Judges 13:1-5
From this point until the time of David, the Philistines are the main enemy of the Israelites. Samson's mother was not able to have children. This is not written as if this is something God is doing it to her, but as if it is simply her natural condition. At any rate, it is no problem for God, who is able to work all kinds of miracle and facilitate the creation of new life in her womb.
Just as miraculously, God is able to create new life in our barren sinful hearts and make our lives righteous.
Monday 31 August 2015
Wednesday 26 August 2015
Judges 12:8-15 // Factual
Judges 12:8-15
Three more obscure judges.
Why Ibzan wanted all his sixty children to marry foreigners I don't know.
Why Abdon gave seventy young donkeys to his sons and nephews to ride I don't know.
Why Elon had nothing to be said about him I don't know.
The Bible does not always have a spiritual agenda for recounting something. What about 2 Timothy 3:16? Even without a spiritual agenda, Bible passages are still useful. Anyone trying to reconstruct the history of the judges, needs the record of these obscure judges to be accurate.
God cares about accurate history. God cares about facts.
To ensure that what we say to others is not only sincere but also factual is a challenge. But it is a necessary one.
Three more obscure judges.
Why Ibzan wanted all his sixty children to marry foreigners I don't know.
Why Abdon gave seventy young donkeys to his sons and nephews to ride I don't know.
Why Elon had nothing to be said about him I don't know.
The Bible does not always have a spiritual agenda for recounting something. What about 2 Timothy 3:16? Even without a spiritual agenda, Bible passages are still useful. Anyone trying to reconstruct the history of the judges, needs the record of these obscure judges to be accurate.
God cares about accurate history. God cares about facts.
To ensure that what we say to others is not only sincere but also factual is a challenge. But it is a necessary one.
Sunday 23 August 2015
Judges 12:1-7 // Shibboleth
Judges 12:1-7
Why the Ephraimites hated Jephthah enough to want to murder him is not very clear. Their justification that he should have let them do the fighting sounds like bureaucratic nitpicking. Maybe Ephraim had a special army that was meant to fight off invaders. At any rate the previous judge had been a Gileadite, so there is no clear precedent for this. Besides this, Ephraim had been unable even to defend themselves. Perhaps the Ephraimites were worried about the prospect of a bandit being chief of Gilead.
Whatever their reasons, the Ephraimites raised an army to go and kill Jephthah. It may be that not one of those soldiers made it home. The Gileadites not only defeated the Ephraimites, they guarded their route home and executed them one by one as they tried to escape. They identified their cousins of Ephraim by their accent, they were not able to make a "sh" sound, using the word Shibboleth, which has acquired an idiomatic meaning today.
(Definition of the English idiom here if you want it. The original Hebrew word has the idea "growing, flowing")
Why the Gileadites were so cruel that they wanted to kill every Ephraimite is not clear either, they may have been afraid of the Ephraimites trying another invasion.
What lessons can we take from this closing chapter of Jephthah's life? I see some lessons for church politics. One is that the group in power may be surprised at the result if they make war on the radical and slightly unsavoury people that God is using. Another is that whatever side of a conflict you are on, you may well get hurt. Even though they were practically part of the same tribe, the Gileadites had no mercy on the Ephraimites. Don't join an army that's going to murder a man and his family. Don't get on the bandwagon trying to destroy the reputation of a man that's trying to serve God, even if he has real problems.
Finally, despite the politics and stark evil; Israel was still God's people with God's message of truth. Don't sacrifice your salvation for a grudge or for your disgust with those who claim to represent God but do not.
Why the Ephraimites hated Jephthah enough to want to murder him is not very clear. Their justification that he should have let them do the fighting sounds like bureaucratic nitpicking. Maybe Ephraim had a special army that was meant to fight off invaders. At any rate the previous judge had been a Gileadite, so there is no clear precedent for this. Besides this, Ephraim had been unable even to defend themselves. Perhaps the Ephraimites were worried about the prospect of a bandit being chief of Gilead.
Whatever their reasons, the Ephraimites raised an army to go and kill Jephthah. It may be that not one of those soldiers made it home. The Gileadites not only defeated the Ephraimites, they guarded their route home and executed them one by one as they tried to escape. They identified their cousins of Ephraim by their accent, they were not able to make a "sh" sound, using the word Shibboleth, which has acquired an idiomatic meaning today.
(Definition of the English idiom here if you want it. The original Hebrew word has the idea "growing, flowing")
Why the Gileadites were so cruel that they wanted to kill every Ephraimite is not clear either, they may have been afraid of the Ephraimites trying another invasion.
