Ruth 4:1-22
Now, Boaz went about doing what he promised Ruth he would do. As per Israelite custom, he met with the family redeemer outside the town gate. He called over ten leaders to act as witnesses to their transaction. He informed him of the situation regarding Naomi and the land she was selling which belonged to her late husband. Boaz told the man that he was giving him first dibs at it because it was rightfully his. He was even up front about wanting it for himself if the man was not willing.
The family redeemer agreed to purchase the land of his deceased relative. However, Boaz being the good businessman he was, then revealed, what I like to call, the 'Ruth clause'. He explained that with the land, he also had to agree to marry Ruth so she could have children and carry on the family name. That tidbit of information made the deal too much for the family redeemer. So, he changed his mind and agreed to let Boaz have it.
So, in the presence of the ten witnesses, the man removed his sandal and handed it to Boaz as he told him to buy the land. (There were some very odd customs during that time, but whatever.) With that, their agreement was made official and Boaz went to claim his new wife...oh yeah, and the land too.
They consummated their marriage and Ruth gave birth to a son, whom she named Obed, and the rest is history. That is to say, Obed was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David; thereby continuing the line that led to Jesus. Isn't God awesome in the way he works? Using random people, who are simply willing to be obedient to him, to do great and mighty things for his Kingdom!
The same can be, and is, true of us today. God is still working miracles and fulfilling his ultimate plan in and through his people. All we have to do is let him use us. Also, as we see in this story, occasionally, we might even get something out of it that we really want in the process. Faithfulness and obedience to God are the order of the day; that seems to be a recurring theme...hmm.
Heavenly Father, I come to you, now, thanking you for all that you are and all you have done in my life and the lives of all your people. Thank you for being a provider and promise-keeper. Thank you for including us in your plan for the salvation of this world, even though we are unworthy. Thank you for your grace, that allows us to even benefit directly from the greater purpose of your will. Help us to continue to be willing vessels for your work and faithful servants to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
A Good Reputation Goes A Long Way
Ruth 3:1-18
Ruth's reputation had been established in Bethlehem even before she arrived. It allowed her to find work and provision under the good graces do Boaz, so that she could support herself and her fellow widow and mother-in-law, Naomi. But now, Naomi was ready to do something for her. So, one night, she announced that she was going to help Ruth find a permanent living arrangement.
Naomi then proceeded to give Ruth all the instructions she needed to follow Israelite tradition in securing Boaz as her family redeemer. She told her to take a bath, put on perfume and dress in her nicest clothes, then go down to his threshing floor where he would be winnowing barley. She was to wait there for him until he finished eating and drinking, and make note of where he went to lie down. At that point, Naomi instructed Ruth to uncover and lay at his feet.
Ruth did what she was told and Boaz awakened to find her at his feet. He asked her why she was there and Ruth explained all that Naomi had instructed her to do. Boaz, being accustomed to the tradition, reassured Ruth that he would fulfill his obligation. He, however, was also aware of another family member who was closer in relation to them and should have first right at being a family redeemer. Boaz told Ruth to stay there at his feet until morning and she did, but she arose early before the sun came up to avoid being seen leaving.
Ruth returned to Naomi to tell her all that had happened the night prior, bearing the gift of six measures of barley he had given her. Once she had recounted the story, Naomi told her that she just had to be patient now while Boaz did what she knew he would do, being the good Israelite man that he was.
During their exchange, Boaz expressed to Ruth that he knew she had a reputation in town for being a good woman. Word of her kindness, faithfulness and uprightness had spread in Bethlehem. Because of this, he was willing - even eager - to do what was right by them, and in the sight of the Lord. Even though, according to the law, he had the option to refuse her. Had she behaved unseemly, he may well have used that option.
Lord, please help us to live I live in a way that pleases you. Help us, oh God, to build our reputations so that they positively reflect you. Revive, in us, your character, which you gave us at creation; in your image and likeness. Allow us to find favor with those around us because of our faithfulness to you. And, let us always glorify you in our successes. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Ruth's reputation had been established in Bethlehem even before she arrived. It allowed her to find work and provision under the good graces do Boaz, so that she could support herself and her fellow widow and mother-in-law, Naomi. But now, Naomi was ready to do something for her. So, one night, she announced that she was going to help Ruth find a permanent living arrangement.
Naomi then proceeded to give Ruth all the instructions she needed to follow Israelite tradition in securing Boaz as her family redeemer. She told her to take a bath, put on perfume and dress in her nicest clothes, then go down to his threshing floor where he would be winnowing barley. She was to wait there for him until he finished eating and drinking, and make note of where he went to lie down. At that point, Naomi instructed Ruth to uncover and lay at his feet.
Ruth did what she was told and Boaz awakened to find her at his feet. He asked her why she was there and Ruth explained all that Naomi had instructed her to do. Boaz, being accustomed to the tradition, reassured Ruth that he would fulfill his obligation. He, however, was also aware of another family member who was closer in relation to them and should have first right at being a family redeemer. Boaz told Ruth to stay there at his feet until morning and she did, but she arose early before the sun came up to avoid being seen leaving.
Ruth returned to Naomi to tell her all that had happened the night prior, bearing the gift of six measures of barley he had given her. Once she had recounted the story, Naomi told her that she just had to be patient now while Boaz did what she knew he would do, being the good Israelite man that he was.
During their exchange, Boaz expressed to Ruth that he knew she had a reputation in town for being a good woman. Word of her kindness, faithfulness and uprightness had spread in Bethlehem. Because of this, he was willing - even eager - to do what was right by them, and in the sight of the Lord. Even though, according to the law, he had the option to refuse her. Had she behaved unseemly, he may well have used that option.
Lord, please help us to live I live in a way that pleases you. Help us, oh God, to build our reputations so that they positively reflect you. Revive, in us, your character, which you gave us at creation; in your image and likeness. Allow us to find favor with those around us because of our faithfulness to you. And, let us always glorify you in our successes. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Character Builds A Reputation
Ruth 2:1-23
Two widows, one young and one old, had just arrived in Bethlehem from Moab. In that time, being a widow was almost a death sentence if there was no family member to care for her. But, Ruth was determined to take care of Naomi and provide for the two of them. So, one day she got up and told Naomi that she is going to the fields to gather grain.
Now, Ruth had a couple things working against her in this situation. First, she was a foreigner in Bethlehem – being from Moab. Second, she was not a hired hand, so any grain she gathered would be either what was left for the poor, or it would be considered stolen.
But, God had a plan. Ruth ended up working in the field of Boaz, a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem. When he came to the fields to check on his crops and his workers, he noticed Ruth and inquired about her with his foreman. His foreman told him that Ruth had showed up with Naomi when she returned from Moab. He pointed out that Ruth asked, that morning, to gather grain after the harvesters and she had been hard at work since then, except for small break in the shade.
Boaz was impressed, or moved with compassion, or something, but in any case, he instructed his foreman to allow her to continue to gather without being bothered and even to intentionally drop some good grain specifically for her to pick up. Boaz went to Ruth and told her that she was welcome to continue to gather in his field and not to go to any other fields. He also told her to help herself to any water that was drawn if she was thirsty. Later, he even invited her to sit with them at dinner and allowed her to eat until she was full and even have leftovers.
Afterwards, Ruth returned to the field to continue gathering. By the end of the day, she had fully filled her basket with grain. She went back to town to show her mother-in-law what she had done all day. Naomi was surprised at what she saw, and asked where she had been and in who's field she had worked.
Ruth told Naomi that she had been working in Boaz's field all day and that he invited her to return and work there. Naomi was excited about this. She wished blessings on Boaz and told Ruth to do just as he Sick. So, Ruth went back for the remainder of the barley harvest and gathered with the Boaz's harvesters. She also remained with them through the wheat harvest.
So, a lot has taken place in this story already. Ruth has built a reputation for herself in this strange land by her kindness, her work ethic, and her faithfulness. She has shown initiative, not only to provide for herself, but also her mother-in-law. Even more, she has gained the attention of Boaz, who as we will see soon, turns out to be more than just a kind, wealthy, God-fearing man. When we do what is right, what is pleasing to God, he will honor that.
Lord, give me a heart that follows yours. Help me to do what is good and pleasing in your sight. Make it my character to treat people well, work with diligence, take initiative, have faith in you. Have your way, Lord, in my life and help me to remember that everything is a part of your plan. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Two widows, one young and one old, had just arrived in Bethlehem from Moab. In that time, being a widow was almost a death sentence if there was no family member to care for her. But, Ruth was determined to take care of Naomi and provide for the two of them. So, one day she got up and told Naomi that she is going to the fields to gather grain.
Now, Ruth had a couple things working against her in this situation. First, she was a foreigner in Bethlehem – being from Moab. Second, she was not a hired hand, so any grain she gathered would be either what was left for the poor, or it would be considered stolen.
But, God had a plan. Ruth ended up working in the field of Boaz, a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem. When he came to the fields to check on his crops and his workers, he noticed Ruth and inquired about her with his foreman. His foreman told him that Ruth had showed up with Naomi when she returned from Moab. He pointed out that Ruth asked, that morning, to gather grain after the harvesters and she had been hard at work since then, except for small break in the shade.
Boaz was impressed, or moved with compassion, or something, but in any case, he instructed his foreman to allow her to continue to gather without being bothered and even to intentionally drop some good grain specifically for her to pick up. Boaz went to Ruth and told her that she was welcome to continue to gather in his field and not to go to any other fields. He also told her to help herself to any water that was drawn if she was thirsty. Later, he even invited her to sit with them at dinner and allowed her to eat until she was full and even have leftovers.
Afterwards, Ruth returned to the field to continue gathering. By the end of the day, she had fully filled her basket with grain. She went back to town to show her mother-in-law what she had done all day. Naomi was surprised at what she saw, and asked where she had been and in who's field she had worked.
Ruth told Naomi that she had been working in Boaz's field all day and that he invited her to return and work there. Naomi was excited about this. She wished blessings on Boaz and told Ruth to do just as he Sick. So, Ruth went back for the remainder of the barley harvest and gathered with the Boaz's harvesters. She also remained with them through the wheat harvest.
So, a lot has taken place in this story already. Ruth has built a reputation for herself in this strange land by her kindness, her work ethic, and her faithfulness. She has shown initiative, not only to provide for herself, but also her mother-in-law. Even more, she has gained the attention of Boaz, who as we will see soon, turns out to be more than just a kind, wealthy, God-fearing man. When we do what is right, what is pleasing to God, he will honor that.
Lord, give me a heart that follows yours. Help me to do what is good and pleasing in your sight. Make it my character to treat people well, work with diligence, take initiative, have faith in you. Have your way, Lord, in my life and help me to remember that everything is a part of your plan. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Life Goes On
Ruth 1:1-22
Now the Israelites went through many other trying events during the times when the judges ruled. They engaged in theft, idolatry, rape, murder and infighting that led to Civil War. Because there was no king, the people simply did what they felt was right in their own eyes. An entire tribe was nearly wiped out because of the sin of all the people. But, again, because of God's grace, the tribe was restored. (See Judges 17-21)
However, there were still some good people in Israel. One of those people was Elimelech. During a time of famine, he moved his family to the country of Moab. He settled there with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. After a while Elimelech died and left his wife, Naomi, alone with their two sons. His two sons married women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth, but then, they also died.
