Judges 16
The great downfall of Samson and his great redemption are both found in Judges 16. Samson’s story has been one of ups and downs. It has been confusing at times, and sometimes it does not appear as if he truly wanted to follow God. The beginning of Judges 16 continues this downward spiral. The first few verses are probably forgotten with this chapter being the story of Delilah, but it begins with Samson going into the home of a prostitute. How could Samson make this foolish decision after seeing God at work in Judges 15? Well the answer is that he is human, just like the Israelites before him, and just like us. We are all prone to wander from God, even after we have seen Him work in some mighty way.
Samson’s story only gets worse as Delilah comes into the story. She had been bribed by the Philistines to find the source of Samson’s strength. They had taken notice to Samson’s incredible strength and the great things he had done for Israel. They were frightened by him and knew that the only way to deal with him was to remove his source of strength. Delilah accepted the bribe and went to Samson. Upon their first encounter, Samson refused to tell her his secret. Instead, he lied about it. Delilah took that information and went to the Philistines. When they came to deal with him in the same manner that he had told Delilah, you would think that would have clued him in about Delilah’s intentions. However, he did not catch on. This happened two other times, and both times, Samson lied to Delilah.
However, Samson eventually gave in. Although it should have been obvious as to what Delilah was up to, Samson let her get into his mind. He let her constant requests eventually break him down. He finally told her the real source of his strength, that being his hair. In a moment of weakness, he gave away his secret, but he also gave something else away. Not only did he end up losing his hair that had never been cut, but he also broke the vow that he had with God, the Nazirite Vow. Yes, his strength was in his hair, but more importantly, his strength came from God. In breaking his vow, he in effect drove God away from him. Part of the reason he lost his strength was because he did not have his hair, but the main reason he lost his strength was because God chose to remove His power from Samson.
So Samson lost his hair as well as God’s help. He was at the lowest point in his life that he had ever been. The Philistines gouged out his eyes and made him a prisoner. Then, they went to a celebration for their god and made Samson their source of entertainment. They brought him out in the midst of the 3,000 Philistines and mocked him. At his lowest point, Samson came to an understanding of his sin. He realized his mistakes and asked God to give him his strength back one last time. God granted his request, and Samson was able to bring the building down that the Philistines had strapped him to. In that one single blow, Samson killed 3,000 Philistines as well as himself. He sacrificed himself for the sake of his people. Earlier in Samson’s story it had seemed as if he was getting away with his sins and mistakes. He would mess up, and God would continue to work through him. It really did not seem fair, but God had given Samson a second chance. Samson did end up paying the consequences for his sins and mistakes in a series of harsh circumstances, but in the end he came back to God and was able to be the man God had called him to be.
Matt
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Judges 15
Judges 15
As we have seen already, the story of Samson can be confusing. In one sense, he is a man of God who is on a specific mission for God. He had received a high calling from God to be a Nazirite and to eventually be Israel’s next judge. Despite his calling, Samson made a series of mistakes, yet his mistakes were not always obvious. At times, his mistakes began with good intentions, but he would misspeak or make one foolish decision. Ultimately, Samson was not holding up to his end of the vow that he had made with God. As a result, he would eventually have to suffer for those consequences. God still planned on using Samson, but that did not mean that Samson would get away with his sinful actions.
In Judges 15, Samson begins to try to redeem himself. His mistakes had led to him not having his wife any longer. His father-in-law took his wife away from him and gave her to another man because he did not think that Samson truly loved her. So Samson retaliated. After all, these were the Philistines that he was dealing with, the very people God was going to destroy in order to liberate Israel. Samson tied 150 pairs of foxes’ tails together (300 foxes) and set a torch on fire that was also tied to their tales. The foxes rushed into the city and destroyed it. When the people found out Samson had done this, they killed his wife and father-in-law, and Samson promised revenge.
Maybe Samson had made a mistake in his marriage at times, but ultimately his mistakes got him back on track. He was reminded of his mission and purpose, and his mind was once again set on destroying the Philistines. Many of us know what God has planned for us, but there are those times in which we get distracted from that mission. It is at those times in which we sometimes need something to grab our attention. We should learn from Samson that the most important place to be in life is at the center of God’s will. Life will be miserable when we are not. So when we find ourselves in places we know we should not be, we must get back into the Word, back into prayer, and back on mission for God.
Even when we are back where we should be, that does not mean that life will be easy. For Samson, once had he refocused on the mission he was called to, tragedy struck. His own people tied him up as an offering to the Philistines. The Israelites feared that the Philistines would punish them because of what Samson had done. So they were trying to get rid of Samson while they could. But once they had brought him to the Philistines, God worked through Samson again, giving him the strength to kill 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey. Samson was willing to let God use him again, and as a result, he was able to accomplish great things for God, even in the midst of the troubles of his life. This set Samson up as the next judge of Israel, and he did so for 20 years.
