Scripture

In those day,s Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Observation

The Israelites are caught up in their own vows about Benjamin. They had vowed that they would not give their daughters in marriage to any man from the tribe of Benjamin. They now see that the tribe of Benjamin is likely to disappear forever unless they provide wives for the 600 men remaining from Benjamin.

They discover that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended their assembly. They had vowed that anyone who did not attend would be put to death. so they send 12000 Warriors to Jabesh-gilead to kill all the men, boys, and married women, but to spare the virgins who are to be given to the men of Benjamin.

Application

The author of Judges looks to the new era of a kingdom in Israel to restore order and godliness to the nation. But looking back through history, this hope was not to be fulfilled.

The problem with the era of the judges was not a lack of leadership, but that the leaders themselves were often such poor role models. There were very few people in the nation who understood or valued what it meant to live by the law of God. This would continue through the period of the kings, although with a few exceptions.

Perhaps it is true in the church also. We are often influenced by the society around us more than by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have the King of Kings to lead us, but we must learn to trust Him and obey Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are my King. Please help me to live your way and not to do whatever seems right in my own eyes. Amen

Scripture

And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns – the people, the livestock and everything they found.

Observation

The Israelites go up to Bethel, weeping and fasting. They ask the Lord if they should fight the men of Benjamin. The Lord tells them to go, and He will give them a victory.

So they again surround Gibeah. This time, they plan to draw the warriors of Benjamin away from the town and then send men in to burn the town.

So the men of Israel kill 25,000 strong warriors and destroy the people and livestock of the nearby towns.

Application

The righteousness of the land was restored at a terrible cost. Tens of thousands of people on both sides were killed.

While many wars in history have been of dubious worth, there is no doubt that the second world war was a just war. The Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan sought to impose dictatorship on most of the world along with abominable ideologies. Millions of people died, and the prosperity of the world was set back by 20 years or more, but it was right to destroy these awful powers.

Many christians like to think that we can live in comfort and separation from the evil of this world. The fact is that we are all impacted by the sin of ourselves and of others. When God’s Kingdom is fully established, we shall all be holy and righteous.

Prayer

Lord, when I look at the evil in the world, I am dismayed. I thank you that you will bring an accounting for all of this. Amen.

Scripture

Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.

Observation

The whole country is united against the terrible crime that has been committed. 100,000 warriors from all over Israel assemble at Mizpah.

The Levite explains what happened. In unity of purpose, the Israelites march on Gibeah. They demand that the townspeople hand over the troublemakers to be put to death.

The people of Benjamin refuse to listen. Instead, they assemble 26,000 of their Fighters.

In the first skirmish, 22,000 Israelites die. The next day, they ask the Lord if they should go out to fight. The Lord tells them to do so, but it is another defeat with 18,000 Israelites killed.

Application

While the Lord always blesses us when we dwell together in unity, there are times when unity is not enough.

The Israelites were one in heart and mind, but they suffered a terrible loss, even after they checked in with the Lord, and even though they were fighting for a righteous cause.

We need to be united in the purposes and methods of God. It is not always enough to be right, we must also be doing God’s will in God’s way.

There is no guarantee that we will not suffer for the Lord, even when fighting for Him. Victory might be assured, but there are times when it is costly.

I believe that the churches in an area should be of one heart and mind, with love and honour being exercised towards one another. But this kind of unity is not enough, in itself, to defeat the enemy. We need to ensure that we show love to the community and must always be preaching the Good News.

Prayer

Lord, I pray that you will increase the unity in your church. Make us a genuine community of faith, serving one Lord and aware that we are one body in you. Amen

Scripture

Everyone who saw it said, “Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt.”

Observation

The Levite of the previous chapters takes a woman as his concubine. After a while, he returns to her father’s house in Bethlehem. Four months later, he goes back to Bethlehem to persuade her to come back with him.

Her father entertains the man with much feasting, but after five days the Levite, his concubine, and his servant leave to return home. They stop to spend the night in the town of Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. They are taken in by a man, but some troublemakers come and demand that the Levite come out so they can rape him. Eventually, to appease the mob, they push the concubine out through the door. The mob rape and abuse her all night. She collapses and dies. The husband takes her body home, and then cuts it into 12 pieces, sending one piece to each of the tribes.

Application

This event sounds very similar to the events of Genesis 19 which led to the destruction of Sodom.

This crime was so horrific that it demanded some sort of retribution to cleanse Israel of its stain.

Every now and again, a crime so horrific occurs that’s it gets the attention of a nation and leads to change.

As follower of Jesus, we need to take our own sin as seriously as the “mega sins” of others. We don’t need to point out the failings of other people, we just allow the Holy Spirit to deal with the depravity of our own heart.

Prayer

Lord, I confess that I so easily fall short of the standards you set for your people. Please forgive me and grant me victory to live a holy life. Amen

Scripture

So Micah’s carved image was worshipped by the tribe of Dan as long as the tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh

Observation

The 600 Warriors from the tribe of Dan come to Micah’s house. They carry the idols away from the shrine. The Levite questions then, and they invite him to come with them and be the priest for the tribe. He goes with them.

Micah and his neighbours catch up with the men from Dan. He demands his idols back, but they refuse. The men go off to Laish, which they burn to the ground and later rebuild.

So the Levite becomes the priest for the tribe of Dan, and they worship idols as long as the tabernacle remains in Shiloh.

Application

The tribe of Dan had refused their God-given mission to take their land. Jonathan the Levite was motivated by money and prestige. It all ended in idolatry that went through the generations.

