December 31, 2009 (2 Samuel 1-4, Psalm 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21)

^{Samuel 2:17} The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's men.

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle. ¹⁹ He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. ²⁰ Abner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?"
"It is," he answered.

²¹ Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

²² Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

²³ But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. ²⁵ Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

²⁶ Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

²⁷ Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning."

²⁸ So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

Vengeance - it never pays. One side will 'win' for a while, the other will retaliate and 'win' for a while, but the cycle will continue.

Both sides were fighting against people they knew. Joab was on 'David's team', Abner was on 'the other side'. But as you read this dialog, you see they knew each other well, since Abner knew Asahel's brother was Joab.

But communication, and taking a breather to think about what they were doing, caused the 'craziness' to stop. If all our disagreements could end so easily....

Because the blogs have been so long, I have not commented on some of the Psalms. Since this one is so short I'll back up to a couple from yesterday's reading.

Psalm 123

¹ I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
² We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

As I read this one, I thought of our dog when I have a treat in my hand. There she is...watching my every move - waiting for me to give her the signal. I know it's harder in the 'spiritual' realm because we can only see with 'eyes of faith' and not physical eyes, but I get the picture that we are to keep focused on God - anticipating his 'treat of mercy'. We need His mercy at all times.

And speaking of our need for His mercy, this next psalm reminds us of how much we need His mercy and forgiveness. I've personalized it at the end.

Psalm 130

¹ From the depths of despair, O Lord,
I call for your help.
² Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.

³ Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
⁴ But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you.

⁵ I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word.
⁶ I long for the Lord
more than sentries long for the dawn,
yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

⁷ O Sandy, hope in the Lord;
for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.
⁸ He himself will redeem Sandy
from every kind of sin.

And then a couple from today's reading:

Psalm 9

⁹ The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

And this last one again reminds us of how important God's word is to us, as does the one above. The way we search for God is through His word.

It is important to not allow sin to gain control of us. As Cooper and I were in the car yesterday, we were listening to Dr. Laura talking to a woman who had just realized that her husband had been lying to her, even before they were married. His life was a "lie". Dr. Laura commented that one possibility was that he had developed a pattern of lying from childhood. As I read verse 13 of the Psalm below this morning I thought of that, and of how one 'little' sin can lead to another 'little' sin until your heart is darkened to the point that you are blind to sin which leads to 'great' sin. We all have choices each and every day. May we not choose to 'deliberately sin'.

Psalm 19

⁷ The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
⁸ The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
⁹ Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
¹¹ They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.

¹² How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

December 30, 2009 (I Samuel 28-31, Psalm 17-18, 35, 54, 63, 121, 123-125, 128-130)

Chapter 28 tells me there is an afterlife, and there are psychics and mediums that have abilities to call up the dead. Saul had banned all psychics and mediums from the land of Israel, and meanwhile, Samuel had died. The Philistines were approaching and Saul was frantic about what to do. He asked the Lord, but the Lord refused to answer. So he asked his advisors to find a medium so he could ask her what to do. So he found one and went to her and here is what happened:

8 So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.

“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”

9 “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”

10 But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”

11 Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”

“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

13 “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?”

“I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said.

14 “What does he look like?” Saul asked.

“He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.

15 “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.

“Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”

16 But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. 18 The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. 19 What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”

Several things in Samuel's reply -
He reminded Saul of what God had told him previously - I Samuel 15:28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you."
He reminded him of why this was happening.
He foretold of his death that would happen the next day.
He told Saul that he and his sons would be with him the next day.

Even though they exist, God specifically forbids the use of mediums. I remember having a ouija board as a teenager and being fascinated with that for a while. But at some point it became too "freaky" and I quit using it, which I am glad of. Delving into the occult is a whole 'nother topic, but it is to be avoided.

Chapter 30 tells of the Philistine army raiding the town that David and his men were living in while they were away. The Philistines didn't kill any of the inhabitants, they just burned it to the ground and left with everyone and everything. When David and his men returned and found it like that, it says they 'wept until they could weep no more'. David's men were angry with him.

