I Samuel 14-15

Saul is such a mixed bag! On the one hand, he leads Israel in battle against their enemies with a good amount of success. On the other hand, he demonstrates a lack of wisdom along with far more regard for looking good than for real obedience.

When Jonathan courageously initiates a rout of the Philistines, Saul issues a rash and foolish curse on anyone who eats before evening. Though presumably intended to motivate his troops to action (while making Saul seem “pious” in proclaiming a fast), this curse has two thoroughly negative consequences. First, it deprives his entire army of physical sustenance as they weary themselves in battle, thus severely hampering their fighting ability and limiting their victory over the Philistines. Second, the curse falls on Jonathan, who is ignorant of his father’s words, which is reminiscent of Jephthah and his daughter. We then see Saul’s self-absorption and hard-heartedness when he is willing to kill Jonathan to fulfil his vow. Fortunately, the people have better sense and intervene to rescue Jonathan.

Then Saul is even more blatantly disobedient. Given an explicit command to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all their livestock, Saul instead deliberately spares Agag, their king, and the best of the livestock, saying he intends to offer them as sacrifices. But Samuel calls him out with these famous words:

Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has also rejected you from being king.

I Samuel 15:22-23

To obey is better than sacrifice. Those are words we probably all need to hear — and heed. How often do we think we can out-maneuver God? How often do we think we can ignore His prompting in one way, sure that we can “make up for it” some other way, perhaps putting a little extra in the plate on Sunday? Do we indulge in debauched Carnival, thinking a little extra discipline during Lent cancels it out and purchases the Lord’s renewed favor? Do we convince ourselves that our public sacrifices, of whatever form, allow us to rebel privately? Do we engage in activities that look religious to elevate our status in the eyes of others, all the while ignoring God’s commands?

Looking good in the eyes of others is at the core of Saul’s problem, and even though he confesses that fact (I Sam. 15:24), he clings to it, seeking to be honored before the people. (I Sam. 15:30) Indeed, concern over his own reputation continues to plague Saul for the rest of his life. May we not follow suit. May we instead seek to please the LORD, not people. May we recognize that to obey is better than sacrifice.

I Samuel 11-13

Do you ever think that the God of the Old Testament is somehow different from the God of the New Testament? Are you quick to see His anger and wrath in the Old, but all (and only) forgiveness and mercy in the New? It’s a common idea, one that I hear voiced rather frequently. And it is not a new idea. In fact, it is an idea that has been around since the second century. It’s part of Marcionism. And it’s a heresy. (So stop believing it!)

Our reading today should help dispel any notion that the God of the Old Testament is any less loving than the God of the New Testament. He is exactly the same God. Just look at this:

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for Himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

I Samuel 12:19-25

Consider the fact that the people of Israel exist at all at this point. If the “God of the Old Testament” were the malevolent, wrathful “God” that some suggest (either from a shallow reading of the Old Testament, or from a complete disregard of it), then God surely would have stamped Israel out of existence during the period of the Judges for Israel’s utter unfaithfulness. But He didn’t. And now, in response to Israel’s rejection of Him and in their asking for a king instead, what does God do? Does He obliterate Israel in wrath? No. He assures them that He will not forsake His people. This is the message throughout the Old Testament (and the New). Over and over and over again, the LORD demonstrates that He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103:8) God loves His people. Yes, He is wrathful against sin — always has been and always will be — because sin is what separates us from Him. Sin is what kills us. Sin is what destroys us. Sin is what corrupts everything God has made. And God hates it. He therefore continuously calls His people to repentance — and holds the impenitent to account (even in the New Testament!). In all of it He loves His people — always has, and always will.

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One more thing…

Today we see the beginning of Saul’s downfall and the first hint of another, better king:

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

I Samuel 13:13-14

What is Saul’s offence? That’s a bit ambiguous. It may be that Saul himself offers sacrifices without a priest, contrary to Torah, but that is not explicitly stated. Or it may be his impatience, not waiting for Samuel in accordance with Samuel’s instructions of I Samuel 10:8, to which I Samuel 13:8 seems to refer — but those instructions seem wildly disconnected from this story, with everything that has transpired in between (though it may be that our narrative here is simply not chronological). It may be his lack of faith and his over-regard for public opinion. I don’t think we can nail the problem down precisely other than to say that — in some way — Saul is disobedient and is not a man after God’s own heart. So, out of His love for His people, God desires someone better. Stay tuned.

