Without Leadership

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

WITHOUT LEADERSHIP

Judges 12:7-13:1

7 Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in a town in Gilead. 8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. 9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem. 11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. 12 Then Elon died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. 13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon son of Hillel died, and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. Judges 13:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

NIV

Here we are made aware of thirty-one years of leading Israel by four men. The only one whom we are told something significant is Ibzan. He began something that may have started the end of the clan system by giving his daughters in marriage outside his clan and taking daughters from outside his clan for his sons. However, Addon had those forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode seventy donkeys. We know the importance of a donkey when Jesus entered Jerusalem, so he could go to the cross, with the donkey signifying a man of peace. Were those forty sons and thirty grandsons men of peace, and what did they do during the eight years of Abdon’s reign? It does seem that during those thirty-one years led by those four men, Israel was still worshipping the LORD. However, after the last one, Abdon died, it seems none of his sons or grandson stepped up to continue leadership of Israel, and without a leader or judge who kept Israel bent toward the LORD, they turned again and did evil in the eyes of the LORD and therefore he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. We believe that without leadership, people will soon go astray. This can happen in the body of Christ as well. When a believer stops attending a solid church that stands on the Gospel, they could begin to fall back into old patterns of life, even without being aware of what they are doing. We believe that is why we are admonished not to forsake assembling together, so we can spur each other toward love and good deeds, as well as encourage one another. The preacher of Hebrews admitted that some of the people he was writing to were in the habit of not meeting with others. When a believer stays away from church or other believers, they might listen to many voices, all with a different agenda, that may even be opposed to the pure gospel, being deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing. It is important to gather for worship and fellowship, being together for the benefit of the rest of the church. There may be some who experience certain physical limitations that prevent them from coming to their local assembly of believers, but then the church should find some way to include them in the fellowship of worship. Some tried to do that during the COVID era and have kept that media presence. We think that is helpful for those who are considered shut-ins, but having a media presence might also keep the healthy away from the assembly of believers. Yet, we should press on gathering together, as Israel should have, under the leadership of their judge, us under a pastor, so we can be helpful to each other, keeping ourselves from doing evil in the sight of God. 

Division not Unity

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

DIVISION NOT UNITY

Judges 12:1-6

12:1 The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head." 2 Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. 3 When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?" 4 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh." 5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," 6 they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.'" If he said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

NIV

What is wrong with people? Why would the men of Ephraim be so upset because they were not called to war against the Ammonites, that they would burn down the house of Jephthah while he was in it? Then, finding out that Jephthah did call them and they did not answer is more confusing for those people. Was it because they were not going to share in the plunder because they did not fight? We just don’t know the thinking of the men of Ephraim, but it seems that the hearts of men are bent to evil more than we want to believe. Of course, they got what was coming because of their arrogant thinking that they were stronger than the fighting men of Gilead, under the leadership of Jephthah. There must have been some difference in the dialects of the Gileadites and the Ephraimites regarding the word “Shibboleth,” which means a flowing stream, but leaving that “h” did not sound the same as the Gileadites sounding that word, thus revealing their true identity. Was it just over the difference in dialect that caused such a division, as they all were of Israelite descent? Could that be our lesson? Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians that we are all in Christ, whether Jew, Gentile, free or slave, male or female. However, it seems there might be some division within the body of Christ because of our language or our pattern of speech, or cultural differences, as well as our doctrinal preferences. We have witnessed an almost hatred of certain Pentecostal churches by certain Baptist churches, and then heard Pentecostals voice dissent against the Catholic beliefs, even when there was a great Charismatic movement within the Catholic church, with many being filled with the Spirit. On and on we heard such division instead of a unity in Christ. When we consider the immense number of different Christian denominations, all because of some slight difference of beliefs in the scripture, to even cause arguments and disdain for one another is not what Jesus approves. We should be building each other up until we all reach unity in the faith. If we all love the Lord and have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, no matter how we voice that language, if in our hearts we love Almighty God, the Father, Son, and the Spirit, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us not be the cause of division, but of unity in Christ.