I Samuel 30:6 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Long story short, David asked God what to do and God told him to chase them and that they would recover everything, which is what happened. Of David's 600 men, 400 of them went to battle but 200 were too exhausted, so they stayed behind with the equipment. After they had won, and were returning with all the 'plunder', the ones that had gone into battle didn't want to share with the ones who had remained behind. Here is David's response:

^{I Samuel 30:23} But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. ²⁴ Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.” ²⁵ From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.

I thought of the current US army and how everyone is trained to fight, but some are 'support troops', and their place on the battlefield is just as important to the success of the engagement. All are deserving of their pay.

Chapter 31 tell of the Philistine army closing in, and that many Israelites were slaughtered that day. They killed three of Saul's sons, to include Jonathan, and Saul himself became wounded. He asked his armor bearer to kill him because he didn't want to die at the hands of the enemy, and when he wouldn't, he took his own sword and fell on it. His armor bearer did the same. The Philistines took their bodies and fastened them to the city wall. But when the people of jabesh-gilead heard what happened, their warriors traveled all night and took their bodies off the wall and brought them back to bury them......no man left behind....

I found it interesting that this Psalm listed below was in my reading for today. Last night was one of those "weird" nights, where I felt "vulernable". Even though the house was alarmed, I felt uneasy. Although I didn't 'quote' this Psalm, I remembered that I was God's and that He was big enough to take care of me, so I quit worrying and went to sleep. Here's what I read this morning:

Psalm 121
¹ I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

³ He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

December 29, 2009 (I Samuel 25-27, Psalm 56, 120, 140-142)

I Samuel 25 tells the story of Nabal (whose name means 'fool'). He was a wealthy man that was mean and dishonest in all his dealings. His wife's name was Abigail, and she was sensible and beautiful. David and his men lived on the outskirts of Nabal's property and treated his shepherds kindly, never stealing from them and acting as a 'wall of protection' to them. So at sheep shearing time, he sent a few of his men to Nabal to see if they could join in at the celebration and share in their provisions. Nabal basically was ticked off at the request and said there was no way he was sharing his goods with a 'band of outlaws'. So word got back to David and he took 400 men with him to kill Nabal.

Well, word got to Abigail about what happened:
¹⁴ Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. ¹⁵ These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. ¹⁶ In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. ¹⁷ You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”

I get the feeling this wasn't the first time Abigail bailed her husband out. So here's what she did:
¹⁸ Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys ¹⁹ and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.

I like God's timing in this next section. David had just been saying......
²⁰ As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. ²¹ David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. ²² May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”

What about the David that let God settle accounts? What about the David that entrusted himself to God's care and let God avenge his adversaries? I think this shows that even godly people can have temporary lapses of judgement. And this next section shows how God is able to protect His people from acting on those lapses of judgement by divine intervention. Abigail shows by what she says that she had heard that David would be the next king as part of God's plan. It shows she had been listening to the 'prophets', to the 'men of God'. I'm speculating here, but I would have to say Nabal hadn't.

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. ²⁵ I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.

²⁶ “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. ²⁷ And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. ²⁸ Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life. ²⁹ “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! ³⁰ When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, ³¹ don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”

There were a lot of great promises in that section. I love the word picture of being safe and secure in God's treasure pouch! I think of Cooper's red 'treasure box' and how his treasures are safe and secure in there. How he checks them. How he would take that box with him on our trips to make sure it was always with him and under his care. How much more are we secure in God's treasure box.

The rest of this chapter tells of how David realized she was sent by God to keep him from doing something foolish. Abigail went home to find her husband drunk at a big party he had thrown, so she wisely waited until the next day to talk to him.

^{I Samuel 25:37} In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke,and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. ³⁸ About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.

God took care of Nabal (and not in a good way!). Again, we see that God is able to avenge those who are against us, in His way and in His timing. And it didn't take long for Him to act.

When David found this out, he asked Abigail to be his wife. In her humility, she said she would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants. I think part of her wisdom came from her humility.

This next Psalm was written by David regarding his experience in the cave, which was really yesterdays reading. Even though I'm blessed in that I don't feel alone, or feel as if no one cares a bit what happens to me, I still really like the sections I put in bold. I know what it's like to feel 'overwhelmed', and I know it's during those times I need to pray and entrust myself into His keeping. Today, I'm going to envision myself in God's 'treasure pouch'.

