virgins to the tribe. When that wasn’t enough, they devised a scheme to ambush virgins and haul them away. I’m just going to leave that alone. The last words in Judges capture the sentiment well:

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. Judges 21:25

January 7, 2017

Samson

Judges 13-16

Surprise! The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord…back into the hands of the Philistines for Israel!

The Birth of Samson

A certain man named Manoah and his wife (unnamed) are the parents of Samson. There isn’t much info on the parents, at least not as far as I can see (interesting post here). They are a childless family so in my mind they had little status. An angel visits and tells her she will have a son who will be a Nazirite from birth, she must have no fermented drink or eat unclean food. She tells Manoah about the angel’s visit, but he’s not so sure. My first reaction was a bit suspicious. Perhaps she’s telling you this because she met someone who will allow her to get pregnant. I’m reading between the lines (dangerous), so I’ll stick to the narrative. The angel visits again and repeats the words for Manoah to hear, though he still doesn’t get the part about the visitor actually being an angel! The angel refuses to eat, but suggests a burnt offering for God then ascends in the smoke as it burns away quickly. Manoah and his wife are astounded and he whines, “We are doomed to die!” (Judges 13:22), but his wife calms him down.

“The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson.” (Judges 13:24) No particular fanfare, no wisemen, nothing overly special except that Manoah and his wife knew this was a special child.

Samson’s Marriage and The Riddle

Chapter 14 describes Samson’s desire for a Philistine woman in marriage, the feast, a riddle and Samson’s first super-hero activity (not necessarily a good thing!). His parents disapproved of the choice, after all, they’ve been under the rule of the Philistines for 40 years at this point. Apparently the wedding still happened and during the feast Samson provided a riddle for 30 linen garments and fine sets of clothes. The bride’s “companions” (hired wedding party for the foreigner?) thought this would be fun so they agreed, but couldn’t figure out the riddle.

Out of the eater, something to eat;
out of the strong, something sweet. Judges 14:14

They were baffled so they threaten the bride to tell them the secret. She cried the whole time of the feast (seriously), so Samson gave her the answer. In turn she told the companions so Samson had to pay up!

The the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Judges 14:19

Samson was ticked! He returned to his parents home and his bride was given to one of his “companions.” Not a good week after all.

Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines

Chapter 15 begins, “Later on…” Samson calmed down, took a young goat and went to visit his wife; however, her father refused to let him go into her room. That was a mistake…Samson is seriously mad now! He captures 300 foxes, ties their tails together in pairs, attaches and lights a torch on each pair, then launches them into the Philistine village. “He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.” (Judges 15:5)

The Philistine response, as you might expect: “So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.” Samson was enraged even more! He killed several of the Philistines then went and hid in a cave. Ultimately the Philistines and 3,000 men came to capture Samson, but he routed them with the jawbone of a donkey, striking down 1,000 men.

“Samson led Israel for 20 years in the day of the Philistines” (Judges 15:20)

Samson and Delilah

The NIV Study Bible notes include the point that Samson had some character flaws, no joke. Chapter 16 begins with Samson visiting a prostitute. Great start O leader of Israel! The people realize Samson is there, so they plan to attack him, but he gets up in the middle of the night, rips out the city gate and deposits it (along with its posts) on top of the hill that faces Hebron.

Later, Samson falls in lust with Delilah and the leaders entice her to trap Samson. He might be strong, but wisdom and Samson are not associated with reality. “Tell me the secret of your great strength” became her daily request. Three examples are provided, but apparently she kept on “nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it” (Judges 16:16), so he gave in and told her the truth.

So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” Judges 16:17

The Lord left him.

The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and turned him into a grain grinding animal, but his hair begin to grow again.

The Death of Samson

The Philistines were certain their god (Dagon) delivered Samson into their hands, so they brought him in to be a spectacle during their celebration in their great temple. Samson prayed to God for strength to deliver one final blow to the Philistines. He was led to the pillars that supported the temple, pushed them down and thus destroyed the temple, killed more Philistines than before, but also died in the rubble.

January 6, 2017

Abimelech’s Rebellion; Jephthah

Judges 9-12 and Psalm 38

Abimelech was one of Gideon’s sons, but that’s where the similarity ends. He went to his uncles and convinced them he should be over all of Shechem, collected money from them, hired “reckless scoundrels, who became his followers” (Judges 9:4) and murdered his brothers–except for Jotham who escaped by hiding. Oddly enough we read:

Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king. Judges 9:6

Seriously?

The parable of the trees and the thornbush

Jotham provides some prophetic insight for the people to hear, then goes and hides himself in fear of retaliation. Abimelek governed Israel for 3 years before trouble begins. Gaal son of Ebed attempts a revolve, but is deceived by Zebul and is routed by Abimelek and his men. Abimelek chases people down and burns them alive in a place of refuge.

Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Judges 9:52

Adios Abimelek! “Thus God repaid the wickeness…” In his timing, not ours.

Afterwards: Tola led for 23 years then Jair for 22 years followed by “the Israelites did evil” again! For 18 years the Philistines and Ammonites “shattered and crushed” them. The Israelites cry out to God, but his message is not so joyful:

Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble! Judges 10:14

Enter Jephthah, son of Gilead (his father) with a prostitute for a mother–outcast by his family–a mighty warrior surrounded by scoundrels. A perfect combination of skills and ancestry to lead Israel, right? The whiny Israelites call upon Jephthah to help them, them make a deal. In turn, Jephthah makes a deal with God (I cannot comprehend this vow, but type the notes here):

If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. Judges 11:30-31

So…who comes out of the door? His only child, his very own daughter. Because of his vow he allows her to run free for two months then sacrifices her as promised. Sigh. Unthinkable times.