Matt
As we have seen already, the story of Samson can be confusing. In one sense, he is a man of God who is on a specific mission for God. He had received a high calling from God to be a Nazirite and to eventually be Israel’s next judge. Despite his calling, Samson made a series of mistakes, yet his mistakes were not always obvious. At times, his mistakes began with good intentions, but he would misspeak or make one foolish decision. Ultimately, Samson was not holding up to his end of the vow that he had made with God. As a result, he would eventually have to suffer for those consequences. God still planned on using Samson, but that did not mean that Samson would get away with his sinful actions.
In Judges 15, Samson begins to try to redeem himself. His mistakes had led to him not having his wife any longer. His father-in-law took his wife away from him and gave her to another man because he did not think that Samson truly loved her. So Samson retaliated. After all, these were the Philistines that he was dealing with, the very people God was going to destroy in order to liberate Israel. Samson tied 150 pairs of foxes’ tails together (300 foxes) and set a torch on fire that was also tied to their tales. The foxes rushed into the city and destroyed it. When the people found out Samson had done this, they killed his wife and father-in-law, and Samson promised revenge.
Maybe Samson had made a mistake in his marriage at times, but ultimately his mistakes got him back on track. He was reminded of his mission and purpose, and his mind was once again set on destroying the Philistines. Many of us know what God has planned for us, but there are those times in which we get distracted from that mission. It is at those times in which we sometimes need something to grab our attention. We should learn from Samson that the most important place to be in life is at the center of God’s will. Life will be miserable when we are not. So when we find ourselves in places we know we should not be, we must get back into the Word, back into prayer, and back on mission for God.
Even when we are back where we should be, that does not mean that life will be easy. For Samson, once had he refocused on the mission he was called to, tragedy struck. His own people tied him up as an offering to the Philistines. The Israelites feared that the Philistines would punish them because of what Samson had done. So they were trying to get rid of Samson while they could. But once they had brought him to the Philistines, God worked through Samson again, giving him the strength to kill 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey. Samson was willing to let God use him again, and as a result, he was able to accomplish great things for God, even in the midst of the troubles of his life. This set Samson up as the next judge of Israel, and he did so for 20 years.
Matt
Monday, October 11, 2010
Judges 14
Judges 14
Samson’s story begins with him searching for a wife. The Philistines were still ruling over Israel at this time, and Samson had not been set up as the new judge yet. But the problem that seems to arise in the opening verses of Judges 14 is that he is searching for a Philistine wife. Instead of finding someone from his own group of people, which is what his parents would have preferred, Samson sought for one from the Philistines. What his parents did not know was that this was the Lord’s plan. This arrangement would help Samson’s attempts to over throw the Philistines. But the reason this seems like such a problem I think comes from the way that Samson requested this woman. Instead of clarifying that this was from God, Samson told his father that he wanted her because “she was right in his eyes.” After what Manoah and his wife had been through prior to Samson’s birth, they would have more than likely believed that it was God’s plan if Samson had just old them that.
Samson’s questionable ways continue as he prepares to go and get his new wife. On the way it seems as if he is doing just as God would have him do for God gives him the strength to kill a lion that was about to attack. He killed the lion and saved his family. Then, on the way back home with his new wife, he scoops out some honey from the dead body of the lion (where some bees had been) and eats it. Furthermore, he gives some to his parents. There were laws in Israel about not touching dead bodies. So not only did Samson break this law, but he also tricked his parents into doing the same by not being straightforward with them. Of course, they did not question where Samson got the honey, but why would they think it came from somewhere that was considered unclean, especially after knowing what great plans God had for him?
Next, Samson wrote a riddle that explained what he had done, but he did not share the answer with anyone. This caused his wife’s people to become angry with him. They wanted to solve the riddle, and to do so, they manipulated his wife to manipulate him into giving them the answer so that they could receive his reward. Samson ended up telling his wife the answer, and she in turn told her people. They then went to Samson with the answer, and he was bound to do as he had promised. However, he refused to uphold his end of the deal because of the way in which they found out the answer. God gave him the strength to kill these men for their evil deeds.