Now, Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law. Because they were still young, she told them to go back to their families and she would return to her home in Bethlehem. The daughters protested, but Naomi insisted. So, Orpah went back to her family, but Ruth would not go. She pleaded with Naomi to let her stay and even vowed to remain with her; to be parted only by death.
Naomi had left such a great impression on Ruth that she was willing to go where Naomi went, live where she lived, serve the God she served and die where she died. How awesome is that? Do you live your life in a manner that draws people to Christ or pushes them away? I aim to fall in the first category.
When they returned to Bethlehem, everyone in town was excited to see Naomi. She was so upset by her situation that she asked to be called Mara, because it made her bitter. It didn't matter to her that she had been missed, or that she had survived the bitter drought that she and her family left, or that she was able to return safely. Sometimes life can get that way for us. We can't so caught up thinking about everything that's going wrong in our lives that we fail to notice the way God is blessing us.
Lord, please help us to recognize how you are with us even when circumstances are less than perfect. Help us to see that there is always a blessing in our trials. Even though we come against adversity: sometimes we lose people that we love, sometimes we don't see how much we are loved, you always know what's best for us. Thank you, God, for always being with us and helping us to continue, as life goes on. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Now the Israelites went through many other trying events during the times when the judges ruled. They engaged in theft, idolatry, rape, murder and infighting that led to Civil War. Because there was no king, the people simply did what they felt was right in their own eyes. An entire tribe was nearly wiped out because of the sin of all the people. But, again, because of God's grace, the tribe was restored. (See Judges 17-21)
However, there were still some good people in Israel. One of those people was Elimelech. During a time of famine, he moved his family to the country of Moab. He settled there with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. After a while Elimelech died and left his wife, Naomi, alone with their two sons. His two sons married women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth, but then, they also died.
Now, Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law. Because they were still young, she told them to go back to their families and she would return to her home in Bethlehem. The daughters protested, but Naomi insisted. So, Orpah went back to her family, but Ruth would not go. She pleaded with Naomi to let her stay and even vowed to remain with her; to be parted only by death.
Naomi had left such a great impression on Ruth that she was willing to go where Naomi went, live where she lived, serve the God she served and die where she died. How awesome is that? Do you live your life in a manner that draws people to Christ or pushes them away? I aim to fall in the first category.
When they returned to Bethlehem, everyone in town was excited to see Naomi. She was so upset by her situation that she asked to be called Mara, because it made her bitter. It didn't matter to her that she had been missed, or that she had survived the bitter drought that she and her family left, or that she was able to return safely. Sometimes life can get that way for us. We can't so caught up thinking about everything that's going wrong in our lives that we fail to notice the way God is blessing us.
Lord, please help us to recognize how you are with us even when circumstances are less than perfect. Help us to see that there is always a blessing in our trials. Even though we come against adversity: sometimes we lose people that we love, sometimes we don't see how much we are loved, you always know what's best for us. Thank you, God, for always being with us and helping us to continue, as life goes on. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Public Enemy Number One
Judges 16:22-31
When we left off, Samson had revealed the secret of his strength to Delilah, who promptly betrayed his trust and used it to have him captured for 1,100 pieces of silver. Samson was overpowered by the Philistine rulers, blinded and forced into slavery, grinding grain in Gaza.
Of course, this made the Philistines very happy. For so many years, this one man had tormented and defeated them; making a mockery of them. Now that they could return the favor, they were overjoyed and celebrating that victory. To add insult to injury, they even sent for Samson to be brought to the party as entertainment. They just couldn't leave well enough alone - remember that part about revenge not ending.
So, Samson came, with his guide. He asked to be propped up against the two pillars supporting the temple where the festivities were taking place. With all the drunken debauchery taking place, no one seemed to think anything of this. This was especially true since they had weakened and defeated him. It, apparently, never crossed any one's mind that hair grows back or that that growth could represent a renewal of strength.
Look at God. Through the humiliation and torment, Samson knew he could always call on God. Despite all that he had done wrong to get himself in that position, he knew that if anyone could help him, it was God. Unfortunately, he had the wrong personal motive (still revenge - this time for his eyes), but God will use whatever we bring him to do what he wants done.
So Samson prayed, while the crowd was mocking him, for God to give him strength one last time. (Funny how now, all of a sudden, he recognized that God is providing the strength.) As he stood there with both his hands on the support columns, he pushed them causing the entire temple to come crashing down, killing the more than 3,000 men and women there, including the Philistine rulers...and himself (also by request). The total killed at that one time was more than he had killed over his entire lifetime.
Afterward, his brothers came to collect his body and bury him near his father between Zorah and Eshtaol. So one man terrorized an entire nation all because of revenge. At least that was the human side of it. The sovereign part was the Philistines pagan and idol worshiping practices being punished. Just as they were praising some fake gods for helping them defeat Samson, the true God stepped in to give Samson the final victory over them.
Thank you, Lord, for always having our back. When we've done wrong and turned away from you, disobeying your will, you are always waiting in the wings to forgive us and draw us back to you. Thank you, dear God, for your patience and love. Thank you for fighting our battles through us and for us. May we always acknowledge and appreciate your presence and participation in our lives. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
When we left off, Samson had revealed the secret of his strength to Delilah, who promptly betrayed his trust and used it to have him captured for 1,100 pieces of silver. Samson was overpowered by the Philistine rulers, blinded and forced into slavery, grinding grain in Gaza.
Of course, this made the Philistines very happy. For so many years, this one man had tormented and defeated them; making a mockery of them. Now that they could return the favor, they were overjoyed and celebrating that victory. To add insult to injury, they even sent for Samson to be brought to the party as entertainment. They just couldn't leave well enough alone - remember that part about revenge not ending.
So, Samson came, with his guide. He asked to be propped up against the two pillars supporting the temple where the festivities were taking place. With all the drunken debauchery taking place, no one seemed to think anything of this. This was especially true since they had weakened and defeated him. It, apparently, never crossed any one's mind that hair grows back or that that growth could represent a renewal of strength.
Look at God. Through the humiliation and torment, Samson knew he could always call on God. Despite all that he had done wrong to get himself in that position, he knew that if anyone could help him, it was God. Unfortunately, he had the wrong personal motive (still revenge - this time for his eyes), but God will use whatever we bring him to do what he wants done.
So Samson prayed, while the crowd was mocking him, for God to give him strength one last time. (Funny how now, all of a sudden, he recognized that God is providing the strength.) As he stood there with both his hands on the support columns, he pushed them causing the entire temple to come crashing down, killing the more than 3,000 men and women there, including the Philistine rulers...and himself (also by request). The total killed at that one time was more than he had killed over his entire lifetime.
Afterward, his brothers came to collect his body and bury him near his father between Zorah and Eshtaol. So one man terrorized an entire nation all because of revenge. At least that was the human side of it. The sovereign part was the Philistines pagan and idol worshiping practices being punished. Just as they were praising some fake gods for helping them defeat Samson, the true God stepped in to give Samson the final victory over them.
Thank you, Lord, for always having our back. When we've done wrong and turned away from you, disobeying your will, you are always waiting in the wings to forgive us and draw us back to you. Thank you, dear God, for your patience and love. Thank you for fighting our battles through us and for us. May we always acknowledge and appreciate your presence and participation in our lives. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
When A Man Lusts For A Woman
Judges 16:1-21
Samson became fast frienemies with the Philistines, taking their women and killing their men. His conflict and revenge cycle with them continued and caused the Philistines to result to intellectual and emotional warfare to bring him down.
Samson was a bit of a ladies' man with a thing for Philistine women. One night while he was with a prostitute in the Philistine city of Gaza, some of the Philistine men plotted to kill him first thing the next morning. But, Samson left at midnight and decided, for some reason, that he needed to take the city gates with him. He took them way far away to a hilltop near Hebron. I am not sure if he was aware of the plot against his life or if he just wanted to prove, once again, just how strong he was.
In any case, the plot was not carried out and some time passed before he fell in love with yet another Philistine woman. This one you may have heard of - Delilah. Here is where that complex warfare came in. The five Philistine rulers knew about Samson's love for Delilah and decided to use it against him. They all went to her and promised her a large payoff if she would find out the secret of his strength and tell them.
And she wasted no time doing it. She went to him, probably with the sweetest, most innocent presentation she could muster, and asked him to tell her the secret of his strength. Samson gave her a bogus response, but she bought it. She went to the rulers and told them what he said. Then, they provided her the materials she needed (or so they thought) to tie him up securely so they could ambush him. When they tried to attack, Samson broke free and they failed.
They went through this two more times (exact same cycle) before Delilah got really serious about being made a fool of and missing out on her payment. So, after the third time, she nagged and nagged and nagged until Samson could no longer stand it. (Kind of like the incident with that riddle and his fiancee). So finally, after baiting him with the whole 'if you love me you'll tell me' bit, Samson told her the real secret to his strength - his hair had never been cut because he was a Nazirite.
She knew she finally had the truth and she lulled him to sleep and cut his hair so that this time the men's attack would be successful. And it was. Samson thought he would just break free as he had before, but his strength was gone. The men took him away to Gaza, gouged out his eyes and made him a grain grinding slave.
There are so many things that could be pointed out about this story, but the most obvious is the danger of lust. I know, I've used the word love before now, but I think we all know that's not really what these two had going. Love is not deceitful, which both of them were. Love is not harmful; I think that part speaks for itself in this story. And, contrary to popular belief, love is not blind or blinding. In fact, I believe that when you truly love someone, you are able to see them more clearly than at any other time. That is why it can sometimes seem painful; because the truth is not always pleasant.
So when we let lust get the best of us, bad things happen. Anyone reading Samson's story can see how foolish he was in this situation. Delilah didn't even bother changing her tactics because he fell for it every time. I mean, honestly, what would cause a man to allow a woman to do all those things to him, knowing it is a setup, besides lust? And he paid the price for it, as we all will.
So, Lord, please help us to recognize the difference between love and lust and not be fooled by either. Love is from you; it is you, God, so it is good. Anything that looks like love, but is used for evil is lust. Help us to not fall victim to its appeal. Hide us in your love, Lord; let us see through your eyes. Give us discernment and strength to resist its temptations and avoid its consequences. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Samson became fast frienemies with the Philistines, taking their women and killing their men. His conflict and revenge cycle with them continued and caused the Philistines to result to intellectual and emotional warfare to bring him down.
Samson was a bit of a ladies' man with a thing for Philistine women. One night while he was with a prostitute in the Philistine city of Gaza, some of the Philistine men plotted to kill him first thing the next morning. But, Samson left at midnight and decided, for some reason, that he needed to take the city gates with him. He took them way far away to a hilltop near Hebron. I am not sure if he was aware of the plot against his life or if he just wanted to prove, once again, just how strong he was.
In any case, the plot was not carried out and some time passed before he fell in love with yet another Philistine woman. This one you may have heard of - Delilah. Here is where that complex warfare came in. The five Philistine rulers knew about Samson's love for Delilah and decided to use it against him. They all went to her and promised her a large payoff if she would find out the secret of his strength and tell them.
