Judges 19

The story contained in this chapter is both sickening and saddening. We have another case like Sodom of a city so imbued with evil that they would rape guests, and at the same time a man who went out of his way to get his concubine back but then was willing to let her take the abuse that was demanded of him. Why would he go after her like that if he did not love her? Why would he let them do what they did to her if he loved her? Why would the people of a town be so evil? It all seems so pointless, but I'm sure that it is going somewhere; I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Judges 18

Well, this chapter didn't have nearly the bad consequences I was expecting it to have. Micah did have his priest and idols stolen, which was the least of what he deserved, but he wasn't punished or even reprimanded by God - nor were the Danites who stole his things, as best as I can tell. The final verses indicate that the tribe of Dan worshiped Micah's idol on their own until the time of the Exile; that means a few hundred years, and through the time of the various kings that Israel had. I am very surprised that God allowed that, but perhaps there was more to the story which was not recorded (or which is written elsewhere).

Judges 17

This short chapter describes the first 'cult' talked about in the Bible - and perhaps the only one, as I don't recall that being a theme or major issue anywhere else. The man named Micah and his family claim to be worshiping God, but he has idols and seems to have wrong impressions of what God's will is. Near the end he thinks that God will make him rich because he hired a Levite to serve as his priest - but I don't recall the Lord making any such statements previously. It will be interesting, and likely saddening, to see where this ends up.

Judges 16

It is pretty clear that Samson had women problems. I'm not sure what he did for the twenty years he led Israel, but his career started with a marriage gone bad, then he went in for a prostitute, and then fell in love with a woman who nagged him into giving away the secret of his strength. A flawed man, just like all of us, and it was his downfall.

In the end he got revenge, though, and the Bible says he killed more people in his death than he had in his life - which means quite a few, since he had already killed in excess of 1,030 (just in his early days).

Judges 15

I realized this evening that I haven't done my blog in several days - the first time since I started this over two hundred days ago that I missed it, and boy did I ever miss (at least three days without remembering). Anyways, I'm picking up tonight where I left off.

Samson really comes into his own, or more properly into God's power, in this section. He gets revenge first for his wife being given away to another man, and then when she and her father are killed he went on a rampage against those who did it. Lastly, he kills a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey - amazing! A great example of God's purpose being carried out in a way which no mere human on his own could ever accomplish.

It also looks like Samson led the Israelites for a couple decades after these events, before he finally met his demise. But I am getting ahead of myself - that should be left for future entries.

Judges 14

The story of Samson picks up in this chapter, with some interesting exploits. It looks like God is setting him up to be hated by the Philistines, so that he will have cause to rise up against them. So far he has killed 30 of them, to provide clothes for a bet he made which he lost. I think this will also mark the beginning of 'women trouble' for Samson, as he was betrayed by the woman he was going to marry. If my memory serves, this will become a recurring theme in his life.

Judges 13

The cycle of disobedience among the Israelites is back yet again, and this time they are oppressed for 40 years. But as always in this chapter another judge is on his way - this time in the form of Samson. The account here in chapter 13 of how God told his parents about his coming is pretty cool; I especially like how God responds to the father's request to see the angelic messenger again, since only his wife had seen him at first. It is odd, though, that when he asks how the boy should be raised the answer is that the mother should avoid alcohol and unclean foods. I wonder if more was said that was not written down, or if that omission was intentional.

Judges 12

It looks like the loss of Jephthah's daughter was not the only negative result of his campaign - some of his fellow Israelites also took it badly, and there was a short but bloody civil war. After that was quelled he led Israel for six years before he died.

It seems, actually, that most of the judges listed in this chapter led short lives. None of them spent more than a decade leading the Israelites, so either they started their careers as old men they must have died at a rather young age. At least one had grandsons, though, so he was likely on the older side.

Judges 11

This chapter saddens my heart. It starts off well enough - a man is found to lead the Israelites efforts against their oppressors, and he appears to respect the Lord. However, before going to war he decides to make an oath that if he is given victory then the first creature to welcome him when he returns home would be offered as a burnt sacrifice to God. Of course he was successful in his campaign, but upon returning it is is only child, his daughter, who first comes out to greet him.

What a foolish thing to do! I can't imagine what would possess a man to make such an oath; I can understand offering any quantity of gold, goods, or animals - but to leave even the remotest chance that he would have to sacrifice a human... and a family member at that... it seems unconscionable.

There are apparently those who read this as the daughter being given to the Lord in a capacity of servitude instead: without the opportunity to marry and bear children, but not being literally given as a burnt offering. I don't know how they can read that from this text, but perhaps the original language doesn't translate well to English. I'd wish that were the case, but I can't see how it would have been as devastating a loss for the man (who truly seemed heart-broken over what had happened).

Judges 10

It looks like we are back to the cycle of sin and repentance found earlier in Judges, and this chapter is setting the stage for another character to rise and save Israel under God's direction. I look forward to where this is going in the next chapter.

