Pastor Billington's Blog

Judges 10

Our passage ends on a cliffhanger. Tola and Jair provide 45 years of stability, but then the Israelites engage in evil and idolatry again. In fact, they apparently engage in such atrocities that God says, “I will save you no more,” even in the midst of their repentance. But the people cry out even more and put away the foreign god’s they had been worshipping. God, seeing the depth of their repentance, is moved. Perhaps He was testing them. If so, they passed (this time)!

Thought for the day: God doesn’t respond to transactional worship. He won’t do what we want just because we give, pray, or study. However, He can be moved by our heartfelt repentance, worship, and service.

Matthew 6:5-6 (WEB) “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Judges 9

Abimelech (one of Gideon’s sons) is determined to rule. He is not only treacherous, but he also engages in idolatry and pagan sacrifice (he killed his brothers on “one stone”). Jotham, the only survivor, shows the inappropriateness of Abimelech as a leader by offering what many see as the first parable in the Bible. Abimelech is a bramble, offering no shelter or protection. In fact, in hot weather, brambles could burst into flames and cause a lot of damage (and Abimelech does ultimately self-destruct). Although he rules for three years, his downfall starts with the men of Shechem. He has some initial success against them, but ultimately meets his demise at Thebez. Maimed and wounded by a falling stone, he can’t bear to die at the hands of a woman, so he asks to be killed by his armorbearer.

Thought for the day: Abimelech is a reminder that sin has consequences, one way or another!

Judges 9:56 (WEB) “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in killing his seventy brothers.”

Judges 8

Gideon has changed. He is no longer hesitant. He shows a leader’s tact in dealing with Ephraim and responds to the cowardice of the men of Succoth and Penuel with unflinching anger. This is the first time in Judges that there is military action against their own people. Gideon also assassinates the kings responsible for his brother’s deaths and offers the killing blow to his son (perhaps as an insult to the kings). Is Gideon a just leader or an unrighteous tyrant? It depends on your perspective.

Perhaps we have a clue in the fact that he refuses to be king and instead directs the people to God. However, his actions in making an ephod eventually lead to idol worship. What we presume was supposed to be a sign of the Lord’s victory eventually became a snare for the people.

Thought for the day: Gideon also shows poor judgment by the taking of multiple wives. Perhaps Gideon is a cautionary tale to all of us about how pride can change us, and not for the better.

Proverbs 16:18 (WEB) “Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.”

Judges 7

Here we have Gideon’s victory detailed. First, God whittles down the number of the people who participate in the attack, and then He foreshadows the victory to Gideon so that he won’t be fearful.

Thought for the day: It’s really God’s victory (7:2), and we would do well to remember that in our own lives as well. It’s God’s power that enables us.

2 Peter 1:3 (WEB) “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”

Judges 6

It’s the Midianites that God uses this time to punish the Israelites and to bring them back to Him. He reaches out to Gideon to save them, and Gideon is reluctant. He needs three signs before he’ll do what God wants!

Thought for the day: The passage brings up the age-old question of testing God. When is wanting confirmation of something testing God, and when is it not? Was Gideon right to ask for more? How do we know what God wants us to do?

Let’s bring this down to real life, since I’m pretty sure we aren’t wondering if we need to go attack the Midianites! I’m also assuming most of us haven’t heard an audible voice from God. Even if we did, how would we know for sure that it was Him? I assume that there is something about the experience that makes it perfectly clear, but even Gideon, although he recognized that God (as the angel of the Lord) was talking, seemed to want confirmation. God was very gracious to him, perhaps because of the size of the task at hand, and the fact that Gideon voiced what many were feeling: “But now Yahweh has cast us off.”

The best thing that we can do when we want to hear from God is go to the Bible. Some things will be cut and dried. Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery. But other things are more nebulous. Should I change jobs? What should I major in? What career path should I take? Who should I date? Who should I marry?

I once talked to a Christian counselor who said that we sometimes make these things too hard. If we are making moral decisions, keeping God at the forefront, and making sure that our priorities are His priorities, then there may not be just one best path. The one best path is worshiping Him and living for Him. We can do that as a janitor, a banker, a farmer, a doctor, lab technician, an artist, or a cashier – as long as those jobs don’t take us away from our greatest priority – God! In thinking of relationships, do we really need a sign from God to tell us who to date/marry? Or should we check to see if the person is helping us to grow closer to or further away from the God we serve? And God may not care where we live, but He is certainly concerned about the family we need to take care of and whether or not there is a good church there. So, my advice is to not take a shortcut. Don’t think that God will just give you a sign from heaven regarding what you should do. We need to put in the hard work of study, prayer, and furthering our relationship with Him. When we do that, we may find that God will use us wherever we are and whatever we do, and we don’t have to worry about that one best destiny that God has for us.

