Like most
people, I love things in chronological order. In fact, I assume things are in
chronological order. When I read the Chronicles of Narnia to my kids, I
read book six to them first. Before I read the Lord of the Rings, I made
myself read The Hobbit first, just to get the right order of things.
People who don't write things in chronological order are "artsy," and
will be tolerated if they do a good job and get stuff straightened out in the
end and don't lose us in between.
In Judges,
God is "artsy," in that the final two stories, chronologically, would
have been placed toward the beginning. Apparently He felt this was a better
idea. Interestingly, the two stories are in chronological order to each other.
So, again, before we read Judges for today, it is good to know that this event
happened within the decades immediately after Joshua's death. Look at Judges
20:28, Phinehas is the high priest. It is hard to give an exact time, but it is
within the life time of Phinehas, who probably was in his 30's or 40's when
Joshua died. This will make a few things we read today a little more
understandable. It will make other things we read very alarming.
Judges 19-20
Judges 19
Vs. 1-20
There are some similarities to the previous story in that this man was a
Levite. This "wife" had been unfaithful to him, but he wanted her
back, so all was well. Bethlehem is mentioned in both stories and Ephraim is
mentioned in both stories. Both stories tragically involve an entire tribe
departing from God.
I always
wonder when I read this why 10 verses are devoted to the guy trying to get away
from his father-in-law. I guess it might have to do with the sense of
hospitality or the lack of purposefulness in life. Apparently the guys enjoyed
each other's company.
V. 12 This
verse is utterly ironic.
Vs. 14-15
In any event, once they arrive in the town square of Gibeah, you start getting
that "Sodom and Gomorrah" feeling. No one offered them hospitality,
making it necessary for them to remain exposed in the town square.
Vs. 16-21
This is exactly what happened when Lot found the two angels sitting in the
square of Sodom.
Vs. 22-26
So here is a city of Israel, of Benjamin, that has gone "Sodom." How
did that happen? Apparently it wasn't known far and wide, or this man would
have stayed among the Gentiles in Jerusalem (Jebus).
No angels
were there to save them so the man gave the mob his unfaithful wife rather than
the virgin daughter of his host. Whatever happened to protecting the womenfolk?
Apparently they didn't watch westerns back then. I find this repulsive all the
way around.
Vs. 27-30
This Levite seems scared and heartless to me. Sending around "pieces"
was a custom to call all the tribes together. It meant that if they didn't
answer the call and show up, they would wind up like the animal. Later, King
Saul will call Israel together using the pieces of an ox. That these were the
pieces of his maid-wife, a human, made this shocking and alarming. It got
everyone's attention.
Notice the
mention of Egypt. This is another clue that this generation was still near to
the Exodus and the generation of Joshua.
Judges 20
Vs. 1-7
There are some interesting things here. First, notice the mention of from Dan to Beersheba. This means from
north to south. Apparently the tribe of Dan (and yesterday's event) had already
taken place and the tribe of Dan had migrated from the middle of Israel to the
northernmost point. Just like in Romans 1:18ff, the defection from God took
place before the moral defection.
If you
look at the map you'll see that the people gathered before the Lord at Mizpah,
south of Shiloh and just four miles north of Gibeah. This doesn't mean the
tabernacle was there. It means that they gathered together to inquire of the
Lord. Apparently the tabernacle was still eight miles north at Shiloh. Next to
Mizpah was Bethel, and it seems that the ark of the covenant was in Bethel for
some reason. You might think that Phinehas brought the ark to Bethel because it
was closer to the battle, but v. 27 gives you the idea that the ark was there
on a permanent basis. This was not normal.
Vs. 8-17
The repetition that caught my eye in this chapter was as one man. This is another one of those things that shows it was
early in the history of Israel. Later, during the time of Samson and Samuel, it
is hard for the nation to do anything unified. Samuel, in leading Israel, will
bring unity to the nation in worship.
Just the
mention of Israel having 400,000 men and Benjamin having only 26,000 gives you
a funny feeling. It is almost a shock to see that Benjamin wouldn't hand over
the men of Gibeah. I guess they had confidence in their 700 special forces
guys.
Vs. 18-25
The people did the right things in assembling and questioning God (Phinehas and
the Urim and Thummim) and seeking only to punish the guilty in Gibeah. So, a
huge question is, "Why did God tell Israel to fight Benjamin twice, but
allow them to lose twice?" In those two battles, Israel lost 40,000 men.
Why did God allow them to lose twice?
