Judges 13-16 Israel again "did what was evil" and the Lord again gave them over to an enemy.. this time the Philistines. For 40 years the Philistines ruled over Israel. We are not told that Israel cried out to the Lord. He chose to work in a whole new and different way this time. We are familiar with the story of Samson, but just to remind us of the whole story, let me summarize it here:
An angel appeared to Samson's mother to announce that she would finally have a child. This child would be dedicated to the Lord, so she had to avoid wine and unclean things. He would be a Nazarite to God from the womb. (God had a plan for Samson before he was even conceived! Think about that!)
Samson's father, Manoah, and his mother prayed for the angel to return and give them instructions for raising this special child. They offered up a sacrifice and watched as the angel went up in the flame. They knew that this was all ordained by God.
As Samson grew up, the Lord blessed him and put His Spirit upon him to do great things. The problem with Samson was that he didn't make the best choices when it came to women. His first wife was a Philistine woman. She ended up betraying Samson to her people because of a riddle.. The final result from all this was destruction of the Philistines fields and the death of his wife and her father. When the Philistines came after Samson again, he killed 1000 men with the "jawbone of a donkey."
But, Samson did not learn a lesson. He again married, this time a woman named Delilah. Three times she asks him to tell the secret to his strength in order to betray him. Three times he lies to her and three times he is attacked and escapes unharmed. Finally, Delilah nags Samson to the point that he is "bothered.. to death" and he tells her the truth. This time Delilah shaves his hair and when he is attacked, he is defeated. The Word tells us that Samson "didn't know that Adonai had left him."
Samson's strength was not in his hair.. it was in the Lord. Samson had taken his strength for granted and trusted in himself instead of trusting in his God. It is only later, after Samson has suffered for a while, that he calls upon the Lord. This is the first time we hear him pray. "Adonai Elohim, just this once, please, think of me, and please, give me strength , so that I can take revenge on the Philistines for at least one of my two eyes." God answered that prayer. Samson pulled the two pillars supporting the temple of Dagon, the god of the Philistines, and the whole building collapsed. "So he kills more at his death than he had killed during his life."
The Philistines continued to plague Israel until the days of King David. Israel didn't change during the days of Samson. He is said to have judged Israel 20 years. But, what did he really do?
What was true of Samson was true of Israel.. they "didn't know that Adonai had left [them]"
They listened to the lies of false religions and failed to follow the Lord. Time after time they trusted in the idols that could not save them. Israel became corrupt. They became morally abhorrent.
The pattern of corruption and failure is not unique to Israel. We see it happening before our eyes in our own country. Evil is called good and good is called evil. God will do what He says He will do, for He is Holy and Just. No nation will go unpunished for doing evil and forsaking the Lord. More than ever we need to pray for our land.
Father in heaven, forgive us for the sins that plague our land. Bring repentance and revival. Help us to seek You and find You. May we cry out to You and seek to return to Truth and Righteousness. You are Adonai Elohim, the Lord God who is self-existent, holy, infinite, wise, and good. Raise up Your church to fulfill Your purposes in preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, who is above all and who will forever reign. In His name we pray, Amen.
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Judges 11-12 These chapters tell the story of a man named Yiftach/ Jephthah who was a Gileadite.
This man was known as a "valiant warrior". He was also known as the son of a prostitute. Gilead, his father, had other sons by his wife. When they were grown, his brothers chased Jephthah away so that he could not inherit anything from his father's estate.
But, God had other plans for Jephthah. When the sons of Ammon came to fight against Israel, the "elders of Gilead" sent for Jephthah to come and be their chief. "Did you not hate me and drive me from my father's house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?" Jephthah replied. This reminds me of what God said to the Israelites in chapter 10:14 "Go cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you... " Jephthah had been rejected, until he was their only hope. The people had to agree that, if Jephthah came and helped them, then they would make him the leader of their clan. And so, they did.
Jephthah not only returned to Gilead, but he made sure that everything was witnessed "in the presence of Adonai" ( v11) God's hand was on Jephthah throughout this time. He acted wisely and trusted the Lord in every choice he made.
He sent messengers to the king of Ammon to see if they could resolve the situation peacefully.
When the king made false accusations, Jephthah corrected him according to the Word.
Jephthah tried to reason with the king of Ammon, asking him why he was trying to take the land after 300 years of Israelite occupancy.
