This was another hard reading to swallow, especially tonight. In a nutshell, one of the judges the Lord rose up to defend Israel was Jephthah.  He was the son of a prostitute; his father had other wives, and he had other brothers.  He was, according to the Bible, a mighty warrior. During the middle of a battle in which the Lord was giving him victory, he made a vow that “whatever comes out of my tent to greet me when I return home” he would sacrifice as a burnt offering…. …guess who came out first?  His only child, a daughter! … Continue reading Judges 10-12: My King

More stories about Gideon…these were ones I do not remember.  After all his various victories, Gideon asked for gold earrings and then melted them and made an ephod (an instrument for priestly divination).  Why on earth would he do such a thing?  After he died, Israel once again turned towards other gods. Gideon had many wives and a concumbine…seventy one sons in all.  After he died the son of his concubine, Abimelech, schemed and killed every last one of his brothers except one of them,who hid, so that he could be crowned king. He got his reward, though, when a … Continue reading Judges 8-9

I just love the story of Gideon.  I see myself in him every time I read it…not his heroics, but his humble beginnings before the Lord called him. Like Gideon, I, too, am the least of my family…at least in terms of stature!  I can relate to his obedience to God in the dead of night when those who would mock — or hurt — him were asleep.  God told him to destroy the Baal alter and the poles.  He did so, but not during the day.  He was afraid of what they Baal worshipers would do to him… It’s … Continue reading Judges 6-7: An unlikely hero

But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Such is the end of Deborah’s song.  Deborah was a woman judge of Israel who led them to victory. Are you like the sun when it rises in its strength? I fear that I am more like the pale moonlight than the sun rising in its strength!  But I pray that Deborah’s song will extend to us who stand firm in our convictions and our belief in Christ…may we be formidable for the Lord, just like Deborah! Continue reading Judges 3-5: Like the sun, or the moon?

Here stands another one of those “push it to the back burner” moments.  I have questions for God, but I am nervous about bringing them up.  However, when Jesus died and rose again, the veil was torn — so I can boldly go before Him.  Boldly, perhaps…but definitely with humility and trembling: Didn’t the Lord promise to give the land over to His people?  Over and over I have read that the Lord keeps his promises.  In many cases, He did… However, he did not give them all the land at one time.  When Joshua died, several tribes still had … Continue reading Judges 1-2: Searching for Answers