Psalm 1:1-3 (WEB) “Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.”

Judges 5

This recounts Israel’s victory over the Canaanites. Notable points include:

• God is the mighty warrior who has helped His people in the past.
• Israel’s failed leadership results in chaos and foreign domination.
• Their idolatry brings additional suffering.
• God fights for them again. Even the heavens fight on their behalf!
• Deborah, Barak, and Jael are hailed as heroes.
• The song ends with a call for God’s enemies to perish and His good will to rest on His servants.
• The land rests for 40 years.

Thought for the day: We should always praise God for His work on our behalf. Especially our salvation!

Psalm 95:1-2 (WEB) “Oh come, let’s sing to the LORD. Let’s shout aloud to the rock of our salvation! Let’s come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let’s extol him with songs!”

Judges 4

Because of their sin, the Israelites are oppressed by the Canaanites. After 20 years the Israelite’s call out to God for help, and He speaks to Deborah. Deborah is acting as a literal judge, and people are bringing their problems to her. Debroah is also one of 5 female prophetesses in the Old Testament. She summons Barak to lead the Israelites into battle, but he won’t go without her support. Because of his reluctance, God gives the ultimate victory over the Canaanite commander to Jael. After that, Israel grows stronger and stronger until they ultimately defeat the king.

Thought for the day: We can do God’s work, or not. But it won’t impede Him. He’ll just use someone else who is willing!

Isaiah 6:8 (WEB) “I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!’ “

Judges 3

Judges are military leaders that God uses to save Israel from their enemies, but they aren’t necessarily paragons of virtue! Mesopotamia was in the north, and they oppressed Israel for 8 years because of their sin and idolatry. Then they cried out to God for deliverance, and He raised up Othniel from Judah to set them free. As a result, the land was at rest for 40 years.

Next came Moab, who they served for 18 years. But when Israel cried out for help, God raised up Ehud, from the tribe of Benjamin. He assassinated the king, made his escape, and rallied the tribe of Ephraim to defeat their enemies. Then the land was at rest for 80 years.

We know very little about Shamgar, other than he killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad (a wooden stick that is approximately 8 feet long with an iron spike at one end). Josephus reports this episode lasted less than a year.

Thought for the day: Thankfully God is just as faithful to help us when we call out to Him.

1 John 1:9 (WEB) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Judges 2

God could take care of it all. He could drive the inhabitants out even though the Israelites didn’t. But He chooses not to, and those inhabitants and their gods become an ongoing test for the nation.

Judges 2:11-23 shows us the continuing cycle in Judges: (1) the Israelites do what is evil in the sight of God, (2) God allows the nation (tribe) to be conquered and oppressed by a neighboring nation, (3) the people cry to God, and (4) God sends a judge to deliver them.

Thought for the day: This happens in our lives too. First, we sin, which grieves the indwelling Spirit and we no longer experience the love, joy and peace of God in our lives. Next, we are convicted of our sin, and we cry out to God in repentance. Finally, our day-to-day relationship is restored, and we experience His blessing once again. Unfortunately, this cycle tends to repeat over and over and over again. How do we break this chain? We devote each day to God and intentionally live for Him.

Luke 9:23 (WEB): “[Jesus] said to all, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’ “

Judges 1

This chapter helps us to understand the next dark chapter in Israel’s history. They had left inhabitants in the land. They put some effort into getting rid of them, but were unsuccessful, and those inhabitants end up causing them no end of trouble. Judah is chosen by God as the tribe that will lead them, which we might expect because Judah is where the Messiah is predicted to come from.

Genesis 49:10 (WEB) “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs.”

Hebrews 7:14 (WEB) “For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah.”

Each city and town in Canaan had its own “king.” Even though Judah had some success, they ultimately fail to get rid of all the inhabitants (1:19). Judges 1:11-15 is a flashback that’s important because it introduces us to the first “judge,” who we’ll learn about later. The chapter ends with a litany of the entire nation’s failures.

Thought for the day: It’s true in our own lives as well. What we leave that is ungodly ends up continuing to be a problem.

Song of Solomon 2:15 (WEB) “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.”