Psalm 142
¹ I cry out to the Lord;
I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
² I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
³ When I am overwhelmed,
you alone know the way I should turn.
Wherever I go,
my enemies have set traps for me.
⁴ I look for someone to come and help me,
but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
no one cares a bit what happens to me.
⁵ Then I pray to you, O Lord.
I say, “You are my place of refuge.
You are all I really want in life.
⁶ Hear my cry,
for I am very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
⁷ Bring me out of prison
so I can thank you.
The godly will crowd around me,
for you are good to me.”

December 28, 2009 (I Samuel 21-24, Psalm 7, 27, 31, 34, 52)

I Samuel - Chapter 22 -
Jealousy makes you insane. I know from personal experience and I know from Scripture. It replaces all rational thinking. David had gone to a priest for assistance, but not for assistance in killing Saul. But because of Saul's jealousy, he reacted irrationally by thinking the priests were against him and having all the priests killed. Only one escaped to tell David what had happened.

I Samuel Chapter 23 tells of Saul's pursuit of David to kill him. Jonathan was Saul's son, and as such, was next in line to be king. But Jonathan had a relationship with God and a faith in Him, and he knew that God had annointed David as next king. Instead of being jealous, he was David's loyal friend, encouraging him to 'stay strong in his faith in God'.

Saul was closing in on David. David went farther into the wilderness to the 'great rock'. They were now on opposite sides of a mountain. But just as Saul was approaching his hiding place, he got word that the Philistines were raiding Israel again, so he quit the chase and turned around. All throughout the Psalms David writes of God being 'his rock of safety'. I wondered if that metaphor came from this experience, but when I did a word search on rock, God is first mentioned as the 'Rock of Israel' in Genesis 49:24, and then several time in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Deuteronomy 32:15
He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior.
Deuteronomy 32:18
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
Deuteronomy 32:31
For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.

I would go as far to say that David's stories of 'the Rock', became real and personal to him as he discovered his 'rock of safety'. This Psalm was written by David:

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

David referenced God being his "rock" 14 times in the various Psalms he wrote.

This will be a long blog, as Chapter 24 has too much good stuff in it to skip. Go grab a cup of coffee and come back...(I just watched 'Julie and Julia' this weekend....relating to her thoughts, 'is anyone out there'.....wondering 'will I ever get a comment other than family'? :)

Saul again resumes his hunt of David:

^{I Samuel 24:2} So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.³ At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!

So David crept forward and cut off a section of Saul's robe while he was 'going to the bathroom'. But even with that small act, his conscience bothered him.

⁵ But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. ⁶ “The Lord knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” ⁷ So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.

It made me think of how we treat 'the Lord's annointed ones' - our pastors. If we truly believe they are chosen and appointed by God to be our shepherds, we should treat them as David cautioned his men - with honor.

So David came out of the cave and bowed low to Saul, showing his respect. He showed him the part of his robe that he had cut off, explaining that if he had wanted to kill him, he very easily could have just a few moments ago. David continued...

¹² “May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. ¹³ As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. ¹⁵ May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”

¹⁶ When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry. ¹⁷ And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. ¹⁸ Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it.¹⁹ Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. ²⁰ And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. ²¹ Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”

²² So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.

I loved the part where David trusted in God. He said that God was his advocate and God was able to save him from Saul's power. He also left retribution to God. David knew his own heart. He knew there was no evil in it, and that because of that, he would not do evil to Saul.

And I loved the ending. It was almost as if even though David and Saul had experienced their "love fest" with Saul acknowledging his mistakes, David was wise enough to know this probably wasn't the end of things. Even though it seems that Saul 'repented', true repentance takes more than one momentary act of repentance. That repentance needs to be backed up with actions. Did Saul really repent? Perhaps tomorrow we'll find out.

But then, today's reading also included so many Psalms. So many good things in these Psalms, including references to God being David's 'rock". Here's just a small excerpt from Psalm 27:

⁷ Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
⁸ My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
⁹ Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
¹⁰ Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.