The story of Samson and the story of his parents are rather confusing. Samson was supposed to be a man of God, the next judge of Israel. He was called to be a Nazirite but was not living up to that calling. He did things as he wanted them done and did not always consult God first. Yet when he was in times of trouble, God helped him out in order to protect him. Why would God help out someone who was trying to live their life on their own strength with what seemed to be not much concern for God? Furthermore, his father had struggled with his faith in Judges 13, questioning God’s promises, yet God still came through for him in allowing Samson to be born. Ultimately, God had bigger plans. He was not going to allow Manoah’s and Samson’s mistakes to mess up His plans. He was still going to deliver Israel from their enemies as He had promised, and He was still going to use Samson.
Yet even that seems unfair, would God not be rewarding Samson, even with Samson seeming to have no concern for Him? This question will be answered in the next two chapters, but for the time understand this: It may seem as if people get away with their sins at times. That does not mean that they will not endure consequences. God promises that there will be consequences for sins. Even if it seems unfair to us when we see people “getting off the hook,” we must continue to follow God’s commands. They will suffer the consequences eventually, and instead of worrying about what they are doing, we should be more concerned about our own obedience. Even more importantly, we should reach out to those people, and show them how God would have them live.
Matt
Samson’s story begins with him searching for a wife. The Philistines were still ruling over Israel at this time, and Samson had not been set up as the new judge yet. But the problem that seems to arise in the opening verses of Judges 14 is that he is searching for a Philistine wife. Instead of finding someone from his own group of people, which is what his parents would have preferred, Samson sought for one from the Philistines. What his parents did not know was that this was the Lord’s plan. This arrangement would help Samson’s attempts to over throw the Philistines. But the reason this seems like such a problem I think comes from the way that Samson requested this woman. Instead of clarifying that this was from God, Samson told his father that he wanted her because “she was right in his eyes.” After what Manoah and his wife had been through prior to Samson’s birth, they would have more than likely believed that it was God’s plan if Samson had just old them that.
Samson’s questionable ways continue as he prepares to go and get his new wife. On the way it seems as if he is doing just as God would have him do for God gives him the strength to kill a lion that was about to attack. He killed the lion and saved his family. Then, on the way back home with his new wife, he scoops out some honey from the dead body of the lion (where some bees had been) and eats it. Furthermore, he gives some to his parents. There were laws in Israel about not touching dead bodies. So not only did Samson break this law, but he also tricked his parents into doing the same by not being straightforward with them. Of course, they did not question where Samson got the honey, but why would they think it came from somewhere that was considered unclean, especially after knowing what great plans God had for him?
Next, Samson wrote a riddle that explained what he had done, but he did not share the answer with anyone. This caused his wife’s people to become angry with him. They wanted to solve the riddle, and to do so, they manipulated his wife to manipulate him into giving them the answer so that they could receive his reward. Samson ended up telling his wife the answer, and she in turn told her people. They then went to Samson with the answer, and he was bound to do as he had promised. However, he refused to uphold his end of the deal because of the way in which they found out the answer. God gave him the strength to kill these men for their evil deeds.
The story of Samson and the story of his parents are rather confusing. Samson was supposed to be a man of God, the next judge of Israel. He was called to be a Nazirite but was not living up to that calling. He did things as he wanted them done and did not always consult God first. Yet when he was in times of trouble, God helped him out in order to protect him. Why would God help out someone who was trying to live their life on their own strength with what seemed to be not much concern for God? Furthermore, his father had struggled with his faith in Judges 13, questioning God’s promises, yet God still came through for him in allowing Samson to be born. Ultimately, God had bigger plans. He was not going to allow Manoah’s and Samson’s mistakes to mess up His plans. He was still going to deliver Israel from their enemies as He had promised, and He was still going to use Samson.
Yet even that seems unfair, would God not be rewarding Samson, even with Samson seeming to have no concern for Him? This question will be answered in the next two chapters, but for the time understand this: It may seem as if people get away with their sins at times. That does not mean that they will not endure consequences. God promises that there will be consequences for sins. Even if it seems unfair to us when we see people “getting off the hook,” we must continue to follow God’s commands. They will suffer the consequences eventually, and instead of worrying about what they are doing, we should be more concerned about our own obedience. Even more importantly, we should reach out to those people, and show them how God would have them live.
Matt
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Judges 13
Judges 13
Israel endured one of the hardest times in their nation’s history up to this point under the Ammonites. The time leading up to Jephthah’s reign was a dark period in their history, for God had declared that He was not going to help them overcome their enemies any longer. After Jephthah’s intervention, and a period of more than 25 years of peace, you would think that Israel would stay on track. But we have to remember that more than likely this was a new generation in Judges 13. Some of the men might have remembered the days of Jephthah and the judges that followed, but there were probably many new Israelites at this point. They turned away from the Lord, and entered into another incredibly dark point of history. For another 40 years, Israel endured hardships under the hands of the Philistines.