 

Yes

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

YES

Judges 11:29-40

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." 32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. 34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." 36 "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry." 38 "You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite custom 40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

A vow is a vow, and when it is to the Lord, it cannot be broken. This narrative is not easy to consider, as Jephthah had to sacrifice his only daughter as a burnt offering. In fact, that is a horrible act that we want to ignore and move on to another narrative where God does some mighty deed for the people. However, God did a mighty act for Jephthah by giving the Ammonites into his hands. This narrative also shows us that when Jephthah made a vow, he kept it no matter what. This is not a lesson to take to heart, for the Lord has told us not to make an oath by any means, but let our “yes be yes and our no be no” that anything else comes from the evil one. However, we have said ‘yes’ to the Lord, accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. So then, because we have said,  ‘yes,’ our ‘yes’ means ‘yes’ and that carries all sorts of implications. It is not a vow, or an oath, but it is our ‘yes’ and that means we will do what the Lord tells us to do, for He is our Lord. He holds the key to life, although He also holds the keys to death and Hades. He opens a door for us that no one can shut. Literally, He has our lives in His hands, doing with us according to His promise. Because we said ‘yes’, His promise is eternal life. But that also means we are to obey His word, and we wonder how successful we are in following His commands, or being that overcomer He told John about in the revelation He gave him. Certainly, that cannot mean an overcomer is one who is sinless, for as long as we are in this flesh, we have not attained perfection. To overcome is to never turn away from the Lord and look to anything or anywhere else. Therefore, we have said ‘yes’ and we mean ‘yes’. 

Resolution or War

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

RESOLUTION OR WAR

Judges 11: 12-28

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: "What do you have against us that you have attacked our country?" 13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah's messengers, "When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably." 14 Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, 15 saying: "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. 16 But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Red Sea and on to Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Give us permission to go through your country,' but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 18 "Next they traveled through the desert, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border. 19 "Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own place.' 20 Sihon, however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his men and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21 "Then the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his men into Israel's hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22 capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan. 23 "Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? 24 Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess. 25 Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them? 26 For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn't you retake them during that time? 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites." 28 The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.

NIV

Although Jephthah endeavored to resolve the conflict peacefully, the king of Ammon paid no attention to the message sent to him. He wanted what he wanted, and he wanted it now. Isn’t that our story at times when we have some conflict with someone, even if it is over some petty little thing? No matter how the other person tries to bring the disagreement to a peaceful conclusion, we just want our way, and that is that, and we are not willing to listen or pay attention to their idea for peace. Jephthah did not even want his way, but only wanted the LORD to judge the dispute. Of course, the king of Ammon had his own little gods of his own making and couldn't care less about the God of Israel, for he did not know him personally, but perhaps only through reputation. Nevertheless, the king of Ammon did not care as he only wanted his way. However, we know the Lord, and we know that conflict, especially between believers, is not His way, although He did fight for Israel against its enemies. But we live in the realm of grace, and Jesus told us to live in peace and harmony with each other. We have been told to build each other up and to live in harmony with one another. We should not be proud or conceited, but do what is right in the eyes of everyone. We have been instructed that as far as it depends on us, live in peace with everyone, to be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate, and humble. If we have any kind of conflict, we are to fix it right away so it does not cause any friction. If we do not resolve any conflict, no matter how small or great, it will only cause harm within the heart of at least one who cannot come to terms with a resolution, but only wants what they want. Let us never allow any disagreement to fester, but resolve it immediately so we can do what is right in the eyes of our Lord. Let us get on with learning from Jesus, and being humble in heart and always wanting His will to be done on earth, that is in our hearts, as it is in heaven, where He is completely sovereign, where His will is always done. We cannot have war, but we must have a resolution. 

The Commander

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

THE COMMANDER

Judges 10:17-11:11

17 When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, "Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all those living in Gilead." 11:1 Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. 2 Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family," they said, "because you are the son of another woman." 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him. 4 Some time later, when the Ammonites made war on Israel, 5 the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 "Come," they said, "be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites." 7 Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now, when you're in trouble?" 8 The elders of Gilead said to him, "Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be our head over all who live in Gilead." 9 Jephthah answered, "Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me — will I really be your head?" 10 The elders of Gilead replied, "The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say." 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

NIV

It is strange how one day the brothers of Gilead were so concerned about their inheritance, driving away a half-brother, and then the next day, everyone in town wants the half-brother to be their commander, because their lives are in jeopardy. War had not yet broken out, although the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead. It was inevitable that war would happen, and the Israelites were without strength, for we do not see them calling on the LORD to be their leader, but they looked to the strongest warrior among them, the one they once drove away. Now they were in trouble of losing a war against the Ammonites, so they went and got the son of Gilead, a mighty warrior. Once again, we see men looking to men for the solution to their troubles instead of looking to the LORD. Had they turned to God and asked Him for a solution to their predicament, He would have raised his hand against the Ammonites. We do know what the LORD would have done, yet through their fear, they looked to a man who looked to the LORD. We will see that Jephthah was a mighty warrior because he was a man of God. Men will always look to men, and they are bound to lose their lives, perhaps not in a physical war, but certainly in a spiritual war against the forces of evil. However, when we look to the Lord, we may lose our life in this world, but we will prevail against the forces of evil, and have the victory because we are mighty warriors of God who have Him as our commander, our Leader, and He will give the enemy into our hands. Sometimes it may seem difficult not to look to our own resources, for we can see them, having been raised to expect them to be pursued as the normal part of life. We may have many resources at our disposal to gain the world, so to speak, but they will do nothing for us against the forces of evil in this dark world, or the principalities or evil in the heavenly or spiritual realm. Only the Lord or God will defeat evil, although He has clothed us, if we put it on,  with all his armor so that we can take our stand, stand firm against those forces of evil, and become an overcomer. When we take our stand, we are being empowered by our Lord, and not by our resources, and we have victory. Let us always be that mighty warrior of God, looking to him and him alone as our commander. 