Then, when Ammon would not listen, Jephthah, filled by the Spirit of God, went to war.
And God gave the victory!
Yet, a sad thing happened to Jephthah. He vowed to the Lord...if the Lord gave him success... that he would sacrifice a burnt offering to the Lord when he returned to his home... the first thing that came out of his house. When he returned home, the first one to come to greet him from his home was his only child, his daughter. His heart broken, Jephthah kept his vow and his daughter gave up herself.
Later, the tribe of Ephraim took up a quarrel with Jephthah, complaining that they were left out of the battle with Ammon. Jephthah had called them, but they did not come, so he went without them. They ended up fighting with one another and Gilead defeated Ephraim. Jephthah was judge for 6 years before he died. Several other judges followed his term of service as recorded in Judges 12:8-15 and then came Samson.
Rejection did not keep Jephthah from being the Lord's servant.
Heart break did not keep Jephthah from being the Lord's servant.
False accusations did not keep Jephthah from being the Lord's servant.
We see a heart for God, in a place we may not have expected to see it.. the rejected son of a prostitute, exiled from his own home by his own brothers. Oh, how thankful we are that God does not look at the outward appearance but at our hearts! No matter what rejection and heartbreak we might face.. no matter what false accusations have been flung at us.. God still can use us when we seek to follow Him.
Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders of His day. He was abandoned by His own disciples and His own brothers, when He was arrested. False accusations were flung at Him during His illegal trial. He was crucified unjustly. But, He did it all willingly.. for our salvation.
Father in heaven, we need Your Spirit to fill us once again, that we might stand firm in the midst of those who reject us, revile us, accuse us, and break our hearts. You see our hearts and You know that we are in need of Your Truth and Wisdom and Love. Let the Kingdom of our Lord come and Your will be done, Lord God. Help us, forgive us, heal us, and bring us peace.. in our lives, in our church, and in our country. You are our refuge and strength. Let the name of Jesus be glorified in us, Father, to the praise of Your holy name. amen.
This man was known as a "valiant warrior". He was also known as the son of a prostitute. Gilead, his father, had other sons by his wife. When they were grown, his brothers chased Jephthah away so that he could not inherit anything from his father's estate.
But, God had other plans for Jephthah. When the sons of Ammon came to fight against Israel, the "elders of Gilead" sent for Jephthah to come and be their chief. "Did you not hate me and drive me from my father's house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?" Jephthah replied. This reminds me of what God said to the Israelites in chapter 10:14 "Go cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you... " Jephthah had been rejected, until he was their only hope. The people had to agree that, if Jephthah came and helped them, then they would make him the leader of their clan. And so, they did.
Jephthah not only returned to Gilead, but he made sure that everything was witnessed "in the presence of Adonai" ( v11) God's hand was on Jephthah throughout this time. He acted wisely and trusted the Lord in every choice he made.
He sent messengers to the king of Ammon to see if they could resolve the situation peacefully.
When the king made false accusations, Jephthah corrected him according to the Word.
Jephthah tried to reason with the king of Ammon, asking him why he was trying to take the land after 300 years of Israelite occupancy.
Then, when Ammon would not listen, Jephthah, filled by the Spirit of God, went to war.
And God gave the victory!
Yet, a sad thing happened to Jephthah. He vowed to the Lord...if the Lord gave him success... that he would sacrifice a burnt offering to the Lord when he returned to his home... the first thing that came out of his house. When he returned home, the first one to come to greet him from his home was his only child, his daughter. His heart broken, Jephthah kept his vow and his daughter gave up herself.
Later, the tribe of Ephraim took up a quarrel with Jephthah, complaining that they were left out of the battle with Ammon. Jephthah had called them, but they did not come, so he went without them. They ended up fighting with one another and Gilead defeated Ephraim. Jephthah was judge for 6 years before he died. Several other judges followed his term of service as recorded in Judges 12:8-15 and then came Samson.
Rejection did not keep Jephthah from being the Lord's servant.
Heart break did not keep Jephthah from being the Lord's servant.
False accusations did not keep Jephthah from being the Lord's servant.