¹¹ Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
¹² Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
¹³ Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

December 27, 2009 (I Samuel 16-20, Psalm 11, Psalm 59)

Samuel went to Jesse to choose one of his sons to be the new king. We learn a lot about what God considers important from the following dialog:

^{I Samuel 16:6} When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

David, the youngest of Jesse's sons was chosen. One of the first stories mentioned of David is the story of David and Goliath. I find it interesting that for forty days, twice a day, morning and evening Goliath strutted in front of the Israelite army, taunting them to fight him. David's brothers were in the army and his dad wanted him to take some food to his sons and see how the battle was going. When David arrived, he heard of what Goliath had been doing, and he went to King Saul and told hm he would fight the Goliath. But Saul told him he was ridiculous, that he was only a boy. David's response was: ^{I Samuel 17:34} “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. ³⁶ I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

David was wise enough to know that it was God who gave him the ability to defeat the lions and bears that he encountered. And because of that, he had no fear of this giant that stood before him. He know his 'living God' would take care of him. Here is their encounter: ^{I Samuel 17:40} He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

⁴¹ Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, ⁴² sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. ⁴³ “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.

⁴⁵ David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! ⁴⁷ And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

What faith David had! And he was concerned with God's name, and not his own. He didn't even really consider himself. He came in the name of the 'Lord of Heaven's Armies', not his own name, and he was concerned for God's honor. I see that even though he knew God would kill Goliath, he also knew that God would use him to do it. I get the feeling that there was no way he would have done this had he not known God was with him. He was totally dependent upon God.

I Samuel 18:14 says "David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him." And instead of Saul embracing that and being blessed with David, he was jealous and sought to kill him. David did nothing wrong. All he did was trust in his God and do his best to serve Him. But we see that not everyone will embrace a lifestyle of service and faith. But how did David respond? Did he retaliate? No, he went to God and took all his troubles to Him:

^{Psalm 59:1} Rescue me from my enemies, O God.
Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
⁴ I have done nothing wrong,
yet they prepare to attack me.
Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
⁵ O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
wake up and punish those hostile nations.
Show no mercy to wicked traitors.

⁶ They come out at night,
snarling like vicious dogs
as they prowl the streets.
⁷ Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths;
their words cut like swords.
“After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
⁸ But Lord, you laugh at them.
You scoff at all the hostile nations.
⁹ You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
¹⁰ In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.

¹⁶ But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.
¹⁷ O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
for you, O God, are my refuge,
the God who shows me unfailing love.

If only we could turn all our hurts and injustices to God, trusting in Him to show us His unfailing love.

December 26 (I Samuel 13-15)

Chapter 15 is full of life lessons. Here is a message to King Saul from God:

³ Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

The command is pretty clear - destroy everyone and everything.

And here is what Saul and his men did:
⁷ Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. ⁹ Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

God revealed to Samuel what Saul had done and so early the next morning Samuel went to confront Saul.

¹² Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

Set up a monument to himself...Saul took the credit for the victory.

¹³ When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”

He was blinded to his sin. He didn't carry out the Lord's command.

¹⁴ “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.¹⁵ “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

Saul rationalized his sin. He gave an excuse. And he still didn't fess up - they didn't destroy everything else. They spared Agag. Then Samuel reminded him of what God had told him to do and how he had responded, but he still would not acknowledge his sin.

²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. ²¹ Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

Notice he says, 'your God', not 'my God'. Then Samuel responds with words that God still speaks to us today:

²² But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
²³ Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

So then Saul fesses up, in a way, but again places the blame on someone else. He blames the people and says he did what they demanded.

²⁴ Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. ²⁵ But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶ But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”

I find it interesting he was more afraid of what the people thought, than what God thought. But don't we do the same thing today? Isn't is easier to live for other's approval instead of God's? Isn't it easy to rationalize our sin?

December 25, 2009 (I Samuel 4-12)

Following God takes determination. It isn't easy, it requires a choice and it requires giving up things...

^{I Samuel 7:3} Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”

I like his words, "if you are really serious". What in my life do I need to give up to show that I am really serious about following God?

God's honor was/is at stake when it came to Israel and when it comes to us.

^{I Samuel 12:20} “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. ²¹ Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! ²² The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people."

