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Read Ruth 1-2
Ruth 1:20 “Don't call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” & Ruth 2:20 “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” RUTH 1 is a sad account of a family destroyed by drought and death. To many, many cultures around the world throughout history up to today, this is a too common story. Natural disasters cause food shortages and starvation. Political upheavals force people to leave their homeland. Disease cripples and kills unexpectedly. Men die or desert their wives, leaving widows to fend for themselves. Such conditions plague our world. Where, then, is hope? Hope was not with Naomi. There is no record Naomi sought God’s provision and direction. She even encouraged Orpah and Ruth to return to their gods. Orpah left. Then Ruth, the foreigner, speaks the first words of faith, Ruth 1:16 But Ruth replied, “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” To Bethlehem Naomi returned, and hope one day, too, returned to Naomi. Ruth volunteers to gather grain in the harvest fields. The Spirit sends her to Boaz’s field. Boaz receives and protects here. This is the Lord’s redemptive work. God cares for widows and the poor. His law provided for them: Leviticus 19:9-10 “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.” Boaz welcomed this humble, hard-working Moabite woman. This is the blessings of devotion to our elders and the honor of hard work as Ruth cares for Naomi. Do you see it? Here comes Hope. Quietly, Hope tells Bitterness, “Be gone! You’re not welcome here.” Naomi knows Boaz. He is kinsman to her husband. Naomi now recognizes the Lord’s hand as Ruth reports on her day. In God’s leading, Naomi will continue to instruct Ruth. God will bless these faithful women to a lasting legacy of faith. God had Hope plans far beyond Naomi’s bitterness. Out of this family came David, whose family line would give birth to Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth, Son of Man, Son of God. Hope, indeed, has come. Bitterness is no more. How refreshing to see people change in the Lord’s benevolent care. The Spirit of God moved Naomi on a journey of redemption. He lifted up her face to see His providence upon her life. She responded in faith to live her days in the Lord’s tender mercies. How True It Is: Luke 1:50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Read Judges 11-12
Judges 11:29-31 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” WHO is Jephthah? As with Samson, his name is in Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. Jephthah is described as one who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. (Hebrews 11:34e) But how is it possible to correlate the evil sacrifice of his daughter in Judges 11:39 with any aspect of faith? Jephthah’s story includes an illicit birth, brothers’ rejection, active faith, fatal foolishness and misguided devotion. To begin, the elders of Gilead granted him leadership to defeat the Ammonites. It is apparent this was God’s doing. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah (Judges 11:29) as he began his campaign. Then comes his foolish vow. Why do we think God needs a big promise from us to achieve the LORD’s purpose? Judges 11:30-31 “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” We’re good at that, aren’t we? “if you do this, Lord, then I’ll do that.” Really? Do you think God’s grace and power requires you to promise him something? He only wants our devotion. Jephthah won the war. He lost his daughter. But what does sacrifice as a burnt offering actually mean? There is equal evidence in the original language to understand one of two things happened. Jephthah killed his daughter on an altar. Or Jephthah dedicated his daughter with a vow of celibacy to a lifetime of service to the tabernacle for her lifetime. In some ways, for a Hebrew woman to remain childless was as a death sentence. Two phrases give us hope it was the latter sacrifice. Judges 11:38-39 wept because she would never marry. Judges 11:39 And she was a virgin. But vow could have come from the influence from Jephthah’s pagan mother. We cannot mix the false gods with the true God. How careful we must be with our words and with our children! What is our faith lesson? When we come to faith in Jesus, the Spirit has come upon us in power. He makes us a new creation in Christ. He equips us to battle for the gospel. God has called. God has empowered. God has appointed your life to his purpose. His call requires no negotiating, only, “Yes, LORD, here I am.” You listen, see and go. Jephthah was a mighty warrior. A few foolish words and a pagan sacrifice mars his reputation. But do we look at his sin or do we look at his strength? What do you prefer people to see in you? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Judges 16:21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. A good way to learn from Samson’s sad life is this summary from William Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament
“Judges 16:21 is the blinding, binding, and grinding results of sin. Samson’s downfall began when he despised his parents. He rejected the legacy of faith handed down to him; and thus, he rejected his God. “Samson illustrates people who have power to conquer others, but who cannot conquer themselves. He set the Philistine fields on fire, but could not control the fires of his own lust. He killed a lion, but would not put to death the passions of the flesh. He could easily break the bonds that men put on him, but the shackles of sin gradually grew stronger on his soul. Instead of leading the nation, he preferred to work independently, and as a result, left no permanent victory behind. He was remembered for what he destroyed, not for what he built up. He lacked discipline and direction; without these, his strength could accomplish little. He failed to check the impulses that began early in his career, and twenty years later, they killed him.” We began this 5-day look at Samson’s life with the question, “Why is Samson recorded in the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall of Fame”. He surely doesn’t seem to be a faithful man. But we can also ask the question of Israel. Why should we know so much about them and their lack of faith in God? One reason we know Jesus today is in the many ways God has revealed himself to us. Each person in the Bible has faith issues. We all have faith issues. Let’s learn from all how to continue to examine our lives in the light of the Bible’s record. Are we blind to some sin(s) keeping us form God? Do the sins bind you to a limited life, too self-centered to know God’s love? Are you feeling life is a grind that steals your joy? Seek, then, God’s strength, assurance and love. You can find it throughout Scripture, in prayer with a faithful friend, in confession and forgiveness. Know and submit to the Holy Spirit’s power. Come to more personally know Jesus. Savor his’ tender mercy. Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Read Judges 13-16
SAMSON’S violent life illustrated Israel’s decline in many ways. One way is his blindness to the warning signs of destruction. Samson’s life is a pattern of his arrogance and strength leading not to peace in Israel but to conflict. Yes, the Spirit of God occasionally came upon Samson to use his strength to defeat the Philistines, Israel’s enemies. But these events occurred in very limited occasions. Remember, God’s purpose for Samson was to begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. (Judges 13:5b). Samson’s supernatural strength was a sure sign God’s power was at work in him to complete that purpose. But Samson misused the gift. Instead of his strength bringing God’s peace in Israel, it caused more conflict. Samson was for his own vengeful purposes, not God’s glory. Be alert. Are you using God’s empowering gifts such as teaching, prayer, love, joy and peace to his glory or to yours? The most dramatic way Samson ignored God’s judgment signs is his defeat at Delilah’s hand. One commentator says the Philistines were so eager to capture Samson, Delilah’s reward was the equivalent of nearly $100 thousand today. Like the devil, Delilah prowled and schemed to betray and destroy Samson. She pretended love when her motive was death. How was Samson so deaf to repeatedly listen to Delilah’s plotting lies, “Tell me your secrets.” How was Samson so blind he could see Delilah’s lies leading to the Philistines’ repeated attacks? Here’s why: Samson’s arrogance deafened and blinded him. He even seemed to believe he was above God as he told the means of his strength. Apparently, Samson considered he didn’t need God’s power and protection in that evil room that night. It’s true: Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Jesus, too, warns of sleeping amid the danger: Luke 22:46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” This was Israel’s weakness, too. Judges is just one record of Israel’s repeated sleeping arrogance to ignore God’s judgment signs. Could it be they believed, “God is always on our side regardless of what we do?” This is our challenge. It is the corruption of the sin nature that leads to be deaf and blind to sin’s pervasive temptations. Too often false teachers have told the world – and the church, “God loves you regardless of who you are. Heaven awaits.” The first part is true to an extent. God does love all in the world. But God’s love does not cancel God’s justice. Heaven does not await any who reject Jesus is the Son of God. One cannot be saved by sleeping through life, expecting salvation, arrogant of his own sin, rejecting the truth: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17) We must acknowledge the Spirit of God has come upon us. In humility we are to faithfully seek God in all we do. Knowing his Word opens ears to hear and our eyes to see the truth. Learn from Samson’s and Israel’s arrogance. See how God’s power is your life. Be humble. Use God’s gifts to the full extent to do his will on earth. Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Read Judges 13-16