Even in the midst of their struggles, God was at work yet again. He was preparing to deliver Israel from the hands of their enemies. But after all they had done, why would God deliver them? He was not planning on delivering them because of them. After the way they had treated Him, how could He reward them by rescuing them from their afflictions? As God always does, He was doing it for His glory. Every time God rescued Israel or protected one of His children, He was the one who received the glory. We must be careful to remember this today as well. It is easy to take the glory for something that God accomplishes through us. When we have great success, our human nature wants to seek the fame and honor for it. We must be careful to give that to God, for He is the only one who deserves the glory.
God’s plan this time was to raise up another judge, one who would be a Nazirite, a holy man. He went to Manoah and his wife, sending an angel to Manoah’s wife to tell her of the son she was about to have. He warned her to be careful what she drink and how she lived during this time so that the baby would be pure. Then, once the young boy was born, she was to follow a specific set of instructions for he was to be a Nazirite. She accepted all the angel told her by faith, but when she told her husband, it seems as if he had some doubts. He seemed to believe his wife, but he wanted to speak to the angel himself, and he wanted further instructions. Instead of believing his wife and following the instructions they had, he asked for more. God agreed and sent the angel again, and this time they both heard the instructions, but the angel did not tell them anything new.
Manoah then decided to honor this man and thank him for the message, but it almost appeared as if Manoah was close to worshipping this angel (although he did not know it was an angel). Before he went too far, the angel warned him not to do so and encouraged him to give a sacrifice to God instead. Manoah did as he was told and thanked God for the message and promise that they had received. It became clear to them that this man was truly an angel sent by God, and Manoah and his wife worshipped God. But after seeing the angel return to Heaven in the midst of the burnt offering, Manoah feared for his life, fearing that he had seen God. He told his wife that they would surely die. Again, Manoah did not completely understand everything. If he died, how would God’s promises come true? His wife assured him that they would be alright for they had just been told that they would soon have a son. God fulfilled His promise and gave them Samson some time later.
It is easy to beat up on Manoah in this passage, but I wonder how I would have reacted to such an extraordinary situation. Manoah’s biggest problem, however, was a lack of faith. He wanted to believe what his wife had told him, but by calling for the angel again, he showed that he was not fully convinced. Then in the end when he was fearing for his life, it seemed as if he had forgotten the promise that had just been made to him. When God makes a promise, He keeps it! We never have to wonder if God is going to do all that He says He will. We can trust that God will never lie to us and will always be there for us. It is easy to lose faith, and we will probably find ourselves in Manoah’s position at some point in our lives (and many of us have probably already done so). In those moments, we must learn to trust God.
Matt
Israel endured one of the hardest times in their nation’s history up to this point under the Ammonites. The time leading up to Jephthah’s reign was a dark period in their history, for God had declared that He was not going to help them overcome their enemies any longer. After Jephthah’s intervention, and a period of more than 25 years of peace, you would think that Israel would stay on track. But we have to remember that more than likely this was a new generation in Judges 13. Some of the men might have remembered the days of Jephthah and the judges that followed, but there were probably many new Israelites at this point. They turned away from the Lord, and entered into another incredibly dark point of history. For another 40 years, Israel endured hardships under the hands of the Philistines.
Even in the midst of their struggles, God was at work yet again. He was preparing to deliver Israel from the hands of their enemies. But after all they had done, why would God deliver them? He was not planning on delivering them because of them. After the way they had treated Him, how could He reward them by rescuing them from their afflictions? As God always does, He was doing it for His glory. Every time God rescued Israel or protected one of His children, He was the one who received the glory. We must be careful to remember this today as well. It is easy to take the glory for something that God accomplishes through us. When we have great success, our human nature wants to seek the fame and honor for it. We must be careful to give that to God, for He is the only one who deserves the glory.
God’s plan this time was to raise up another judge, one who would be a Nazirite, a holy man. He went to Manoah and his wife, sending an angel to Manoah’s wife to tell her of the son she was about to have. He warned her to be careful what she drink and how she lived during this time so that the baby would be pure. Then, once the young boy was born, she was to follow a specific set of instructions for he was to be a Nazirite. She accepted all the angel told her by faith, but when she told her husband, it seems as if he had some doubts. He seemed to believe his wife, but he wanted to speak to the angel himself, and he wanted further instructions. Instead of believing his wife and following the instructions they had, he asked for more. God agreed and sent the angel again, and this time they both heard the instructions, but the angel did not tell them anything new.