Just as God would not abandon Israel, because it would seem He was powerless to save them from their enemies, so He will not abandon His children. And it's not because of us, or 'our righteousness', but because of Him and His name and His honor and His glory. He WANTS us to succeed. He WANTS our lives to stand out for Him - because that brings Him glory. He WANTS us to live supernatural lives that can't be explained humanly speaking. There is great 'freedom' in that thought. Not freedom to sin, but freedom to live and walk knowing that the Creator of the Universe is "for you". That reminds me of a section in Romans 8 spoken by Paul:

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This section in I Samuel ends with a verse that is so convicting. We see that when we cease to pray for others, it is sin:

^{I Samuel 12:23} “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. ²⁵ But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

December 24, 2009 (Ruth 1-4, I Samuel 1-3)

Ruth is a wonderful story about God's provision and about God's sovereignty. Ruth went to work in the fields, picking up grain that harvesters had dropped. This was a dangerous job, because of the character of many of the reapers. Ruth 2:3 says, "As it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech." As it happened...coincidence? I think not. I think it was the direct leading of God.

Ruth had left her country of Moab to be with her mother-in-law, Naomi, who had lost not only her husband, but also both of her sons, one of which was Ruth's husband. Naomi encouraged Ruth to return to her home and remarry, but Ruth stayed with Naomi and would not leave her all alone. Word got around about what Ruth had done:

¹¹ Boaz replied, “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. ¹² May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”

What is the story of our lives? Do we live a life of faithfulness? It was no coincidence that God led Ruth to work in Boaz's fields, and it seems as if Ruth had come to trust in Naomi's God, and not the gods of her home country (they worshipped idols).

Long story short, I think God blessed her for her faithfulness. Ruth ended up marrying Boaz and had children. She was the great-grandmother of David.

I Samuel, as the name of the book says, tells the story of Samuel. He was born to a woman who was childless, but who became pregnant as an answer to her anguished prayer for children. After Samuel was old enough, she left him at the Temple to be Eli's helper, because she made a vow to God that if He gave her a child, she would give the child back to Him. She was true to her word and God blessed her with three other sons and two daughters.

Eli had two sons of his own, but they were wicked sons. Eli knew what they were doing, and confronted them on it, but they wouldn't listen to him and he didn't really discipline them. So a prophet came to Eli with a word from God and told him: ^2:29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel! ³⁰ “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.

Meanwhile, Samuel was serving the Lord by assisting Eli. Even though he was only a boy, he was the Lord's helper. This confirms that God uses and works through children.

God called out to Samuel in the night and gave him a message to give to Eli, and this was His message: ¹¹ Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. ¹² I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. ¹³ I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. ¹⁴ So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”

God takes our parenting seriously. Just as He disciplines us when we stray, He expects us to discipline our children.

Chapter 3 ends with:¹⁹ As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. ²⁰ And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.

December 23, 2009 (Judges 17-21)

I'm going to preface this posting by saying, it's really confusing. If you happen upon this blog for the first time and have never read any before, go to December 12th. It's an entertaining one if you read to the end!

After reading these chapters I said out loud, "What a mess!" I don't know if I can adequately recap what happened, but I'll try. This section begins (17:6) and ends (21:25) with these same words: ⁶ In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

First of all Chapter 17 talks of a man named Micah. He apparently stole 1100 pieces of silver from his mom, and when she discovered them missing, she cursed whoever it was that stole them. Well, I guess his conscience got the best of him, so he fessed up and said "“I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it.”
Here's how his mother replied: “The Lord bless you for admitting it,” ³ He returned the money to her, and she said, “I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.” ⁴ So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house. ⁵ Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.

So, instead of cursing him, she found a way to bless him instead, and in doing so they brought idols into their house.

When I read this next section, I was reminded of a sermon that Chris and I listened to, preached by a guy named Paris Readhead on January 1, 1980, entitled "Ten shekels and a Shirt". I remember him saying that this was one of the most powerful sermons he had ever heard. I did a google search and found it online:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10180222445

Over these next couple of days I'm going to listen to it again. I viewed the PDF version and it's 17 pages long, so it will take some time that I don't have at the moment. After I listen to it, I'm going to come back to this and update this blog.

But from my reading, a Levite (the only ones that were supposed to be priests, and were only supposed to worship at the temple) happened to come by Micah's house and saw his little shrine he had set up in his home. Micah was thrilled that an actual Levite stopped by and asked if he would like to be his "personal priest". So for "10 shekels and a shirt" this Levite agreed.