We see a heart for God, in a place we may not have expected to see it.. the rejected son of a prostitute, exiled from his own home by his own brothers. Oh, how thankful we are that God does not look at the outward appearance but at our hearts! No matter what rejection and heartbreak we might face.. no matter what false accusations have been flung at us.. God still can use us when we seek to follow Him.
Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders of His day. He was abandoned by His own disciples and His own brothers, when He was arrested. False accusations were flung at Him during His illegal trial. He was crucified unjustly. But, He did it all willingly.. for our salvation.
Father in heaven, we need Your Spirit to fill us once again, that we might stand firm in the midst of those who reject us, revile us, accuse us, and break our hearts. You see our hearts and You know that we are in need of Your Truth and Wisdom and Love. Let the Kingdom of our Lord come and Your will be done, Lord God. Help us, forgive us, heal us, and bring us peace.. in our lives, in our church, and in our country. You are our refuge and strength. Let the name of Jesus be glorified in us, Father, to the praise of Your holy name. amen.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Judges 10 There were several judges that arose and judged Israel for a number of years after Abimelech, but we are not given any details of those years. Verse 6 tells us that after this time the people of Israel went back to doing evil, worshiping many false gods. The Lord sent the Philistines and the Ammonites to overtake Israel. For 18 years Israel was "afflicted and crushed".
When they finally woke up and cried out to the Lord, they received this answer, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? Also, when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites, oppressed you, you cried out to Me and I delivered you for their hands. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress." ( v11-14)
It is at this point that the Israelites finally realize their mistake - they had chosen gods that could not save.
They had forsaken the only True God and chosen worthless idols. They acknowledged their sin and threw themselves into God's hands. It was then that He "became troubled by Israel's misery."
What worthless choices have we made? What or who have we chosen to trust in? Have we put our faith in people or things that cannot save us?
Or like Peter, do we say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." ( John 6:68-69)
We need to make that choice and continue to abide in the Truth. We must not allow sin to draw us away from abiding, persevering faith in Jesus Christ. The circumstances of our world today may feel like we are being "afflicted and crushed" just as Israel was. We need to wake up and cry out to our Lord, turn away from any worthless gods, and seek Him only.
Father in Heaven, Perfect, Holy, and Infinite God; You are God in heaven and on earth and there is no other! We choose to worship You in spirit and in Truth, according to Your Word. We know that only You can save us. Only You have the Words of life. Father, we cry out to You for mercy in this time of trouble. We seek Your deliverance from those who want to do evil in our country. Give us boldness to stand firm, resisting evil. Strengthen us with Your strength, for we are weak and You alone are strong. Let Your Light shine and Your Spirit fill us with the glory of Your grace. You have revealed Yourself to us through Your Word. Help us to cling to You and trust in You alone...by the grace and power of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray. amen.
When they finally woke up and cried out to the Lord, they received this answer, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? Also, when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites, oppressed you, you cried out to Me and I delivered you for their hands. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress." ( v11-14)
It is at this point that the Israelites finally realize their mistake - they had chosen gods that could not save.
They had forsaken the only True God and chosen worthless idols. They acknowledged their sin and threw themselves into God's hands. It was then that He "became troubled by Israel's misery."
What worthless choices have we made? What or who have we chosen to trust in? Have we put our faith in people or things that cannot save us?
Or like Peter, do we say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." ( John 6:68-69)
We need to make that choice and continue to abide in the Truth. We must not allow sin to draw us away from abiding, persevering faith in Jesus Christ. The circumstances of our world today may feel like we are being "afflicted and crushed" just as Israel was. We need to wake up and cry out to our Lord, turn away from any worthless gods, and seek Him only.
Father in Heaven, Perfect, Holy, and Infinite God; You are God in heaven and on earth and there is no other! We choose to worship You in spirit and in Truth, according to Your Word. We know that only You can save us. Only You have the Words of life. Father, we cry out to You for mercy in this time of trouble. We seek Your deliverance from those who want to do evil in our country. Give us boldness to stand firm, resisting evil. Strengthen us with Your strength, for we are weak and You alone are strong. Let Your Light shine and Your Spirit fill us with the glory of Your grace. You have revealed Yourself to us through Your Word. Help us to cling to You and trust in You alone...by the grace and power of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray. amen.
