“There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
In what follows from here to the end of the book is a truly bizarre story whose ending is, short the cross and maybe not even that, the darkest chapter in all of the Scriptures. Here we see Israel finally hit rock bottom. Read the rest…
“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
When we prepare to fight the battles we are facing, we draw lines and put people on one side or the other. We look at each person we encounter as either an enemy or an ally. This is natural. People have always done it. But, as Joshua learned here, while we may be able to do this with people, when it comes to the Lord, we must ask a different question: Are we on His side? Read the rest…
“His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Certainly God can help us by working with or even through us. But did you know that He can help us and the people around us by working in spite of us? He can use our character flaws and failings to His glory. Read the rest…
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Here we see yet another dark chapter in the record of the judges. Jephthah was a scoundrel and an outlaw. When the leaders of Gilead sought him out, they had not sought the Lord. In fact, although we are told near the end of chapter 10 that the Lord had grown impatient over their misery, He had told them rather explicitly that He was not going to come and save them this time because they had shown over and over again their dogged intention to reject Him. He does relent a bit and helps the guy they foolishly choose win the battle, but beyond that He does not have a hand in the events here. Read the rest…
“And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, ‘Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Manoah didn’t believe his wife. The text doesn’t come right out and say this, but I suspect that’s what was really going on here. And think about why: In that culture a childless couple was considered cursed by God. It was a step worse than a couple who couldn’t have a son. This was the life of Manoah and his wife. Then she comes to him out of the blue and announces that God told her she’s going to get pregnant and have a son and that the son is going to save Israel from the Philistines who had been oppressing them for a generation. This would be a little like someone coming and telling you he had a dream that you were going to get that big promotion at work and a big raise and you won the lottery as well. Naturally, he was suspicious. Read the rest…