In the mean time, the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place to settle. They discovered fertile ground and people living peaceful lives, and decided to go conquer that land. But on the way, they happened by the house of Micah and discovered he had a Levitical priest living with him. So basically, they offered the priest a "better job" - he could be the priest over many, instead of just that one family. So he agreed, and they took Micah's idols and were on their way. So basically, the priest stole Micha's idols and was on his way. He wasn't worshipping at the temple as God had commanded, and he also had idols. So he was "looking out for number one" and for sure wasn't doing what God wanted.

The next story is hard to believe. The cliff note version is: a Levite was traveling with his concubine (baby machine...not the same status as a wife, I don't think) and came across a town inhabited by the tribe of Benjamin (not a town of foreigners, but one of the tribes of Israel) as the sun was setting. No one would take them in for the night. One guy was coming in late from working in the fields and took them in because he didn't want them spending the night in the town square. Later that night the men from the town surrounded the house, wanting to have sex with the male traveler. So the homeowner offered up his virgin daughter, and the Levite offered up his concubine, but they wouldn't take them because they wanted the man. So the Levite took his concubine and pushed her out the door (true love). So the men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her. At daybreak she collapsed at the door of the house and the Levite found her there dead. So he put her body on his donkey, took her home, cut her up into twelve pieces and sent a piece to each tribe of Israel, using it as a call to action to get rid of evil. So all the Israelites assembled and asked how this terrible crime happened. Here is his response: “My concubine and I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin. ⁵ That night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead." I found it interesting that he neglected one little detail, that he pushed her out the door!

So long story short, everyone mobilized against the tribe of Benjamin, killing all but 600 men, who went into hiding. They also made a vow to never give their daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Later, the reality of what they had done sunk in and they realized that one of the tribes of Israel would be extinct because of their vow to never let their daughters marry. So, they thought about who had made the vow and realized no one from Jabesh-gilead was there. They sent warriors to that town and killed every man, every child and every woman that was not a virgin. So there were 400 young virgins they let live. They called the 600 men out of hiding, made a truce with them and gave them these 400 virgins. But they still needed 200 more. So then they thought of an annual festival where the women would come out for their dances. They told the men of Benjamin that still needed wives to hide in the vineyards and while the women were dancing, rush out and take them home to be their wife. Then when their parents and brothers would come to protest, they were going to tell them to please be understanding, and to let them go with the men of Benjamin. They said "You are not guilty of breaking the vow since you didn't give your daughters in marriage to them." Talk about justifying your sin. What a sad state of affairs they ended up in.

And this book ends with the words "In those days Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." Kind of what happens today when Jesus isn't our king...we do whatever is right in our own eyes.

December 22, 2009 (Judges 13-16)

Today's reading was another reminder that God's plans may not make any sense to us at all.

Today starts with the same scenario - "Again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lords' sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who kept them in subjection for forty years."

Then, there is the story of a couple who had been unable to have children. An angel of the Lord appeared to the wife and told her that she would soon become pregnant. She ran and told her husband about it and he prayed, "Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born." And 13:9 says "God answered his prayer." Another reminder that God hears our prayers. But God's way of defeating the Philistines is what "goes against the grain".

Long story short, Samson was born and it says the Lord blessed him as he grew up. Well, one day, Samson noticed a certain Philistine woman and wanted to marry her. He told his parents about her and they "objected strenuously". I'm sure they were thinking of God's commands to be separate from the nations around them and to not intermarry. These next verses are the ones that brought about my first comment:

Judges 14:3b But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.” ⁴ His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.

This is hard for me to understand, and I'm sure it was hard for them to understand as well. God basically wanted him to disobey a direct command. (I also think of God honoring Rahab's lying.) So I have to remember that sometimes things that seem so contrary to God's ways can be used by Him to accomplish His purposes. He sees the greater picture.