Monday, August 17, 2020
Judges 9 Gideon had 71 sons. 70 were legitimate, but 1 one the son of a concubine from Shechem. This one, Abimelech, decided to become king. He went to his mother's family and arranged for their support. He hired "good-for-nothing thugs" to be his mercenaries. He went back to his father's home and killed all but one of his brothers. Jotham survived and challenged the people of Shechem with the truth of what they were doing...
They failed to remember how Gideon had helped them. (v 16)
They were dealing dishonestly. (v19)
God would repay them for their evil deeds. (v20)
And this is what happened. Abimelech ended up killing the people from Shechem. (v49)
He ended up having a millstone dropped on his head and a sword run through him when he attacked Thebez. (v53)
None of them ended up with what they wanted.
God repaid Abimelech for "the wrong he did to his father in murdering his seventy brothers."
"God also repaid the men of Shechem for all the wrong they had done;" (v56-57)
Ambition. Greed. Bitterness. Betrayal. Evil.
Sounds a bit like our world, doesn't it?
We have forgotten those who have fought for our country. Men of truth and integrity. Soldiers, police officers.. and yes, even presidents.. Many want to tear down statues and rewrite history books. Like Abimelech, there are some politically ambitious and bitter men and women who want to remake our country in their own image and they will do anything to make that happen.
But, we have a God who is the same today as He was in the days of Jotham. He will punish sin and repay those who do evil. Over and over the Word of God reminds us that "The Lord keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy." ( Psalm 145:21)
No matter what voices we are listening to in today's political and social debates.. there is only One voice that truly matters, and that is our Lord's. May we hear the words of Jotham, to deal in "truth and integrity". May we honor those who are worthy of respect for what they have done. And, may we acknowledge that God is sovereign and He will raise up leaders who will do what He desires. And most of all... "I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. " ( 1 Timothy 2:1-3)
Father in heaven, we desire to honor You and to obey Your Word. Nothing else in this world has any worth "in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord" ( Phil. 3:8) Help us to realize this truth, perhaps more than ever before. We are heartbroken at the state of our country today and we cry out to You for healing of hearts and bodies. We seek Your face, coming to the Mercy seat in this time of need. Let Truth and Righteousness arise, Sovereign God! Let Your Name be lifted up and all other false altars be torn down forever! Grant wisdom to Your people today, the wisdom from above that is " pure then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. " ( James 3:17) May all we do be done in Truth and with integrity. We ask this in the name of Jesus who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.. amen.
They failed to remember how Gideon had helped them. (v 16)
They were dealing dishonestly. (v19)
God would repay them for their evil deeds. (v20)
And this is what happened. Abimelech ended up killing the people from Shechem. (v49)
He ended up having a millstone dropped on his head and a sword run through him when he attacked Thebez. (v53)
None of them ended up with what they wanted.
God repaid Abimelech for "the wrong he did to his father in murdering his seventy brothers."
"God also repaid the men of Shechem for all the wrong they had done;" (v56-57)
Ambition. Greed. Bitterness. Betrayal. Evil.
Sounds a bit like our world, doesn't it?
We have forgotten those who have fought for our country. Men of truth and integrity. Soldiers, police officers.. and yes, even presidents.. Many want to tear down statues and rewrite history books. Like Abimelech, there are some politically ambitious and bitter men and women who want to remake our country in their own image and they will do anything to make that happen.
But, we have a God who is the same today as He was in the days of Jotham. He will punish sin and repay those who do evil. Over and over the Word of God reminds us that "The Lord keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy." ( Psalm 145:21)
No matter what voices we are listening to in today's political and social debates.. there is only One voice that truly matters, and that is our Lord's. May we hear the words of Jotham, to deal in "truth and integrity". May we honor those who are worthy of respect for what they have done. And, may we acknowledge that God is sovereign and He will raise up leaders who will do what He desires. And most of all... "I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. " ( 1 Timothy 2:1-3)
Father in heaven, we desire to honor You and to obey Your Word. Nothing else in this world has any worth "in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord" ( Phil. 3:8) Help us to realize this truth, perhaps more than ever before. We are heartbroken at the state of our country today and we cry out to You for healing of hearts and bodies. We seek Your face, coming to the Mercy seat in this time of need. Let Truth and Righteousness arise, Sovereign God! Let Your Name be lifted up and all other false altars be torn down forever! Grant wisdom to Your people today, the wisdom from above that is " pure then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. " ( James 3:17) May all we do be done in Truth and with integrity. We ask this in the name of Jesus who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.. amen.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Judges 6-8 After 40 years of rest, Israel once again "did what was evil". This time the Lord gave the people of Midian power over Israel. We are told that they were particularly cruel to the people of Israel, destroying their crops and causing them to hide themselves in mountains and caves. They took every source of food, leaving nothing.. seeking only to destroy.
