Judges 13-16

I’m guessing we are all familiar with Samson as a man with long hair and incredible strength. We hear of his great strength as children, and we wonder what his hair has to do with it. I remember as a young boy browsing through The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes and seeing a picture of Samson with the gates of Gaza, and being amazed, thinking how cool it would be to have such might. We think of him as a great hero, and indeed his name is right there in Hebrews 11:32 alongside Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, David, and Samuel.

But then we read Samson’s story as adults, and we think, “This guy is a hero of the faith?” And we are right to wonder. Samson demonstrates any number of character flaws, yet the LORD uses him anyway.

Samson’s story begins before he is even conceived, with the announcement by the angel of the LORD of his coming birth. We see in this announcement hints of future characters: Samuel, John the Baptist, even Jesus — but the path Samson takes is somewhat different from theirs. Samson is called to be a Nazirite, set apart to the LORD. (See numbers 6:1-21.) In fact, he is the only person in the entire Bible that is explicitly called a Nazirite. But aside from the angel’s declarations and Samson’s long hair, we’d likely never guess it. Except at the very end, his life certainly does not reflect the devotion to the LORD that we might expect from a Nazirite.

Instead, we see an arrogant, spoiled brat. We see a man who indulges his own passions and whims, contrary to his father’s expressed wishes — and contrary to the LORD’s commands. (Jg. 14:2-3) We see a man who is confident that he is someone special — after all, his parents surely tell him so with stories of the angel’s visit — so he does whatever he wants. We see a man who acts foolishly, placing trust in untrustworthy women, all in his own pursuits.

And yet…

The LORD uses even this man to accomplish His purposes. Samson judges Israel for twenty years, with multiple exploits and victories against the mighty Philistines, all in the strength of the LORD, despite Samson’s flaws. It is clear to us that all of Samson’s awesome might comes from the LORD, but it is not so clear whether Samson himself fully understands that — until, deprived of his strength, blinded, imprisoned, and made to grind at the mill like an ox, Samson finally fully lives into his Nazirite vow, not just by letting his hair grow, but by giving himself up to the LORD. He calls upon the LORD to strengthen him (Jg. 16:28) and pulls down the temple of the Philistines, gaining a greater victory in his death than he had ever seen during his life. (Jg. 16:30)

It is in his death that Samson is most like Christ, stretching out his arms between the pillars as Christ spreads out His arms on the Cross (as noted by Caesarius of Arles). There in death is where the real victory lies.

And so it is with us. The Lord may give us any number of gifts, talents, and abilities, and He can use us regardless of whatever flaws we bring to the table. But He uses us best when we empty ourselves, when we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.

Judges 11-12

Be careful what you say!

Today we get the story of Jephthah and the tragic consequences of his rash vow to sacrifice the first thing to come out of his house. When that turns out to be his daughter, Jephthah immediately regrets his vow, but he declares that he cannot break his oath, and he subsequently follows through.

The entire scenario presents a serious moral dilemma, all because of a foolish (and unnecessary) oath. On the one hand, human sacrifice is clearly repugnant to the LORD (and should be to us!), so Jephthah undoubtedly should not kill his daughter. On the other hand, the LORD takes oaths very seriously, and Jephthah is duty-bound to fulfill his oath, however misguided it might be. You may recall that Katey brought up the story of Jephthah several weeks ago in commenting on Leviticus 5:4-6, suggesting that the law offers a solution to this dilemma, a way of being absolved of such a vow by sacrificing a lamb or goat. But we need to be careful not to abuse that law.

Let’s pick this apart a little bit.

How is it that Jephthah could even contemplate sacrificing his own daughter? We should remember that Jephthah is living in a culture far different from our own, drenched in bloody idolatry that does indeed practice human sacrifice. (That is one of the specific reasons for the LORD’s admonition to thoroughly drive out the Canaanites. See Deut. 18:9-14.) So as much as he might regret the vow, the notion of human sacrifice is not nearly as foreign to Jephthah’s experience as it should be. Repugnant to God? Yes. Repugnant to the general populace? Unfortunately, not so much. And I think that is at least part of the point of the story, how appalling it is that Israel is in such a downward spiral that even one of the “good guys” could do such a thing — and no one rushes in to save the daughter.

