Free Daily Bible Study Podcast

Ruth 1 | Acts 26 | Jeremiah 36 | Psalm 9

In the book of Judges, Israel descended deeper and deeper into sinfulness, idolatry, and rebellion. The opening verse of the book of Ruth, then, is ominous: “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land…” (Ruth 1:1). Will the story of the book of Ruth be another story like what we just read—a story culminating in the crimes of Gibeah?

Certainly, every sign at the beginning of Ruth suggests that something terrible is about to happen, beginning with the famine that is taking place in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1). This is no small irony, since the word Bethlehem in Hebrew means “House of Bread.” But more than that, Yahweh had promised that his people would never cease to have plenty of food to eat if Israel kept his covenant (Deut. 28:1–14), so this famine signals that something is seriously wrong in Israel. (Of course, we already knew that from reading the book of Judges.)

Furthermore, the famine in Ruth 1:1 reminds us of an earlier story in Genesis 12:10–20. There, a famine had prompted Abram and Sarai to disobey God by leaving the Promised Land and going down to Egypt (Gen. 12:10). This disobedience not only led to Abram’s lying about Sarai being merely his sister (Gen. 12:13) but also introduced Hagar into Abram’s household as an Egyptian female servant (Gen. 12:16)—and Hagar’s presence caused the holy family no small amount of trouble (cf. Gen. 16:1–16, 21:8–21). So, the fact that this book begins with Israelites leaving the Promised Land to go to a foreign country because of a famine is another red flag. Then, while this family is in Moab, the situation gets worse when the Israelites marry foreigners (Ruth 1:2–4)—and not just any foreigners, but Moabites, a group of people whom Yahweh had specifically warned his people to avoid (Deut. 23:3).

None of this bodes well, but when Naomi decides to leave Moab to return to her country because the famine had ended (Ruth 1:6), something strange happens. One of the Moabite women who had married into Naomi’s family turns back to her people (Ruth 1:15), but the other, Ruth, instead clings to Naomi (Ruth 1:14), refusing to leave her. Then, Ruth swears a covenantal oath to bind herself to Naomi, Naomi’s people, and even Naomi’s God: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

As all Israel falls apart under the leadership of the judges, we have here a Moabite woman who swears her allegiance unreservedly to Yahweh and to Yahweh’s chosen people. Despite the many red flags at the opening of this story, God is doing something extraordinary. Through Ruth, God is putting plans into motion to save not only his people but the whole world as well.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 21 | Acts 25 | Jeremiah 35 | Psalms 7–8

In Judges 21, we learn that the eleven tribes of Israel had sworn an oath among themselves, saying, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin” (Judg. 21:18). Quickly, however, Israel recognizes that their rash vow created a terrible problem—without wives, an entire tribe would be blotted out from among Israel. In the last chapter of Judges, we see Israel leveraging their own wisdom to create their own solutions once again—with the result that they are merely compounding their problems rather than solving them (once again).

The book of Judges records a pattern of rash vows. We saw Jephthah make a rash vow in Judges 11, promising to sacrifice whatever first greeted him out of his home if God would give him victory in battle, a vow that forced him to sacrifice his only daughter. And here in Judges 21, we see Israel make not one but two foolish vows. Israel also vows to put to death whoever does not come up with them against Benjamin (Judg. 21:5). When they discover that the people of Jabesh-gilead have not come, Israel settles upon a solution that would fulfill both vows: they resolve to murder all the men and married women in Jabesh-gilead and then to give the 400 remaining virgins to the tribe of Benjamin as wives (Judg. 21:12). Then, they additionally decide to kidnap the Israelite virgins who danced at a feast for Yahweh in Shiloh to procure the remaining needed wives (Judg. 21:19–24). When this deed is done, every Israelite returns to his home, satisfied with the work that had been done (Judg. 21:24).

But the book of Judges puts in one final word to guide our interpretation of these events in Judges 21:25: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” At every turn through the book of Judges, the people of Israel had forsaken Yahweh to do whatever was right in their own eyes, which is exactly what they do in the case of this “solution” here in Judges 21. Sin begets sin, and the deeper Israel sunk into their idolatries, the more sin they had to resort to in their attempts to solve their problems.

Hear the word of Yahweh: sin will destroy you. Sin will lead you bit by bit, step by step, into the snare of death. It is for this reason that Yahweh sent his Son into the world: to save sinners. Where we had chosen sin that leads to death, Jesus chose to submit to death to cancel the power of sin. Repent from doing what is right in your own eyes and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that you may be saved.

“Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deut. 30:19).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 20 | Acts 24 | Jeremiah 34 | Psalms 5–6

When all Israel arrives to inquire into what has happened in Gibeah, neither the Levite nor the tribe of Benjamin comes off looking good. Conveniently, the Levite leaves out the fact that he had pushed his concubine out the door to face the violence of the men of Gibeah: “They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead” (Judg. 20:5). But even worse, the Benjaminites shockingly refuse to give up the criminals in their midst (Judg. 20:13), and because of their refusal, the rest of Israel declares war against Benjamin.

Tragically, Yahweh uses this to bring judgment on all Israel. The people of Israel inquire of Yahweh whether they should go up against Benjamin, and Yahweh sends the eleven tribes of Israel up against Benjamin twice to be slaughtered before giving Benjamin into the hands of the Israel (Judg. 20:18–28). In this civil war, the eleven tribes lose 40,000 men in the first two battles (Judg. 20:21, 25), and Benjamin loses 25,100 men in the final battle (Judg. 20:35).

The chief problem in the way Israel handles this wicked event is that they fail to recognize how their false worship has led directly to the horrific events in Gibeah. Throughout the book of Judges, Israel has believed that worshiping Yahweh was unrelated to their peace and prosperity. So, they never understood the connection between worshiping the false gods of their surrounding nations and the subjugation by those nations that would follow.

And in Judges 17–18, the full consequences of this situation are illustrated vividly in the story of the Levite. He had been ordained falsely as a priest, even though he was not of the line of Aaron but of Moses. Furthermore, he was commissioned as a priest-for-hire, rather than serving Yahweh in the temple. And even worse, the worship he led for his employers was the false worship of household gods, carved images, and other abominations that Micah had originally created from the silver coins that he had stolen from his own mother.

What this demonstrates to us is that our worship is never disconnected from our morality. The idea that one’s religion is a private, personal matter is an absolute lie. We become what we worship.1 If we worship Yahweh, we become conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29), but if we worship the false gods of money, sex, pleasure, comfort, or power, we become enslaved to those idols, and they disfigure our behavior so that we pursue them at any cost, no matter who might get hurt in the process.

Whom (or what) are you worshiping today? As Paul writes: “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Audit your worship, because your worship will shape your behavior, your habits, and ultimately, your character.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 19 | Acts 23 | Jeremiah 33 | Psalms 3–4

In Judges 19:1, we read that a “certain Levite” took a wife from Bethlehem in Judah. The author of the book of Judges is careful to state, once again, that this all happened “in those days, when there was no king in Israel” (Judg. 19:1), underscoring the wickedness that we are about to read. Now, the text doesn’t absolutely identify this “certain Levite” sojourning in the hill country of Ephraim as Jonathan, the Levite priest who served Micah (Judg. 17) and then the tribe of Dan (Judg. 18). Nevertheless, we know that Micah had lived in the hill country of Ephraim (Judg. 17:1), and we know that Jonathan was originally “a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah” (Judg. 17:9), which is the city where this “certain Levite” had found his concubine (Judg. 19:1). So, while the timeline and the identities of the people in these stories aren’t completely spelled out for us, it is most likely that we are reading about the same Levite in Judges 17, 18, and 19.

And now, as we arrive in Judges 19, we see the consequences of the character of this idolatrous Levite. When he starts to experience danger in Gibeah, he sacrifices his own concubine to shield him from the raping Benjaminites, who abuse her all night (Judg. 19:25). It is a scene that is virtually identical to what Lot had faced in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah back in Genesis 19, where the men of the city had first demanded to have sex with the men inside the house and then the men inside the house had offered the women to satisfy their attackers. Both sides look terrible, but keep in mind that the city of Gibeah is not a pagan city like Sodom and Gomorrah—this is an Israelite city, and the rapists are men from the Israelite tribe of Benjamin. Furthermore, the men of Sodom and Gomorrah never actually touched anyone.

But then, without pity, the Levite arises the next morning and callously commands his concubine: “Get up, let us be going” (Judg. 19:28). Only at that point does he realize that she is dead, since apparently he couldn’t be troubled to check on her welfare at any point during the night before. And finally, the capstone of this story: the Levite takes the woman’s body, cuts it up into twelve pieces, and sends the dismembered limbs of the woman to the twelve tribes of Israel to let them know what has happened.