Manoah then decided to honor this man and thank him for the message, but it almost appeared as if Manoah was close to worshipping this angel (although he did not know it was an angel). Before he went too far, the angel warned him not to do so and encouraged him to give a sacrifice to God instead. Manoah did as he was told and thanked God for the message and promise that they had received. It became clear to them that this man was truly an angel sent by God, and Manoah and his wife worshipped God. But after seeing the angel return to Heaven in the midst of the burnt offering, Manoah feared for his life, fearing that he had seen God. He told his wife that they would surely die. Again, Manoah did not completely understand everything. If he died, how would God’s promises come true? His wife assured him that they would be alright for they had just been told that they would soon have a son. God fulfilled His promise and gave them Samson some time later.
It is easy to beat up on Manoah in this passage, but I wonder how I would have reacted to such an extraordinary situation. Manoah’s biggest problem, however, was a lack of faith. He wanted to believe what his wife had told him, but by calling for the angel again, he showed that he was not fully convinced. Then in the end when he was fearing for his life, it seemed as if he had forgotten the promise that had just been made to him. When God makes a promise, He keeps it! We never have to wonder if God is going to do all that He says He will. We can trust that God will never lie to us and will always be there for us. It is easy to lose faith, and we will probably find ourselves in Manoah’s position at some point in our lives (and many of us have probably already done so). In those moments, we must learn to trust God.
Matt
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Judges 11:29-12:15
Judges 11:29-12:15
Jephthah showed great faith in God as the battle drew near, but before the battle, he made a tragic vow to God. Instead of leaving the decision up to God, which he had told the Gileadites he was going to do, he made a deal with God. He showed greater faith in God before he made the vow, for he was basically saying that whatever happened would be God’s will, and that is where he wanted to be. Being outside of God’s will was not the place to be. So if God chose to protect Gilead (and thus Israel), then he would be happy. If the opposite happened, he would also understand and be willing to accept God’s plans. I am not sure why Jephthah’s faith changed. Maybe he grew fearful as the battle drew near. Whatever the reason, the vow he made cost him greatly in the end. God granted him victory in the upcoming battle, but as a result he was committed to sacrificing whatever came out of his house when he arrived home after the battle.
After the battle, which did end up in victory, Jephthah met his daughter who was thrilled to know that they had won the battle. Amidst her happiness, Jephthah mourned. He realized that he had made a foolish vow, and he had to explain his foolish decision to his daughter. This is such a hard passage to understand. Gilead and Israel earned the victory and were protected by God again, and it is great to see His provision. However, to know that it came at the expense of Jephthah’s daughter is tragic. Furthermore, it does seem as if Jephthah lost his faith in God’s protection. After leaving the decision to God and admitting to being content with whatever God would decide, this vow is tragic not only because he lost his daughter, but also because he lost his faith in God. The battle might have ended badly, but even in those hard times of life, we must understand that God is still in control. He still has a plan, and as His children we must continue to trust Him no matter what happens to us in this life.
Jephthah had to sacrifice his daughter, but that only showed his commitment to God. It was a tragic mistake, but he went through with his vow knowing that he could not break his promise to God. After seeing the protection God gave him, even in the midst of his fallen nature, he became even more committed to God. He also became the next judge in Israel, judging for six years. During that time he had a disagreement with the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim had not come to help him in battle when he asked for it, and now that he had power over the Ammonites, the Ephraimites were jealous. They fought against Jephthah, and Jephthah overcame them.
After his reign over Israel, three other judges arose. First, Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. After him, Elon judged Israel for ten years. Finally, Abdon judged Israel for eight years. Not much is known about these three men other than where they were from and where they died. The text also does not say whether Israel had times of disobedience between these judges or not. Knowing the cycle that Israel has gone through throughout the entire book of Judges, it would appear as if they did, but since the text does not say that, we cannot assume it either. It is possible that these 25 years was a string of peace under the rule of these three judges and the Israelites followed God that entire time.
Matt
Jephthah showed great faith in God as the battle drew near, but before the battle, he made a tragic vow to God. Instead of leaving the decision up to God, which he had told the Gileadites he was going to do, he made a deal with God. He showed greater faith in God before he made the vow, for he was basically saying that whatever happened would be God’s will, and that is where he wanted to be. Being outside of God’s will was not the place to be. So if God chose to protect Gilead (and thus Israel), then he would be happy. If the opposite happened, he would also understand and be willing to accept God’s plans. I am not sure why Jephthah’s faith changed. Maybe he grew fearful as the battle drew near. Whatever the reason, the vow he made cost him greatly in the end. God granted him victory in the upcoming battle, but as a result he was committed to sacrificing whatever came out of his house when he arrived home after the battle.
