365 Reflections

The biggest problem with the church is that we fight each other constantly. We are supposed to be on the same side. But yet it seems we can't find a way to come together to fight a common enemy who steals the truth from people's lives every day. Sadly, this was true of Israel in the time of the Judges. Just after Jephthah finished defeating the Ammonites, the Ephraimites are upset they weren't included in the military victory. Judges 12:1–3 (ESV)  The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. 3 And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then ...

There's a danger to not understanding the grace of God. Jephthah is exhibit "A". His fear of an unsuccessful war led him to bargain with God for victory. Judges 11:30–31 (ESV) And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 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.” It was a needless bargain for Jephthah. He already had something from God far more valuable than any military success. Note how his military campaign begins: Judges 11:29 (ESV)  Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah ,... Jephthah was anointed but sadly it wasn't enough for him. He wanted a self-centered guarantee that God would give him victory. He feigned good religious practice to garner divine intervention. Many Americans do the same exact thing every day.  His story reveals the danger of a relationsh...

Don't assume things about people. Take Jephthah for instance. This is a man who was born to a prostitute and driven from his family. He was disregarded until the nation needed his strength for battle against the insurgent Ammonites. But what we learn is Jephthah brings more to the battle than just his ability to fight. When Jephthah is installed as military leader over Israel, he diplomatically interacts with the Ammonite king before simply venturing into battle. He sends a message, he discerns the response and proves he knows history and what God has been doing. Judges 11:14–17 (ESV) Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of...

Judges 11:1–4 (ESV) Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. 4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. Jephthah is a flawed man. He is also infamous for a terrible decision in life that he really should not be defined by. But it happened and we'll get to it, but not today. For right now I want you to look at who Jephthah was from birth to adulthood. The definition of his reality during that phrase could be described as one thing: A raw deal in life.  Consider that he is the son of a prostitute. His father's one night stand before se...

Things are getting worse for Israel in the book of Judges. We have these stories preserved for us so that we do not follow the ways they took. Consider: 1 Corinthians 10:6 (ESV) Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. The people of Israel once again serve the baals and ashtorehs of Canaan. These gods represented a plentiful harvest and fruitfulness in sex. It's amazing how we serve money and sex the same exact way thousands of years later just as they did!  When Israel feels the sting of the nations pressing in around them, they again cry out to God: Judges 10:10 (ESV) And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” What's interesting is how God perceives insincerity in their cry for help. Because He turns up the heat in His response. Before Gideon was called, a prophet was sent to remind the people of Israe...

Sometimes the best kind of leaders are the ones who don't make the "headlines" of the Biblical narrative. Tola and Jair are two of that kind of leaders. After the long stories of Gideon and Abimelech which cover four chapters between them, we have exactly 5 verses dedicated to two longstanding judges mentioned in Judges 10. Judges 10:1–5 (ESV) After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir. 3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. We would be tempted to overlook these men. In my former daily readings when I read through the Bible in a year, I would have rushed rig...

Judges 9 does not paint a happy picture of the nation. You have the lone step-brother of Gideon's children (Abimelech) slaughter his 70 half-brothers on one stone. You have an uprising against that same man by the very people he appealed to for power. You have one massacre after another until a chance milestone throw takes out Abimelech once and for all. It's a sad chapter without mention of the Covenant name of the Lord. In fact, the only time God is mentioned is at the beginning of the insurrection against Abimelech and at the end of the matter to summarize His purposes: Judges 9:23 (ESV)   And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, Judges 9:56–57 (ESV) 56 Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the cu...

Judges 8 ends with an important caveat about the family Gideon leaves behinds. He has 70 sons, no doubt by more than one wife and he also has a son born out of wedlock. Judges 8:29–31 (ESV) Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. Abimelech is going to become the chief antagonist of Israel for the entire next chapter. He will slaughter his half-brothers, he will demand kingship and hold to power with cruelty and threats. His name is interesting, it means, "My Father is king." Abimelech is constantly trying to prove to the world who he is no matter the cost. He is a case study for the inevitable chaos born in one generation by the sexual immorality of the previous generation.  This is a theme of the Bible. Men, even God's men have sexual relations with women outside of marriage ...