And she wasted no time doing it. She went to him, probably with the sweetest, most innocent presentation she could muster, and asked him to tell her the secret of his strength. Samson gave her a bogus response, but she bought it. She went to the rulers and told them what he said. Then, they provided her the materials she needed (or so they thought) to tie him up securely so they could ambush him. When they tried to attack, Samson broke free and they failed.
They went through this two more times (exact same cycle) before Delilah got really serious about being made a fool of and missing out on her payment. So, after the third time, she nagged and nagged and nagged until Samson could no longer stand it. (Kind of like the incident with that riddle and his fiancee). So finally, after baiting him with the whole 'if you love me you'll tell me' bit, Samson told her the real secret to his strength - his hair had never been cut because he was a Nazirite.
She knew she finally had the truth and she lulled him to sleep and cut his hair so that this time the men's attack would be successful. And it was. Samson thought he would just break free as he had before, but his strength was gone. The men took him away to Gaza, gouged out his eyes and made him a grain grinding slave.
There are so many things that could be pointed out about this story, but the most obvious is the danger of lust. I know, I've used the word love before now, but I think we all know that's not really what these two had going. Love is not deceitful, which both of them were. Love is not harmful; I think that part speaks for itself in this story. And, contrary to popular belief, love is not blind or blinding. In fact, I believe that when you truly love someone, you are able to see them more clearly than at any other time. That is why it can sometimes seem painful; because the truth is not always pleasant.
So when we let lust get the best of us, bad things happen. Anyone reading Samson's story can see how foolish he was in this situation. Delilah didn't even bother changing her tactics because he fell for it every time. I mean, honestly, what would cause a man to allow a woman to do all those things to him, knowing it is a setup, besides lust? And he paid the price for it, as we all will.
So, Lord, please help us to recognize the difference between love and lust and not be fooled by either. Love is from you; it is you, God, so it is good. Anything that looks like love, but is used for evil is lust. Help us to not fall victim to its appeal. Hide us in your love, Lord; let us see through your eyes. Give us discernment and strength to resist its temptations and avoid its consequences. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Revenge Doesn't End
Judges 15:1-20
Samson went back to Timnah to claim his wife, but as we mentioned before, she had been given to someone else. Enter Samson's anger. As payback for giving his daughter to the best man when he thought Samson hated her, Samson rounded up 300 foxes tied them by their tails in pairs, tied and lit torches on each pair and set them loose. They burned all the Philistines' grain and vineyards and olive groves, basically destroying all their cash crops.
Then the Philistines got mad (understandably) and demanded to know who was responsible. When they found out who and why, they set fire to the father and daughter. But wait, there's more. So now Samson is angered again and vows to avenge their deaths (not completely sure why, at which point he waged a one-man war against the Philistines and killed several before leaving to live in a cave in Etam.
Now it's the Philistines' turn again. They attacked the tribe of Judah and set up camp there, spreading out near Lehi. Recall that Samson is from the tribe of Dan and grew up in Zorah living in Etam. Therefore, the men of Judah were obviously confused and concerned about this occupation. So they asked the Philistines why they were there. When they replied that they were looking for Samson, they were so happy to turn him over. In fact, 3,000 men of Judah went and collected him from the cave themselves, tied him in ropes and handed him over to them.
Samson's only concern was that they not kill him themselves, and they didn't. But as they were turning him over, and the Philistines were starting their victory party, Samson broke free and used the jawbone of a donkey to kill 1,000 of the Philistines. Then he started his own victory party, boasting of what he had done - no mention of the strength God gave him to do it. Then all of a sudden he's thirsty and who does he call on, but God - in quite a sarcastic manner at that! But God, in his infinite mercy, heard his cry and gave him water from a hollow in the ground. Somehow after that, he became Israel's judge for the next 20 years.
Each round of retaliation got bigger and bigger and involved more and more people who had nothing to do with the original offense. And that is the way revenge goes. No one is ever really satisfied and there is always room for more backlash in the future. The only true way to completely end grievances is not through revenge, but forgiveness.
So I pray, Lord, help us to forgive and leave vengeance to you. It is yours as are our battles. We have but to trust you and your Word and that you will do exactly what you said. Cover us with your love so we can share it with others; even those who offend us. Give us understanding and patience and a heart for peace. And let us always give you the glory for the things that you do for us. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Samson went back to Timnah to claim his wife, but as we mentioned before, she had been given to someone else. Enter Samson's anger. As payback for giving his daughter to the best man when he thought Samson hated her, Samson rounded up 300 foxes tied them by their tails in pairs, tied and lit torches on each pair and set them loose. They burned all the Philistines' grain and vineyards and olive groves, basically destroying all their cash crops.
Then the Philistines got mad (understandably) and demanded to know who was responsible. When they found out who and why, they set fire to the father and daughter. But wait, there's more. So now Samson is angered again and vows to avenge their deaths (not completely sure why, at which point he waged a one-man war against the Philistines and killed several before leaving to live in a cave in Etam.
Now it's the Philistines' turn again. They attacked the tribe of Judah and set up camp there, spreading out near Lehi. Recall that Samson is from the tribe of Dan and grew up in Zorah living in Etam. Therefore, the men of Judah were obviously confused and concerned about this occupation. So they asked the Philistines why they were there. When they replied that they were looking for Samson, they were so happy to turn him over. In fact, 3,000 men of Judah went and collected him from the cave themselves, tied him in ropes and handed him over to them.
Samson's only concern was that they not kill him themselves, and they didn't. But as they were turning him over, and the Philistines were starting their victory party, Samson broke free and used the jawbone of a donkey to kill 1,000 of the Philistines. Then he started his own victory party, boasting of what he had done - no mention of the strength God gave him to do it. Then all of a sudden he's thirsty and who does he call on, but God - in quite a sarcastic manner at that! But God, in his infinite mercy, heard his cry and gave him water from a hollow in the ground. Somehow after that, he became Israel's judge for the next 20 years.
Each round of retaliation got bigger and bigger and involved more and more people who had nothing to do with the original offense. And that is the way revenge goes. No one is ever really satisfied and there is always room for more backlash in the future. The only true way to completely end grievances is not through revenge, but forgiveness.
So I pray, Lord, help us to forgive and leave vengeance to you. It is yours as are our battles. We have but to trust you and your Word and that you will do exactly what you said. Cover us with your love so we can share it with others; even those who offend us. Give us understanding and patience and a heart for peace. And let us always give you the glory for the things that you do for us. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Samson's Dilemma
Judges 14:1-20
So, Samson was born as promised and he grew up and God blessed him and began moving in him. One day he made his way to Timnah and found a Philistine woman that caught his eye. He returned home and told his parents about her and asked them to get her for him as a wife. They objected because she was Philistine and they would have preferred that he marry an Israelite woman, which makes sense given their culture and tradition.
But God was in the mix and he was working on his plan against the Philistines since they were ruling over his people at the time. He just didn't tell Samson's parents that. I can relate; God is constantly allowing me to go through situations that really put me through my paces and test me in order to do some greater work that may not have anything to do with me directly. I'm okay with that, especially since I know he will never abandon me in whatever the situation is.
So, Samson insisted on having this woman for his wife, so his parents went about getting her for him. While they were on their way back to Timnah, apparently Samson wandered off and was attacked by a young lion. That would have been the end of the story for most people, but remember, Samson was a Nazirite. So, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he just ripped the lions jaws apart with his bare hands; no sweat.
Amazing, crisis averted, again except for the whole Nazirite issue. That part about avoiding contact with corpses, kind of out the window there (and again as we'll see later). So he didn't tell his parents about it, but he just went along like nothing had happened. They went to Timnah, met with the woman and was still pleased to take her for his wife. On the way back, though, Samson stopped back by his lion carcass and saw that some bees had made honey inside of it. A good Nazirite would have kept it moving, not even gone that way to start with; but not Samson. Oh, no. He took some of the honey and ate it, even shared it with his parents without telling them where he got it. Doesn't that just sound like a set-up? Doing wrong, knowingly, and thinking you got away with it since nothing bad happened immediately. Of course God's justice wouldn't let that happen.
Samson threw an engagement party in Timnah while his father finalized the arrangements; this was customary. And his in-laws-to-be found 30 groomsmen for him. Now the guilt of what he'd done must have been getting to him because he felt the need to confess, just not outright to avoid trouble. So he told his groomsmen what happened in the form of a riddle. But before he told them, he made a little wager with them about it. Thirty fine linen robes and sets of festive clothing for them if they could solve it; for him if they could not.
Of course they could not, but they were not in a position to just come up with and hand over the agreed bounty, so they cheated. They told Samson's betrothed to get him to tell her the answer and then come and tell them, else they would burn her father's house down with her in it. So she did. It took her a whole week of whining and crying and nagging to get him to tell her, but she finally got it out of him. So, just before the wage term was up, by the end of the celebration, the men came to him with the answer they had swindled out of his future wife - and he knew that's how they got the answer.
Obviously, this was very upsetting for him. Now he had to go and kill some innocent rich folks and take their stuff to give to these cheating men. Well, I'm sure there was a better way, but he was very upset. In fact, he was so upset that he went back home to live with his parents again. I guess he felt betrayed; but in the meantime, the bride's family gave her to his best man. They had already made all these preparations, somebody was getting married.
So there are a few things to take away from this story. Be obedient to God - we will be held accountable for our deviance. Know who to trust - just because someone looks or seems nice doesn't mean they're for you. Own up to your mistakes - hiding or running away from them only leads to more calamity.
Lord, please help us to be obedient and do what you want us to do. Give us a spirit of repentance when we stray or stumble. Help us to remember that you always have a greater plan and purpose for our lives than what we can see or imagine. Continue to lead us and guide us on the right path. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
So, Samson was born as promised and he grew up and God blessed him and began moving in him. One day he made his way to Timnah and found a Philistine woman that caught his eye. He returned home and told his parents about her and asked them to get her for him as a wife. They objected because she was Philistine and they would have preferred that he marry an Israelite woman, which makes sense given their culture and tradition.
But God was in the mix and he was working on his plan against the Philistines since they were ruling over his people at the time. He just didn't tell Samson's parents that. I can relate; God is constantly allowing me to go through situations that really put me through my paces and test me in order to do some greater work that may not have anything to do with me directly. I'm okay with that, especially since I know he will never abandon me in whatever the situation is.
So, Samson insisted on having this woman for his wife, so his parents went about getting her for him. While they were on their way back to Timnah, apparently Samson wandered off and was attacked by a young lion. That would have been the end of the story for most people, but remember, Samson was a Nazirite. So, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he just ripped the lions jaws apart with his bare hands; no sweat.
Amazing, crisis averted, again except for the whole Nazirite issue. That part about avoiding contact with corpses, kind of out the window there (and again as we'll see later). So he didn't tell his parents about it, but he just went along like nothing had happened. They went to Timnah, met with the woman and was still pleased to take her for his wife. On the way back, though, Samson stopped back by his lion carcass and saw that some bees had made honey inside of it. A good Nazirite would have kept it moving, not even gone that way to start with; but not Samson. Oh, no. He took some of the honey and ate it, even shared it with his parents without telling them where he got it. Doesn't that just sound like a set-up? Doing wrong, knowingly, and thinking you got away with it since nothing bad happened immediately. Of course God's justice wouldn't let that happen.