What lessons can we take from this closing chapter of Jephthah's life? I see some lessons for church politics. One is that the group in power may be surprised at the result if they make war on the radical and slightly unsavoury people that God is using. Another is that whatever side of a conflict you are on, you may well get hurt. Even though they were practically part of the same tribe, the Gileadites had no mercy on the Ephraimites. Don't join an army that's going to murder a man and his family. Don't get on the bandwagon trying to destroy the reputation of a man that's trying to serve God, even if he has real problems.
Finally, despite the politics and stark evil; Israel was still God's people with God's message of truth. Don't sacrifice your salvation for a grudge or for your disgust with those who claim to represent God but do not.
Saturday 22 August 2015
Judges 11:34-40 // Faith and Grief
Judges 11:34-40
This is probably one of the most disturbing passages of scripture for me. Not because it shows anything against God, but because what happened was just a terrible, horrible, pointless thing. I have heard that Jephthah's daughter may have had a life as a kind of nun, but this doesn't really fit with the mourning of the girls of Israel. I wish I could explain it away, but I can't escape the conclusion that Jephthah's daughter was murdered by her own father to fulfill a foolish vow.
Jephthah's daughter is not primarily a victim however. She showed unshakable faith as well as genuine grief. No doubt she will live on in the resurrection, with every desire met by Jesus, the lover of our souls.
Are we ready to meet our destiny with this kind of faith? By God's grace we will.
This is probably one of the most disturbing passages of scripture for me. Not because it shows anything against God, but because what happened was just a terrible, horrible, pointless thing. I have heard that Jephthah's daughter may have had a life as a kind of nun, but this doesn't really fit with the mourning of the girls of Israel. I wish I could explain it away, but I can't escape the conclusion that Jephthah's daughter was murdered by her own father to fulfill a foolish vow.
Jephthah's daughter is not primarily a victim however. She showed unshakable faith as well as genuine grief. No doubt she will live on in the resurrection, with every desire met by Jesus, the lover of our souls.
Are we ready to meet our destiny with this kind of faith? By God's grace we will.
Friday 21 August 2015
Judges 11:29-33 // Give Dad What He Really Wants
Judges 11:29-33
The spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and inspired him to attack Ammon quickly before they invaded. The thing that God inspired Jephthah to do was successful. It was not necessary for Jephthah to make a deal with God, he was already doing God's will. But Jephthah, like all of us, had some ideas of his own.
I don't know what he was thinking, promising to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house. It can hardly have been a sheep, goat, ox or dove. These are the things that God permitted the Israelites to sacrifice. Jephthah made an absurd promise, it was almost impossible for him to righteously follow through with it.
Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we make foolish decisions. What we do with the consequences says a lot about our character. But so does the kind of decision we make without thinking. In the case of Jephthah, he had a kind of religious devotion, but it was a bit egotistical. He was willing to make big promises, and be the big man of the moment. But he was not inclined to promise God the things that He had asked for. (See for example Leviticus 7)
Many times we Christians are like that today. We sing songs full of great promises to God and hold meetings that are supposedly to worship God. But unless we are actually giving God the service that He has asked for in His Word, we may as well stay home.
The spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and inspired him to attack Ammon quickly before they invaded. The thing that God inspired Jephthah to do was successful. It was not necessary for Jephthah to make a deal with God, he was already doing God's will. But Jephthah, like all of us, had some ideas of his own.
I don't know what he was thinking, promising to sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house. It can hardly have been a sheep, goat, ox or dove. These are the things that God permitted the Israelites to sacrifice. Jephthah made an absurd promise, it was almost impossible for him to righteously follow through with it.
Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we make foolish decisions. What we do with the consequences says a lot about our character. But so does the kind of decision we make without thinking. In the case of Jephthah, he had a kind of religious devotion, but it was a bit egotistical. He was willing to make big promises, and be the big man of the moment. But he was not inclined to promise God the things that He had asked for. (See for example Leviticus 7)
Many times we Christians are like that today. We sing songs full of great promises to God and hold meetings that are supposedly to worship God. But unless we are actually giving God the service that He has asked for in His Word, we may as well stay home.
Thursday 20 August 2015
Judges 11:12-28 // Records
Judges 11:12-28
Knowing history can be useful. The king of Ammon was justifying his invasion by claiming that Gilead rightly belonged to his kingdom. Jephthah made a counter claim, defending Israel's right to posses the land. The king of Ammon would not relent, and Jephthah had to fight instead for his land and his people.