I Samuel 8-10

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

I Samuel 8:4-9

And so we again see democracy at work. Yes, we are getting a monarchy, but it is because that is what the people want. Although God accedes to Israel’s request, and grants them a king, He knows that their desire for a king is really a rejection of Him as King. They would rather seek security in a fallible human than in the LORD God Almighty. (What fools we are!) Samuel is clear-eyed and warns the people of all the negative consequences of how kings operate (I Sam. 8:10-18), but the people put fingers in their ears and insist that they want to be like all the nations, dreaming that, somehow, this king will single-handedly fight their battles for them. (I Sam. 8:20)

Clearly, the better choice would be for all the people to repent, to reject foreign gods, to put their full faith and trust in the LORD, and to walk in His ways, loving Him with their whole heart and loving their neighbors as themselves. But Israel has shown, time and again throughout the yo-yo years of the Judges, that they are not so inclined, and God is unwilling to force compliance, so He grants their wish and gives them the king they desire. In so doing, the LORD in His sovereignty accomplishes three things (among many others, I’m sure):

• He unifies the nation under a single leader, thereby enabling them to fight their enemies — particularly the Philistines — more effectively than they could under the fractured tribalism they have seen thus far. (I Sam. 9:16)
• He lets the people taste the consequences of their own poor decision. (I Sam. 8:18)
• He sets up a pathway through which He Himself can one day again be acknowledged as King: the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

In other words, God uses even Israel’s rejection of Him to work out His own purposes.

But all of that goes well beyond our reading today. For now, we see Samuel anointing a young man named Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, to be the first king of Israel. For now, this Saul is the one chosen by the LORD to lead His people. He is God’s chosen instrument for fighting Israel’s battles. He is the LORD’s anointed.

As for us, I think it is worth asking ourselves a few questions. Where might we be looking for a king other than God? How might we be rejecting God, wanting to conform to the world around us, to fit in with our culture? How might we disregard God’s warnings and with rose-colored glasses accept ideas that run contrary to Scripture? Are we looking to politics or politicians (of either party) to solve problems only God can solve? Do we, again, want a king other than Christ?

I Samuel 4-7

And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

I Samuel 4:3

Do you believe in magic? The people of Israel apparently do. They treat the Ark of the Covenant as some kind of talisman, a good luck charm that they can just place in the midst of the army so that it (not the LORD) can save them. Even if they have some recognition that the power really lies with the LORD, they still see the Ark as a means by which they can direct His power, without regard to the deplorable condition of their relationship with Him.

But the LORD does not deal in magic. He is not some “cosmic force” that can be so manipulated by a magical token. Neither is He yet another territorial god, just one of many in the pantheon, represented by an idol. He is a living Person Who desires a real relationship with His people.

In judgment upon Israel and upon Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, even though the Ark is indeed special and holy, the very place where the LORD is enthroned on the cherubim (I Sam. 4:4), the LORD gives the victory to the Philistines, allowing the Ark to be captured and Hophni and Phinehas killed. (I Sam. 4:11) When Eli hears the news, he also dies, falling backward and breaking his neck. (I Sam. 4:18) And so God begins to bring upon the house of Eli all that He declared against him through the man of God (I Sam. 2:27-36) and through Samuel. (I Sam. 3:10-14)

The Philistines soon discover that possession of the Ark does not mean control of the God to Whom it belongs. Instead they find the image of their god Dagon fallen down before the Ark of the LORD, and the LORD brings plagues of tumors and mice upon them until they send the Ark back to Israel.

In all of this the LORD clearly affirms the holiness of the Ark. He affirms it as His earthly throne. It is not just an ordinary box covered in gold. It is not to be trifled with, as the men of Beth-shemesh could attest! (I Sam. 6:19) It is the LORD’s. But it is not magic. Neither the Israelites nor the Philistines can channel God’s power for their own purposes by wielding the Ark.