Here’s another thought. Given that Hebrews 11:32 mentions Jephthah as a man of faith, I would like to think that Jephthah fulfills his vow not by killing his daughter but by “setting her apart” to never be married. I am a little skeptical of that idea, though, since that is not the obvious reading of Judges 11, but it is a plausible possibility that would solve our dilemma (and it’s an idea that has been around for at least 1,000 years). The consequence of the vow is still significant and costly to all involved, but not nearly the horror of actual sacrifice. It’s at least worth considering.

Either way (the daughter’s death or her being “set apart”), Katey raises an excellent point with Leviticus 5:4-6, that the law makes provision for getting out of thoughtless oaths. If there were ever a vow that warranted undoing, surely it would be this one! But we need to be careful not to apply that law too freely. If I can simply break any oath by sacrificing a lamb, then I might well be inclined to overpromise — a lot — knowing full well that I have an easy exit. I might even make promises with no intention of fulfilling my vows at all; I’ll just sacrifice a few lambs after I get what I want. I think we can all see that such an application of Leviticus 5:4-6 would not be at all appropriate.

Rather than cheapening our words as a “loophole” for costly promises, Leviticus 5:4-6 is intended to impose an additional cost on frivolous promises, to encourage us to be careful in what we say, to say what we mean and mean what we say. For example, suppose I’m heading out the door to meet some friends. As I leave, my wife says, “Say ‘Hi!’ to the guys for me.” Of course, I respond with, “OK.” But I immediately forget that little promise and fail to deliver her message. Though I am clearly wrong in my actions, I generally suffer no immediate consequences. But what if I have to sacrifice a lamb every time I do that sort of thing? I think I’d be a bit more inclined to either: 1) say “Hi” as directed; or 2) be careful to not agree to say “Hi” in the first place, to not make such a thoughtless oath.

I certainly hope that none of us are in danger of committing human sacrifice. But I expect that most of us are very much in danger of speaking carelessly — of making promises that we can’t keep (or have no real intention of keeping), of “misspeaking” (i.e., saying things that are false), of rashly saying hurtful things. We need to heed the warning we have here in Jephthah’s unfortunate example: think before you speak.

Be careful what you say!

Judges 9-10

King Abimelech. (Jg. 9:6,22 — Oh, you thought Saul was the first king of Israel? Well, now you are a bit better prepared for Bible Trivia Night!) Clearly, although Abimelech carries his father Gideon’s DNA, that DNA does not convey Gideon’s faith in the LORD. He convinces the men of Shechem to act wickedly, enabling him to murder his brothers. Though the scheme works for a while, and Abimelech is proclaimed king, God is not mocked. God brings their sin back upon their own heads, and they all come to a violent end. (Jg. 9:56-57)

So what are we supposed to do with this story? Why is it here? Why does wicked Abimelech occupy an entire chapter of the Bible, while many faithful people are barely mentioned, or not mentioned at all? When was the last time you heard a sermon about King Abimelech? Never? Hmm, me neither. Yet Judges 9 is here, so maybe we shouldn’t skip it.

It seems to me that at the very least this story portrays how things go when people abandon God and His ways — and we should be appalled, and warned. Remember, in this period of Israel’s history, even when God has a judge in place to deliver Israel from its oppressors, the inclination of Israel’s heart is progressively away from God. Idolatry is everywhere. Righteousness is scarce. And Abimelech and the men of Shechem are the natural result. The only reason we expect anything else is because God, in His mercy and compassion and steadfast love for Israel, shows up to deliver and sustain them.

Another thing we should see in this story is how God can use human actors — in their own wickedness — to accomplish His purposes. God does not confront Abimelech with leprosy. Nor does He smite him with lightning. Nor does He have the earth open up and swallow him alive. (He could, of course, do any of those things, as we have previously seen.) Instead, God lets the people of Shechem grow discontent with their own choice of Abimelech, so that in the end all the wicked actors destroy one another.

Maybe we should take heed and wake up to these realities. Maybe we should listen to the words of Jotham (Jg. 9:7-20), especially with regard to acting in good faith and integrity. Maybe we should honor the honorable and not make deals with scoundrels. Maybe we should walk in faith and obedience to the LORD, and not pursue our own agenda. In short, maybe we should repent.