Samson threw an engagement party in Timnah while his father finalized the arrangements; this was customary. And his in-laws-to-be found 30 groomsmen for him. Now the guilt of what he'd done must have been getting to him because he felt the need to confess, just not outright to avoid trouble. So he told his groomsmen what happened in the form of a riddle. But before he told them, he made a little wager with them about it. Thirty fine linen robes and sets of festive clothing for them if they could solve it; for him if they could not.
Of course they could not, but they were not in a position to just come up with and hand over the agreed bounty, so they cheated. They told Samson's betrothed to get him to tell her the answer and then come and tell them, else they would burn her father's house down with her in it. So she did. It took her a whole week of whining and crying and nagging to get him to tell her, but she finally got it out of him. So, just before the wage term was up, by the end of the celebration, the men came to him with the answer they had swindled out of his future wife - and he knew that's how they got the answer.
Obviously, this was very upsetting for him. Now he had to go and kill some innocent rich folks and take their stuff to give to these cheating men. Well, I'm sure there was a better way, but he was very upset. In fact, he was so upset that he went back home to live with his parents again. I guess he felt betrayed; but in the meantime, the bride's family gave her to his best man. They had already made all these preparations, somebody was getting married.
So there are a few things to take away from this story. Be obedient to God - we will be held accountable for our deviance. Know who to trust - just because someone looks or seems nice doesn't mean they're for you. Own up to your mistakes - hiding or running away from them only leads to more calamity.
Lord, please help us to be obedient and do what you want us to do. Give us a spirit of repentance when we stray or stumble. Help us to remember that you always have a greater plan and purpose for our lives than what we can see or imagine. Continue to lead us and guide us on the right path. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Friday, March 15, 2013
A Promise To Keep
Please pardon the interruption. I have been transitioning and very distracted. But I am back now and will catch up to where I should be over the next couple days; so there will be multiple posts each day until I do. Ironically, there is also a rather large gap between the previous lesson and this one in the story of the Israelites.
Now that Gideon has died, of course the Israelites have gone back to their self-destructive ways. They have abandoned God's will and commands and followed after false gods. And, as per protocol, God has turned against them in anger, they were defeated and taken captive by their enemies, and now they are crying out to God for help.
This cycle never ceases to amaze and befuddle me. Why don't they just learn their lesson, or whey won't God just give up on mercy and leave them to the consequences of their actions? I know the answers to those questions (original sin and God's character), I just have a hard time understanding it in action - when it comes to other people. Of course it makes perfect sense when it comes to me (read sarcastically).
But I digress. So, we know the Israelites are back in the doldrums of their vicious cycle. What I did tar mention to this point is that they had been through it six times between Gideon's death and now. Six times!
Now, before he died, Gideon led his army of 300 into victory over the kings of Midian, despite the lack of support from neighboring nations. I fact, because they refused to help, once he defeated the
Midianites, he went back and destroyed them as well. After that, the Israelites asked him to be their
ruler and all his descendants, but he refused. He knew God had a different plan for them; he wanted them to have judges, not kings. So the Israelites lived in peace for forty years until he died.
And in true Israelite fashion, they went back to Baal. Gideon's son, Abimalech, tried to be king for 3 years, but ended up bringing more trouble on them...and God sent judges to rescue them. First came Tola, then Jair, then Jephthah, then Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. And that brings us to the current passage.
The Israelites were in the hands of the Philistines because of their rebellion. An angel of the Lord appeared to the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, and told her she was going to give birth to a son. Not a big deal, except she had been barren and she was going to have to dedicate him to be a Nazirite from birth.
So, what's a Nazirite? A Nazirite is an Israelite consecrated to the service of God who vows to abstain from alcohol, let the hair grow and avoid defilement by contact with corpses (Numbers 6). Normally,
this vow was taken for a set time and purpose, but in this case, the vow would be taken by Manoah's wife on behalf of her yet-to-be-conceived child. This meant that she had to follow these guidelines until he was born, then teach him to do the same for his whole life.
She was so amazed by this visit that she ran and told her husband about it. Manoah wanted to see and hear it for himself, so he prayed for God to let the angel reappear; and he did. He told them the same thing he had told her previously and nothing more. But, Manoah wanted to do something for hi. For bringing such great news. So, he brought him an offering and it was consumed as the angel disappeared.
They stood in awe for a moment, afraid of being struck dead once they realized they had come face to face with God. Them Manoah's wife made a good point, if God were going to kill them, he wouldn't
have made them a promise for their future. So, time passed and everything the angel had said happened and Samson was born.
So, it seems to me that, like Samson's parents, when God gives us a promise, we have to believe it, work towards it and shake off any doubt or fear that we may have about it. Help us, Lord, to do just that. Help us to remember that your promises are yea and amen, they will be done. Remind us that you are always with us and will give us all the direction we need to reach the goals you set for us. Give us the desire and will to do what must be done while we wait on you. Let us not be idle, but active in our faith to see your Word fulfilled in our lives. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Friday, March 8, 2013
A Few Good Men
Judges 7:1-25
Gideon received his signs and was encouraged, so he gathered his army to attack the Midianites, 32,000 men in all. As they were moving out, preparing their attack, God told him to hold up. The Israelites were God's people and he knew them well. They were already stubborn and disobedient when it was obvious that God was taking care of them. So, he knew they would be no good at all if they gained a victory under what seemed to be their own ability.
That being the case, he told Gideon to drawn down his forces, so there would be no mistake that God deserved all the glory for the ensuing victory. All the men who were afraid to fight were sent home, leaving only 10,000 to forge ahead. That's right; 22,000 men who had been called and were en route were so afraid to actually accomplish the mission that they willingly turned back at the first opportunity! And that is how people are today; they will say they will go, help, support, whatever, even give the appearance that they will do what they say, but at the first sign of trouble or opportunity for exit, they are nowhere to be found. And that's okay. Usually, when that happens, that's just the way God wants it; let them go, they would have only been a hindrance.
Now down to 10,000, Gideon thought he and his army were ready to roll, but God said no. That was still too many. It, obviously, didn't take much to give the Israelites the big-head. So, God sent them down to the spring to drink. He told Gideon to divide the men into two groups, those who drank from their hands and those who put their mouths in the water. Of the 10,000, only 300 drank from their hands and were allowed to stay to fight the Midianites. The 9,700 were the folks who are with you, they really are, willing to stand shoulder to shoulder and fight the good fight, but they go about doing it the wrong way. They have good intentions, but poor means or methods. So, while they could get the job done, they wouldn't necessarily bring glory to God in the process.
The 300 remained; the willing and properly able. There were just enough to get the victory, but not so many that they could reasonably take all the credit. And that was just the way God intended. But now, Gideon's fear started creeping back in. Everyone likes to feel prepared when embarking on some great undertaking, especially something like war. That is perfectly understandable. So God had already made provision to help Gideon build his confidence now that his army had been whittled away. In the middle of the night, God told him to get up and go attack. But knowing he would be scared, he also told him he could take his servant with him down to their camp to be encouraged by what he heard there.
So, of course, Gideon chose door number two. He took his servant with him down to the Midianite camp and listened in on a conversation. They heard one man telling his friend about a dream where a loaf of bread rolled into a tent, knocking it over and flattening it out. The friend interpreted the dream to mean on;y one thing, that God had given Gideon and his army the victory over the Midianites. Now, I probably would have had trouble believing that wasn't a set up, but Gideon's faith was increased and he worshiped God and was eager to attack, just as God had promised.
So he gathered his men and divided them into three groups. He gave everyman a horn and a torch and spread them out around the camp. He instructed them to do as he did when the got to the edge of the camp. They approached just after midnight and Gideon and his crew blew their horns and ignited their torches and shouted. The other two groups followed suit. At that moment, God through the Midianites into a panic, so that they were attacking themselves. All Gideon and his 300 had to do was chase those who were escaping.
To assist with that, Gideon summoned his fellow tribes in the area to cut them off on their way out. And God gave them the victory...again. The kings were captured and killed and their heads presented to Gideon as confirmation. And all it took was a few (hundred) good men.
Thank you, Lord, for the ability to do so much with so little in you. Thank you for providing the increase when all I have is not enough. Thank you for being more than enough to cover what I lack. God, help me to always recognize my shortcomings as an opportunity for you to reveal your glory and power in my life. Give me the humility to always praise you in good times and bad; knowing that you will always give me the victory as long as I am faithful to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Gideon received his signs and was encouraged, so he gathered his army to attack the Midianites, 32,000 men in all. As they were moving out, preparing their attack, God told him to hold up. The Israelites were God's people and he knew them well. They were already stubborn and disobedient when it was obvious that God was taking care of them. So, he knew they would be no good at all if they gained a victory under what seemed to be their own ability.
That being the case, he told Gideon to drawn down his forces, so there would be no mistake that God deserved all the glory for the ensuing victory. All the men who were afraid to fight were sent home, leaving only 10,000 to forge ahead. That's right; 22,000 men who had been called and were en route were so afraid to actually accomplish the mission that they willingly turned back at the first opportunity! And that is how people are today; they will say they will go, help, support, whatever, even give the appearance that they will do what they say, but at the first sign of trouble or opportunity for exit, they are nowhere to be found. And that's okay. Usually, when that happens, that's just the way God wants it; let them go, they would have only been a hindrance.
Now down to 10,000, Gideon thought he and his army were ready to roll, but God said no. That was still too many. It, obviously, didn't take much to give the Israelites the big-head. So, God sent them down to the spring to drink. He told Gideon to divide the men into two groups, those who drank from their hands and those who put their mouths in the water. Of the 10,000, only 300 drank from their hands and were allowed to stay to fight the Midianites. The 9,700 were the folks who are with you, they really are, willing to stand shoulder to shoulder and fight the good fight, but they go about doing it the wrong way. They have good intentions, but poor means or methods. So, while they could get the job done, they wouldn't necessarily bring glory to God in the process.
The 300 remained; the willing and properly able. There were just enough to get the victory, but not so many that they could reasonably take all the credit. And that was just the way God intended. But now, Gideon's fear started creeping back in. Everyone likes to feel prepared when embarking on some great undertaking, especially something like war. That is perfectly understandable. So God had already made provision to help Gideon build his confidence now that his army had been whittled away. In the middle of the night, God told him to get up and go attack. But knowing he would be scared, he also told him he could take his servant with him down to their camp to be encouraged by what he heard there.
So, of course, Gideon chose door number two. He took his servant with him down to the Midianite camp and listened in on a conversation. They heard one man telling his friend about a dream where a loaf of bread rolled into a tent, knocking it over and flattening it out. The friend interpreted the dream to mean on;y one thing, that God had given Gideon and his army the victory over the Midianites. Now, I probably would have had trouble believing that wasn't a set up, but Gideon's faith was increased and he worshiped God and was eager to attack, just as God had promised.
