“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood
of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Psalm 50:12-15 ESV) Continued next week
Wieliczka Salt Mine church, near Krakow Poland
Judges 10
Parenthesis and Idolatry
0The first 5 verses of chapter 10 offer a parenthesis before we dive into the next bout of falling into sin. There are no major foreign powers named and no record of Israel crying out to be saved. What we have instead is an account of 45 years of relative peace.
0Not much info is given about the next 2 judges, Tola and Jair. Other than presumably ruling after the death of Abimelech, we are given the exact years that each one judged. Tola means “worm”in Hebrew. Jair had 30 sons, who judged 30 cities, on 30 donkeys. Ruling over an area of 30 cities is a feat in itself and the fact they rode donkeys (not horses) suggests peace.
0We read again that the people fall into idolatry. This time it is not just Baal and Ashteroth that the Bible names, but it is also the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines that are named.
0Pay attention to everyone’s spoken words in this chapter- it is a recurring theme.
0Israel has fallen so far that it is not just Baal and Ashteroth that are named as the idols that Israel is serving. Probably in past chapters (like that of Gideon) the Israelites were trying to serve both Yahweh and Baal at the same time, but this time it is not the case.
0The first 5 verses of chapter 10 offer a parenthesis before we dive into the next bout of falling into sin. There are no major foreign powers named and no record of Israel crying out to be saved. What we have instead is an account of 45 years of relative peace.
0Not much info is given about the next 2 judges, Tola and Jair. Other than presumably ruling after the death of Abimelech, we are given the exact years that each one judged. Tola means “worm”in Hebrew. Jair had 30 sons, who judged 30 cities, on 30 donkeys. Ruling over an area of 30 cities is a feat in itself and the fact they rode donkeys (not horses) suggests peace.
0We read again that the people fall into idolatry. This time it is not just Baal and Ashteroth that the Bible names, but it is also the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines that are named.
0Pay attention to everyone’s spoken words in this chapter- it is a recurring theme.
0Israel has fallen so far that it is not just Baal and Ashteroth that are named as the idols that Israel is serving. Probably in past chapters (like that of Gideon) the Israelites were trying to serve both Yahweh and Baal at the same time, but this time it is not the case.
Parenthesis and Idolatry Continued
0We are told that “…they forsook the Lord and did not serve him.” (verse 6)
018 years the tribes that didn’t cross the Jordan were oppressed, and then the oppression struck the rest of Israel.
0So far in the book of Judges when the people cry out to the Lord he raises up a deliverer and saves them. Is it necessarily because they need to be saved or is it because he loves them and they are his people? Moses talked Yahweh out of wiping the Israelites out because they were his people and maybe up until now the Lord has just been gracious with Israel…
0This time the Lord deals with the people directly and gives them a list of nations that he’s destroyed for them. He then tells them that instead of being grateful the people chose foreign gods to serve so they should go and ask them for help. Essentially, “you made your bed…”
0The people ask to be delivered that day (immediately). The Israelites were in Egypt hundreds of years before they get rescued from there.
0What does it mean that the Lord is “impatient” with their misery? He’s going to let them get themselves out of this mess- he wasn’t going to rush in that day to do it.
0The Israelites responded how they should have (getting rid of their idols) but Yahweh knows that their words to him were empty.
0After dropping the idols they decide to fight back without a chosen judge. This time they’ll pick their own judge.
0We are told that “…they forsook the Lord and did not serve him.” (verse 6)
018 years the tribes that didn’t cross the Jordan were oppressed, and then the oppression struck the rest of Israel.
0So far in the book of Judges when the people cry out to the Lord he raises up a deliverer and saves them. Is it necessarily because they need to be saved or is it because he loves them and they are his people? Moses talked Yahweh out of wiping the Israelites out because they were his people and maybe up until now the Lord has just been gracious with Israel…
0This time the Lord deals with the people directly and gives them a list of nations that he’s destroyed for them. He then tells them that instead of being grateful the people chose foreign gods to serve so they should go and ask them for help. Essentially, “you made your bed…”
0The people ask to be delivered that day (immediately). The Israelites were in Egypt hundreds of years before they get rescued from there.