Judges 6-8

Before we get any further into the book of Judges, I should mention that we need to be careful in how we read and interpret what we encounter here. The story of Gideon presents a great example. We know Gideon as a great hero of the faith. Even if you have never before read through Judges yourself, you’ve probably at least heard of Gideon and may even be reasonably familiar with his story. Our tendency then is to look at everything that such a hero does and assume it’s all a positive example, with the thought of “go and do likewise”. But that would be a mistake.

Take, for example, the bit about the fleece. (Jg. 6:36-40) Gideon twice asks the LORD for a sign to confirm the LORD’s direction, using the wetness or dryness of the fleece in contrast to the surrounding ground as the indicator. The LORD accommodates Gideon’s requests and provides the signs. Should we, then, follow suit? When the LORD tells us to do something, should we set up an array of tests to confirm His direction? Well, not really…

Let’s look at the situation a bit more closely. First of all, though Gideon has made a start, he is not yet a strong hero of the faith. The general environment of Israel is not one of faithful obedience, but of apostacy and idolatry. His father worships Baal, and (for all we know) Gideon may have, too, until now. So Gideon is not likely to be particularly acquainted with the LORD’s voice or even necessarily have a good sense of what direction the LORD might lead. The LORD’s direction seems to him to be entirely outside his wheelhouse. So it is understandable why he wants confirmation — and why the LORD accommodates him.

Gideon’s requests for signs demonstrate his unfamiliarity with the LORD, coupled with his fear and timidity, not wisdom. They are what did happen, not what should have happened. In reality, he had already been given a sufficient sign (Jg. 6:11-24) and should have simply obeyed. For us, we usually know deep down what the will of the LORD is, either from plain Scripture or from hearing His Holy Spirit, so asking for further signs is typically an indication of resistance to His will, an unwillingness to obey. The broader scope of Scripture tells us that when the LORD has already made Himself clear, we should not seek such signs or put the LORD to the test. (See Dt. 6:16; Mt. 4:7; 16:4; Mk. 8:12; Lk. 11:29.)

What then might we take away from this story of Gideon? Here are a few things to note:

• The LORD may accommodate our weaknesses, but He still expects our obedience
• The LORD can transform even the timid and fearful into people of faith and courage
• The LORD is all sufficient; He does not need a large army to fight His battles

So how about you? Is the LORD calling you out of your comfort zone? Are you putting Him off in any way? Might He be able to overcome whatever obstacles you see?

Judges 3:7-5:31

Straightaway we see the cycle from yesterday’s reading play out, first with Othniel (Judges 3:7-11), then Ehud (Judges 3:12-30), and Shamgar (though in very abbreviated fashion! Judges 3:31). Then we come to the story of Deborah. The mention of a woman in leadership should immediately wake us up, since that is clearly not the norm in the Biblical narrative. We should, in fact, be a bit shocked — not shocked that a woman can lead or that she can demonstrate courage and faith (of course she can!), but shocked at the absence of a man. In other words, Deborah’s story is simultaneously an extolling of her faith and a rebuke of the lack of faith in the men of her time. And so Deborah says to Barak, “The road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Judges 4:9), referring to yet another woman, Jael, who kills Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple. (Judges 4:17-22)

Barak, at least, answers Deborah’s call and leads the battle against Sisera — but only with assurance from Deborah that she will come along. Many more men likewise join in, men from Ephraim, Benjamin, Machir (i.e., Manasseh), Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali. But others, from Reuben, Gilead (i.e., Gad), Dan, and Asher, stay home. (Judges 5:15-17)

So where are you in the story? Are you there alongside Deborah calling for faith in the LORD and calling for action? Are you like Barak, responding to that call, perhaps a bit reluctantly, but still stepping forth in faith and in leadership? Are you a soldier in the army, offering [yourself] willingly (Jg. 5:2) in the battle? Or are you one staying home, perhaps with great searchings of heart (Jg. 5:15)?

Let the LORD speak to you through these stories and these characters. Let Him show you yourself. But even more, let Him show you Himself.