It is at this time that the Lord calls Gideon. This call to serve begins with an unusual greeting.. "You valiant hero! Adonai is with you!" the angel of the Lord greets Gideon, as he secretly threshes wheat in the winepress so he won't be seen... hardly courageous or a warrior.
The Lord reassures Gideon of his call by burning up the offering he brings; by causing dew to fall on the fleece while the ground stays dry; and then agains causing the fleece to be dry while the ground is wet. The Lord calls Gideon to pull down the altar to Baal and the sacred pole too. Gideon obeys but does it in secret at night. When the people get angry, Gideon's father tells them to let Baal defend himself!
Finally, Gideon is ready to go into battle. He calls for the army to gather and many come. But, God sends most of them away so that only 300 are left. Then He uses shofars and lanterns to overcome the enemies. Victory over Midian is complete. Once again I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9- "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." God sent away thousands of soldiers and used a "weak" army of 300 men.. and no swords.. to bring about an amazing victory! The glory was His alone!
But once again, Israel's faithfulness to God is short.. for 40 years later Gideon died... then:
"They forgot Adonai their God, who had saved them from the power of their enemies on every side; and they showed no kindness toward the family of Gideon, to repay them for all the good he had done for Israel. "
I'm reminded by this passage that our God sees us... not as we see ourselves.. but as what we truly are when He is with us. We may be as fearful as Gideon was.. or as cautious as he tried to be.. but God is still willing to use us to accomplish His purposes. We may see ourselves as weak, and we are... so that is a good thing.. for our dependance on our all -powerful Lord is what is most important to any battle we face in this life. May we never forget our God!
Father in heaven, You are holy and exalted! We praise You and worship You alone. Help us to be completely dependent on You.. to be diligent in seeking You and obeying Your Word. Open our ears to hear Your voice and our hearts to receive Your instructions. Let Your glory and power be perfected in our weaknesses. Thank You for never leaving us or forsaking us. Thank You for the victories You have prepared for us! Let Your will be done in us as it is in heaven, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.
It is at this time that the Lord calls Gideon. This call to serve begins with an unusual greeting.. "You valiant hero! Adonai is with you!" the angel of the Lord greets Gideon, as he secretly threshes wheat in the winepress so he won't be seen... hardly courageous or a warrior.
The Lord reassures Gideon of his call by burning up the offering he brings; by causing dew to fall on the fleece while the ground stays dry; and then agains causing the fleece to be dry while the ground is wet. The Lord calls Gideon to pull down the altar to Baal and the sacred pole too. Gideon obeys but does it in secret at night. When the people get angry, Gideon's father tells them to let Baal defend himself!
Finally, Gideon is ready to go into battle. He calls for the army to gather and many come. But, God sends most of them away so that only 300 are left. Then He uses shofars and lanterns to overcome the enemies. Victory over Midian is complete. Once again I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9- "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." God sent away thousands of soldiers and used a "weak" army of 300 men.. and no swords.. to bring about an amazing victory! The glory was His alone!
But once again, Israel's faithfulness to God is short.. for 40 years later Gideon died... then:
"They forgot Adonai their God, who had saved them from the power of their enemies on every side; and they showed no kindness toward the family of Gideon, to repay them for all the good he had done for Israel. "
I'm reminded by this passage that our God sees us... not as we see ourselves.. but as what we truly are when He is with us. We may be as fearful as Gideon was.. or as cautious as he tried to be.. but God is still willing to use us to accomplish His purposes. We may see ourselves as weak, and we are... so that is a good thing.. for our dependance on our all -powerful Lord is what is most important to any battle we face in this life. May we never forget our God!