0What does it mean that the Lord is “impatient” with their misery? He’s going to let them get themselves out of this mess- he wasn’t going to rush in that day to do it.
0The Israelites responded how they should have (getting rid of their idols) but Yahweh knows that their words to him were empty.
0After dropping the idols they decide to fight back without a chosen judge. This time they’ll pick their own judge.
Judges 11
The Man Not Chosen (by Yahweh)
0We have seen the terrible consequences of not only having multiple wives but also having concubines. Abimelech had 70 brothers, but he was born from a concubine and ended up killing almost all of them.
0Jephthah was the son of a prostitute and when he got older his brothers kicked him out of the house.Jephthah went to another town and became an outlaw/ gang leader. It is said, however, that he is a mighty warrior.
0The people of Gilead come to Jephthah and pick him as their leader. Jephthah is not raised by the Lord to deliver the people, Jephthah
is chosen by men.
0The Lord’s silence through this whole process is deafening, though.
0Much as Yahweh is skeptical of the men of Gilead when they beg for help, Jephthah is skeptical of them when asked to lead.
0Interestingly Jephthah asks for Yahweh to witness and then the elders agree that Yahweh is the witness.
0Jephthah, the mighty warrior, starts his leadership not with mighty battle but with words.
0We have seen the terrible consequences of not only having multiple wives but also having concubines. Abimelech had 70 brothers, but he was born from a concubine and ended up killing almost all of them.
0Jephthah was the son of a prostitute and when he got older his brothers kicked him out of the house.Jephthah went to another town and became an outlaw/ gang leader. It is said, however, that he is a mighty warrior.
0The people of Gilead come to Jephthah and pick him as their leader. Jephthah is not raised by the Lord to deliver the people, Jephthah
is chosen by men.
0The Lord’s silence through this whole process is deafening, though.
0Much as Yahweh is skeptical of the men of Gilead when they beg for help, Jephthah is skeptical of them when asked to lead.
0Interestingly Jephthah asks for Yahweh to witness and then the elders agree that Yahweh is the witness.
0Jephthah, the mighty warrior, starts his leadership not with mighty battle but with words.
The Man Not Chosen Continued
0The king of the Ammonites claims that he’s attacking Israel because they took his land upon arriving from Egypt, but Jephthah gives them a basic run down of the history and says that it was the Amorites not the Ammonites that had their land taken away.
0Jephthah further reminds the confused king that his god, Chemosh, promised them the land that they lived in much like God Almighty promised the Israelites the
Promised Land.
0Once again we have someone not listening to words that will lead to further problems.
0It is here that Yahweh gets involved and enters Jephthah.
0Although taking vows wasn’t unheard of, Jephthah makes a vow (with words) that will come back to haunt him. The Spirit of the Lord had entered Jephthah and
making a vow at that point was unnecessary. Some claim this was a rash vow.
0Jephthah wasn’t looking to strengthen his relationship with Yawheh, he was looking to bargain and strengthen himself.“If you give them to me,” shows that Jephthah
was looking for the victory, not to claim victory for the Lord. This vow was done out of complete selfishness and therefore wasn’t rash.
0Another thing that gets lost when reading through this troublesome passage is that Yahweh was completely silent (again) as Jephthah made this vow.
0Did Jephthah kill his one and only daughter and offer her as a burnt offering? The text does not explicitly say so, all it talks about is custom of the mourning about her
not knowing a man. Maybe he went to kill her and Yahweh provided another sacrifice for him. We’ll have to wait for an answer on this one.
0The king of the Ammonites claims that he’s attacking Israel because they took his land upon arriving from Egypt, but Jephthah gives them a basic run down of the history and says that it was the Amorites not the Ammonites that had their land taken away.
