Devoted to Scripture

Day 84 of the podcast, reading Judges 20-21 NET, read along at:

This is day 84 of our journey.

As a result of the terrible acts of the people of Gibeah (in the tribe of Benjamin), the 11 other tribes of Israel unite for the first time in generations to make war with them.  The Benjaminites refuse to turn over the city of Gibeah and, instead, rally their own army to defend their murderous brothers.  Benjamin wins a couple of battles, killing 40,000 Israelites, but are finally destroyed in the third and final battle.  The Israelites kill 25,000 Benjaminites and then proceed to destroy all the Benjaminite cities and towns as well.  In the end, only 600 Benjaminite men remain, a whole tribe has nearly been wiped away.  The Israelites grieve for the loss of the tribe and work hard to preserve them by devising a plot to get wives for them.

Judges ends with that same mournful phrase: "In those days Israel had no king.  Everyone did what he considered to be right."  It’s a TERRIBLE ending...but a fitting one. Those simple yet painful words are really what the book of Judges is all about.  It’s the story of what happens when a nation gives up on God.  It's the story of what happens when YOU or I choose to serve our own desires instead of serving the Lord.  It is also a beautiful story of God's faithfulness.  As we finish the book of Judges, we look back to see that God keeps his promises, God’s Word stands despite man’s unfaithfulness, and that, in the worst of times, God's story isn't finished yet.    

Join me in Judges 20-21 to see how low the nation of Israel has fallen and to worship the Lord for his indescribable faithfulness.

Key verses:

Judges 20:26

Judges 21:25

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 83 of the podcast, reading Judges 17-19 NET, read along at:

This is day 83 of our journey.

Samson was the LAST Judge listed in the book of Judges. The rest of the book, instead of being a repeating cycle of sin and salvation, shows us a picture of God’s people caught in a rapid free-fall of sin, death, and chaos.  The last few chapters go from bad to worse.  Today we are given 3 examples of that depravity. First we have a man named Micah who forms silver idols and sets them up in his home to worship them with a Levite as priest. Then, the tribe of Dan (still trying to find a land for themselves) happens upon Micah's home, they steal his idols and convince his Levite to abandon him and serve them. Finally we have a Levite man living in Bethlehem who was traveling with his concubine.  They came to the Israelite city of Gibeah to rest for the night, but received the same treatment as the angels in Sodom and Gomorrah, the Levite gave his own concubine to the men to protect himself and the men of the city abused her all night until she arrived back at the doorstep dead.  

Judges 17:6 sums up what is happening, "In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right." We need a leader who will guide us in the proper way, otherwise, we will travel the same path as these Israelites, chasing after whatever feels right at the time.

Join me in Judges 17-19 to see the result of a vacuum of Godly leadership.

Key verses:

Judges 17:6

Judges 18:27

Judges 19:25

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 82 of the podcast, reading Judges 13-16 NET, read along at:

This is day 82 of our journey.

Today we read what is probably the most famous story in Judges, the story of Samson. Samson was set apart as a Nazarite from birth but, as we read about his tumultous life, we see that this vow was merely empty words as he lived wholeheartedly to serve his own desires. Three different times, he chose a Philistine woman rather than finding an Israelite to marry as God had commanded.  Each time, it brought trouble for him.  Despite every selfish failure, God used Samson's poor decisions to bring a confrontation with the Philistines.  In the end, Samson's choice of Delilah resulted in his captivity.  Ironically, it wasn't until his great strength was stripped away that Samson found his greatest victory. At the cost of his own life, Samson was empowered by the Lord to destroyed the temple of Dagon; killing the Philistine leaders and over 3000 men and women.  Even in this mighty death blow, Samson's purpose didn't seem to be the glory of God, but rather his own vengeance for the suffering they had caused him.  Imagine what greatness he might have performed if he had been focused on making God's name great, rather than fulfilling his desires!

Join me in Judges 13-16 to read the tragic story of Samson and his misused power.

Key verses:

Judges 13:24

Judges 14:2

Judges 15:16

Judges 16:28

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 81 of the podcast, reading Judges 11-12 NET, read along at:

This is day 81 of our journey.

God raised up Jephthah as the next Judge to deliver the Israelites.  The Ammonite king gathered his army for war, claiming that Israel had stolen their ancestral lands. Jephthah tried a diplomatic approach to the conflict by presenting a very clear and accurate argument that completely discounted all of the King’s claims.  This argument did not appease the Ammonites who attacked, but God faithfully delivered Jephthah and Israel again. Jephthah was more faithful in following God than some of his predecessors, but as he was fighting the Ammonites, he made a rash vow, that resulted in Jephthah offering his daughter as a sacrifice to God.  We don’t know if this sacrifice was one involving a knife and fire or simply giving her to the temple to serve the Lord, but either way, Jephthah fulfilled his vow and lost his daughter forever. After this great victory, Israel should have been rejoicing, but instead, the men of Ephraim came out against Jephthah for not including them in the battle. In the civil war that resulted from this conflict, 42000 Ephraimites were killed. Finally, order was restored and 3 more judges rule: Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.

Join me in Judges 11-12 to see God's deliverance despite Israel's disunity.

Key verses:

Judges 11:27

Judges 12:3

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 80 of the podcast, reading Judges 9-10 NET, read along at:

This is day 80 of our journey.