Father in heaven, You are holy and exalted! We praise You and worship You alone. Help us to be completely dependent on You.. to be diligent in seeking You and obeying Your Word. Open our ears to hear Your voice and our hearts to receive Your instructions. Let Your glory and power be perfected in our weaknesses. Thank You for never leaving us or forsaking us. Thank You for the victories You have prepared for us! Let Your will be done in us as it is in heaven, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Judges 3-4 The Lord "allowed" some of the nations to remain in the promised land of Israel, "to put to the test all the people of Israel". (3:1)
Would the people that God called His own remain obedient to the covenant? God chose to test them to see if they would be faithful. All too soon, they failed. They intermarried with the people of Canaan and began to serve their idols. "Thus the people of Israel did what was evil from Adonai's perspective, forgot Adonai, and served the Baals and the Asheroth."
In His anger, Adonai sent Kushan-Risha'atayim to overtake Israel. For 8 years they were in his hands. But, when Israel cried out to the Lord, He raised up Othniel, sent the Holy Spirit upon him, and "he judged Israel". He went to war and and prevailed. For 40 years the land had rest.
But then...
Israel did evil.
Moab conquered and ruled for 18 years.
Israel cried out.
God gave them Ehud who killed Eglon, the king of Moab.
Israel had rest for 80 years.
But then...
Ehud died... Israel did evil..
This time Jabin, king of Canaan was given rule over Israel for 20 years.
Deborah became judge of Israel and Barak was sent to war against Canaan.
Victory was given.
Israel had 40 years of rest.
But then...
Over and over again.. generation after generation.. the sin of idolatry crept into the hearts of God's chosen people. They failed the test. They failed to remain faithful to their Lord. Yet, again and again, God heard their cries and came to their rescue.
When Jesus told his disciples to forgive 70 times 7.. He knew what He was asking. Our God is a forgiving God. He is infinite in wisdom and understanding.. He knows our weaknesses. He desires us to be pure and holy and faithful.. He chooses to test us so that He might refine us.. And thankfully He is infinitely patient.
Father, we feel that we are being tested by this virus pandemic.. yet it is nothing compared with the testing that Israel went through due to their rebellion against You. Our nation is rebellious also. There is so much evil. There are so many that have forgotten You and have failed to obey Your words. May we use this opportunity to repent and return to You and know Your deliverance. Forgive us Lord Jesus and come reign and rule. Help us to turn back and follow You. By Your infinite mercies, shower our land with repentance and revival. Our hope is in You! Strengthen Your people that we will stand firm, resisting evil in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, for we cry out in His name. Amen.
Would the people that God called His own remain obedient to the covenant? God chose to test them to see if they would be faithful. All too soon, they failed. They intermarried with the people of Canaan and began to serve their idols. "Thus the people of Israel did what was evil from Adonai's perspective, forgot Adonai, and served the Baals and the Asheroth."
In His anger, Adonai sent Kushan-Risha'atayim to overtake Israel. For 8 years they were in his hands. But, when Israel cried out to the Lord, He raised up Othniel, sent the Holy Spirit upon him, and "he judged Israel". He went to war and and prevailed. For 40 years the land had rest.
But then...
Israel did evil.
Moab conquered and ruled for 18 years.
Israel cried out.
God gave them Ehud who killed Eglon, the king of Moab.
Israel had rest for 80 years.
But then...
Ehud died... Israel did evil..
This time Jabin, king of Canaan was given rule over Israel for 20 years.
Deborah became judge of Israel and Barak was sent to war against Canaan.
Victory was given.
Israel had 40 years of rest.
But then...
Over and over again.. generation after generation.. the sin of idolatry crept into the hearts of God's chosen people. They failed the test. They failed to remain faithful to their Lord. Yet, again and again, God heard their cries and came to their rescue.
When Jesus told his disciples to forgive 70 times 7.. He knew what He was asking. Our God is a forgiving God. He is infinite in wisdom and understanding.. He knows our weaknesses. He desires us to be pure and holy and faithful.. He chooses to test us so that He might refine us.. And thankfully He is infinitely patient.
Father, we feel that we are being tested by this virus pandemic.. yet it is nothing compared with the testing that Israel went through due to their rebellion against You. Our nation is rebellious also. There is so much evil. There are so many that have forgotten You and have failed to obey Your words. May we use this opportunity to repent and return to You and know Your deliverance. Forgive us Lord Jesus and come reign and rule. Help us to turn back and follow You. By Your infinite mercies, shower our land with repentance and revival. Our hope is in You! Strengthen Your people that we will stand firm, resisting evil in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, for we cry out in His name. Amen.