Judges 1-3:6

Israel now enters a new phase of its history, the period of the Judges. It is a time that we might just as well call “the yo-yo years”. Lacking the strong godly leadership of Moses and Joshua, the people of Israel rapidly descend into idolatry, which sets off a series of up-and-down cycles that follow this pattern:

• The LORD gives the people over to their enemies to discipline them
• The people suffer and groan, and the LORD has compassion on them, so He raises up a new leader (aka a “judge”) to deliver Israel from its enemies
• Under that judge, life improves
• But then the people again abandon the LORD and serve false gods
• And the cycle starts all over again

All of this is laid out for us in today’s reading, perhaps most clearly in Judges 2:11-23. We could almost just skip the rest of Judges and move on to Ruth. But we won’t. Why? Because the lessons we need to learn are learned (and remembered) best through stories, not just lectures. We will read some encouraging stories and some horrendous ones. We will meet some true heroes of the faith along the way. We might even meet ourselves. Hopefully, we will also see anew the steadfast love and faithfulness of our God, who ever longs to give life to His people, despite their (our) unfaithfulness to Him.

Joshua 23-24

Joshua comes to the end of his life’s journey. Like Moses, before he departs this life, Joshua exhorts the people of Israel to keep the covenant, to continue following the LORD, to cling to Him, and to utterly forsake any and all other gods. Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel is mostly faithful, serving the LORD. (Joshua 24:31) But Joshua knows that even then, there may be some riding the fence, so he challenges them to get off the fence and choose, making it clear where he himself stands:

Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:14-15

The fact that he mentions putting away other gods, strongly suggests that more than a few people still actively cling to those gods, despite all that the LORD has shown them since Egypt. The people confidently declare their allegiance to the LORD (Joshua 24:16-18), but Joshua knows better. He knows that, sincere as they might feel in the moment, they are kidding themselves. He knows they are unable to hold true to the LORD, because he knows that their hearts are already compromised. So he reiterates his exhortation: Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel. (Joshua 24:23)

And so I ask again: What holds you back from wholehearted devotion to Christ? What else pulls at your heart, demanding your attention? What else do you look to for security? Or for affirmation? Or for provision? Or for love? How do you spend your time? Or your money? Or your energy? Is Christ truly at the center of your life? Is He really on the throne? Indeed, is He your entire life? Why not?

Joshua 20-22

And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. … And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

Joshua 22:10,12

I’m pretty sure that the first time I read this story, my first reaction was, “Say what? War? What’s the problem?” The problem is that the Torah forbids offering sacrifices anywhere other than on the LORD’s one altar at the Tabernacle. (See Leviticus 17:8–9; Deuteronomy 12:13–14.) The problem is the risk of idolatry. This extra altar is seen as a declaration of intent on the part of the eastern tribes to violate the covenant, to leave the LORD and go their own way. So a big “Bravo!” to the people of Israel for their zeal in guarding the faith here.

But when Phinehas and the chiefs of the western tribes confront Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they learn that the altar’s actual intended purpose is exactly the opposite of rebellion. The eastern tribes do not intend for the altar to be used for sacrifices at all, but rather to be a marker of remembrance that the eastern tribes are united with the western tribes, that they likewise have a portion in the LORD. So a big “Bravo!” to the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for their desire to protect their future generations from exclusion from Israel in worshipping the LORD.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD.” … The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”

Joshua 22:31,34

And so civil war is averted and all of Israel now has a monument testifying that the LORD is God.

So what lessons can we learn here? Well, for one, clear communication goes a long way toward good relations. The entire incident is essentially a misunderstanding that could have been avoided by better communication. What if, instead of taking it upon themselves to build the altar and leave without explanation, the eastern tribes had consulted with the western tribes first? What if they had gone to Phinehas and Joshua earlier and expressed their concerns of future exclusion from Israel? Might the leadership of all of Israel then have been able to agree upon a suitable safeguard? I expect that someone might well have proposed a different monument — a heap of stones, perhaps, as we have seen before (See Gen. 31:43-50; Joshua 4:1-10.) — something that would not be so easily mistaken as a violation of the covenant. Clear and timely communication can avoid any number of problems.

Another lesson to learn is to avoid making assumptions. Get all the facts before acting precipitously. Here both sides make assumptions. The eastern tribes assume that the western tribes will treat them unfairly and exclude them from worship. The main body of Israel, on the other hand, assumes evil intent on the part of the eastern tribes in building the altar. Given Israel’s track record, neither of these assumptions is particularly outlandish or unreasonable. Both make decent sense. But both are completely wrong. Fortunately, the western tribes do not just attack straightaway but instead do the right thing and have a conversation to clarify the truth.