What are we to make of this horrific story, where a Levite sacrifices his concubine, where the men of an Israelite city abuse the concubine to death—exceeding the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah—and where the Levite dismembers his concubine to send her unclean corpse to the twelve tribes of Israel? We’ll talk more about the fallout of this event over the next two days.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 18 | Acts 22 | Jeremiah 32 | Psalms 1–2

Judges 18 opens with a repetition of the first half of the theme verse of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel” (Judg. 18:1). Little by little, bit by bit, Israel is descending further into sin, idolatry, and rebellion as they forsake Yahweh to do whatever is right in their own eyes. In Judges 18, that downward slide increases in speed.

Now, it is important to understand that the Danites are doing the right thing in seeking their inheritance (Judg. 18:1). Joshua had originally assigned to them an area for an inheritance (Josh. 19:40–48), but they had apparently lost control of the land. We had actually read a summary of Judges 18, learning that Dan would fight against Laish (also called Leshem), back in Joshua 19:47: “When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor.”

But, while the Danites are spying out the land in order to find a suitable place to conquer and claim for their inheritance, they discover Micah and the Levite who served Micah as priest. This encounter gives them a wicked idea—why should Micah have this priest all to himself? Wouldn’t it be useful if they had a priest for their tribe? So, the Danites steal not only all the idols from Micah’s house but the priest as well.

While this seems like a good idea to everyone involved (other than Micah; Judg. 18:24), it is a situation that Yahweh has forbidden. Yahweh had commanded that only specific Levites (the sons of Aaron) should serve him as priests, and yet this Levite was a descendent of Moses and Moses’s son Gershom (Judg. 18:30; cf. Ex. 18:3), not Aaron. Furthermore, Yahweh had commanded that his priests serve him in his tabernacle. His priests were not for hire by individuals or even by tribes. This was a reprehensible corruption of the worship that Yahweh had commanded, and now the corruption had spread from a single individual, Micah, to an entire tribe.

And while no great consequence has arisen yet, sin always begets more sin—and along with more sin comes more suffering. As you meditate on this passage, remember the words of Paul in Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” In tomorrow’s reading, Israel will reap the harvest of their sin. Today, then, think through your own life: Are you allowing to remain in your life sin that is slowly gaining greater influence over you? What will you reap tomorrow from your actions today?

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 17 | Acts 21 | Jeremiah 30–31 | Mark 16

After the death of Samson in Judges 16, the book of Judges turns to narrate the final storyline we will read in this dark section of Israel’s history. This last, ugly narrative begins abruptly with a woman cursing whoever it is who had stolen 1,100 pieces of her silver (Judg. 17:2). Now, 1,100 pieces of silver is the exact amount the Philistines had promised to Delilah for betraying Samson in Judges 16:5, raising the question of the identity of this woman. Are we meant to think that this woman is Delilah, or did the woman simply take the silver? Is it possible that Delilah was killed by Samson at Dagon’s temple? Regardless, the number of silver coins at least invites us to associate this woman with the wicked Philistine temptress—hardly a flattering comparison.

But if this woman is portrayed unflatteringly, her son Micah is far worse. Micah had stolen silver from his own mother and returned it to her only to avoid her curse (Judg. 17:2). Then, when Micah’s mother gave him back the silver, he used it to create a carved image to worship (Judg. 17:4). Finally, to compound his sin further, Micah hired a Levite to be his personal priest (Judg. 17:12). Rather than recognizing the gross depravity of hiring a Levite for his own personal, private worship in his home, Micah was quite pleased with himself: “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest” (Judg. 17:13).

How could things get so bad in Israel? How could an Israelite be so deceived as to think that Yahweh would honor his hiring of a Levite to serve him as priest—especially when the Levite would be conducting idolatrous worship with the ephod and the carved images that Micah had in his house?

All of this stems from the theme verse of Judges that we finally arrive at in Judges 17:6: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Micah’s mother, Micah, and the Levite all did what was right in their own eyes without ever trying to learn what was right in Yahweh’s eyes.

In fact, things will get worse—far worse—from here. But for now, ask yourself this question: Do you live according to your own vague notions of what you imagine would please God, or do you search the Scriptures to find out what does please him? Are you setting up your own religion under the guise of worshiping Yahweh, or is your life structured around repentance from your sin and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ to make you righteous before your Father in heaven?

