The Joy of Thanksgiving (Psalm 100)

While American Thanksgiving is particularly well-defined, with turkey dinners and traditional sides, Macy’s parades and football on TV, other countries boast their own interesting and meaningful celebrations that make up their concept of Thanksgiving. Here are a few:

1. Liberia
Liberia brought the Thanksgiving tradition directly from America, owing to its beginnings as a resettlement colony for freed black Americans. The West African country declared its independence in 1847, but its American connection is still represented in its flag, which mirrors the U.S. design. They mark their celebration on the first Thursday in November.


2. Canada 

One similar through-line that connects a lot of the Thanksgiving holidays is the celebration of harvest. That’s obviously connected to the tradition and imagery of our American holiday, but it definitely comes into play for Canada. Canadian Thanksgiving occurs on the second Monday of October. The Canadian celebration integrates a number of traditions, including turkey (an American contribution), although regional dishes like salmon are common. Like the States, Canada celebrates with a CFL Football game, while the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving parade runs on CTV.

3. Japan

Japan marks a November holiday called Labor Thanksgiving Day, traditionally held on the 23rd. Its historical beginning goes back to the harvest celebration of Niiname-no-Matsuri, which was a Shinto ritual enacted by the Emperor. It picked up the Labor Thanksgiving Day name and official holiday status during the post-World War II occupation of Japan by the United States. The modern interpretation of the event commemorates labor, production, and peace. School children make cards for public servants like health care workers, police, firefighters, and members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force and Coast Guard. Family dinners are a staple of the day.

4. Philippines 

The Philippines has had an on-off relationship with Thanksgiving. As an American colony, it held a very American version of Thanksgiving. The celebration went underground during World War II when Japan occupied the islands, lasting until the late ’60s as a kind of secret event. President Ferdinand Marcos re-instituted it as a September observation under his reign, but it was discontinued after his ouster in 1986. Thanksgiving exists today primarily due to the aggressive marketing of the SM Supermalls chain of shopping centers. Businesses now offer big Thanksgiving sales around September, which is seen of the official kick-off of the (very long) Christmas season for the islands.

Psalm 100

One of my favorite chapters in all Scripture is Psalm 100. I love its brevity and its poetry. If I am happy or sad, this Psalm always makes me want to burst into song and dance.

Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2
Serve the Lord with jubilation;
Come before Him with rejoicing.
3
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting
And His faithfulness is to all generations.


The words of this Psalm always make me think about the Temple and people coming up to the Temple to worship. The LORD is on the throne. There is nothing more that we want to do than worship and please our King!

Psalm 100 In-depth
Verse 1: Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth!

Not only are all the human servants to rejoice, but all the earth. The trees, hills, mountains, birds, fish, beasts of the field, etc. Everything is to be joyful to the LORD. It reminds me of several verses from Scripture.

Psalm 98:4-8:
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Be cheerful and sing for joy and sing praises.
5
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
6
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
7
May the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
8
May the rivers clap their hands,
May the mountains sing together for joy


Isaiah 42:10-12
Sing to the Lord a new song,
Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it;
You islands, and those who live on them.
11
Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
The settlements which Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.
12
Let them give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the coastlands.



Verse 2: Serve the Lord with jubilation;
Come before Him with rejoicing.

In verse two, we are reminded to come before God rejoicing and serving with a glad heart. How many times do we serve God, but we do so with a sour or bitter heart? Do we get up and go to church because we have to or because it will look bad to others? Are we joyous? Or are we half asleep and wish we were back in bed?

What about serving God in the community? If we see a way to help someone, do we do it with joy? Or do we do it because other people may see our actions, and we may be esteemed more highly in their sight?

Praising God with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:1-5
God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water.
2
So have I seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and glory.
3
Because Your favor is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5
My soul is satisfied as with fat and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.


Psalm 71:22-24
I will also praise You with a harp,
And Your truth, my God;
I will sing praises to You with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
23
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
24
My tongue also will tell of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are put to shame, for they are humiliated who seek my harm.

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the LORD, always, and again I say rejoice!



Verse 3: Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Verse 3 reminds us of who is God. It is the LORD who made us. We are under His control. God is the master craftsman; we are the work of His hands. Psalm 100 is in direct contrast to Isaiah 29 where the people say the right things, but their hearts are far from God.

Isaiah 29:13-16
13 Then the Lord said,
“Because this people approaches Me with their words
And honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me,
And their reverence for Me consists of the commandment of men that is taught;
14
Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous;
And the wisdom of their wise men will perish,
And the understanding of their men who have understanding will be concealed.”
15
Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord,
And whose deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”
16
You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay,
That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”;
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

God continues His quest that all the earth knows who He is in Isaiah 45.

Isaiah 45:5-10
I am the Lord, and there is no one else;
There is no God except Me.
I will arm you, though you have not known Me,
6
So that people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
7
The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.

8
“Drip down, heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
And righteousness sprout with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9
“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—
A piece of pottery among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
10
Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’”

God calls Israel pottery, and He will do to them as He pleases as a potter does to the clay as he pleases.

Jeremiah 18:1-6
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6 “Am I not able, house of Israel, to deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.