Vs. 26-28
I think that God wanted to bring the people to a real place of desperate
dependence and humility. Actually, it is probable that all of the tribes were
sinning at this point. The offerings would have been to confess and cleanse
their own sin. I think God allows us to meet disaster for the same reasons. It is
often after a defeat, that we become desperate and honest in seeking God's will
and mind, and we begin confessing our sins. The sacrifices should have come
first. Having hearts cleansed should have been the first priority.
I get the
feeling that the people were so desperate, they finally decided to try to do
everything according to the book. Just for trivia, God didn't spare David
either when David decided to transport the ark on a wagon. After he lost one
man in that adventure, David went to the Bible and figured out how God wanted
it done, with the Levites carrying it with poles and with sacrifices and
offerings for sin and for thanks.
Notice
that this is the first mention of Phinehas and notice that the people moved
from Mizpah to Bethel where the ark was located. Something is not right here.
When we get to Judges 21:4, the people will build an altar at Bethel to
sacrifice. If the tabernacle was there, they would have had an altar. But
apparently the altar they were using at Bethel was just stones, and after the
sacrifices were finished, it needed to be rebuilt. This is all hard to grasp
because Israel was forbidden to sacrifice anywhere but at the tabernacle and
then only on one altar. And, only the priest could do the sacrificing. The feel
of this whole thing is wrong.
Vs. 29-48
When everything was finished, Israel had lost 65,000 soldiers, plus Israel
destroyed at least 20,000 people in the towns of Benjamin. Only 600 people of
Benjamin were living. Just think, an entire tribe was reduced to 600 men. In Numbers
26:41, before the people crossed the Jordan, Benjamin numbered 45,600 people.
This means that Israel killed at least 45,000 men of Benjamin.
John 3:22-4:3
This is
another one of those rich sections of Scripture with the gospel in it.
Vs. 22-24
No one knows where this was, but it is supposed that it was directly east of
Shechem (see the map for Judges) on the Jordan River. Many of John's disciples
stayed with him and became "johnites," instead of followers of Jesus.
Vs. 25-30
This conflict led John the Baptist to set the record straight.
V. 27 This
is a very interesting statement for church planters and for those who puzzle
over church growth, especially for churches who are "right," but
reaching no one, criticizing bigger churches who are “wrong,” but ministering
to people. Obviously, there are some standards for evaluation of truth and
error, but within the believing church, this is a good statement to keep in
mind before we blast our brother.
Jesus will
use this "bride" imagery later, after Matthew's dinner for Jesus, to
ease the tension with these disciples as the Pharisees try to pit John's
followers against Jesus. Somehow this talk got back to Jesus and He used it.
V. 30 This
is the famous statement that older church leaders need to be preparing to make.
Making disciples means equipping and installing the next generation of leaders,
now. For older leaders their joy should be complete, not in holding power until
it is pried from their lifeless fingers, but from seeing those who they have
trained go beyond them. In this case, John hadn't mentored Jesus; he had gone
before Him and borne witness to Him.
Vs. 31-36
These verses seem to be a commentary by the writer, the apostle John. What a
meaningful statement in such few words. Notice how true belief is defined in
the context of these verses. To believe
in, but not obey Jesus, is not to believe. Jesus will really expand on
this on His next Passover visit in John 5.
Notice
that not to obey/believe Jesus is
equal to having never seen life. How ironic to have lived on earth for years,
but never to have seen life.
John 4:1-3
This is
setting us up for tomorrow. This is why Jesus left Judea and went to Galilee.
Tomorrow we will see that Jesus took the short-cut.
As
disciples following our Lord in the harvest, our privilege is in seeing someone
come to Christ and finally to know life. Nothing beats that. Then to see them
become a disciple, who makes disciples, who makes disciples in the harvest, is
what makes our joy full.
Psalm 104:24-35
Continuing
to expound on God's glory from yesterday.
Vs. 24-26
This is sort of like what God says in Job. His wisdom in all aspects of
creation is beyond our understanding.
Vs. 27-30
Every creature on the earth is utterly dependent on God, regardless of their
number or their obscurity. The same holds true for mankind.
Vs. 31-32
This shows that the joy of the Lord and the fear of the Lord can stand side by
side.
Vs. 33-35
Verses 33, 34 and the end of 35 show the proper response of people to God. The
sinners and the wicked are those who ignore God. You can understand why the
psalmist thinks they should be removed. When they are removed, then all of
mankind will be totally free to give God the glory He is due.
Matthew
13:41-43 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will
gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them
into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. Then
the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who
has ears, let him hear.
Proverbs 14:22-24
In v. 24 I
understand that wisdom is the wealth and crown of the wise. There are a lot of
people who are wise in Christ and "rich," who are not rich in money;
and many of them live in the third world making disciples, who make disciples,
who make disciples, hungering now for the sake of His kingdom.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments
are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our
role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in
Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and
encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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