After the battle, which did end up in victory, Jephthah met his daughter who was thrilled to know that they had won the battle. Amidst her happiness, Jephthah mourned. He realized that he had made a foolish vow, and he had to explain his foolish decision to his daughter. This is such a hard passage to understand. Gilead and Israel earned the victory and were protected by God again, and it is great to see His provision. However, to know that it came at the expense of Jephthah’s daughter is tragic. Furthermore, it does seem as if Jephthah lost his faith in God’s protection. After leaving the decision to God and admitting to being content with whatever God would decide, this vow is tragic not only because he lost his daughter, but also because he lost his faith in God. The battle might have ended badly, but even in those hard times of life, we must understand that God is still in control. He still has a plan, and as His children we must continue to trust Him no matter what happens to us in this life.
Jephthah had to sacrifice his daughter, but that only showed his commitment to God. It was a tragic mistake, but he went through with his vow knowing that he could not break his promise to God. After seeing the protection God gave him, even in the midst of his fallen nature, he became even more committed to God. He also became the next judge in Israel, judging for six years. During that time he had a disagreement with the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim had not come to help him in battle when he asked for it, and now that he had power over the Ammonites, the Ephraimites were jealous. They fought against Jephthah, and Jephthah overcame them.
After his reign over Israel, three other judges arose. First, Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. After him, Elon judged Israel for ten years. Finally, Abdon judged Israel for eight years. Not much is known about these three men other than where they were from and where they died. The text also does not say whether Israel had times of disobedience between these judges or not. Knowing the cycle that Israel has gone through throughout the entire book of Judges, it would appear as if they did, but since the text does not say that, we cannot assume it either. It is possible that these 25 years was a string of peace under the rule of these three judges and the Israelites followed God that entire time.
Matt
Friday, October 8, 2010
Judges 10:1-11:28
Judges 10:1-11:28
Two more judges arose at the beginning of Judges 10, ruling for a total of 50 years. This was another great time for Israel, but as always, once both Tola and Jair were gone, Israel went back to its wicked ways. For 18 years, several nations surrounding Israel, including the Philistines, enslaved the Israelites. They were overtaken by these foreign nations and endured significant punishment. Israel again realized their mistakes and cried out to God. As often as this happens in their history, it almost becomes frustrating. It seems as if they only cry out to God for deliverance, and I sometimes wonder if they are truly repentant. The text is clear in Judges 10 that Israel recognized their sin and chose to turn away from it and turn back to God. That is crucial! We might admit that we have done something wrong, and we might tell people we are sorry for doing it. But how many times do we sorry without actually meaning it? Repentance is much bigger than just saying “sorry” to someone. Repentance is choosing to turn away from that sin for good. For Israel that meant turning away from all the false gods that they had been worshipping.
Repentance for us could be a variety of things. We all struggle with something specific at some point in our lives, and we have to decide whether we are going to continue to live in that sin or turn back to God. Saying sorry is not good enough. Also, we cannot turn back to that sin days later. Now you might be tempted to think that that is exactly what Israel did, and that is what Judges shows; however, we must understand the timeline of Judges. Judges spans hundreds of years. These judges reign from 20-50 years a piece, and there are significant time gaps between each judges’ reign. So although it is possible that some of the same people turned back to the false gods later in their life, it was more than likely a newer generation. Just as Moses’ generation decided to turn away from God and the next generation chose to follow Him, this generational shift could have been happening in the book of Judges as well. Now while that does not excuse the nation’s actions as a whole, it does show that there were changes in the lives of the individual people. That change is what should happen in our lives as well when we repent of our sins. Repentance is turning away and not turning back.
Sadly, there comes a time when God chooses to give people over to their sin. For Israel, that time had arrived. He had told Moses and Joshua that if Israel turned away from Him and continuously lived in their sin, He would eventually give them over to their sin and turn His back. By the end of Judges 10, Israel found themselves in that position. Although they were seeking after Him again, their continual disobedience had angered God. He did not promise them victory in the battles ahead.
In Judges 11 Jephthah comes on the scene, but not as a judge of Israel. Jephthah was a Gileadite who had been disowned. He was the son of Gilead, but by another woman, and Gilead chose to get rid of Jephthah, not allowing him to have any part of the land. Yet when Gilead found themselves under attack from the Ammonites (the same group of people who was attacking Israel at the time), they rushed to Jephthah for help. Obviously, he wanted no part in it after the way they had treated him, but he saw that they needed help. He agreed to help them on one condition: that if God allowed them to win the battle, they appoint him as their leader. Notice though that he was saying from the start that he was not expecting to get the victory himself; instead, it would come from God. He showed more faith in God at the time than Israel did, and he was not even an Israelite. He soon found out from the Ammonites that they were attacking Gilead because they believed it belonged to them (it was part of the land Israel had conquered under Moses on their way to the Promised Land). Gideon responded by saying that their problems with Israel had nothing to do with Gilead. They had no reason to start a war against Gilead for their disagreements were with Israel. Gilead did not pursue the battle either; instead, he left the results up to God. He knew that God had a plan, and He was willing to wait and see if God had chosen to give them the victory or not.
