Judges 3-5

Day 79

Well....it happened. I actually missed a day.  I can't believe it.  I missed one day.  Oh well...I'm feeling better and life might get back to normal.....whatever THAT is !! :)  Thank you mother and daddy for helping with JJ while I was so sick!!  He had a ball and we are grateful!!!  

So...are you believing the drama of Judges??!  Hum.....interesting stuff and a nice (but gross) change of pace.  I mean, two murders in these chapters?  What is going on?  And then a song about it??  WOW!!   :)

Chapter 3  They did it!! We knew they would.  We knew it was coming.  Their parents didn't do their job.  They didn't get rid of the evil and negative influences around them and it happened.  They forgot God!!!  Because they had failed to drive everyone out of Canaan, they begin to worship their gods and idols of Baal and Asherahs.   It was bad enough that they forgot the God that have saved them, delivered them, and provided for them. But then, to add injury to insult, they worshipped another god.   So these new judges are descendants of Caleb.   Each time they forget God, they get turned over to a king, they go  to war, and then God forgives the Israelites and gives them peace in the hands of the judges:  Othniel, Ehud, & Shamgar.  And the KING that died at the hand of Ehud!  What a surprise.....and not very nice to say, but kinda funny.....only in that the servants thought he in the potty the whole time.   He was a rather crafty and deceptive assassin.  Ehud says to the king, "I have a secret message for you, O king!"  A secret I'd say!!  A secret weapon upon his upper thigh that goes straight into the ol' king's belly....and right out his back.   And seems then to be swallowed up by all of his FAT!!!  GROSS!!!!  And then he gets away with the murder because the servants didn't know the king was dead until Ehud was long gone!!!  Then Israel had peace for 80 years!!  

Chapter 4  Oh Deborah!  She was a warrior I'd say!!  Strong, brave and courageous among men.  So, she was in charge for a bit and the Israelites leader and judge.....a judge even under her own palm tree!!!    There are 3 people who contribute to the whole process of saving Israel this time.  1) Deborah:  the prophet and judge. She brings God's word to fight the Canaanites and accompanies the Israelite warriors into battle with words of encouragement and guidance.  2) Barak: is the general of the army who leads the victory against the Canaanites but fails to kill his Canaanite counterpart, the general Sisera.  3) Jael--she is not an Israelite, but a Kenite who invites Sisera (the Canaanite general) into her tent and then proceeds to kill him.  With a  tent peg through the temple!!!!!  

Chapter 5  The song of Deborah -- a song that is about a powerful and divine warrior and a weak Israel, the willing bravery of some Israelite tribes and then passive reluctance of others!  A song of contrasts really.

God works through all of these people with their shared leadership and mutual responsibility.  Our lesson learned:  to work together for the glory of God!  

tomorrow:  Judges 6-7 and it starts to go downhill.......