THESE few days we are asking, “Why Samson?” to lean how this unfaithful judge impacts our Christian walk today. Why so much time on Samson? In truth, my impression of Samson’s story is that is generally misunderstood. We seem to focus on his super strength as a good thing. But what about his faith? Why was he in the Philistine’s captivity to destroy their temple? His life was so far from God. He fought for himself, not the Lord, nor his people. As we ask, “Why Samson?” we must remember the Bible is Holy Spirit inspired. So let’s consider what we are to learn from Samson’s story. It may open our minds to consider our own response to God’s call. We have seen that God set apart Samson’s life for a purpose as he did Israel. Both rejected their call and their purpose. Second, Samson reject the faith legacy of his parents’ devoted life. As God’s children, Israel rejected the heavenly Father’s legacy of the life he had set before them. Third, Samson defiled his body. His astounding strength became a means to display his arrogant, selfish heart. He engaged in immoral sex. He played with people’s emotions. Samson rejected each of his Nazirite vows. Samson’s violence and lust destroyed him. This was Israel as a nation. One reason they lost God’s blessing was their insistence to marry outside of Israel. Those marriages led to idol worship and gross immorality throughout Israel. Israel lived in God’s power as no other nation ever has. Yet, they rejected his mighty hand and outstretched arm. They became arrogant to complain, resisted his grace and forgot his authority. God left Samson and Israel to the destruction of their enemies. Thankfully, his grace continued through the generations. Micah 5:3-4 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when he who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. Read Judges 13-16
BEGINNING with our last lesson, we are reviewing Samson’s disobedient life as an illustration of Israel’s relationship with God. The first point is that Samson and Israel, both set apart for God’s purpose, rejected their call. The second example focuses on Samson rejecting his parents’ faith legacy. Samson’s parents were devout Israelites, who sought the Lord. They give us a good model to follow in their devotion and prayer life. How simple and faithful is this prayer: “Teach us what we shall do unto the child” (Judges 13:8). Samson’s father was persistent to seek the Lord’s directive. Judges 13:12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?” This is a petition we should all make before God for our family and ourselves. Samson, though, defied his parents. Against their wisdom, Judges 14:3b “Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She's the right one for me.” Samson “went down” – physically and spiritually – to seek a wife among the Philistines, the people God had purposed for him to destroy. He also rejected the legacy of God’s law in Exodus 34:16, forbidding Israel to marry foreign women. His disobedience continued with his rejection of the fifth commandment, dishonoring his parents. How tragic to witness God’s chosen servant so severely abuse God’s righteous legacy. Israel, too, rejected their heavenly Father’s legacy of the life he had set before them. He called them up to the throne of blessing, and their desire was to go down to the pit of despair. How sad to see God’s bounteous love offering become Israel’s pervasive bitterness. How, then, are you living into the faith legacy set down before you? The Bible is God’s story of his love coming to you through the law, the prophets, the gospel and the epistles. Hebrews 11 is a brilliant reminder of the faithful witnesses who have gone before us. Church leaders, martyrs, scholars, teachers, preachers and prayerfully parents have been God’s tools to prepare you for a faithful life. As we look to Samson’s and Israel’s neglect, let’s rejoice, too, in all who have been faithful. Let’s then be committed to faithfully move the gospel to the next generations. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Judges 13-16