I'll summarize what happened with Samson's life:

Samson arrived at Timnah for the wedding.
Samson gave a riddle to the Philistines to solve - if they couldn't solve it, they owed him thirty linen robes and thirty fancy robes. If they did solve it, he owed them the same.
They couldn't guess, so they begged his "wife to be" to get the answer for them.
She "pouted" day after day until he gave in.
She told her people, they solved the riddle, Samson was ticked off.
Samson killed thirty men from Ashkelon and gave their clothing to the men who answered his riddle.
Samson left town mad.
His "wife to be" was given in marriage to his best man.
After a while, Samson returned to marry her.
He found out she was already married, and again was ticked off.
He caught 300 foxes, tied their tales together in pairs and fastened a torch to each pair of tales. He lit the torches and they destroyed all the grain fields, grapevines and olive trees.
The Philistines took revenge and killed his "bride to be" and her father.
Samson took revenge and killed many Philistines.
The Philistines retaliated and raided the men of Judah.
Judah captured Samson and turned him over to the Philistines.
Samson broke free and killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
Samson spent the night with a Philistine prostitute.
Samson fell in love with Delilah, a Philistine.
Delilah tried to get Samson to tell her the secret of his strength for a payoff of 1100 pieces of silver.
Samson told her the "partial truth" three times, but she "nagged him day after day" until he gave in and told her the whole truth. The truth was that his hair had never been cut because he was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth.
She told the Philistines, they paid her off, shaved his head while he was asleep, captured him and gouged out his eyes.
He was bound in chains and made to grind grain in prison. But before long his hair began to grow back.
At a festival the Philistines brought him out to make fun of him. He was brought out from prison and made to stand at the center of the temple, between two pillars supporting the roof.
Samson prayed, asking God to strengthen him one more time so that he could pay back the Philistines for the loss of his eyes.
Samson put his hands on the center pillars pushing on them with all his might and the temple crashed down, killing him and "he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime."

These are tough chapters for me to really understand, because of the fact that God's way of killing the Philistines was because of Samson's "disobedience". I guess some side lessons are that revenge never accomplishes anything. It only breeds more violence. But that is what God used to kill the Philistines. Also, there are some things that should be kept between you and God. Samson knew the secret of his strength, and when he revealed it, that was his downfall. But again, his revealing it was what accomplished God's purposes in the end. So today I am confused. I guess I just have to know that God can use all things for His purposes, even if at the time they don't make sense.

December 21, 2009 (Judges 9-12)

Judges 10, beginning with verse 6 tells again of the same pattern. The Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight. They worshipped images of other gods. Not only that, but they abandoned the Lord completely and no longer served him at all. So it says "the Lord burned with anger and handed them over to the Philistines and Ammonites who oppressed them for 18 years. Finally, after all that time, they cried out to the Lord and acknowledged they had sinned." Eighteen years they put up with oppression. What is so evil about the human heart to make us so blind about what sin does to us? And why do we put up with it for so long?

Here is God's response:
^{Judges 10:11} The Lord replied, “Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, ¹² the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you. ¹³ Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore. ¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!”

¹⁵ But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, “We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies.” ¹⁶ Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery.

I find it interesting that only after God told them He wouldn't rescue them, that they put aside their foreign Gods. It tells me they still had a heart of disobedience. It was kind of like they weren't willing to really submit until they knew He was at "the last straw". Kind of like what we train our kids to do without really realizing it. Out of grace, we let them slide because we love them, and then they develop hearts and habits that don't take us seriously or obey us. It's only when the voice gets louder and the threats and frustrations set in, that they know we are serious.

So they put aside their foreign gods and served Him, but it doesn't say that He rescued them right away. It seems they were still in misery, and He was "grieved" by it.

Our actions have consequences. Everything we do affects our lives and others. And the only way for what we do to have "good effects" is to live for God. God doesn't want us to live in rebellion to Him. It "grieves" His heart.

^{Romans 14:7} For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. ⁸ If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

December 20, 2009 (Judges 6-8)

Today starts with the familiar - "Again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years." Then they cried to the Lord. So the "angel of the Lord" (next time it just says the Lord) appeared to Gideon and said "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!" I got the feeling that Gideon looked around and then said, "Who, me?" The Lord told him, "Go with the strength that you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you." Gideon then proceeded to tell God that his family's clan was the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and that he was the least of his entire family. Then the Lord said to him, "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man."

I get several things from just this short passage. One - that God sees us differently than we see ourselves - "mighty hero". He knows what He can do through us, if we will just relinquish ourselves to Him. Two - we are to "go with the strength we have" - not give excuses, not "wait until we're smarter" - go as we are. Three- The only thing that really matters is to know that He is sending us and that He is with us.

So Gideon gathers up his army and prepares to fight. But God told him he had too many warriors. He said, "If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight."