So what about us? We no longer have the Ark as a focal point, but do we substitute something else as a “charm”? Perhaps it’s not some physical object we endow with special power. No, we laugh at superstitions and scoff at good luck charms. We know better than that. But perhaps it’s instead a way of doing things so that if we “do it right” then it will “work”. If we just pray a certain way, or use the right words, or raise our hands just so, or go to church often enough, then God will give us what we want — never mind that our hearts are far from Him. Take a good look. Is there some formula you expect to “work”? Do you believe in magic?

I Samuel 1-3

Today we meet a tremendously important figure: Samuel. He is the last — and I daresay, best — of the Judges. Though this book and the next are named for him, Samuel is not really the central character, David is (aside from the LORD, of course). But I’m getting ahead of myself…

First, I’d like to offer a few clarifications:

• Reading I Samuel 1:1, one might easily conclude that Samuel is of the tribe of Ephraim, but he is not. He is a Levite, of the clan of Kohath. (See I Chronicles 6:16-28.) The reference to Ephraim is not one of genealogy, but of geography, telling us the place where Samuel is from, not his ancestry. Remember, the Levites live throughout Israel.
• Later it may seem that Samuel acts as a priest, but he is not a priest. He may be a Levite, but he is not a descendant of Aaron, and thus not eligible for the priesthood. Whenever it sounds like Samuel is doing priestly things, you can bet that there is another person there — a descendent of Aaron — performing those functions at Samuel’s direction. (Similarly, we may say that Eisenhower stormed the beaches of Normandy, but we all know thousands of other men did the actual storming.)
• Although not explicitly called a Nazirite like Samson, Samuel may well be one, as his mother, Hannah, swears that no razor shall touch his head. (I Sam. 1:11)
• Phinehas, the son of Eli, is not the same person as Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron. They may share the same name, but they are radically different characters.

Samuel enters full-time service in the Tabernacle in Shiloh as a young boy, just weaned, in fulfillment of his mother’s vow that she would give him to the LORD all the days of his life. (I Sam. 1:11) Samuel thus grows up in and around the Tabernacle, watching the daily sacrifices and rites of worship, and watching Eli and his sons. The LORD evidently has His hand on Samuel from the beginning, for Samuel escapes following the pattern of Hophni and Phinehas, who are thoroughly corrupt. Whereas they are worthless men who do not know the LORD (I Sam. 2:12), Samuel hears from the LORD directly and becomes established as a prophet.

The first message that Samuel hears from the LORD is a condemnation of Eli and his sons — the sons for blasphemy, and Eli for not doing anything about it. (I Sam. 3:10-14) It is a serious business when someone treats the LORD with contempt, and it is especially serious when that someone is in a position of spiritual leadership. It generally means abuse of the flock that the leaders are supposed to be shepherding. Unfortunately, Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas are not isolated cases. History is replete with examples of people in positions of spiritual authority — pastors, deacons, priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, popes — who are worthless men (and women) that do not know the LORD and who cause a great deal of harm.

Just as Eli should have corrected his sons long before they got out of control, we should do what we can to ensure that such positions of trust are filled by godly people who do indeed know the LORD. We need to fight against such abuses. But we must also trust that God Himself sees the abuse, and God Himself will bring things right, just as He declares regarding Eli’s house, first through the man of God that visits Eli (I Samuel 2:27-36) and then through the message given to Samuel. God’s judgments may be exceptionally swift (as with Nadab and Abihu earlier – Lev. 10:1-2) or not quite so fast but still with some fairly immediate consequences, as we shall soon see, or it may be that the LORD seems slow. (It is not until Solomon’s time that Eli’s descendants are fully removed from serving as priests. 1 Kings 2:27) In all cases, we must trust that God sees, God knows, He is more offended by abuses than we are, and He will bring justice.

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One more thing…

I do not want to jump too far forward yet, but when we read Luke later in the year, we may want to look back at Hannah’s story a bit and compare her prayer in I Samuel 2:1-11 with both Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and the Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79). For now, I think it is well worth noting that the last verse of Hannah’s prayer (I Sam. 2:11) speaks of the LORD’s “king” and “His anointed”, even though as of yet there is no anointed king. (And, by the way, “anointed” is the English translation of the Hebrew word that we render as “Messiah” or the Greek equivalent, “Christ”.)