A “?” is on this lesson title because few accounts in the Bible are as tragic as Samson’s. In fact, his story is the opposite of all Bible “heroes”. Instead of receiving God’s call to move faithfully forward in the LORD’s power and purpose, Samson is called before his birth, and then his life becomes a tragic display of sin’s death. Yes, Samson? Why would he be mentioned among the honorable in Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. In essence, you can ask the same of Israel. As a nation, it grew away from, instead of into, God’s power and purpose. But we know God used this disobedient nation for his glory. Perhaps there is a way he used Samson in a like manner. In fact, one teaching I’ve heard points to Samson’s life as an illustration of Israel’s broken relationship with God. Let’s begin here and in the next three lessons to learn how Samson illustrates Israel. And we’ll work to answer, “Why Samson?” First, note Samson is set apart before his birth. Judges 13:5 “because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” The Nazirite law In Numbers 6 directs a mother to dedicate her son as a Nazirite for a time. A man was not required to this vow for a lifetime. Samson was. Samson, though, rejected the LORD’s consecration on his life. He became a distasteful object of ridicule among the Israelites, instead of a display of God’s order, love and mercy. Israel, too, was set apart to be God’s people before they were “born”. As we know, God made eternal covenants with the patriarchs to form a nation to bless the world. He dedicated Israel to himself. Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Israel even vowed they would follow all the laws. But we know they rejected God’s consecration. As the Old Testament story moves forward, Israel became a weak object of ridicule among the nations. Their sins stole away their opportunity to display God’s order, love and mercy. Perhaps Samson is in Hebrews 11 because he is one whom God had chosen. As a Christian you are set apart to a faith life: 1 Corinthians 6:11b But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Note the apostle Peter’s words here. He certainly came to know the power of being set apart for God’s grace, mercy and love. I pray you do, too. 1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. Read Judges 6-8
Judges 6:12-15 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? …15 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” GIDEON and the apostle Peter are two men I often connect with emotionally and spiritually. They are very much alike. For instance, the angel of the Lord – perhaps the preincarnate Jesus Christ – called Gideon “Mighty Warrior”. Jesus labeled Peter “the rock”. Gideon says, “But, Lord (sir).” twice here and later tests the Lord’s call three times, once with a food offering and twice with a fleece. “But, Lord.” was Peter’s common response to Jesus’ teachings in addition to his tragic three-time denial. But as God had “rock” plans for Peter, he had “Mighty Warrior” plans for Gideon. He will not allow Gideon’s small faith to stop his redemptive work in Israel. In fact, faith is so powerful, we need only a little to do God’s mighty work. Jesus said so in Luke 17:6 “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” In other words, God will use any bit of faith we have to do life-changing work. Gideon needed faith. He saw himself as a scared farmer, hiding in a cave. His goal was to get through each day, to stay alive against the Mideonites’ oppression. Helplessness created hopelessness. Then God set Gideon apart – he sanctified the farmer to become a mighty warrior. God separates Gideon from his fear, doubts and idol worshiping family. Chosen by God, Gideon, like Peter, was born again into a God-empowered life. Step-by-step, the Holy Spirit replaced, “But, Lord.” in Gideon’s heart with a “Yes, Lord!” devotion in his soul. Gideon’s faith grew to fully trust God’s commands. He acted. He became God’s Mighty Warrior. The LORD had spoken it, and Gideon lived it. The physical victories, defeated the pagan power and cleansed Israel for 40 years. You know, don’t you, this is your story, too. We can often feel less than able to do God’s will for our lives. “But Lord.” becomes so common in our hearts God stops talking to us. But friend, know this: as you know Christ you need to know who you are. You must know the Spirit has called you to faith to mightily live into your salvation. The Spirit has set you apart from the world to be a witness to God’s power. With “mighty warrior” gifts such as prayer, teaching, administration, hospitality and evangelism, you are to wage war for his kingdom. Trust God. Be as the Gideon, the mighty warrior, who obeyed God and claimed the victory for him. Just think, Mighty Warrior, God has given you the same power he gave to Gideon. Read Judges 4-5