Deliberately

 DEVOTION

JUDGES

DELIBERATELY

Judges 10:1-16

10:1 After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. 3 He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.   5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. 6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him, 7 he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8 who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. 9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress. 10 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals." 11 The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" 15 But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer.

NIV

Two different leaders of Israel, or judges, led Israel for a combined fifty-five years, and there was peace and prosperity in the land. But after the last one died, and it appeared there was no other leader raised up, the Israelites again turned to other gods. This time they worshipped seven other gods, forsaking the LORD completely. We are seeing that perfect and complete number of God used here to demonstrate how totally or completely they turned away from the LORD, doing complete evil in his eyes. Therefore, he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who crushed Israel. Why is it, at least it seems, that people cry out to God when things are not going their way, but when everything is good, and they are healthy and wealthy, they are not all that interested in serving the Lord? Over the years, we have seen various Christians who are church attenders, pew fillers, so to speak, but it seems their main interest is in the prosperity of this world. It may be true that God blesses people with wealth, but when we consider a world view rather than just a Western, or American view, there may not be as much material prosperity as we Americans enjoy. However, even in our country, there are the materially poor, yet they may well be spiritually blessed. It should not matter our physical or material situations in this life, to obtain the life to come. What matters is that we worship the Lord our God first and foremost, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior in our lives, loving Him with all our mind, soul, spirit, and strength. Of course, He is concerned about our needs, in fact, He has told us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and He would add, or give us all the stuff the pagans run after. Yet do we try to run after God and after the things of the world, and maybe not even in that order? Yes, we live in the age of grace, but we are also warned not to take advantage of our liberty and go on deliberately running after the things of this world. Could it be that running after the things of this world is the same as deliberately sinning, much like the Israelites deliberately chased after other gods, who had no ears to hear, no eyes to see, or mouths to speak? We pray we will never forsake our God for anything in this world, or allow our hearts to be deceived by lies, but are constantly focused on truth. Let us deliberately serve our Lord. 

The Proud and the Humble

 DEVOTION

JUDDES

THE PROUD AND THE HUMBLE

Judges 9:46-57

46 On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. 47 When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there, 48 he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, "Quick! Do what you have seen me do!" 49 So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died. 50 Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women — all the people of the city — fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. 54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

NIV

How evil can one man become because of pride, selfishness, that motivated him to burn women and children to death while they were taking refuge in a temple to their false god El-Berith. Of course, it was still a false refuge because the temple or stronghold had no power to save them. The LORD, God Almighty, is the only true refuge, fortress, and strong tower.  After burning all those in the temple of Shechem to death, he advances on to besiege another city where all the men, women, and all the people of the town, which would include the children, fled and locked themselves in a tower and climbed onto the roof. Here is the end of Abimelech, where the LORD exacts his revenge on a man who has turned his back on the LORD and done despicable things. For a man who believes he is a warrior, a fighting man of strength and courage, to be harmed to the point of death by a woman was too much for him; he had his man thrust a sword into him. How pride ruins the very fabric of a person's character. How horrible to be under the influence of such pride that motivates that kind of selfish ambition to exact revenge on the townspeople. Of course, they also were worshipping a false god, so that no one paid any attention to the LORD and thus were not able to take refuge in Him. Nevertheless, pridefulness is our lesson, as we know the Lord is displeased with it. When we are prideful, it shows we consider our strength to be in our abilities, education, knowledge, talents, skills, wealth, or whatever else we think is due to our own efforts. Pride turns to boasting in ourselves, always making sure others know about our achievements or accomplishments both in the world and in the church. We believe God humbles the proud and lifts up the humble. However, the motivation to be humble should not be so that God would lift us up, but rather because God desires humility over pridefulness. The Apostle James quotes a proverb, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. Jesus tells us to learn from him, for he is gentle and humble in heart, and if we are gentle and humble in heart, we will find rest for our souls. Opposite to that would be the prideful will not find rest for their souls. We think the prideful would always be striving to find more to boast about, never content, but always looking for the next level of achievement, the next level to boast about, such as Abimelech, never finding rest, however, death knocked on his door, but not in his soul. Because we humble ourselves, God will lift us in due time. There will always be the proud and the humble.