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Judges 1-2 Under the leadership of Joshua, Israel entered the promised land and began to take possession of it. But, after Joshua's death we see that the tribes failed to complete the task of driving out the inhabitants of the land as they were commanded. Eventually this lead to disaster as they began to be influenced by the idolatry of these people.
Joshua's generation died off and the next generation did not know God. (2:10)
What a frightening and awful statement. How could this be? The people who had seen the Hand of God do amazing things on their behalf - parting the Jordan; knocking down the walls of Jericho; fighting their battles; and giving them rest from war - failed to raise their children up to know the Lord.
Trouble began to come to Israel. God was angry at them and allowed them to be overcome. Enemies rose up. Yet, when they cried out to Him, He sent a judge who would lead them to deliverance. But, over and over again, they relapsed. They chose idols and ignored God. They broke their covenant with Adonai their God and He handed them over to the enemy.
Two things that speak to me from this passage:
One, it is absolutely vital that we bring up our children to know and worship God alone. We are responsible to get them to church, feed them the Word of God, and teach them how to walk in faith, trusting in Jesus. We need to be the examples and the leaders in our families. We see what is happening in our world today because of the failure of our generation to live for and serve the Lord. May God forgive us!
Secondly, the God who disciplined Israel because of their sin and rebellion against Him, will certainly discipline every nation that fails to acknowledge and obey Him. Enemies will rise up against us, we will be plundered and overcome.. and unless we repent and turn back... we will fall.
May God help us!
Father in heaven, You alone are the Sovereign God. You possess all knowledge, all power, and all wisdom. You have created all things and there is nothing.. and no one.. that is outside of Your rule. You have given us a choice - to serve You or to rebel. We are devastated and so sorry that our world is so full of rebellion and evil. We see the consequences of this rebellion being dealt to every nation in our world today. Our only hope is Jesus. We cry out to You in the name of the Savior who calls us to come and follow Him. May the Word of God run freely and be glorified in our land, Lord God, and give ears to hear so that many more will be saved. Stop those who are trying to put a basket over the Light. Deliver us from the evil one and his schemes. Let the power of Jesus Christ be poured out into our lives, that in our weakness, You will be exalted! Let the Kingdom of Christ come ! In Jesus' name . Amen.
Joshua's generation died off and the next generation did not know God. (2:10)
What a frightening and awful statement. How could this be? The people who had seen the Hand of God do amazing things on their behalf - parting the Jordan; knocking down the walls of Jericho; fighting their battles; and giving them rest from war - failed to raise their children up to know the Lord.
Trouble began to come to Israel. God was angry at them and allowed them to be overcome. Enemies rose up. Yet, when they cried out to Him, He sent a judge who would lead them to deliverance. But, over and over again, they relapsed. They chose idols and ignored God. They broke their covenant with Adonai their God and He handed them over to the enemy.
Two things that speak to me from this passage:
One, it is absolutely vital that we bring up our children to know and worship God alone. We are responsible to get them to church, feed them the Word of God, and teach them how to walk in faith, trusting in Jesus. We need to be the examples and the leaders in our families. We see what is happening in our world today because of the failure of our generation to live for and serve the Lord. May God forgive us!
Secondly, the God who disciplined Israel because of their sin and rebellion against Him, will certainly discipline every nation that fails to acknowledge and obey Him. Enemies will rise up against us, we will be plundered and overcome.. and unless we repent and turn back... we will fall.
May God help us!
Father in heaven, You alone are the Sovereign God. You possess all knowledge, all power, and all wisdom. You have created all things and there is nothing.. and no one.. that is outside of Your rule. You have given us a choice - to serve You or to rebel. We are devastated and so sorry that our world is so full of rebellion and evil. We see the consequences of this rebellion being dealt to every nation in our world today. Our only hope is Jesus. We cry out to You in the name of the Savior who calls us to come and follow Him. May the Word of God run freely and be glorified in our land, Lord God, and give ears to hear so that many more will be saved. Stop those who are trying to put a basket over the Light. Deliver us from the evil one and his schemes. Let the power of Jesus Christ be poured out into our lives, that in our weakness, You will be exalted! Let the Kingdom of Christ come ! In Jesus' name . Amen.
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