But God told him that was still too many. So he had all of them drink by a stream. There were 300 that took water cupped in their hands to drink, but the rest got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. So God told him to take the 300.

Chapter 7 has another interesting passage. God knew that Gideon was still not quite filled with the faith he needed. So He told Gideon to go down to the enemy camp and listen to what was being said. So as Gideon did that, he overheard two of the enemy soldiers talking about a dream they had. Here's what happened next: " ^{Judges 7:14} His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!” ¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”

I think at that point, it clicked with Gideon. He finally knew that God was going to give them the victory, despite their small numbers. What are the chances that he would happen to go to just the right people at just the right time talking about a dream where Gideon's soldiers would win. He "bowed in worship before the Lord", thanking Him and now trusting Him.

So, long story short, they attack and chase the enemy. Gideon sent for the warriors of some of the other tribes who joined in the chase and helped in defeating them. Those warriors were "ticked" off at Gideon, wondering why he didn't call them at the beginning. (Number one reason - God didn't tell him to.) He reminded them of the part they played in defeating the enemy and asked "isn't that enough?" It made me think of Christian ministries, and jealousies that can crop up between them, seeing God doing ''great things" and wanting to be in on it, without just being content with their own role and what God wants to do through them.

So, the Israelites wanted to make Gideon their leader, but he replied that he, nor his son, would be their ruler - but the Lord would rule over them. But, in his next breath, he said, ²⁴ However, I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.” (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.)

So they did, and here's what happened:

Judges 8:²⁷ Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.

It seems like "sin" is always "lurking at the door". It's so easy to do things without realizing their ramifications down the road.

And then, the cycle gets ready to repeat again:

Judges 8:³³ As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god. ³⁴ They forgot the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. ³⁵ Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Gideon, despite all the good he had done for Israel.

December 19, 2009 (Judges 1-5)

Judges starts out with the Israelites asking God which tribe should attack the Canaanites first. I thought, "that's good...they are seeking God." And God answered them, "Judah, for I have given them victory over the land." And I thought, "that's good. He gave them a specific answer." So, what happens? Does the tribe of Judah go out and do what God told them? Of course not....here was their reply:

^{Judges 1:3} The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah.

But God did give them victory over their enemy anyway, even though they disobeyed. But in later "skirmishes" they did not drive out all of the enemy.

So, again we are told about the generation that came after Joshua's generation:
^{Judges 2:10} After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. ¹¹ The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. ¹² They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. ¹³They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth. ¹⁴ This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them.¹⁵ Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.

The rest of the book of Judges is all about judges that God raises up to deliver his people. We see the same spiral - rebellion, retribution, repentance, restoration and rest. God's people rebel, He fights against them, they repent, He defeats their enemies and restores them, and they have rest from their enemies for a while. Until they fall back into the same ways, starting with rebellion, etc., and the cycle continues.

It's also interesting that this section lists two reasons why God didn't quickly drive out the nations or allow them all to be conquered:

1. To test the people, to see if they would obey or not

2. To teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.

Point one makes me wonder, "What is God using in my life to test me? To see if I will obey Him or not?"

Point two - There is a reason for everything that happens in our lives. Another reminder that God has, and sees, the bigger plan.

Chapter 3 has one of my favorite stories (in a sick sort of way). God raised up the judge Ehud to defeat Eglon, the king of Moab. Ehud made himself a double edged dagger that was eighteen inches long and strapped it to his thigh under his clothing. He took his tax money to King Eglon, and left, but then came back saying he had a secret message for the king. So the King sent out all of his servants. It says this happened as the King was sitting in "a cool upstairs room", which must have been where the toilet was. (As a side note, it also says that King Eglon was extremely fat.) So Ehud walked over to the king, and as King Eglon rose, Ehud thrust the dagger into his belly, so deep that the handle disappered beneath his fat. It then says Ehud closed and locked the doors, climbed down the latrine and escaped through the sewage access. After Ehud left, the king's servants returned and found the doors locked, so they thought he was using the latrine. They waited for a long time (probably assuming he was reading on the pot, didn't want to disturb him...) before they unlocked the door and found him dead.

So Ehud had time to go back and round up his army and bring them back to defeat Moab. After that, the land was at peace for eighty years before the cycle started again.