Before his death in Chapter 8, we learn that Gideon was fruitful and had 70 sons.  One of these men, Abimelech (the son of a Shechemite) began to gather support from Shechem and led a band of hired thugs to murder his brothers so that no one could challenge his claim to rule the land.  His youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and called a curse down on Abimelech and on Shechem. Eventually, God brought judgement on Abimelech and his collaborators by driving them into a war against one another.  Two other Judges, Tola and Jair, rose up to rule in Israel but did nothing of note to bring the apostate Israelites back into right relationship with God.  As a result of their sin, God handed Israel over to the Ammonites.  When the Israelites called out for help, God initially refused to deliver them but, when Israel put away their foreign gods and began serving the Lord again, God began to prepare another Judge to emancipate His wayward children.

Join me in Judges 9-10 to see Israel continuing down in the cycle of apostacy.

Key verses:

Judges 9:56

Judges 10:16

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 79 of the podcast, reading Judges 6-8 NET, read along at:

This is day 79 of our journey.

Today we read the story of Gideon. Israel is again being oppressed, this time by the Midianites. God appears to Gideon as he is threshing wheat in a winepress in order to hide the food from his oppressors.  The Lord tells Gideon that he is going to deliver Israel through him...one of the lowliest members of the weakest clan in Israel. Gideon asks God for a sign 3 different times to confirm that God is speaking to him, then he rallies an army of 32000 men to attack Midian. As Gideon prepares the troops for battle, God tells him that he has too many fighting men and sends home all but 300 of them so that Israel will know that God is fighting for them.  Even with only 300 men, the people of Israel are successful as God brings confusion on the Midianite camp and they begin to fight each other. God brings about a great deliverance, destroying the entire army and the kings of Midian. After the victory, Gideon does not continue to walk before God. He creates a golden ephod that the people begin to worship. Even after performing this great deed and speaking with the Lord himself, Gideon didn't fear or even understand the true nature of the God who had delivered him. This sinful idolatry would create more trouble in the years to come. We are much the same as Gideon...we can often fall victim to trying to worship God in our own way rather than striving to understand what it is that God truly wants so that we can worship him in the way that he demands.

Join me in Judges 6-8 to see another example of God using the weak to shame the strong.

Key verses:

Judges 6:16

Judges 7:2

Judges 8:27

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 78 of the podcast, reading Judges 4-5 NET, read along at:

This is day 78 of our journey.

After the time of Ehud, Israel returns to open rebellion against the Lord and, in response, God turns them over to be oppressed by King Jabin of Hazor.  After 20 years of suffering, they cry out to the Lord for deliverance and God does something revolutionary for that day and age...he raises up a faithful woman named Deborah to deliver them.  Deborah follows God's direction and calls Barak (of the tribe of Naphtali) to raise up an army that the Lord would use to deliver Israel.  Barak agrees but, lacking faith, he states that will only obey the Lord's command if Deborah will come with him into battle.  Barak defeats the army and destroys every single soldier, but Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army flees to the tent of an ally, only to be killed by the hand of another woman named Jael.  Deborah and Barak then lead the army in a song of praise to the Lord for His victory.

Join me in Judges 4-5 to see a God who delivers his people if only they will call out to him.

Key verses:

Judges 4:21

Judges 5:31

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 77 of the podcast, reading Judges 1-3 NET, read along at:

This is day 77 of our journey.

The book of Judges begins with a recap of the conquest of the Promised land. Once the major battles were complete, the individual tribes went to their allotted territories to take possession of them.  Unfortunately, every single tribe failed to completely drive the indigenous people out as God had called them to do.  Instead, they lived amongst them, began to intermarry with them, and even started to worship their gods.  As a result, God removed his blessing from their conquest. We then get a summary of what is to come, a cycle of trouble: the Israelites turn away from God, God allows them to be overrun and enslaved for a time, the Israelites call out for help, God raises a judge to deliver them, Israel rejoices in God for a time, and then, sadly, the cycle repeats.  The rest of judges will introduce us to 12 passes through that cycle and 12 judges that delivered Israel.

The first 2 of these judges are Othniel (the brother of Caleb) and Ehud (a left-handed man).  The story of Ehud is one of my favorites, listen carefully to the details given!

Join me in Judges 1-3 as Israel begins their long descending cycle of apostasy.

Key verses:

Judges 1:19

Judges 2:20-21

Judges 3:6

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 76 of the podcast, reading Joshua 23-24 NET, read along at:

This is day 76 of our journey.

Today, we finish the book of Joshua.  The Promised Land has been conquered and God's chosen people are dwelling in their cities.  Joshua calls the elders of the land together to say farewell and to renew God's covenant with them.  He reminds them of all that the Lord has done for them and warns them not to abandon God.  The people respond with a vow to follow God and serve him only.  The book of Joshua ends with the deaths of both Joshua and Eleazar the priest.  Despite their vow to serve the Lord, the past behavior of the Israelites and the new vacuum of military and spiritual leadership creates a bit of doubt as to whether or not the people will continue to serve God.

Join me in Joshua 23-24 to hear Joshua's final words and be reminded of the goodness of the Lord.

Key verses:

Joshua 23:15

Joshua 24:18

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 75 of the podcast, reading Joshua 21-22 NET, read along at:

This is day 75 of our journey.

With the assignment of 48 Levitical cities scattered among the tribes of Israel, Joshua finishes distributing the land. The Lord has been faithful to fulfill his promises and give them this great land. Joshua sends the eastern tribes back home across the Jordan river with the blessing of the Lord.  On the way home, these tribes decide to build a replica of the altar of the Lord as a reminder to the future generations that they belong to the Lord.  This altar is misinterpreted by the rest of the Israelite tribes and almost causes a war, but God grants patience to investigate and find the truth.  These tribes are NOT walking away from the Lord, but rather setting their children up to stay faithful to the Lord.

Join me in Joshua 21-22 to see the completion of the promises of God to provide a home for his people.

Key verses:

Joshua 21:45

Joshua 22:34

All Scriptures are from the NET.