0Jephthah further reminds the confused king that his god, Chemosh, promised them the land that they lived in much like God Almighty promised the Israelites the
Promised Land.
0Once again we have someone not listening to words that will lead to further problems.
0It is here that Yahweh gets involved and enters Jephthah.
0Although taking vows wasn’t unheard of, Jephthah makes a vow (with words) that will come back to haunt him. The Spirit of the Lord had entered Jephthah and
making a vow at that point was unnecessary. Some claim this was a rash vow.
0Jephthah wasn’t looking to strengthen his relationship with Yawheh, he was looking to bargain and strengthen himself.“If you give them to me,” shows that Jephthah
was looking for the victory, not to claim victory for the Lord. This vow was done out of complete selfishness and therefore wasn’t rash.
0Another thing that gets lost when reading through this troublesome passage is that Yahweh was completely silent (again) as Jephthah made this vow.
0Did Jephthah kill his one and only daughter and offer her as a burnt offering? The text does not explicitly say so, all it talks about is custom of the mourning about her
not knowing a man. Maybe he went to kill her and Yahweh provided another sacrifice for him. We’ll have to wait for an answer on this one.
Judges 12
You Say Tomato
0Although we are uncertain to the fate of Jephthah’s daughter when chapter 12 rolls around Jephthah is visited by the Ephraimites much like Gideon had been.
0The Ephraimites were claiming again that they weren’t invited to the battle but this time they threaten to burn down Jephthah’s house with Jephthah inside.
0There would be no clever diplomatic way out like there was with Gideon- this time Jephthah wants to give them a taste of their own medicine (because they used harsh words). Jephthah attacks his aggressors and then uses a scheme to tell where the rest of the traitors are hiding.
0Although I may say tomato my enemy down the street may say “to-mah-to” and that is how we distinguish each other. The Ephraimites pronounced the town Sibboleth different from the Gileadites.
0At the end of the chapter a list of minor judges (kind of like Tola and Jair) is given. Elon and Abdon are named.
0Although we are uncertain to the fate of Jephthah’s daughter when chapter 12 rolls around Jephthah is visited by the Ephraimites much like Gideon had been.
0The Ephraimites were claiming again that they weren’t invited to the battle but this time they threaten to burn down Jephthah’s house with Jephthah inside.
0There would be no clever diplomatic way out like there was with Gideon- this time Jephthah wants to give them a taste of their own medicine (because they used harsh words). Jephthah attacks his aggressors and then uses a scheme to tell where the rest of the traitors are hiding.
0Although I may say tomato my enemy down the street may say “to-mah-to” and that is how we distinguish each other. The Ephraimites pronounced the town Sibboleth different from the Gileadites.
0At the end of the chapter a list of minor judges (kind of like Tola and Jair) is given. Elon and Abdon are named.
The Man of Tragedy
0What has the tragedy of Jephthah taught us?
01) Demanding that the Lord do something immediately is not an acceptable request. Showing your anger will not make him show you his glory.
02) Saying that you’re sorry is sometimes not enough. You still have to answer the consequences of your actions.
03) Picking a great warrior will sometimes mean picking an outlaw that lives on the wrong side of the tracks.
04) CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY. Before you make a promise to do something make sure you mean what you say and can live with the outcome.
05) Don’t make a promise to do something for the wrong reasons. Being selfish may leave you alone in life.
01) Demanding that the Lord do something immediately is not an acceptable request. Showing your anger will not make him show you his glory.
02) Saying that you’re sorry is sometimes not enough. You still have to answer the consequences of your actions.
03) Picking a great warrior will sometimes mean picking an outlaw that lives on the wrong side of the tracks.
04) CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY. Before you make a promise to do something make sure you mean what you say and can live with the outcome.
05) Don’t make a promise to do something for the wrong reasons. Being selfish may leave you alone in life.