Matt
Two more judges arose at the beginning of Judges 10, ruling for a total of 50 years. This was another great time for Israel, but as always, once both Tola and Jair were gone, Israel went back to its wicked ways. For 18 years, several nations surrounding Israel, including the Philistines, enslaved the Israelites. They were overtaken by these foreign nations and endured significant punishment. Israel again realized their mistakes and cried out to God. As often as this happens in their history, it almost becomes frustrating. It seems as if they only cry out to God for deliverance, and I sometimes wonder if they are truly repentant. The text is clear in Judges 10 that Israel recognized their sin and chose to turn away from it and turn back to God. That is crucial! We might admit that we have done something wrong, and we might tell people we are sorry for doing it. But how many times do we sorry without actually meaning it? Repentance is much bigger than just saying “sorry” to someone. Repentance is choosing to turn away from that sin for good. For Israel that meant turning away from all the false gods that they had been worshipping.
Repentance for us could be a variety of things. We all struggle with something specific at some point in our lives, and we have to decide whether we are going to continue to live in that sin or turn back to God. Saying sorry is not good enough. Also, we cannot turn back to that sin days later. Now you might be tempted to think that that is exactly what Israel did, and that is what Judges shows; however, we must understand the timeline of Judges. Judges spans hundreds of years. These judges reign from 20-50 years a piece, and there are significant time gaps between each judges’ reign. So although it is possible that some of the same people turned back to the false gods later in their life, it was more than likely a newer generation. Just as Moses’ generation decided to turn away from God and the next generation chose to follow Him, this generational shift could have been happening in the book of Judges as well. Now while that does not excuse the nation’s actions as a whole, it does show that there were changes in the lives of the individual people. That change is what should happen in our lives as well when we repent of our sins. Repentance is turning away and not turning back.
Sadly, there comes a time when God chooses to give people over to their sin. For Israel, that time had arrived. He had told Moses and Joshua that if Israel turned away from Him and continuously lived in their sin, He would eventually give them over to their sin and turn His back. By the end of Judges 10, Israel found themselves in that position. Although they were seeking after Him again, their continual disobedience had angered God. He did not promise them victory in the battles ahead.
In Judges 11 Jephthah comes on the scene, but not as a judge of Israel. Jephthah was a Gileadite who had been disowned. He was the son of Gilead, but by another woman, and Gilead chose to get rid of Jephthah, not allowing him to have any part of the land. Yet when Gilead found themselves under attack from the Ammonites (the same group of people who was attacking Israel at the time), they rushed to Jephthah for help. Obviously, he wanted no part in it after the way they had treated him, but he saw that they needed help. He agreed to help them on one condition: that if God allowed them to win the battle, they appoint him as their leader. Notice though that he was saying from the start that he was not expecting to get the victory himself; instead, it would come from God. He showed more faith in God at the time than Israel did, and he was not even an Israelite. He soon found out from the Ammonites that they were attacking Gilead because they believed it belonged to them (it was part of the land Israel had conquered under Moses on their way to the Promised Land). Gideon responded by saying that their problems with Israel had nothing to do with Gilead. They had no reason to start a war against Gilead for their disagreements were with Israel. Gilead did not pursue the battle either; instead, he left the results up to God. He knew that God had a plan, and He was willing to wait and see if God had chosen to give them the victory or not.
Matt
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Judges 9
Judges 9
This next low point in Israel’s history actually began with Gideon. The end of Judges 8 says that Gideon had several wives and concubines. Furthermore, he had children with women of other nations. The one that would cause the problems was the child he had with a woman from Shechem. The child’s name was Abimelech, and after Gideon’s death, Abimelech returned to his mother’s home. He went back to Shechem seeking to reign over them as their king. He had 70 brothers in Israel, however, and as a nation, they reigned over Shechem. So Abimelech conspired with the people of Shechem and appointed himself as king over their nation. He also killed 69 of his brothers. The youngest, Jotham, hid himself from Abimelech so that he might live.