If we fail to obey God, the final destination will be that we serve other gods. They might be literal idols or more generic gods such as money, fame, or sex. Either way, failing to live in our calling will result in false gods, false religions and wrong lifestyles.

Of course, this is not necessarily the end of the story. If we truly repent and turn back to the Lord, then we can get back to the real mission that God has got for us to achieve .

Prayer

Lord please protect me from all false gods that seek to seduce me away from obeying you, the one true God. Amen

Scripture

“Stay here with me,” Micah said,”and you can be a father and a priest to me.”

Observation

A man named Micah confesses to his mother that he stole 1000 pieces of silver from her. The mother then dedicates this silver to the Lord, and take some of it to a silversmith to create an image and an idol. These are placed in Micah’s house. Micah creates a shrine for the idol and installs one of his sons as his personal priest.

A young Levite from Bethlehem comes to the area, looking for a place to live. Micah appoints him as his own father and priest. The Levi agrees to this.

Application

It is good to have a spiritual father, someone who loves us and has authority over us. Every christian should be submitted to a father in the Spirit.

Micah first appoints his son to be his priest, and then the young Levite. From this short chapter, it seems that Micah has very little teaching or any sense of real commitment to the Lord.

Micah’s mother had an an idol made for Micah, who constructed a shrine for it. They blessed and cursed in the Name of the Lord and wanted priests of the Lord to minister on their behalf.

Most Christians would probably identify that there is so much confusion in this story. The characters clearly do not have a relationship with God.

To avoid this sort of confusion, we need to pray constantly, read God’s word, and walk in fellowship with other believers.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, you speak to us in many ways, and you lead us in the right path. Please give me a deeper knowledge of you. Amen

Scripture

So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.

Observation

The Philistines hold a great festival, offering sacrifices to their god Dagon. They celebrate the great victory that Dagon had given them over Samson.

They bring out Samson to amuse them. Samson asks the servant who brought him out to place his hands on the pillars supporting the roof. Samson prays to the Lord to restore his strength one last time. Then he pushes against the pillars, and the roof of the temple comes crashing down.

Samson killed more people in his death than he had in his entire lifetime. His brothers and relatives come and bury him with his father.

Application

Samson was raised up by the Lord to rescue Israel from the Philistines. His lust for foreign women and his self-centeredness really made him far less effective than he otherwise might have been.

Samson with a man of great physical strength, but he lacked integrity, and this was his undoing.

In the end, he fulfilled God’s purposes for him, but in a tragic way. The epitaph on his life was that he killed more people in his death then he had in his entire lifetime.

I think of the summary of other people’s lives in the Old Testament that they died “full of years.” These people lived for God. They were not perfect, and some sinned quite spectacularly. Yet they remained faithful to the Lord.

In many ways, Samson’s life was wasted, or at least misdirected. It ended in unnecessary tragedy.

Prayer

Lord God, may my life fulfil all that you have for me. Please keep me on the right track with you. Amen

Scripture

When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realise that the Lord had left him.

Observation

Samson falls in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistine rulers come to her and offer to pay her to entice Samson to reveal the secret of his strength.

At first, Samson lies to her about this. But after much pleading and nagging, he reveals that his hair has never been cut for he was dedicated as a Nazarite from birth. If his head is shaved, his strength would leave him.

Delilah tells the Philistines that she has finally got the truth. She lulls him to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she cuts off the seven braids of his hair.

Samson wakes up and thinks he will shake himself free as before, but the Lord has left him. The Philistines capture him, gouge out his eyes, and put him in shackles. Before long Samson’s hair begins to grow back.

Application

Eventually Samson’s character lead him into bondage. He is tricked into allowing his head to be shaved. When the Philistines come to capture him, he thinks “I will just shake myself free as I did before.” He didn’t realise that the Lord had left him.

When we sin repeatedly in any area of our life, we allowed satan and his demons to take over that part of us. We become addicted to the sin whether it be lust, greed, or power. What we don’t realise is that it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to shake ourselves free. We can get to the place where, like Samson, the power of the Lord leaves us and we are in bondage to that sin.

Captivity to Satan is not the end of the story. This section ends with the hopeful words, “but Samson’s hair began to grow back.”

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you do not abandon us entirely to sin, unless we completely abandon you. Please help me to stay away from captivating sin and make me strong in times of temptation. Amen

Scripture

So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. He named that place “The Spring of the one Who Cried Out,” and it is still in Lehi today.

Observation

During the wheat harvest, Samson takes a young goat as a present to his wife. Her father explains that he gave her to his best man.

Enraged, Samson catches 300 foxes. He ties them together in pairs and fastens a torch to each pair of tails. He lights the torches and sends the foxes through the Philistines’ grainfields.

The Philistines decide to capture Samson. They set up a camp in Judah. The men of Judah find Samson and tie him up with new ropes. Samson breaks off the ropes. He then finds the jawbone of a donkey and kills 1000 Philistines with it.

Samson goes on to rule over Israel for 20 years.

Application

After all his fighting, Samson called out to God to provide him with water. The Lord caused water to gush out of the ground.

Samson was not a paragon of virtue. He was selfish, petulant, and prone to expressions of violence. Yet God used this very flawed character to deliver Israel from the Philistines.

And when Samson called to the Lord for water, the Lord brought forth a fresh spring for him.

We don’t have to be perfect before God can use us. We do not have to be perfect to receive answers in prayer. We should be growing in character as part of our daily walk with the Lord. But He will use us and provide for us at every stage of the journey.

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you can use flawed people like Samson. Use me to your glory. Amen