Judges 5:24-25 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. 25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. 26 Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. 27 At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell-dead.” BY now you likely know a good deal about Judges 4 and 5. If you’ve read them for each of these past three lessons, I’m sure you’ve seen and learned something new each day. The Bible I like that, isn’t it? Jael (Jay el) is the third main person of Israel’s military victory over the Canaanites. A hammer and spike in Jael’s hands kills the sleeping Sisera. Where is the honor, the victory of one so violent to a man who entrusted her for his safety? How can it be right that Deborah calls her the “most blessed of women”? Could one claim treachery is the way to Kingdom fame? A phrase we see four times in Judges is “Israel had no king.” Twice this is followed with, “Everyone did as he saw fit.” Yes, there were judges as the faithful Deborah. And there were weak judges who led Israel away from God. Or they didn’t lead at all. The underlying problem with “no king” is that it is the summary of Israel’s refusal to follow the King of Kings. There WAS a King in Israel, and his name is the LORD God Almighty. He is the King who had formed the nation, commanded them to take the land and directed them to lawful living. Such conflicts as this war against the Canaanites happened because Israel lived as if there were no king. Truly, the King was in Israel, but everyone did as he saw fit. Deborah, Barak and Jael are three whom the King chose to clean his nation, littered with pagan filth. Thus, Jael, finds herself in an unexpected opportunity to do the LORD’s work. Sisera, fleeing from Barak, enters Jael’s and her husband Heber’s camp – their household. What happened there illustrates the absence of order in Israel. Even the hospitality laws of that culture are discarded. Heber should have been the one to welcome Sisera. A household guest such as Sisera never asked for anything. And Jael should never have gone against her husband’s relationships. But out of this disorder comes God’s order. His will to remove the Canaanites from Israel was done. The LORD moved Jael to conquer the enemy in a David-like way – the perceived weak against the supposed strong. The woman killed the general! In that culture, this was completely out of order, but it was God’s orders to do so. As a result, the land had peace for forty years. (Judges 5:31b) What Do You Think? Is your life out of order? What opportunities do you have to “put to death” the conflicts and establish God’s peace? Read Judges 4-5
Judges 4:4-5 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. JUDGES is so named because it informs us of about 400 years of Israel’s history under a series of men and this one woman. Israel was generally a theocracy. That means God was its supreme authority. The King of Kings was king over his people. That makes sense, doesn’t it? The judges were then God’s appointed leaders, as Moses and Joshua, to settle civil matters that could not be settled at a more local level. Deborah was a unique judge – a woman, gifted with prophecy in the same manner as Moses’ sister, Miriam in Exodus 15:20. It is possible to see Deborah in some form as Moses and Miriam combined. Deborah’s met people at the Deborah Palm, named specifically for her court. As Deborah administered God’s civil rule and prophesied God’s Word to Israel, the LORD also used her leadership skills for military victory. She offers Barak the opportunity to lead Israel’s army. But he would only do so with Deborah at his side. Judges 4:8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.” Apparently, Deborah evoked a God-given strength, courage and confidence. Her wisdom was evident to all. Appointed to lead, she would do so. She is a good example of a gifted leader. It is easy to see Barak as unsure of himself or even afraid. But could Barak’s insistence of Deborah’s presence be his humility? But as we learned in our previous lesson, he was submitting to God’s choice of Israel’s leader. We know not many, if any, men of that period would have said to Deborah, “You lead.” The victory won, Judges 5 is Deborah’s celebration. She is one of five women in the Bible who have a lengthy praise to God in this type of song. (Do you know the other four?) Judges 5:5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves – praise the Lord! 3 Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel”. As a God-chosen leader, Deborah credits God for his power to destroy the enemy and protect Israel. Deborah’s purpose was to faithfully demonstrate God’s authority through her leadership and prophetic gifts. If you read through the long line of Israel’s leaders from the judges to the kings, you will see Deborah was a rare leader in Israel’s history. She is one of only a few so committed to God’s justice, so faithful to praise his power to give Israel the victory. Her life glorified God. Deborah gives us a good pattern to shape our lives. Psalms 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. |
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November 2024
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