Jephthah lead Israel for 6 years followed by Ibzan for 7 years, Elon for 10 years and Abdon for 8 years.

These are difficult times, perhaps the worst of days. Lord help us to follow you; open our eyes to clearly see that which is evil and keep us far from temptation!

January 4, 2017

Gideon

Judges 6-8

Forty good years with Deborah leading the Israelites is followed by, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” Here we go again! The Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples were tormenting the Israelites by destroying crops and killing livestock “like swarms of locusts…they invaded the land to ravage it” (Judges 6:5-6). Finally, the people cried out to the Lord and he sent them a prophet.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Judges 6:12-13

Gideon is not convinced he is the guy to deliver the Israelites from the Midians. “Pardon me, my lord…” he continues, but the Lord answers Gideon with the assurance he will be with him. Gideon asks for a sign and the angel agrees by consuming a meal and disappearing! The Lord gives Gideon a task–this is interesting: “Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it” (Judges 6:25). Gideon, with the help of 10 servants, does what the Lord commands, but does it at night so no one can see…seriously, he’s afraid. The people figure it out soon enough and approach Gideon’s father, “Bring out your son. He must die…” But Joash, Gideon’s father makes this remarkable statement:

Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar. Judges 6:31

Here’s the interesting part: Gideon was tasked to break down his father’s altar to Baal and his father immediately comes to Gideon’s defense.

The Fleece and The Dew

This part of the story is significant to me and my journey as one who calls himself a Christ follower. The Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern people (M-A-O) join forces again and begin to torment the Israelites. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet” to summon the tribes to war, but Gideon is unsure of his calling again, so he asks the Lord for a sign:

I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand. Judges 6:37

Ok…done. Now what?

Do not be angry with me…allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew. Judges 6:39

Test #2 completed. God did what Gideon requested.

When I was a preteen, somewhere between 10 and 12, I read this story and asked God for a sign to confirm for me his calling in my life. I took a towel and put it on my bicycle (overnight) and asked God to show he is real by making the towel wet with dew and the ground dry. That test failed, so I tried test two: towel on the bike, make it dry and everything else covered with dew. Failed. Living in Baton Rouge, where the humidity is often in the 90% range, there was dew everywhere and on everything. I was a bit discouraged. It seemed God was not one who listened to prayer. Sigh.

That Sunday (it seems like the second test was on a Saturday) we went to church as usual. I sat with my family and listened to a sermon on Judges 6-8. One of the key points in the sermon was:

Do not think you can test the Lord. He is not your magic genie sitting around waiting for your every demand.

Gulp! Did the pastor know what I was doing this week? Mind you this was back in the 70’s, spy cams were only in fiction!! God spoke to me quite clearly that day and I knew he was indeed real and I would follow him as best I could. I wish I were a better storyteller, that I could somehow craft words to describe this moment better, but this was the event that changed my life for good. I’ve made lots of poor choices that seem to diminish my contribution to Christ, but I remain confident that he will still use me in the last chapters of my life and time here on earth. Please Lord, fill me and use me today!

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

The Lord tells Gideon he has too many men and culls the list down to just 300. The Lord provided the unconventional means to demonstrate his love for Israel,

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. Judges 7:19

The Midianites went crazy! The Lord caused them to turn on each other and they ran out of camp, killing each other in panic. Gideon and his small militia pursued them and killed the leaders.

Another 40 years of peace followed by downfall, “they also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Gideon in spite of all the good things he had done for them (Judges 8:35).

January 3, 2017

Deborah

Judges 4-5

“Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time” (Judges 4:4)…so we begin to read about the 4th judge for Israel: Deborah. Ehud died and for the following 20 years the Israelites “did evil” again.

Deborah tells Barak to take 10,000 men into battle, but Barak is afraid: “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” (Judges 4:8). The women lead strongly in this story. First, Deborah directs Barak, then, when Sisera escapes, Jael drives a tent peg through his head! (Judges 4:21)

Then the land had peace for 40 years.

Chapter 4 provides the story and chapter 5 a song that recounts the highlights.

January 2, 2017

Othniel and Ehud

Judges 1-3 and Psalm 37

The first chapter could have the sub-title: “did not drive out ___” (fill in the blank).

Judah took possession, but were unable to drive the people from the plains (1:19)
Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites (1:21)
Joseph spared a spy (1:25)
Manasseh did not drive out the people (1:27)
Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites (1:29)
Zebulun did not drive out the Canaanites (1:30)
Asher failed (1:31)
Naphtali failed (1:33)

Though they occupied The Promised Land, they did not remove the evil from the land–ultimately this is a fatal mistake.

The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and lead you into the land I swore to give to your ancestor, ‘ said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Judges 2:1-3

Disobedience and Defeat — A Quick Summary of Judges Judges 2:6-23

Joshua’s generation served the Lord well, but the next “generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.” (Judges 2:10-11) This seems crazy from our perspective, but there were many years between the verses in Judges. The Lord sent judges to bail them out of their love for the Baals, “Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them” (2:17).

Othniel & Ehud

The first two judges include Othniel and Ehud. Both were military leaders called on to deliver the people from their troubles.

“Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage” (Judges 1:13).
“Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite” (3:15) secretly assassinated the king of Moab which made the way for 80 years of peace.

Shamgar gets very little attention, but he followed Ehud and “struck down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad” (Judges 3:31). The NIV Study Bible notes that an oxgoad is “a long, wooden rod, sometimes having a metal tip, used for driving draft animals.” So Shamgar was a ninja, but he only gets one verse.

Lord, help us learn from our past!