Judges 10
The Israelites went back to their evil ways and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths and foreign gods. They forsook the Lord and no longer served him, so He became angry with them and allowed them to become oppressed by the Philistines and the Ammonites. While in great distress, the Israelites cried out to the Lord, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals...Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." They returned to the Lord and served only Him and "He could bear Israel's misery no longer".
Humble thoughts, reflections, and/or summaries from readings of God's word. "For if any one is desirous simply to know those things which it has pleased God to reveal, that is the man who accurately knows what it is to be truly wise. " Calvin
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Judges 9
The people of Shechem aligned with one of the sons of Jerub-Baal, Abimelech, and together murdered all the other sons. They then gathered and crowned Abimelich king of Shechem. But one of the sons, Jotham, had hidden and escaped. When he heard what had happened, he spoke to the people of Shechem and said to them, "Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves- and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian - if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" Later, the citizens of Shechem became afraid of Abimelech and gathered to the stronghold tower, but when Abimelech heard that they had assembled there he ordered his men to set it on fire. All the people were killed. Next Abimelech beseiged and captured the city of Thebez, but during this pursuit "a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull". The "curse of Jotham" had fallen on Abimelech and the people of Shechem as God punished them for all their wickedness.
The people of Shechem aligned with one of the sons of Jerub-Baal, Abimelech, and together murdered all the other sons. They then gathered and crowned Abimelich king of Shechem. But one of the sons, Jotham, had hidden and escaped. When he heard what had happened, he spoke to the people of Shechem and said to them, "Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves- and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian - if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" Later, the citizens of Shechem became afraid of Abimelech and gathered to the stronghold tower, but when Abimelech heard that they had assembled there he ordered his men to set it on fire. All the people were killed. Next Abimelech beseiged and captured the city of Thebez, but during this pursuit "a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull". The "curse of Jotham" had fallen on Abimelech and the people of Shechem as God punished them for all their wickedness.
Monday, August 16, 2010
In Judges 6-8, the Israelites again did evil in the eyes of the Lord and were given over into the hands of the Midianites, but the Lord called Gideon to rescue them when they cried out to Him for help. Gideon was doubtful that he was qualified to save Israel, but God said to him, "I will be with you and you will strike down all the Midianites". The Lord directed Gideon to tear down the alters to Baal and to cut down the Asherah poles and to build a proper alter to the Lord. Gideon and 32,000 of his men were preparing to battle the Midianites, but the Lord told him to only bring 300 men against the Midianites. This way, they could only boast in the Lord when He delivered the Midianites into their hands. After defeating the Midianites, the Israelites asked Gideon to rule over them, but he told them that he would not and instead "The Lord will rule over you". During the rest of Gideon's lifetime, there was peace for forty years.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Judges 3-5 explains that the Lord allowed some pagan nations to remain in the promised land in order to teach warfare to the generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. Through this, the obedience of the Israelites would also be tested in whether they would hold fast to their own God and His commandments or accept the Pagan nations into their family and adopt their pagan customs and worship their gods. The Israelites failed and began to serve the images of Baal and the Asherah poles and God then allowed the Aram-naharaim King Cushan-rishathaim to enslave them for eight years. When the people returned to their Lord and cried out to Him for help, He sent a rescuer, Othniel. The Lord gave Othniel victory over King Cushan and there was peace in the land for 40 years. This pattern repeats several times more with Israel returning to evil ways and then the Lord allowing them to be defeated and oppressed by foreign Kings before they finally come back to Him and He delivers them once more.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Judges 2
"The LORD raised up judges... Yet the Israelites would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways."
"The LORD raised up judges... Yet the Israelites would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Judges
After the promised land was divided among the twelve tribes, each was responsible for driving out the remaining enemies from its own territory. In chapter 1, we read about some tribes that didn't drive out their enemies from their lands. For their disobedience, God withdrew His help in driving out the Canaanites and His blessing of the Israelites in battle.
After the promised land was divided among the twelve tribes, each was responsible for driving out the remaining enemies from its own territory. In chapter 1, we read about some tribes that didn't drive out their enemies from their lands. For their disobedience, God withdrew His help in driving out the Canaanites and His blessing of the Israelites in battle.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Joshua 24
Joshua addressed the whole assembly of Israelite leaders, elders, judges, and officials, reminding them of their history regarding where they have been and have come from and all the events leading them to the promised land. Joshua reminded them of God's faithfulness, provision, protection, and keeping of His promises. Then Joshua said, "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua addressed the whole assembly of Israelite leaders, elders, judges, and officials, reminding them of their history regarding where they have been and have come from and all the events leading them to the promised land. Joshua reminded them of God's faithfulness, provision, protection, and keeping of His promises. Then Joshua said, "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
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