Judges 9

The rather length chapter today reads more like Shakespeare than a passage of the Bible, as it is filled with treachery, murder, and tragedy. Despite Gideon's prodigious number of offspring his line is nearly wiped out: seventy of his sons, all but one, are killed by their half-brother (the son of his concubine). The one surviving heir curses both the half-brother and those who supported him, and the rest of the section tells of the ills that befall them as the curse runs its course. There is a lot that goes into the tale, but not really all that much to take out of it. I guess the moral here is not to conspire to commit evil, as God sees everything and will repay each person in turn for their actions.

Judges 8

Today the story of Gideon ends in victory over Israels enemies, but with a slightly tragic twist as well. Here are some observations:

- Gideon is older here than I thought, as he has a son already. Apparently his son was still young, though, and was afraid to execute the enemy kings as Gideon asked him to do.

- Even in victory, Gideon snares himself. While he rightly rejects becoming a king he does effectively make an idol, or something similar, which the Israelites elevate to a position higher than any man-made object should occupy. While it does not appear that God directly punished Israel or Gideon for the act, it does seem a poor way to end such a great military campaign.

- We are told that the enemies of this story, the Midianites, are descendants of Ishmael. Apparently even before the modern Islamic religion was founded his (Ishmael's) heirs were already a thorn in the side of Israel. History repeats itself, no?

Judges 7

More of the story of Gideon today - his first battle under the Lord's command. All it takes is three hundred men, less than one percent of the army that had answered Gideon's call, to throw the enemy army into disarray. Of course, it wasn't really the men who won the battle... it was God, and that is the reason He chose so few to go (so that they could not think it was their own strength that won the day). That is a good lesson for us all, even today: God can do anything through us, or with us, so we need to depend on Him and not ourselves.

Judges 6

Wow - Gideon rocks! I have the feeling that I am going to enjoy this continuing story. So far the Lord Himself came to Gideon, who was the youngest son in his family (reminds me of David - god seems to have a penchant for picking the 'underdog'), and commanded him to take on the foreigners who were harassing Israel. His first task was to destroy local shrines to Baal and Ashera, which he accomplished, and from there it looks like he is going to lead an army against the invaders.

A couple other things stood out to me here. Gideon saw God and knew it was a dangerous thing - but did not die. He also asked God for a sign of His identity and intent, three times in fact, and God never got angry with him. A pretty gutsy guy all around; I wonder just how old he was.

Judges 5

After the victory of Deborah and Barak in the last chapter, they sing a victory song. It is rather confusing in some places, but then I've never been a great lover of poetry - and poetry that has been translated is even trickier. It is very descriptive in places, almost to the point of being grotesque, but the theme is solid: when the Israelites cry out to God He hears them, He rescues them, and those who obey Him in the process are honored.

Judges 4

Today the reading covers the story of Deborah, who was the only female "judge" or leader of Israel during this era (at least as far as I know). She is often referenced when the question of having women in leadership roles in the church is discussed, and something along those lines came up a few weeks back in my small group / bible study. When reading through the chapter that night what struck me was that Barak, the man who she summons and tells to go lead an army against their oppressors, would not just take her word and go - he insisted that she come as well. We don't know for sure why he does this, but it strikes me as a rather cowardly thing to do. If the leader of your country orders you to do that, you go - especially when she is relaying a command from God! In return, though, the honor of killing the enemy general does not go to him; it goes to a woman.

I'm actually not entirely sure why she killed the fellow, as we are told that her family had a treaty with the enemy, but she did - and in a rather sneaky, violent (is there any way to kill someone not violently?), and ingenious way. And now history remembers her...

Judges 3

As much as I don't like the reason that the Israelites need the leaders or judges God is providing, I do like them as individuals (at least the three described in this chapter). I used the term 'kick-ass' to describe them to Rose tonight, and while she said that might not be the most appropriate thing to call a Biblical character I think it is quite accurate. It takes a lot of faith in God to walk into a king's mansion and assassinate him, as Ehud did, and a lot of strength to kill six-hundred (600!) people with an oxgoad. These are my kind of men; someone should do a 'superhero' movie about them :)

Judges 2

It looks like the events of the previous chapter may indeed have occurred before Joshua's death, as that is repeated here in Judges 2. After those in his generation died out those who followed did indeed turn away from God and His commandments - just as I has suspected might happen, given the stern warnings in the preceding books. The cycle that will be repeated throughout the rest of this section of Scripture is described here: a generation disobeys, is attacked or enslaved by those around them, and then cries out to the Lord who sends a leader to rescue them. When the leader dies, it is 'rinse and repeat'.

This sounds a lot like the cycle in my own life, though on a much smaller scale :/

Judges 1

This opening chapter to the book of Judges seems to recap some of the end of the previous book, as it tells of the continued conquering of the promised land (some of which went well, and much of which seems to have gone amiss). We also get the story of Caleb retold, in almost identical wording to how it was presented before - which makes me wonder if that happened before or after Joshua died, since here is seems to have occurred after. Perhaps it was just being relayed along with the other successes his people had.