When the time was right, Jotham went forth and spoke to the people of Shechem and his family. He used a parable about a group of trees searching for a king. In the parable, the trees were seeking for a king amongst all the wrong groups of plants. They asked the olive tree, the fig tree, the vine, and finally the bramble. As each plant denied the request, not wanting to leave what they had been blessed with, the bramble finally stepped up. In taking the role, the bramble warned the trees that they would be blessed if they had appointed him for the right reasons, but if not, they would suffer the consequences under his rule. Jotham paralleled the trees with the men of Shechem and the bramble with Abimelech. He was worried that the men of Shechem had not though the situation through and were stepping out in blindness in appointing Abimelech as their king. He gave them the benefit of the doubt, but he also warned them of the consequences they’d have to pay if it was found that they had not.
Abimelech was leader both in Israel and in Shechem, for there was no one else to step up in Gideon’s role at the time, and the men of Shechem allowed him to have control in their nation as well. Now although God had allowed the Israelites to rule over Shechem and the rest of their enemies during Gideon’s reign, He had not promised this for Abimelech. In fact, the opposite happened as God caused strife to rise between the two nations. Various conflicts arose, and eventually war broke out. Israel had the stronger army, and under Abimelech’s leadership, Israel went and wiped out Shechem. The battle lasted a few days in many different areas, fields, in the town, and on the mountains. But just as Jotham had warned the men of Shechem, they were destroyed because of the foolish decision they had made. They had supported Abimelech in his evil acts against his brothers, and they paid the consequences for it.
Do not think that Abimelech got off the hook either. He was able to completely destroy Shechem, but he paid the consequences as well. God was not happy with how he had treated his brothers and how he had assumed the role he held. God allowed Abimelech to die at the end of the battle. God showed the Israelites once again that He meant what He had told them through Moses and Joshua. If they chose to be obedient, as they had done under Gideon, they would be blessed, and when they chose to be disobedient, as they had been with Abimelech, they would be punished. It truly is amazing how quickly Israel went back and forth between obedience and disobedience, and we should be careful to watch how we are living each day as well. Sometimes, we go back and forth day after day. We too must decide if we are going to follow God’s commands or not.
Matt
This next low point in Israel’s history actually began with Gideon. The end of Judges 8 says that Gideon had several wives and concubines. Furthermore, he had children with women of other nations. The one that would cause the problems was the child he had with a woman from Shechem. The child’s name was Abimelech, and after Gideon’s death, Abimelech returned to his mother’s home. He went back to Shechem seeking to reign over them as their king. He had 70 brothers in Israel, however, and as a nation, they reigned over Shechem. So Abimelech conspired with the people of Shechem and appointed himself as king over their nation. He also killed 69 of his brothers. The youngest, Jotham, hid himself from Abimelech so that he might live.
When the time was right, Jotham went forth and spoke to the people of Shechem and his family. He used a parable about a group of trees searching for a king. In the parable, the trees were seeking for a king amongst all the wrong groups of plants. They asked the olive tree, the fig tree, the vine, and finally the bramble. As each plant denied the request, not wanting to leave what they had been blessed with, the bramble finally stepped up. In taking the role, the bramble warned the trees that they would be blessed if they had appointed him for the right reasons, but if not, they would suffer the consequences under his rule. Jotham paralleled the trees with the men of Shechem and the bramble with Abimelech. He was worried that the men of Shechem had not though the situation through and were stepping out in blindness in appointing Abimelech as their king. He gave them the benefit of the doubt, but he also warned them of the consequences they’d have to pay if it was found that they had not.
Abimelech was leader both in Israel and in Shechem, for there was no one else to step up in Gideon’s role at the time, and the men of Shechem allowed him to have control in their nation as well. Now although God had allowed the Israelites to rule over Shechem and the rest of their enemies during Gideon’s reign, He had not promised this for Abimelech. In fact, the opposite happened as God caused strife to rise between the two nations. Various conflicts arose, and eventually war broke out. Israel had the stronger army, and under Abimelech’s leadership, Israel went and wiped out Shechem. The battle lasted a few days in many different areas, fields, in the town, and on the mountains. But just as Jotham had warned the men of Shechem, they were destroyed because of the foolish decision they had made. They had supported Abimelech in his evil acts against his brothers, and they paid the consequences for it.
Do not think that Abimelech got off the hook either. He was able to completely destroy Shechem, but he paid the consequences as well. God was not happy with how he had treated his brothers and how he had assumed the role he held. God allowed Abimelech to die at the end of the battle. God showed the Israelites once again that He meant what He had told them through Moses and Joshua. If they chose to be obedient, as they had done under Gideon, they would be blessed, and when they chose to be disobedient, as they had been with Abimelech, they would be punished. It truly is amazing how quickly Israel went back and forth between obedience and disobedience, and we should be careful to watch how we are living each day as well. Sometimes, we go back and forth day after day. We too must decide if we are going to follow God’s commands or not.
Matt
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