Ruth 1-4

After the turmoil of the Book of Judges, it is nice to bask in the sweetness of the story of Ruth — if only for one day! Set in the period of the Judges (Ruth 1:1) this story gives us a portrayal of decency and justice, of love and redemption. The story opens with tragedy and hardship, yet following on that tragedy we see the devotion of Ruth to her mother-in-law, Naomi. We also see her conversion from Moabite idolatry to worship of the LORD. (Ruth 1:16-18) We see Boaz generously caring for Ruth as she gleans in his fields, and we watch as their relationship develops. Ultimately Boaz buys Naomi’s field and in the process redeems Ruth to be his wife as part of the bargain.

Once more the Old Testament presents us with a type of Christ, as Boaz gives us a picture of Jesus’ redemption of His Church. There is much to be gleaned in this picture. (See what I did there?) But I’m not going to do that gleaning. I’d like to hear from you. So what are your thoughts? Besides the fact that this story points us forward through Obed and Jesse to the coming David (Ruth 4:17) — and ultimately through David to Christ Jesus — what do you see? Do you see a picture of Christ in Boaz? How? What about Ruth? Or Naomi? What speaks to you?

Judges 19-21

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25

This final verse of Judges is a repetition of Judges 17:6. Both instances point to the disastrous consequences of a lack of godly leadership, where everyone just flies by the seat of his pants, doing what is right in his own eyes.

What we see in today’s reading is horrific. It is horrific that in Gibeah only one old man offers any semblance of hospitality to the Levite. (Jg. 19:15-16,20-21) It is horrific that the Benjaminites of Gibeah seek homosexual relations with the visiting Levite. (Jg. 19:22) It is horrific that the Levite’s host offers up his daughter and the Levite’s concubine instead, knowing it means rape. (Jg. 19:24) It is horrific that the Levite forces his concubine out the door in self-protection. (Jg. 19:25) It is horrific that the concubine is raped and abused all night long. (Jg. 19:25) It is horrific that she falls dead at the old man’s doorstep. (Jg. 19:26) It is horrific that the Levite casually rises in the morning, finds the woman, and tells her it’s time to go, oblivious to her suffering. (Jg. 19:27-28) It is horrific that the Levite cuts her body into 12 pieces, distributing her throughout Israel. (Jg. 19:29) It is horrific that the entire tribe of Benjamin chooses to defend Gibeah, rather than give up the guilty parties. (Jg. 20:12-14) It is horrific that civil war ensues. (Jg.. 20:20) It is horrific that Benjamin kills 40,000 men of Israel. (Jg. 20:21,25) It is horrific that Israel kills 25,100 warriors of Benjamin. (Jg. 20:35) It is horrific that Israel then proceeds to strike down nearly all the rest of Benjamin, including women and children. (Jg. 20:47-48) It is horrific that the best idea anyone has for providing wives to the remaining 600 Benjaminites is to wipe out Jabesh-gilead to find 400 virgins (Jg. 21:10-12) and then to let Benjamin kidnap more women from festivities at Shiloh. (Jg. 21:20-23)

Woe to those without godly leadership!

We should note that the LORD is not absent from this entire scenario. On the contrary, He is very much involved in the war, granting Benjamin two huge early victories, but then giving the rest of Israel the final victory, nearly eradicating Benjamin. I think we can surmise that this war is God’s means of executing (partial) judgment on all of Israel for falling away from Him, and on Benjamin in particular for their extraordinary obstinance in refusing to seek justice. But none of that would be necessary if the people were all seeking the LORD to begin with, if they were not each turning away from the LORD and doing their own thing.

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25

Do we likewise just go our own way? Do we look to the LORD for guidance only in times of crisis? Thinking of “kings”, when it comes time to vote, do we pursue what the LORD desires, even if that means setting aside our own self-interest? (Clearly, that is not what most voters do!) Or do we surrender our will to Christ moment by moment? Do we recognize Jesus as the Anointed One, the One True King?