This reminds of another pair of warring monarchs. Satan claims this world as his rightful kingdom, and humanity as his slaves. Jesus had to fight to take us back. Jesus had to shed blood. Not the blood of others, His own blood. Jesus has kept careful records so that when He reclaims this land, there will be no need to doubt if it is rightfully his.
We should be careful to keep records. Tax records, life records, records of our spiritual journeys. This will help us when Satan or his servants try to claim us as their own. We will have records that we can use to be sure they are wrong.
Knowing history can be useful. The king of Ammon was justifying his invasion by claiming that Gilead rightly belonged to his kingdom. Jephthah made a counter claim, defending Israel's right to posses the land. The king of Ammon would not relent, and Jephthah had to fight instead for his land and his people.
This reminds of another pair of warring monarchs. Satan claims this world as his rightful kingdom, and humanity as his slaves. Jesus had to fight to take us back. Jesus had to shed blood. Not the blood of others, His own blood. Jesus has kept careful records so that when He reclaims this land, there will be no need to doubt if it is rightfully his.
We should be careful to keep records. Tax records, life records, records of our spiritual journeys. This will help us when Satan or his servants try to claim us as their own. We will have records that we can use to be sure they are wrong.
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Judges 11:12 // Diplomatic
Judges 11:12
Jephthah, in his wisdom knew not to go straight into battle. But to try a diplomatic solution first. It is a pity that we do not use this wisdom more often in our lives.
Jephthah, in his wisdom knew not to go straight into battle. But to try a diplomatic solution first. It is a pity that we do not use this wisdom more often in our lives.
Monday 17 August 2015
Judges 11:1-11 // Close to the Top
Judges 11:1-11
Jephthah had an unfortunate birth. The odds were stacked against him from birth. Jephthah was cruelly thrown out of home for the circumstances of his birth. Although he was bitter Jephthah made the best of his situation and became a leader of a group of bandits.
When the region came under attack, the bandits seemed like the best people to fight against them. The leader of the bandits, Jephthah was made chief of the clan.
Sometimes we are put in bad situations for no fault of ours. Make the best of it. Adapt to your situation and learn as much from it as you can. You never know how close you are to the top.
Jephthah had an unfortunate birth. The odds were stacked against him from birth. Jephthah was cruelly thrown out of home for the circumstances of his birth. Although he was bitter Jephthah made the best of his situation and became a leader of a group of bandits.
When the region came under attack, the bandits seemed like the best people to fight against them. The leader of the bandits, Jephthah was made chief of the clan.
Sometimes we are put in bad situations for no fault of ours. Make the best of it. Adapt to your situation and learn as much from it as you can. You never know how close you are to the top.
Sunday 16 August 2015
Judges 10:6-18 // Persisting In Prayer
Judges 10:6-18
Here the Bible articulates more specifically before the reason for Israel's problems. By worshipping idols, Israel was putting God in a position where He could not save them. Saving the Israelites would only make the idol worship stronger, since the idols would get the credit for God's salvation. To break their idol addiction God allowed the Philistines and Ammonites to raid the Israelites. This is the beginning of a long series of extensive Philistine raids. At this stage however, the Ammonites were the greater threat, overrunning Gilead and even crossing the Jordan to raid Ephraim, Benjamin and Judah.
The Israelites wake up to the fact that their idols are not saving them and ask God to do it. God refuses at first, until the Israelites persist and get rid of their idols, though they may have simply put them in the attic so to speak. Sometimes we need to persist in prayer for our own sakes. So we know we are truly repentant.
Here the Bible articulates more specifically before the reason for Israel's problems. By worshipping idols, Israel was putting God in a position where He could not save them. Saving the Israelites would only make the idol worship stronger, since the idols would get the credit for God's salvation. To break their idol addiction God allowed the Philistines and Ammonites to raid the Israelites. This is the beginning of a long series of extensive Philistine raids. At this stage however, the Ammonites were the greater threat, overrunning Gilead and even crossing the Jordan to raid Ephraim, Benjamin and Judah.
The Israelites wake up to the fact that their idols are not saving them and ask God to do it. God refuses at first, until the Israelites persist and get rid of their idols, though they may have simply put them in the attic so to speak. Sometimes we need to persist in prayer for our own sakes. So we know we are truly repentant.
Thursday 13 August 2015
Judges 10 // Contentment
After Tola came another judge who seemed to create little drama. Jair judged for 22 years, had 30 sons and each one established a settlement in Gilead their home. In the ancient world, this was a success-story at its best. But we are not told anything else about Jair except the city he was buried in.