So how about us? How might we do a better job of communicating in our own lives? What assumptions might we be making that contribute to misunderstandings and conflict? Do you have any broken relationships that need mending? Is there anyone you have wronged or offended to whom you need to apologize and from whom you need forgiveness? Go talk to them. Or is there someone who has wronged you, who needs your forgiveness? Go talk to them. Don’t let misunderstandings or wounds just sit there festering. Go talk it out.

Joshua 18-19

So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.

Joshua 18:9-10

Remember that Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh previously laid claim to land east of the Jordan River. Judah, Ephraim, and the other half of Manasseh have likewise already received their portions within the Promised Land. Now it is time to divvy up the rest of the land among the remaining seven tribes to encourage them to take hold of their inheritance.

I don’t know about you, but textual descriptions of borders (especially using names of places that I’ve never visited) are a bit challenging for me. Perhaps a map is in order. Fortunately, Wikipedia has one freely available.

Yep. That’s easier.

One thing to note here is that the tribes do not get to pick and choose which bits of land to take for themselves. Instead, each tribe receives the land assigned to it by lot. Each tribe should gratefully accept its inheritance, take hold of it, put down roots, and thrive there.

The same idea applies to us, as much as our current secular society preaches otherwise. We certainly have an abundance of choices to make all the way through life, but there is much that we do not get to choose at all. We simply get the hand that we are dealt. For instance, I am mostly white. I had no choice in the matter. I was born in the U.S.A. I had no choice in the matter. I was born in the 1960s, not in the 1840s, nor the 1320s. I had no choice in the matter. And I was born a male. Again, I had no choice in the matter — and I still don’t, even though some may scream that I do.

Yes, as I go through life there are any number of circumstances that I can work to change or improve, and I should insofar as Christ calls me to do so. But there are some things I simply cannot change, and any desire or attempt on my part to change them is a slap in my sovereign Creator’s face. It is discontentment that leads only to misery for myself and anyone in my vicinity. And it is covetousness, which amounts to idolatry. (Col. 3:5)

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reinhold Niebuhr

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One more thing…

When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor.

Joshua 19:47

Although Dan is given territory near the center of the map (northwest of Judah, west of Benjamin, and west and southwest of Ephraim), Dan loses this territory somehow (or never actually takes possession of it) and relocates to the far north, where the city of Dan is situated in the northeast of Naphtali. If you think this action runs counter to the idea of accepting one’s lot, you would be right. Nothing in the text should be construed as approval of Dan’s relocation. (See also Judges 18.)

Joshua 15-17

But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Joshua 15:63

However, [Ephraim] did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.

Joshua 16:10

Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

Joshua 17:12-13

It should be clear by now that any failure to drive out the Canaanites is not due to some weakness or inability on the part of the LORD God Almighty. So why the failure? Given what we’ve previously seen, I think it is reasonable to assume that not all the people of Israel are as wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD as Caleb. That is not to say that they are completely faithless or that they are in outright rebellion against the LORD. No. They are indeed pressing forward — somewhat — which just goes to say that they are a lot like us (or me, anyway)…

The early victories (in the power of the LORD) probably led many to start thinking something along these lines: “This is easier than I thought it would be. I must be a better fighter than I imagined. And these Canaanites are wusses. I can do this!” And so, they drift into self-reliance, meaning less trust in the LORD. Of course, the consequence of such self-reliance (and forgetting the LORD) is the subsequent train of thought along these lines: “Some of these Canaanites aren’t wusses at all. They have chariots of iron. I’m not that good a fighter. I can’t do this! Maybe we should call a truce.” And so, the Canaanites are not fully driven out.

Sound familiar?

Continuing with the allegorical notion that the Canaanites represent sin in our lives, our objective should be to utterly drive out that sin, but we, like Israel, generally stop short and do not fully accomplish that objective. We fall into the same patterns of thinking as they, and we surrender to some “acceptable” level of sin that “isn’t too bad”. Let’s break that pattern here and now. Let’s re-engage the enemy, but not in our own strength. We cannot fight this battle alone. We must fully rely on Christ to gain the victory. He just needs our cooperation.