So he gathered his men and divided them into three groups. He gave everyman a horn and a torch and spread them out around the camp. He instructed them to do as he did when the got to the edge of the camp. They approached just after midnight and Gideon and his crew blew their horns and ignited their torches and shouted. The other two groups followed suit. At that moment, God through the Midianites into a panic, so that they were attacking themselves. All Gideon and his 300 had to do was chase those who were escaping.
To assist with that, Gideon summoned his fellow tribes in the area to cut them off on their way out. And God gave them the victory...again. The kings were captured and killed and their heads presented to Gideon as confirmation. And all it took was a few (hundred) good men.
Thank you, Lord, for the ability to do so much with so little in you. Thank you for providing the increase when all I have is not enough. Thank you for being more than enough to cover what I lack. God, help me to always recognize my shortcomings as an opportunity for you to reveal your glory and power in my life. Give me the humility to always praise you in good times and bad; knowing that you will always give me the victory as long as I am faithful to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Give Me A Sign
Judges 6:1-40
So the Israelites went, again, through their vicious cycle with God, this time being handed over to the Midianites and plagued by their constant bullying and domination. They were left without so much as food to eat at the hands of this nation. So, once again, they cried out to God and he heard them. Once again, he had to remind them of all he had done for them and the little that he asked in return and how they failed to do it.
I really, really, really am amazed by and thankful for God's patience and mercy. I would have started over so many times with a brand new group of people by now. But God is great and greatly to be praised! Instead of completely giving up on them and abandoning them, he showed his eternal love for them by raising up Gideon as the next judge.
But Gideon had the Moses complex. You know the one where God calls you and you come up with every excuse in the book as to why he shouldn't have or you can't? I know I've been there a few times in my life. When the angel of the Lord showed up to call him out, he blamed God for the current malady of the Israelites; claimed he wasn't even around. But the angel insisted that he was the one.
So he protested again with something like, 'Okay, let's say God hasn't completely abandoned us, how am I supposed to lead these people? I'm the least of the least amongst them all. There's no way they'll listen to me, much less follow." But, again, the Lord insisted and promised to be with Gideon and fight for him so it would seem as easy as fighting against one person rather than a whole nation.
But Gideon still wasn't completely convinced. He needed more proof - a sign or two or three. So he asked the angel to stay there while he went to get a sacrificial offering, if in fact he was truly of God. So he did, and Gideon brought his offering and made his sacrifice. When it was consumed by fire from the rock on which he had laid it and the angel disappeared, Gideon believed...and was afraid. But the angel reassured him that he would not die (a real possibility for looking upon the Lord directly), so he built an altar called Jehovah-shalom, or the Lord is peace.
God instructed Gideon to tear down his fathers idols, including an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole, and use their pieces as a burnt offering. He did it, but only under the cover of darkness for fear of what others in the community might think. I've been there to; God says do something and I feel the need to sneak and do it because people might think I'm crazy or weird. Sure enough, when it was discovered the next morning, the people were angry and ready to kill Gideon. But, Gideon's father, Joash, stood up for him. It was his stuff that Gideon destroyed, he had been doing the wrong thing in the sight of God, but when the time came, he did what was right. He stood behind his son's leadership and challenged the mob to let their god defend himself against the true God.
That seemed to be convincing enough for the angry mob to just let it go. But, Gideon was still struggling with this whole hero thing. When the other nations formed an alliance against Israel, Gideon sounded a call to arms and readied the troops for battle, but he still had his doubts. He asked God for another sign that he would be with him - a wet fleece on dry ground. God did it. Yet, Gideon doubted and knew he was wrong for it. But at least he was honest with God about it. He asked for one more sign - dry fleece on wet ground - before he went, begging the Lord not to be angry with him in the process. So God did that too, and he was not angry.
God has so much patience with us and mercy on us, when we disobey, doubt and everything else. He is always ready to forgive and care for us as though we had done nothing wrong. He understands us in ways we'll never understand ourselves and loves us more that we could ever love him (or ourselves). He truly is amazing! I love you, Lord, as much as I can. Help me to love you even more. Thank you for your patience and forgiveness. Thank you for your love. Please continue to be a beacon of encouragement and hedge of protection. Increase my faith, so I will follow you willingly and without protest. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
So the Israelites went, again, through their vicious cycle with God, this time being handed over to the Midianites and plagued by their constant bullying and domination. They were left without so much as food to eat at the hands of this nation. So, once again, they cried out to God and he heard them. Once again, he had to remind them of all he had done for them and the little that he asked in return and how they failed to do it.
I really, really, really am amazed by and thankful for God's patience and mercy. I would have started over so many times with a brand new group of people by now. But God is great and greatly to be praised! Instead of completely giving up on them and abandoning them, he showed his eternal love for them by raising up Gideon as the next judge.
But Gideon had the Moses complex. You know the one where God calls you and you come up with every excuse in the book as to why he shouldn't have or you can't? I know I've been there a few times in my life. When the angel of the Lord showed up to call him out, he blamed God for the current malady of the Israelites; claimed he wasn't even around. But the angel insisted that he was the one.
So he protested again with something like, 'Okay, let's say God hasn't completely abandoned us, how am I supposed to lead these people? I'm the least of the least amongst them all. There's no way they'll listen to me, much less follow." But, again, the Lord insisted and promised to be with Gideon and fight for him so it would seem as easy as fighting against one person rather than a whole nation.
But Gideon still wasn't completely convinced. He needed more proof - a sign or two or three. So he asked the angel to stay there while he went to get a sacrificial offering, if in fact he was truly of God. So he did, and Gideon brought his offering and made his sacrifice. When it was consumed by fire from the rock on which he had laid it and the angel disappeared, Gideon believed...and was afraid. But the angel reassured him that he would not die (a real possibility for looking upon the Lord directly), so he built an altar called Jehovah-shalom, or the Lord is peace.
God instructed Gideon to tear down his fathers idols, including an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole, and use their pieces as a burnt offering. He did it, but only under the cover of darkness for fear of what others in the community might think. I've been there to; God says do something and I feel the need to sneak and do it because people might think I'm crazy or weird. Sure enough, when it was discovered the next morning, the people were angry and ready to kill Gideon. But, Gideon's father, Joash, stood up for him. It was his stuff that Gideon destroyed, he had been doing the wrong thing in the sight of God, but when the time came, he did what was right. He stood behind his son's leadership and challenged the mob to let their god defend himself against the true God.
That seemed to be convincing enough for the angry mob to just let it go. But, Gideon was still struggling with this whole hero thing. When the other nations formed an alliance against Israel, Gideon sounded a call to arms and readied the troops for battle, but he still had his doubts. He asked God for another sign that he would be with him - a wet fleece on dry ground. God did it. Yet, Gideon doubted and knew he was wrong for it. But at least he was honest with God about it. He asked for one more sign - dry fleece on wet ground - before he went, begging the Lord not to be angry with him in the process. So God did that too, and he was not angry.
God has so much patience with us and mercy on us, when we disobey, doubt and everything else. He is always ready to forgive and care for us as though we had done nothing wrong. He understands us in ways we'll never understand ourselves and loves us more that we could ever love him (or ourselves). He truly is amazing! I love you, Lord, as much as I can. Help me to love you even more. Thank you for your patience and forgiveness. Thank you for your love. Please continue to be a beacon of encouragement and hedge of protection. Increase my faith, so I will follow you willingly and without protest. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
A Woman's Touch
Judges 4:1-24
After Joshua died, the Israelites were ready to go about conquering their remaining land. God gave the tribe of Judah the go-ahead to attack the Canaanites first; and they did, with the help of Simeon's tribe. Together, they fought many battles and God gave them victory, though some tribes were more successful than others, taking the inhabitants as slaves rather than driving them completely out of the land.
Of course in true Israelite style, though that was not what God had told them to do. So, their disobedience caused God's anger to be kindled against them and he vowed not to drive their enemies out of their lands anymore. They would remain there and tempt them just as the Israelites seemed to demonstrate they wanted. They followed after other gods and turned away from God. So, instead of victory, they were constantly met with defeat.
That caused them to cry and complain and beg God to save them. Sound familiar? It does to me. Isn't it funny how some things get passed down through generations while others don't? By this time, all the first generation Israelites who had come out of Egypt and through the wilderness had died. These Israelites were the new generation; what they knew of God had been passed down to them. Yet, they managed to pick up the rebellious habits of their forefathers rather than the faithful ones.
But of course, when they cried out for help, God, with his infinite patience and grace, did just that. He sent them judges - to whom they didn't listen - but who would ultimately be their only saving grace from the enemies God left in place because of their disobedience. He had to teach them directly since they didn't learn from the mistakes of others before them.
Othniel, nephew and son-in-law of Caleb is the first judge mentioned. Through God, he conquered the king of Aram, bringing peace for 40 years. He died, Israel turned, God punished, Israel cried and God sent Ehud. He was left-handed, which was very rare back then. He used that to cleverly kill the King Eglon of Moab, bringing peace for 80 years. It's really a great story in Judges 3. After Ehud was Shamgar then, eventually, Deborah.
Her time to judge came after Israel's sin-punish-cry-save cycle that left them oppressed under King Jabin of Hazor by Sisera, his army commander. Deborah sent for Barak to lead the Israelites in battle against Sisera and he did, but only with her help. Because he wouldn't go on his own, she told him the victory would come at the hands of a woman and he would not get any of the credit.
So, they fought and won, but Sisera escaped. He went to his buddy Heber's house to hide and his wife, Jael, took him in. She gave him some warm milk and put him under a blanket and waited. Sisera fell asleep and Jael used that opportunity to take a tent peg and hammer to his temple, pinning him to the floor. Oh, the wiles of women!
God can and will use anyone and anything to accomplish his mission. Here Sisera thought he was running to the safety of a friend, but this woman did what she felt was right. She obviously disagreed with her husband about this guy and she was right [big surprise! ;-)]. So, Barak came looking for him and she showed him what she had done. That was the catalyst for Israel to eventually defeat Jabin.
Lord, let me not use my femininity as an excuse to not do your will. Let me, instead, use the wisdom and cunning you have endowed me with to do what you need me to do; even when you called a man to do it first. When the time comes and you bless me with a husband, help me to follow you when he cannot see your will clearly just as Jael did. Thank you, Lord, for finding me worthy to be used in your great plan. Continue to use this willing vessel. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
After Joshua died, the Israelites were ready to go about conquering their remaining land. God gave the tribe of Judah the go-ahead to attack the Canaanites first; and they did, with the help of Simeon's tribe. Together, they fought many battles and God gave them victory, though some tribes were more successful than others, taking the inhabitants as slaves rather than driving them completely out of the land.
Of course in true Israelite style, though that was not what God had told them to do. So, their disobedience caused God's anger to be kindled against them and he vowed not to drive their enemies out of their lands anymore. They would remain there and tempt them just as the Israelites seemed to demonstrate they wanted. They followed after other gods and turned away from God. So, instead of victory, they were constantly met with defeat.
That caused them to cry and complain and beg God to save them. Sound familiar? It does to me. Isn't it funny how some things get passed down through generations while others don't? By this time, all the first generation Israelites who had come out of Egypt and through the wilderness had died. These Israelites were the new generation; what they knew of God had been passed down to them. Yet, they managed to pick up the rebellious habits of their forefathers rather than the faithful ones.