Brothers and sisters, do not follow in the wicked foolishness of Micah by doing whatever is right in your own eyes. Yahweh is serious about his word.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 16 | Acts 20 | Jeremiah 29 | Mark 15

Samson’s end in Judges 16 comes as a tragedy but not as a surprise. As in Judges 14, we find Samson’s weakness for women getting the best of him here in Judges 16, first in a Philistine prostitute in Judges 16:1–3 and then in Delilah, a Philistine woman who loved her people more than she ever loved Samson. Also, just as the Philistines had used Samson’s wife in Judges 14 to learn the secret of Samson’s riddle, the Philistines here use Delilah to learn the secret of Samson’s strength in exchange for 1,100 pieces of silver (Judg. 16:5).

Samson seems to perceive exactly what is happening, so he tells Delilah all kinds of lies about the source of his strength. Eventually, Delilah’s unceasing demand for information presses hard on Samson, so that “his soul was vexed to death” (Judg. 16:16), and Samson finally reveals the source of his strength as the length of his hair. Treacherously, Delilah shaves Samson’s head that very evening, and the Philistines capture Samson, gouge out his eyes, and bind him as a slave in Gaza.

All hope is not lost, however. Instead, the story turns on the line in Judges 16:22: “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” At a great feast to the Philistine god Dagon, when 3,000 men and women are gathered under a single roof, Samson has one final opportunity to fulfill his calling as judge of Israel. Sacrificing himself, he prays, “O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judg. 16:28). With that, he breaks the two center pillars supporting the Philistine house, killing more Philistines in that one act than he had done in his entire life (Judg. 16:30).

This, then, is where we see the story of Jesus shining forth most clearly in the life of Samson. Jesus also was sold for pieces of silver as he pursued a treacherous bride, and Jesus also gave up his own life in order to save his people. But as with the rest of Samson’s story, Jesus looks far better. When Jesus went to the cross, he did not ask God to take vengeance on the people who committed violence against him—rather, he prayed that his Father would forgive them (Luke 23:34).

And while Samson only judged Israel for twenty years, Jesus will reign for all eternity. Today, Jesus calls his bride—that is, he calls us, who, like Delilah, sold him out through our sins and transgressions to be crucified at the hands of wicked men—to repentance and faith as we wait for him to return to destroy all the false gods in this world once and for all.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 15 | Acts 19 | Jeremiah 28 | Mark 14

The last two days, we have been meditating on the ways the life of Samson foreshadows the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We will return to that theme tomorrow, but for today, we should spend some time thinking about the tragedy of Samson’s life. Certainly, God accomplished his plans through Samson, but Samson stands as a warning not to waste the gifts God has given to us, since God gives us gifts for his purposes, not for ours.

In Judges 15, we find Samson doing what Samson does throughout his entire life—recklessly attacking the Philistines in whatever way is right in his own eyes. To be clear, the problem with attacking the Philistines or burning their fields is not Samson’s violence. God raised Samson up as a judge in Israel for just that purpose—to defeat the Philistines in order to give peace to God’s people. The problem, rather, is with the way that Samson goes about it, seeking vengeance only in retaliation for his own, personal vendettas.

We see a major clue that Samson is fulfilling his role as judge in the wrong way in Judges 14:3, when Samson was originally asking for his parents to get him the Philistine woman as a wife. There, he said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” This phrase, “right in my [own] eyes,” is the cause of all Israel’s trouble in the book of Judges. Right after the death of Samson at the end of Judges 16, we read this summary in Judges 17:6: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Samson did what everyone else in Israel did by seeking to do what was right in his own eyes, not what was right in Yahweh’s eyes.

And yet, Yahweh still used Samson, and used him mightily. But even though Yahweh can use our total rebellion against him for his own purposes and glory does not mean that we are justified in our rebellion. Furthermore, Samson’s sin directly caused needless suffering in his life. God used him, but Samson suffered because of his sin.

The lesson we learn from Samson, then, is that God uses even the worst, most disobedient people for his purposes in building Christ’s kingdom on this earth. Nevertheless, when we disobey God, we needlessly bring suffering upon ourselves. Furthermore, we should recognize that not everyone has the opportunity to repent as Samson did. If you find yourself seeking to do what is right in your own eyes, repent before it is too late.

Today, seek to do what is right in God’s eyes, not your own. Repent, believe the gospel, and seek to obey Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit wherever he leads you—not only for Christ’s glory, but also for your good.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 14 | Acts 18 | Jeremiah 27 | Mark 13

Through Samson, God was not merely saving his people by raising up one more judge, as we began to discuss yesterday. Through Samson, God was also uniquely foreshadowing the life and ministry of his own Son, Jesus Christ. Today, we get a few more clues about what the coming Messiah would look like.