There is also a neat story of the defeat of Bethel, which is very reminiscent of Rahab and Jericho. Israelite spies convince a man to betray the city, but in turn spare him and his family. It almost seems odd to request and then reward what would normally be considered trickery and deceit, but perhaps to some degree the ends justify the means. It certainly turned out well for that man, who goes unnamed.

What worries me is that many of the tribes seem to have failed in their God-given orders to destroy the peoples living there before them. I wonder if this is going to come back to bite them.

Joshua 24

This chapter continues the theme of the one before - namely Joshua, near the end of his life, calling the Israelites to remain faithful to the Lord. We see the response of the leaders in that time as well, and they affirm that the Lord will be their God and they will serve Him.

The book ends with Joshua dying, at the age of 110, and the current high priest (Eleazar, son of Aaron) as well. We are told, though, that while Joshua's generation lasted the Israelites did faithfully obey God - but the way that was phrased does not bode well for those following them.

Joshua 23

We are not told how many years have passed, but just as the book of Joshua is drawing to an end so here is the man. His speech to Israel contained in this chapter indicates that he is on his death-bed, and as a last act he wants to remind the people to be faithful to the Lord. Everything God had promised to do for them had come to pass, and Joshua assures them that if they continue to follow the Lord the remaining nations nearby will be driven out and conquered just as easily as those already dealt with. However, he also warns that departing from God's commandments would be detrimental to the Israelites. I suppose we shall find out if they heed his words or not as the Old Testament continues to play out.

Joshua 22

The account contained in this chapter is quite interesting. Now that the main work of conquering the promised land was done, and the Israelite tribes had all received their inheritance, those who settled beyond the Jordan were sent home. That left them somewhat removed from the main community, and far from the tabernacle and altar where offerings to the Lord were given. Because of this they built an altar of their own, and a misunderstanding over that nearly brought on a civil war.

The main body of Israelites west of the Jordan saw it as an evil departure from God's instructions, and for once in their history were so zealous about the Lord and His commandments that they prepared to go to war against their own brethren to stop it. Thankfully they had some among them with level heads who sent an envoy first, and the true meaning of the altar was found out. The distant tribes had created it not to offer sacrifices upon, which would have been against the Lord's will, but as a reminder to themselves and the rest of the Israelites that they too were part of the God's people. Disaster averted :)

Joshua 21

This chapter appears to wrap up the division of the promised land by covering the cities assigned to the Levites. They were not given any large tracts of land, as they were to do the Lord's work, but they were given places to live and some minimal grazing land for their flocks. In total they had forty-eight cities, including five of the six cities of refuge. I'm rather surprised that they didn't have all six refuge cities, since that seems like it would be fitting for the priestly tribe, but oh well :)

Joshua 20

This short section of scripture describes the purpose of the cities of refuge, and lists the six cities selected for the purpose. The idea behind these places is cool, but upon reflection what I like even better is that God's law effectively allowed for vigilantism. The idea that you had to hide if you killed someone accidentally implies that under normal circumstances someone would try to take revenge, and that does not seem to be condemned as a practice. Being a fan of keeping justice quick, efficient and effective I applaud that approach :)

Joshua 19

Today's reading wrapped up the story of Israel dividing the promised land between their tribes, and also had a nice touch at the end of Joshua himself being given a city to live in. Not much else to say, but since we still have a couple chapters left I am looking forward to some more action or at least something to write about.

Joshua 18

The allotment of land between the tribes continues in this chapter, but before jumping into the borders of Benjamin's territory we get a story about Israel's own 'Lewis and Clark Expedition'. Joshua sent out 21 men, three from each of the remaining tribes, and they mapped the area and divided it into seven regions. Those, then, will be assigned by lot to the remaining tribes - and I suspect that will take us through the end of this book.

It is somewhat interesting, now that I reflect upon it, how important the division of land was to the Israelites. Today I just think of the whole of the USA as my country, and I couldn't care less where the exact border of states is. Oddly, I do very much care about the borders of Seattle, as making them larger would mean Seattle would get a bigger dot on maps, but I think that is just me wanting more bragging rights. I wonder if it was the same for people back then, or if land and borders meant more in that time and place. We are in such a global world now, no pun intended, that borders are beginning to have a lot less meaning. The more I think about that the less I think it is good, though - and I didn't think it was good to begin with. Perhaps clearly-defined limits are best...

Joshua 17

This chapter continues the tradition of the last couple: a description of the lands assigned to some of the Israelites; in this case, the two tribes of Joseph - Ephraim and Manasseh. They had grown quite large, though, and apparently wanted more than the initial amount of territory assigned to them. Joshua told them to go conquer some of the locals to increase their holdings, and while they were skeptical he assured them they could do it. What is it with the Israelites seeming afraid sometimes to try and fight the people God had told them they were to conquer? Aside from times of their own sinfulness, had He ever let them down?

Also, I was surprised to see the name "Noah" mentioned here as a girl's name. Having recently been through the process of naming my son, I am acutely aware of the gender of names - and I had thought that neutral names (which can be either male or female) was a pretty recent thing. I guess I was wrong :/