But of course, when they cried out for help, God, with his infinite patience and grace, did just that. He sent them judges - to whom they didn't listen - but who would ultimately be their only saving grace from the enemies God left in place because of their disobedience. He had to teach them directly since they didn't learn from the mistakes of others before them.
Othniel, nephew and son-in-law of Caleb is the first judge mentioned. Through God, he conquered the king of Aram, bringing peace for 40 years. He died, Israel turned, God punished, Israel cried and God sent Ehud. He was left-handed, which was very rare back then. He used that to cleverly kill the King Eglon of Moab, bringing peace for 80 years. It's really a great story in Judges 3. After Ehud was Shamgar then, eventually, Deborah.
Her time to judge came after Israel's sin-punish-cry-save cycle that left them oppressed under King Jabin of Hazor by Sisera, his army commander. Deborah sent for Barak to lead the Israelites in battle against Sisera and he did, but only with her help. Because he wouldn't go on his own, she told him the victory would come at the hands of a woman and he would not get any of the credit.
So, they fought and won, but Sisera escaped. He went to his buddy Heber's house to hide and his wife, Jael, took him in. She gave him some warm milk and put him under a blanket and waited. Sisera fell asleep and Jael used that opportunity to take a tent peg and hammer to his temple, pinning him to the floor. Oh, the wiles of women!
God can and will use anyone and anything to accomplish his mission. Here Sisera thought he was running to the safety of a friend, but this woman did what she felt was right. She obviously disagreed with her husband about this guy and she was right [big surprise! ;-)]. So, Barak came looking for him and she showed him what she had done. That was the catalyst for Israel to eventually defeat Jabin.
Lord, let me not use my femininity as an excuse to not do your will. Let me, instead, use the wisdom and cunning you have endowed me with to do what you need me to do; even when you called a man to do it first. When the time comes and you bless me with a husband, help me to follow you when he cannot see your will clearly just as Jael did. Thank you, Lord, for finding me worthy to be used in your great plan. Continue to use this willing vessel. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The Choice Is Yours
Joshua 24:1-31
After giving his guidance and wisdom to the leaders of Israel, Joshua called all the people together for some final words. In most situations like this, where a leader is leaving for whatever reason, he or she will give some words of encouragement, tell everyone how much they'll be missed, perhaps even what a good job they've done. But, as we're all well aware by now, this group was special, so they needed a little something extra.
Given their on again-off again history with obedience to God, Joshua took the time to remind the Israelites, specifically of all he had done for them. He started way back at Abraham's father, Terah, speaking of how they worshiped other gods, but through Abraham, they were delivered from that. He talked about how he was made the father of many nations through Isaac, and eventually Jacob and Esau. He reviewed how Jacob's descendants, who had migrated to Egypt, were delivered from oppression there by Moses and Aaron. Then, how they finally made it out of the wilderness and to the land they were promised. Joshua highlighted how God drove out all their enemies before them - even causing some of them to bless them - and made them victorious in battle.
To be sure that they did not take these things for granted, Joshua pointed out how the land they live on, they had never planted or plowed; and the food they ate, they had not grown. God had provided it all for them; sure, he provided some input and effort on their part, but he was really the one who had done all the work. That being the case, Joshua told them to make their choice, right then and there.
He told them to either choose God, or idols and false gods. It was totally up to them. They were familiar with both. Their ancestors had worshiped the false gods; they had dabbled in it every now and then. But they also knew the only true and living God; the one who had saved them and kept them and provided for them in ways none of those other gods could. Joshua stated, in no uncertain terms, that he and his family would serve the Lord.
With that all the people declared that they would serve God, of course. Now even their memories were refreshed of his goodness and mercy toward them. They recalled very clearly how he freed them from Egypt and defeated their enemies, the Amorites, as they entered their Promised Land. They were excited about serving God, and God alone.
But Joshua knew exactly to whom he was speaking, so he also issued a warning to the stiff-necked bunch. He knew they wouldn't last long before their devotion grew stale and the allure of other gods and religions lured them away. Or, perhaps, some difficult time would come and they would convince themselves that God had abandoned them, and so abandon him. So he warned them that if they did that, turn away from God, he would turn away from them. That would not only mean ceasing to bless them further, but also destroying the blessings he had already bestowed. (I hear Exodus 20:2-6)
But they insisted, their choice was made. They would serve the Lord! So Joshua told them to put their money where their mouths were - so to speak - and get rid of all their idols (yep, they still had them) and really devote themselves to worshiping God alone. He even made a monument as a reminder of their agreement (as was the case with most covenants during that time). With that, Joshua sent them all away and he died in peace in the land he was given.
God, you have reminded us - of all the wonderful and wondrous things you have done for us. You have warned us - of the consequences of forsaking your love and following the lusts of the world. You have given us a choice today; one choice for the rest of our lives. So today, like many days before, including that first one so many years ago, I choose you. I choose to worship only you; serve only you; love only you as my God. Be a constant reminder for me; establish your Holy Spirit in my life as a monument to our covenant through Jesus. Open my eyes when I blindly wander away from you. Continue to draw nigh unto me as I draw nigh unto you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
After giving his guidance and wisdom to the leaders of Israel, Joshua called all the people together for some final words. In most situations like this, where a leader is leaving for whatever reason, he or she will give some words of encouragement, tell everyone how much they'll be missed, perhaps even what a good job they've done. But, as we're all well aware by now, this group was special, so they needed a little something extra.
Given their on again-off again history with obedience to God, Joshua took the time to remind the Israelites, specifically of all he had done for them. He started way back at Abraham's father, Terah, speaking of how they worshiped other gods, but through Abraham, they were delivered from that. He talked about how he was made the father of many nations through Isaac, and eventually Jacob and Esau. He reviewed how Jacob's descendants, who had migrated to Egypt, were delivered from oppression there by Moses and Aaron. Then, how they finally made it out of the wilderness and to the land they were promised. Joshua highlighted how God drove out all their enemies before them - even causing some of them to bless them - and made them victorious in battle.
To be sure that they did not take these things for granted, Joshua pointed out how the land they live on, they had never planted or plowed; and the food they ate, they had not grown. God had provided it all for them; sure, he provided some input and effort on their part, but he was really the one who had done all the work. That being the case, Joshua told them to make their choice, right then and there.
He told them to either choose God, or idols and false gods. It was totally up to them. They were familiar with both. Their ancestors had worshiped the false gods; they had dabbled in it every now and then. But they also knew the only true and living God; the one who had saved them and kept them and provided for them in ways none of those other gods could. Joshua stated, in no uncertain terms, that he and his family would serve the Lord.
With that all the people declared that they would serve God, of course. Now even their memories were refreshed of his goodness and mercy toward them. They recalled very clearly how he freed them from Egypt and defeated their enemies, the Amorites, as they entered their Promised Land. They were excited about serving God, and God alone.
But Joshua knew exactly to whom he was speaking, so he also issued a warning to the stiff-necked bunch. He knew they wouldn't last long before their devotion grew stale and the allure of other gods and religions lured them away. Or, perhaps, some difficult time would come and they would convince themselves that God had abandoned them, and so abandon him. So he warned them that if they did that, turn away from God, he would turn away from them. That would not only mean ceasing to bless them further, but also destroying the blessings he had already bestowed. (I hear Exodus 20:2-6)
But they insisted, their choice was made. They would serve the Lord! So Joshua told them to put their money where their mouths were - so to speak - and get rid of all their idols (yep, they still had them) and really devote themselves to worshiping God alone. He even made a monument as a reminder of their agreement (as was the case with most covenants during that time). With that, Joshua sent them all away and he died in peace in the land he was given.
God, you have reminded us - of all the wonderful and wondrous things you have done for us. You have warned us - of the consequences of forsaking your love and following the lusts of the world. You have given us a choice today; one choice for the rest of our lives. So today, like many days before, including that first one so many years ago, I choose you. I choose to worship only you; serve only you; love only you as my God. Be a constant reminder for me; establish your Holy Spirit in my life as a monument to our covenant through Jesus. Open my eyes when I blindly wander away from you. Continue to draw nigh unto me as I draw nigh unto you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Rest For The...Faithful
Joshua 23:1-16
After many years for warring against the various nations of Canaan, God finally gave the Israelites peace. They had conquered many peoples and inhabited the land God promised to them. In the process, Joshua had grown old and was nearing his final days. So, he gathered the leaders and elders around and gave them some final words of wisdom.
Now there was nothing particularly profound, or exciting or even new about what he told them, but it was exactly what they needed to hear. He reminded them, once again, of all God had done for them through the years. He told them again that the land conquered, and yet to be conquered, belonged to them. And, he told them that the Lord would be the one to make it happen. Most importantly, though, Joshua told the people that they had to be very sure that they adhered to God's commands.
He warned them not to follow the traditions and habits of the people left in the lands that they took over; that included worshiping their gods. In fact, he told them not to even mention their names! Joshua emphasized that if they did turn from God to follow the customs of the other nations, intermarrying with them and such, God would remove his covering from them. He would no longer protect them and drive their enemies out of their Promised Land. Even worse, the very people and things they turned their backs on God for would be the same to cause them grief and cause God to wipe them out completely from the land they battled so long and hard to gain.
This important advice is what Joshua shared as his days diminished. God has been with you in your battles, and now has given you rest. But, you must remain faithful to him, or he will take away all that he has given you and let you suffer the consequences of your actions.
So, Lord, I pray that I will forever remain faithful to your will for my life. I pray that I will follow whatever guidance you give me, regardless of how I feel about it. I thank you for my times of rest from the troubling of the wicked. Let me not take those for granted and turn away from your love. Let me not be blinded by the temporary pleasures of this world and wooed away from your miraculous favor. Help me to not forsake the covering of your grace for the hidden snares and traps of sin. Thank you, God, for my life in you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
After many years for warring against the various nations of Canaan, God finally gave the Israelites peace. They had conquered many peoples and inhabited the land God promised to them. In the process, Joshua had grown old and was nearing his final days. So, he gathered the leaders and elders around and gave them some final words of wisdom.
Now there was nothing particularly profound, or exciting or even new about what he told them, but it was exactly what they needed to hear. He reminded them, once again, of all God had done for them through the years. He told them again that the land conquered, and yet to be conquered, belonged to them. And, he told them that the Lord would be the one to make it happen. Most importantly, though, Joshua told the people that they had to be very sure that they adhered to God's commands.
He warned them not to follow the traditions and habits of the people left in the lands that they took over; that included worshiping their gods. In fact, he told them not to even mention their names! Joshua emphasized that if they did turn from God to follow the customs of the other nations, intermarrying with them and such, God would remove his covering from them. He would no longer protect them and drive their enemies out of their Promised Land. Even worse, the very people and things they turned their backs on God for would be the same to cause them grief and cause God to wipe them out completely from the land they battled so long and hard to gain.
This important advice is what Joshua shared as his days diminished. God has been with you in your battles, and now has given you rest. But, you must remain faithful to him, or he will take away all that he has given you and let you suffer the consequences of your actions.