I suppose God's servants sometimes get the rewards for their right choices, even in this life. We do not know whether God will entrust us with earthly riches. But one thing must be certain: we must entrust God with everything we love or possess. Gideon's sons had been murdered a few decades earlier, and perhaps Jair feared his sons would meet the same fate. But if he put his trust in God then his days would have been full of happiness.
There is nothing better than being able to enjoy what you have.
Wednesday 12 August 2015
Judges 10:1-2 // Faithful
Judges 10:1-2
Tola son of Puah doesn't seem to warrant much of a story. He was based in Ephraim, a central location, and judged for 23 years up to his death. When the Bible briefly mentions people like this I wonder if it is for a positive or negative reason. Is little said about him because he did little wrong or because he did little good?
Something in me, and I think it is in many of us, fears a life of obscurity. I don't want to come and go without having made a difference in the world. The desire for fame is a snare to many, because they make a difference for evil. Tola rates a mention in the Bible. Tola did his work faithfully for a long time. There wasn't much special to say about it but its impact could have been enormous.
Aspire to that, to be faithful in your work to death.
Tola son of Puah doesn't seem to warrant much of a story. He was based in Ephraim, a central location, and judged for 23 years up to his death. When the Bible briefly mentions people like this I wonder if it is for a positive or negative reason. Is little said about him because he did little wrong or because he did little good?
Something in me, and I think it is in many of us, fears a life of obscurity. I don't want to come and go without having made a difference in the world. The desire for fame is a snare to many, because they make a difference for evil. Tola rates a mention in the Bible. Tola did his work faithfully for a long time. There wasn't much special to say about it but its impact could have been enormous.
Aspire to that, to be faithful in your work to death.
Tuesday 11 August 2015
Judges 9 // Unsafe Times
Judges 9
The men of Shechem treacherously killed most of Gideon's sons and eventually their treason was turned back on them. The son of Gideon who instigated the murder was also killed by a woman trying to kill others. This is the rough justice of a time that was much worse to live in than our times, though we have our own problems today.
The wicked may seem to prosper while the innocent suffer, but this is a very superficial judgment. The wicked, though they may die in their beds and leave many children, have gained nothing from their wickedness. Those who honour the Lord gain everything and can enjoy Him forever.
The men of Shechem treacherously killed most of Gideon's sons and eventually their treason was turned back on them. The son of Gideon who instigated the murder was also killed by a woman trying to kill others. This is the rough justice of a time that was much worse to live in than our times, though we have our own problems today.
The wicked may seem to prosper while the innocent suffer, but this is a very superficial judgment. The wicked, though they may die in their beds and leave many children, have gained nothing from their wickedness. Those who honour the Lord gain everything and can enjoy Him forever.
Monday 10 August 2015
Judges 8 // With Friends Like These...
Judges 8
Gideon had heroically defeated the Midianite marauders and put them to flight. As his army chased the Midianites, they needed food. But none of the Israelites that they encountered along the way were willing to give them any.
This betrayal is a turning point in the story of Gideon. He takes cruel revenge on those who were too fearful to help him. His execution of the enemy kings does not go according to plan. But worst of all, he makes an idol that resembles a true symbol of God, confusing the people and confounding much of his positive influence. Gideon also goes on to live selfishly, taking many wives, although to his credit he refuses to become a king.
When we are betrayed by friends it is tempting to get even by betraying God. When we are trying to do a good thing in God's name and people oppose us and make it a failure then blame us, it is tempting to tell everyone who will listen about the injustice. We want everyone to know how bad those people are and that we are not failures. This does not really get back at them, it only hurts us. People do not care if you have failed, they will like you if they think you would not betray them. By refusing to speak badly of those who have hurt us we will be able to have a positive influence on those around us.
Gideon had heroically defeated the Midianite marauders and put them to flight. As his army chased the Midianites, they needed food. But none of the Israelites that they encountered along the way were willing to give them any.
This betrayal is a turning point in the story of Gideon. He takes cruel revenge on those who were too fearful to help him. His execution of the enemy kings does not go according to plan. But worst of all, he makes an idol that resembles a true symbol of God, confusing the people and confounding much of his positive influence. Gideon also goes on to live selfishly, taking many wives, although to his credit he refuses to become a king.
When we are betrayed by friends it is tempting to get even by betraying God. When we are trying to do a good thing in God's name and people oppose us and make it a failure then blame us, it is tempting to tell everyone who will listen about the injustice. We want everyone to know how bad those people are and that we are not failures. This does not really get back at them, it only hurts us. People do not care if you have failed, they will like you if they think you would not betray them. By refusing to speak badly of those who have hurt us we will be able to have a positive influence on those around us.
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