First, Samson chooses a wife who would eventually bring disaster upon him, but we are told explicitly that Samson’s desire to marry a Philistine came from Yahweh, “for [Yahweh] was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines” (Judg. 14:4).

Second, as Samson is traveling to the vineyards of Timnah with his mother and father, he destroys a lion with his bare hands. This lion had attacked him, seeking to devour him, but Samson dismantled the lion with ease even though he had no weapons with him.

Third, Samson makes himself unclean by eating honey from a swarm of bees who had made their home in the carcass of the lion. This was a violation of Samson’s Nazirite vow, since an animal lying dead on the road for some days would be unclean.

But there’s another way that Samson’s story points forward to Christ: through a riddle that cannot be guessed but must be revealed. This is the strangest part of the story, but it is also the most significant. Samson tells a riddle that would have been impossible for the Philistines to guess unless they were given the answer directly. So, the Philistines get Samson’s wife to help them cheat Samson.

Now, take a step back, and look at the elements of this story again. Like Samson, Jesus also came into this world to seek a bride—and his bride (the church) brought him to destruction, since Jesus purchased his bride through giving up his life on the cross. There at the cross, Jesus tore apart another lion, Satan, who prowls constantly, seeking to devour God’s people (1 Pet. 5:8). And through the resurrection, Jesus made something sweet out of the most unclean things in this world: sin, death, and the devil. By making himself unclean, he reversed the curse that they held over us.

Now, no one reading the story of Samson before Jesus came into this world would have recognized any of this. These riddles are what Paul calls “the mystery hidden for ages” (Eph. 3:9), and it would have been impossible to decipher without being told the meaning of the story. But now that Jesus has come, God is delighted to give us the meaning of these stories—and without the deception and manipulation of the Philistines.

The riddles have now been made plain: the story of Samson announces to us in advance that Jesus Christ would be born into this world by a virgin and that he would be set apart by the Holy Spirit to save sinners from the curse of sin through his death and resurrection.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Judges 13 | Acts 17 | Jeremiah 26 | Mark 12

In Judges 13, we read the beginning of the story of one of the more prominent figures in the book of Judges: Samson. Most importantly, the story of Samson foreshadows the story of Jesus in significant ways—very similar to how the story of Joseph foreshadows the story of Christ.1 Samson, however, is not a righteous figure as Joseph was but rather a deeply flawed person whose failures, more than his successes, cast light on Christ’s glory. In Judges 13, we see the first of two major hints about the forthcoming story of Jesus.

First, we read that Samson was born miraculously to a barren woman, according to the prophecy of a heavenly messenger. While the barren women of the Bible were often looked down upon in their societies, God loved them and used them uniquely to demonstrate his power by opening their closed wombs. And just as God had opened the wombs of Sarah (Gen. 21:1), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), and Rachel (Gen. 30:22), so God also opens the womb of the wife of Manoah here in Judges 13.

Second, we read that Samson was set apart from the beginning as a Nazirite to God. The laws concerning Nazirites were given in Numbers 6, describing the only way that non-priestly Israelites could become holy before Yahweh. Samson would be set apart for the duration of his life, requiring him to avoid touching anything unclean and to refrain from cutting his hair for as long as he lived. As we will see, Samson did not keep this vow well; however, the Spirit of God was upon him from when he was young, stirring him toward the purpose that God had set him apart to accomplish (Judg. 13:24–25).

And in these two elements of Samson’s story, we see glimmers of the story of Jesus. Ultimately, God would demonstrate his power most fully not merely by opening the womb of a barren woman but by opening the womb of a virgin who had never known a man sexually at all (Luke 1:34). More than that, Jesus was also set apart like Samson, although not through a Nazirite vow.2 Instead, Jesus was publicly set apart as the beloved Son of the Father at his baptism. At that point, the Spirit of God came upon him to anoint him for the ministry that God had prepared for him (Matt. 2:16).

Through such an imperfect man like Samson, God not only saved his people Israel in the short term but also laid the foundations for the way he would save his people eternally through his Son. Tomorrow we will continue to see how God raised up a servant like Samson to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus.

1 See meditations for Genesis 37–50.

2 Jesus was a Nazarene (Matt. 2:23)—that is, he lived in the city of Nazareth—not a Nazirite.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.