So, Lord, I pray that I will forever remain faithful to your will for my life. I pray that I will follow whatever guidance you give me, regardless of how I feel about it. I thank you for my times of rest from the troubling of the wicked. Let me not take those for granted and turn away from your love. Let me not be blinded by the temporary pleasures of this world and wooed away from your miraculous favor. Help me to not forsake the covering of your grace for the hidden snares and traps of sin. Thank you, God, for my life in you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Victory By Association
Joshua 10:1-15
Now that they were cleansed again from the sin within their ranks, the Israelites could get on with the business of taking control of their Promised Land. They were back in God's good graces and could now carry out the next assignment. This came in the form of a combined attack with their recently formed allies, the Gibeonites, against the Amorites of southern Canaan.
Having heard of the Israelites great success against other armies, which were larger and stronger, the king of Jerusalem decided to go on the offensive; but, of course, not alone. He gathered up as many nations as he could convince to help him to attack Gibeon. So, his and the armies of the four nations he recruited set out to destroy Gibeon simply because they had learned the lesson - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
Well, when Gibeon was attacked, messengers were sent to ask their new ally, Joshua, for help. What a novel idea; surely those other kings had no idea that would happen. (Hopefully, you can hear my sarcasm there.) Honestly, they must have heard about how God fought all of Israel's winning battles for them; and how he favored them against their enemies. And, as a general rule of war, when nations become allies, they assist each other when called upon. So, I wonder how, exactly, these five kings thought they were going to come out on top.
But, I digress. When the call came, Joshua and the Israelite army sprung into action, attacking the Amorite armies by surprise at night. They continued the slaughter into the day, chasing them out of the town; their efforts surpassed by a hail storm that God sent to kill even more of them. Joshua even prayed for the sun and the moon to stand still, and it they did until their enemy was soundly defeated. Look at God!
They were just allies. They were not even the chosen nation. But the Gibeonites were saved, by God, through their relationship with the Israelites. Even though the Gibeonites made peace with Israel and became their allies through deception, their motive was similar to the one that caused them to be attacked by the Amorites. They heard about Israel's success in battle and they were afraid; of course, God also told them directly that they were doomed because Israel had been promised their land. But they did the smart thing, the wise thing, and joined with Israel.
They may not have fully understood why Israel was so successful, but they certainly learned that day. Joshua prayed in front of the people, so they could see from whence this victory came; directly from God. And, I'm sure the Gibeonites were grateful for the choice they made - to align themselves with greatness, with favor, with God - as they were defended.
That reminds me of Jesus. When we make peace with him and become his ally, all we have to do is call on him and he'll step right in on our behalf. Come to think of it, once the Amorites attacked, there was no mention at all of the Gibeonite army, even though they were known as strong warriors. Israel stepped in and completely took over. That's how Jesus is with us, too. Though we may be tough and give it our best shot in life, when trouble comes and we call on the Lord, he will completely fight our battles for us; until the bitter end.
Thank you, God, for Jesus; my ally and defender. Thank you for you love, favor, grace and mercy - by proxy - through him. Thank you for allowing me to simply call on his name and be saved. God, you are so awesome! I love you, Lord. Thank you for being a provider and way-maker. Please continue to keep me in your will and on your side. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen
Now that they were cleansed again from the sin within their ranks, the Israelites could get on with the business of taking control of their Promised Land. They were back in God's good graces and could now carry out the next assignment. This came in the form of a combined attack with their recently formed allies, the Gibeonites, against the Amorites of southern Canaan.
Having heard of the Israelites great success against other armies, which were larger and stronger, the king of Jerusalem decided to go on the offensive; but, of course, not alone. He gathered up as many nations as he could convince to help him to attack Gibeon. So, his and the armies of the four nations he recruited set out to destroy Gibeon simply because they had learned the lesson - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
Well, when Gibeon was attacked, messengers were sent to ask their new ally, Joshua, for help. What a novel idea; surely those other kings had no idea that would happen. (Hopefully, you can hear my sarcasm there.) Honestly, they must have heard about how God fought all of Israel's winning battles for them; and how he favored them against their enemies. And, as a general rule of war, when nations become allies, they assist each other when called upon. So, I wonder how, exactly, these five kings thought they were going to come out on top.
But, I digress. When the call came, Joshua and the Israelite army sprung into action, attacking the Amorite armies by surprise at night. They continued the slaughter into the day, chasing them out of the town; their efforts surpassed by a hail storm that God sent to kill even more of them. Joshua even prayed for the sun and the moon to stand still, and it they did until their enemy was soundly defeated. Look at God!
They were just allies. They were not even the chosen nation. But the Gibeonites were saved, by God, through their relationship with the Israelites. Even though the Gibeonites made peace with Israel and became their allies through deception, their motive was similar to the one that caused them to be attacked by the Amorites. They heard about Israel's success in battle and they were afraid; of course, God also told them directly that they were doomed because Israel had been promised their land. But they did the smart thing, the wise thing, and joined with Israel.
They may not have fully understood why Israel was so successful, but they certainly learned that day. Joshua prayed in front of the people, so they could see from whence this victory came; directly from God. And, I'm sure the Gibeonites were grateful for the choice they made - to align themselves with greatness, with favor, with God - as they were defended.
That reminds me of Jesus. When we make peace with him and become his ally, all we have to do is call on him and he'll step right in on our behalf. Come to think of it, once the Amorites attacked, there was no mention at all of the Gibeonite army, even though they were known as strong warriors. Israel stepped in and completely took over. That's how Jesus is with us, too. Though we may be tough and give it our best shot in life, when trouble comes and we call on the Lord, he will completely fight our battles for us; until the bitter end.
Thank you, God, for Jesus; my ally and defender. Thank you for you love, favor, grace and mercy - by proxy - through him. Thank you for allowing me to simply call on his name and be saved. God, you are so awesome! I love you, Lord. Thank you for being a provider and way-maker. Please continue to keep me in your will and on your side. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen
Saturday, March 2, 2013
One Bad Apple
Joshua 7:1-26
Have you ever been in a situation where you were with a group of people, having a good time without a care in the world and then somebody gets out of hand? They mess up the whole atmosphere and ruin the good time for everybody. Well, that is exactly what happened in this part of the story for the Israelites.
God had tested their faithfulness to conquer Jericho and they were successful. They had followed his instructions to the letter, and they were rewarded with inhabiting the land. Their faith and confidence were high, their doubt and fear were low, and they were ready to go on to the next town in Canaan - Ai. As had become his custom, Joshua sent his spies to the land and they came back with their report.
They essentially told him, "we got this!", because there were so few inhabitants of Ai. In fact they told Joshua that they wouldn't even need the whole army to take them out. So they sent a small group, about 3,000 soldiers in, expecting to defeat them soundly and make way for further movement into that land.
Little did they know, there was a bad apple in the bunch. So they went to Ai to crush the few people who were there, only to be overpowered and run out by them, losing about 36 men as they retreated! Of course, Joshua was extremely disappointed and all the people were shocked and their fear returned to them. The Lord had been with them, making them victorious and now all of a sudden he wasn't. What happened?
Well, in the midst of Joshua's pity party, he asked God that very thing. How did that happen and what was going to happen next? Everyone would hear about how they were defeated by such a small troop and they would become easy prey, sitting ducks. They would bring shame to the name of the Lord! But God told him to pull himself together and stop his crying and complaining. They had brought it on themselves because not everyone in the group had followed all the instructions concerning the taking of Jericho.
Can you imagine how Joshua must have felt, or what he must have been thinking? Here he was doing the right thing, leading the people, following the plan and somebody in his group was sabotaging everything! To put it in the terms of some of my friends, he must have been 38 hot! Not only did God tell him what was done, he told him exactly how to go about finding the one who did it, so he could be destroyed and Israel could be saved.
So, at the Lord's direction, Joshua called everybody together, lined up by tribe. The tribe of the guilty man was called forward, then his clan, then his family and finally him - Achan. Then came the 'I know you did it, just admit it' moment, and sure enough he did. He had stolen a robe and some silver and gold that was supposed to consecrated to God and hidden it in his tent. The search team went and found it just as he described. And so he was punished.
But, not so fast. Remember that whole 'one bad apple' thing? Yeah, so just as his sin had caused Israel to lose a battle (and some confidence), his punishment would cost him his life. If only that were all. But wait, there's more! It also cost the lives of his entire family...sons, daughters, livestock...everybody and everything (including the things he stole)! They were all taken out to the valley of Achor and stoned, then burned them.
My, oh my. So the next time you feel like watching someone do the wrong thing and not saying anything, think about this story. Everybody was doing what was right, except one individual man; and his disobedience and greed caused so much turmoil and trouble for the entire group. We are our brother's keepers. We cannot be constantly surrounded by sin and not expect to be affected by it; especially when it is that of a fellow believer. We, first have to recognize it, then get rid of it. Otherwise, we stand to face the consequences of having done it ourselves. Fortunately for us, Jesus already died as the ultimate sacrifice, but that does not excuse us from our responsibility of holding each other accountable for our actions.
So I pray, Lord, please keep me from sin for the sake of my brothers and sisters in Christ, if not for my own. Help me to recognize sin in others and give me a heart of love and patience to confront them about it. Give us all a repentant heart, Lord, when sin does make its way into our lives, so that we will not dishonor your name. Help us to always be obedient to your will and not let the riches and lusts of this world take over. Keep us pure in your sight and set apart for your service. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were with a group of people, having a good time without a care in the world and then somebody gets out of hand? They mess up the whole atmosphere and ruin the good time for everybody. Well, that is exactly what happened in this part of the story for the Israelites.
God had tested their faithfulness to conquer Jericho and they were successful. They had followed his instructions to the letter, and they were rewarded with inhabiting the land. Their faith and confidence were high, their doubt and fear were low, and they were ready to go on to the next town in Canaan - Ai. As had become his custom, Joshua sent his spies to the land and they came back with their report.
They essentially told him, "we got this!", because there were so few inhabitants of Ai. In fact they told Joshua that they wouldn't even need the whole army to take them out. So they sent a small group, about 3,000 soldiers in, expecting to defeat them soundly and make way for further movement into that land.
Little did they know, there was a bad apple in the bunch. So they went to Ai to crush the few people who were there, only to be overpowered and run out by them, losing about 36 men as they retreated! Of course, Joshua was extremely disappointed and all the people were shocked and their fear returned to them. The Lord had been with them, making them victorious and now all of a sudden he wasn't. What happened?
Well, in the midst of Joshua's pity party, he asked God that very thing. How did that happen and what was going to happen next? Everyone would hear about how they were defeated by such a small troop and they would become easy prey, sitting ducks. They would bring shame to the name of the Lord! But God told him to pull himself together and stop his crying and complaining. They had brought it on themselves because not everyone in the group had followed all the instructions concerning the taking of Jericho.
Can you imagine how Joshua must have felt, or what he must have been thinking? Here he was doing the right thing, leading the people, following the plan and somebody in his group was sabotaging everything! To put it in the terms of some of my friends, he must have been 38 hot! Not only did God tell him what was done, he told him exactly how to go about finding the one who did it, so he could be destroyed and Israel could be saved.