May we look forward to the full reign of Christ, to that day when we might all say, “There is a King in Israel. Everyone does what is right in the eyes of the LORD.”

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One more thing…

Note that Phinehas is still the High Priest (Jg. 20:28) here, indicating that this story occurs rather early in the period of the Judges. I expect that this story’s placement at the end of the book of Judges is so that it remains fresh in our minds when we soon meet the individual who is to become the first King of Israel: Saul, who is of the tribe of Benjamin and from the town of Gibeah.

Judges 17-18

Are you beginning to get dizzy from the downward spiral? Do you smell the stench of decay? Do you see the pervasive perversion of worship?

About the only positive noble act in our entire reading today is Micah’s confession of having stolen his mother’s silver. (Jg. 17:2) After that, it is all down hill, and much — if not most — is done in the name of the LORD. What do I mean? Well, let’s see:

• Micah’s mother “blesses” him, saying, “I dedicate the silver to the LORD … to make a carved image and a metal image.” (Jg. 17:2-3)
  • In so doing, Micah’s mother simultaneously breaks two commandments, against graven images, and against taking the LORD’s name in vain.
  • Clearly, syncretism with Canaanite idolatry is so thorough that nobody sees the insanity of a graven image dedicated “to the LORD”.
• Micah sets up his own shrine with his own gods and ordains one of his own sons as a priest. (Jg. 17:5)
  • Again, Micah’s actions are clearly well outside the bounds of Torah.
• Micah then hires a Levite to serve as his priest, thinking this adds legitimacy to his shrine, and saying, “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”
  • This is a complete misunderstanding of the role of the Levites.
  • Rather than accepting the position as priest, the Levite should be tearing the shrine down and pointing everyone back to Torah.
  • Instead, the Levite seems as ignorant of Torah as everyone else and elevates his own position.
• Then the Danite spies come along. They ask the Levite “priest” to “inquire of God”, and he tells them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD.”
  • But this “priest” is fake. He may speak in the name of the LORD, but it’s a sham.
• The Danites return with an army and steal Micah’s idols and his Levite, taking his entire “worship center” by force.
  • The Danites aren’t tearing the shrine down out of devotion to the LORD. No, they just want Micah’s shrine and his Levite for themselves.
• The tribe of Dan, having failed to properly take full possession of the land allotted to them under Joshua (Joshua 19:40-48), come to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting (Jg. 18:27). They attack and destroy Laish, renaming it Dan.
  • It may sound like the Danites are just continuing the God-ordained conquest of the land, but the LORD is not in this. This is not their land to take. This is outright murder.
• The Danites proceed to set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons [are] priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. (Jg. 18:30)
  • That is, the Danites thoroughly divorce themselves from the proper worship of the LORD at the Tabernacle.
  • This false center of worship persists for centuries, right up until the Northern Kingdom is exiled by the Assyrians (which we will get to later).
  • Appallingly, it appears that the Levite “priest” is none other than Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses!

All of that goes to illustrate that the use of “spiritual language” is no reliable indicator of truth. Talking about “God” or “the LORD”, or doing things “in the name of Christ” does not make one a follower of Christ. False teachers and false prophets abound. Just look around at our society today. Wide swaths of “mainline denominations” currently preach outright heresy — all in the name of Jesus. Best-selling authors, whose books appear in Christian bookstores, preach a false “prosperity gospel” — all in the name of Christ. So do not be fooled by “Christianese”. Pay attention to what people are really saying and check it out against Scripture. Does it line up or not? (And, by the way, that goes for what I say here with RTB as much as anyone else. Don’t just swallow what I say. Check it out! And if I am in error, please let me know!)

More than that, take a look at your own life and closely evaluate whether what you think, believe, and do is in line with the Lord. Consider all those ideas and practices that you “just grew up with”, all those things to which you are thoroughly accustomed and which you take for granted as “good and normal and right”. Are they, in fact, pleasing to the Lord? Does your notion of God line up with what Scripture says about Him? How about your version of Jesus? Or are you, instead, worshipping an idol, whom you happen to call Jesus?

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!