So, at the Lord's direction, Joshua called everybody together, lined up by tribe. The tribe of the guilty man was called forward, then his clan, then his family and finally him - Achan. Then came the 'I know you did it, just admit it' moment, and sure enough he did. He had stolen a robe and some silver and gold that was supposed to consecrated to God and hidden it in his tent. The search team went and found it just as he described. And so he was punished.
But, not so fast. Remember that whole 'one bad apple' thing? Yeah, so just as his sin had caused Israel to lose a battle (and some confidence), his punishment would cost him his life. If only that were all. But wait, there's more! It also cost the lives of his entire family...sons, daughters, livestock...everybody and everything (including the things he stole)! They were all taken out to the valley of Achor and stoned, then burned them.
My, oh my. So the next time you feel like watching someone do the wrong thing and not saying anything, think about this story. Everybody was doing what was right, except one individual man; and his disobedience and greed caused so much turmoil and trouble for the entire group. We are our brother's keepers. We cannot be constantly surrounded by sin and not expect to be affected by it; especially when it is that of a fellow believer. We, first have to recognize it, then get rid of it. Otherwise, we stand to face the consequences of having done it ourselves. Fortunately for us, Jesus already died as the ultimate sacrifice, but that does not excuse us from our responsibility of holding each other accountable for our actions.
So I pray, Lord, please keep me from sin for the sake of my brothers and sisters in Christ, if not for my own. Help me to recognize sin in others and give me a heart of love and patience to confront them about it. Give us all a repentant heart, Lord, when sin does make its way into our lives, so that we will not dishonor your name. Help us to always be obedient to your will and not let the riches and lusts of this world take over. Keep us pure in your sight and set apart for your service. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Victory!
Joshua 5:13-6:27
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus; just to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise, and to know thus said the Lord. When we put our trust and faith in God and walk in his Word, then we can see the full glory of his power, faithfulness, justice and love. This is what happened for the Israelites under Joshua's leadership into the Promised Land. (Of course, as we'll see later, that did not last for long)
God gave Joshua very specific instructions on how to go about defeating the Canaanites in Jericho. In fact, he sent an angel to do that in person - I suppose to emphasize the importance of what he had to say. This might have been necessary because the instructions were not at all traditional, or even logical, but it was God's plan so it was good enough.
All he wanted them to do was march and blow their trumpets. Now, the Israelites were no strangers to conflict and battles, so they knew a thing or two about what war entailed; or, more specifically, what victory required. Marching - silently - and blowing trumpets was not it. But that was not the point, now was it? Of course not. There were many points and purposes to this tactic, not the least of which was glorifying God.
The main reason, from my perspective, for using this tactic was to prove just how powerful God is, all by himself. By using such a passive, and seemingly nonexistent, method of attack to bring the Israelites victory, God could prove that he was the only one powerful enough to bring them down and that he was willing to do that to keep his promise to his chosen people.
Another reason was to test the faith of the Israelites. They had proven over and over again how obedient and disobedient they could be. They seemed to be really big fans of easy and common. This plan of attack was neither. I have a hard time imagining how difficult it must have been to just keep completely silent while walking around an entire city; especially when you might be thinking, "why do we have to go through all this; how is this going to help us attack these people, let alone defeat them"? As much as they liked to murmur and complain, this must have been the biggest challenge for them. But, in order to get the victory in that situation, they had to obey God's word to a tee.
So, they did - this time - and, sure enough, it worked. They marched around the walls of Jericho a total of 13 times and shouted as loud as they could with the long blast of the trumpet after the seventh round on the seventh day. And right before their eyes, they saw those walls come down. Even though they were greatly outnumbered, the soundly defeated the people of Jericho, saving only certain precious metals to be consecrated unto God, and Rahab and her family - as promised by the spies. They were obedient and so God gave them victory!
On a side note, I am curious about one small detail of this story. We learned in Joshua 2:15 that Rahab's house was built into the town's wall. We also know that she and her family were promised to be spared in return for her protection, but in order to do so they had to be in her house when the Israelites attacked (Joshua 2:18). So, my question is, if she and her family were in her house when Jericho was attacked, and her house was built into the wall, how were they not all destroyed when the walls fell? I guess it was just divine intervention that spared them from the fall and the sword. But, perhaps, I am missing something there.
In any case, I pray God that you give me the patience, courage and obedience to obey your will for my life. Even when it doesn't make sense, or feel comfortable, help me to stay faithful to you so I don't miss out on the victory you have lined up for me. Thank you for your promises and for being a promise-keeper. You are so awesome, God, and I praise you for all that you are and all you have done! Please continue to bless and keep me as I do my best to stay in your will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus; just to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise, and to know thus said the Lord. When we put our trust and faith in God and walk in his Word, then we can see the full glory of his power, faithfulness, justice and love. This is what happened for the Israelites under Joshua's leadership into the Promised Land. (Of course, as we'll see later, that did not last for long)
God gave Joshua very specific instructions on how to go about defeating the Canaanites in Jericho. In fact, he sent an angel to do that in person - I suppose to emphasize the importance of what he had to say. This might have been necessary because the instructions were not at all traditional, or even logical, but it was God's plan so it was good enough.
All he wanted them to do was march and blow their trumpets. Now, the Israelites were no strangers to conflict and battles, so they knew a thing or two about what war entailed; or, more specifically, what victory required. Marching - silently - and blowing trumpets was not it. But that was not the point, now was it? Of course not. There were many points and purposes to this tactic, not the least of which was glorifying God.
The main reason, from my perspective, for using this tactic was to prove just how powerful God is, all by himself. By using such a passive, and seemingly nonexistent, method of attack to bring the Israelites victory, God could prove that he was the only one powerful enough to bring them down and that he was willing to do that to keep his promise to his chosen people.
Another reason was to test the faith of the Israelites. They had proven over and over again how obedient and disobedient they could be. They seemed to be really big fans of easy and common. This plan of attack was neither. I have a hard time imagining how difficult it must have been to just keep completely silent while walking around an entire city; especially when you might be thinking, "why do we have to go through all this; how is this going to help us attack these people, let alone defeat them"? As much as they liked to murmur and complain, this must have been the biggest challenge for them. But, in order to get the victory in that situation, they had to obey God's word to a tee.
So, they did - this time - and, sure enough, it worked. They marched around the walls of Jericho a total of 13 times and shouted as loud as they could with the long blast of the trumpet after the seventh round on the seventh day. And right before their eyes, they saw those walls come down. Even though they were greatly outnumbered, the soundly defeated the people of Jericho, saving only certain precious metals to be consecrated unto God, and Rahab and her family - as promised by the spies. They were obedient and so God gave them victory!
On a side note, I am curious about one small detail of this story. We learned in Joshua 2:15 that Rahab's house was built into the town's wall. We also know that she and her family were promised to be spared in return for her protection, but in order to do so they had to be in her house when the Israelites attacked (Joshua 2:18). So, my question is, if she and her family were in her house when Jericho was attacked, and her house was built into the wall, how were they not all destroyed when the walls fell? I guess it was just divine intervention that spared them from the fall and the sword. But, perhaps, I am missing something there.
In any case, I pray God that you give me the patience, courage and obedience to obey your will for my life. Even when it doesn't make sense, or feel comfortable, help me to stay faithful to you so I don't miss out on the victory you have lined up for me. Thank you for your promises and for being a promise-keeper. You are so awesome, God, and I praise you for all that you are and all you have done! Please continue to bless and keep me as I do my best to stay in your will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Purified Before Power
Joshua 3:1-17
Joshua was in charge; the spies gave a good report of the land they scouted; now it was time to take action...almost. God had prepared the way and provided the plan for the Israelites to finally move forward and take possession of their Promised Land. But as they were on the brink of taking that step, there was one more thing they had to do.
After giving everyone instructions on how to proceed into their new land - following the Ark of the Covenant - Joshua tended to a very important detail. Purification. He instructed the people to purify themselves in preparation to be used by God in a might and powerful way. Well, what did that have to do with anything?
I'm glad you asked! God is holy and pure and anyone who dared enter his presence needs to be as close to the same as possible. This is why the priests were ever designated. It is why all of the leaders of Israel were hand-chosen by God. He had to know that when he gave instructions, they would be funneled down to the people in just the manner he intended. By choosing the right people, it became more possible. By ensuring those chosen few were consecrated unto him and cleansed - symbolically or actually - from the sinful influences of the world, he made it perfect.
How easy is it to walk into a convenience store and browse for a few minutes, find what you're looking for, pay and leave only to find yourself humming the familiar tune that had been playing inside, but you hardly noticed while you were there? I know things like that happen to me plenty. If that tune is something that is not necessarily pleasing to God, having in you head distracts you from hearing his will.
The same was true of the foreign environment the Israelites had been in for so long. They had been exposed to so many things and people who thought and behaved contrary to God's guidance. Because Joshua knew this and how fickle his people could be, he charged them to purify and rid themselves of those foreign spirits and idols.
Only then were the Israelites ready to cross the river. Talk about a long road trip! Once they had purified themselves and prepared to move out, God worked another miracle. Just as at the Red Sea, God stopped the flow of the Jordan River and allowed them to cross over on dry land. If we purify ourselves - our thoughts, our actions, our words - we will be able to witness and experience the full power of God.
Lord, make us holy as you are holy. Keep us purified before you so that we can experience your glory in our lives. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Joshua was in charge; the spies gave a good report of the land they scouted; now it was time to take action...almost. God had prepared the way and provided the plan for the Israelites to finally move forward and take possession of their Promised Land. But as they were on the brink of taking that step, there was one more thing they had to do.
After giving everyone instructions on how to proceed into their new land - following the Ark of the Covenant - Joshua tended to a very important detail. Purification. He instructed the people to purify themselves in preparation to be used by God in a might and powerful way. Well, what did that have to do with anything?
I'm glad you asked! God is holy and pure and anyone who dared enter his presence needs to be as close to the same as possible. This is why the priests were ever designated. It is why all of the leaders of Israel were hand-chosen by God. He had to know that when he gave instructions, they would be funneled down to the people in just the manner he intended. By choosing the right people, it became more possible. By ensuring those chosen few were consecrated unto him and cleansed - symbolically or actually - from the sinful influences of the world, he made it perfect.
How easy is it to walk into a convenience store and browse for a few minutes, find what you're looking for, pay and leave only to find yourself humming the familiar tune that had been playing inside, but you hardly noticed while you were there? I know things like that happen to me plenty. If that tune is something that is not necessarily pleasing to God, having in you head distracts you from hearing his will.
The same was true of the foreign environment the Israelites had been in for so long. They had been exposed to so many things and people who thought and behaved contrary to God's guidance. Because Joshua knew this and how fickle his people could be, he charged them to purify and rid themselves of those foreign spirits and idols.
Only then were the Israelites ready to cross the river. Talk about a long road trip! Once they had purified themselves and prepared to move out, God worked another miracle. Just as at the Red Sea, God stopped the flow of the Jordan River and allowed them to cross over on dry land. If we purify ourselves - our thoughts, our actions, our words - we will be able to witness and experience the full power of God.
Lord, make us holy as you are holy. Keep us purified before you so that we can experience your glory in our lives. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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