It is God who made us. This expressed beautifully in Psalm 139.

Psalm 139:13-16
For You created my innermost parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14
I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15
My frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth;
16
Your eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in Your book were written
All the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

We are the sheep of His pasture is exemplified in Isaiah 40.

Isaiah 40:9-11
Go up on a high mountain,
Zion, messenger of good news,
Raise your voice forcefully,
Jerusalem, messenger of good news;
Raise it up, do not fear.
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10
Behold, the Lord God will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His compensation is with Him,
And His reward before Him.
11
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in the fold of His robe;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

The people of Israel are sheep. The leaders of Israel are supposed to be the shepherds, but they do not do their job. They eat the fat sheep and do not feed the flock. They use all the goods of the sheep such as the wool, but they do not support the flock. God gives a sharp rebuke to the shepherds who were supposed to be taking care of the flock, but who have been neglectful in Ezekiel 34.

Ezekiel 34:1-16:
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you searched for the lost; but with force and with violence you have dominated them. 5 They scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field and scattered. 6 My flock strayed through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “certainly, because My flock has become plunder, and My flock has become food for all the animals of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them stop tending sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will save My sheep from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

11 For the Lord God says this: “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd cares for his flock on a day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing place will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in a good grazing place and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I Myself will feed My flock and I Myself will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will eliminate. I will feed them with judgment.


Verse 4: Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

In verse four, we have some terminology which may be lost to us nearly 2,000 years after the Temple has been destroyed. When Scripture talks about gates, these are in reference to the walls which surround places. There were places in the walls in which people could pass through. These passage ways were called gates. People in ancient times would have the elders and the leadership sit in these areas. It was known as sitting in the gates or sitting at the gate.

The gates which are spoken of here are in the walls which surrounded the Temple. The Temple was surrounded by walls much like the Tabernacle in the wilderness was surrounded by a fence made from animal skins. Inside the gates was the courtyard. It is in the courtyard where the sacrifices would be done.

The idea in verse four is the person is going up to the Temple to worship God. The word thanksgiving (in the Hebrew the word is todah) could mean the person is singing praises. It is also the word used for thanksgiving offerings. This person may be going up to the Temple to worship God and to offer a thanksgiving offering. 

Leviticus 7 states some of the rules surrounding the thanksgiving offering.
Leviticus 7:11-15

‘Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD. 12‘If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil. 13‘With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. 14‘Of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the LORD; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
     
15‘Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.

A small portion of the offering was given to the priest, but the majority of the offering was given back to the person offering it so he could enjoy his thanksgiving offering. One thing to note, the offering was not to be leftover until the morning. This means, if a person was offering a thanksgiving offering, he was not going to be able to eat it all by himself. He would invite many people to this celebration to enjoy the feast. When people came to this event, it would be a time for the person to proclaim why he is doing a thanksgiving offering and God would receive glory.

King David talks about God’s goodness and offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving in Psalm 116.

Psalm 116:12-19
What shall I repay to the Lord
For all His benefits to me?
13
I will lift up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
14
I will pay my vows to the Lord;
May it be in the presence of all His people!
15
Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
16
O Lord, I surely am Your slave,
I am Your slave, the son of Your female slave,
You have unfastened my restraints.
17
I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
18
I will pay my vows to the Lord,
May it be in the presence of all His people,
19
In the courtyards of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

King David continues on his song of praise in Psalm 145.
Psalm 145:1-7

I will exalt You, my God, the King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3
Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
4
One generation will praise Your works to another,
And will declare Your mighty acts.
5
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6
People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
7
They will burst forth in speaking of Your abundant goodness,
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.



Verse 5: For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting
And His faithfulness is to all generations.


God’s mercy is everlasting, from generation to generation.

Psalm 118:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy is everlasting.
2
Let Israel say,
“His mercy is everlasting.”
3
Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy is everlasting.”
4
Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His mercy is everlasting.”

God’s faithfulness is to all generations.

Psalm 136:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
2
Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
3
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
4
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;


God’s eternal greatness is best summoned up in Exodus 34 when Moses goes back to the mountain with two new tablets he cut out like the first ones which had been broken. He encounters God, and God calls out His incredible attributes.

Exodus 34:4-8
 So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses got up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took the two stone tablets in his hand. 5 And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; 7 who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8 And Moses hurried to bow low toward the ground and worship.

Psalm 95 verses one through seven encapsulate Psalm 100 beautifully.

Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord,
Let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2
Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving,
Let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments.
3
For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
4
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are also His.
5
The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.
6
Come, let’s worship and bow down,
Let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Book of Judges Review Part Six (Chapters 18-21)

 Chapter 18
MICAH'S IDOLATRY AND THE MIGRATION OF THE TRIBE OF DAN
Dan spies out Laish

(Judges 18:1-2): The tribe of Dan sends spies to look for land to take among the people of Israel. The tribe of Dan does not get rid of the Philistines in their land. The consequence for not doing as God had commanded is that the tribe of Dan is never able to conquer the land. The tribe of Dan sends out spies to find land which is peaceful and is not under the scrutiny of an enemy.

(Judges 18:3-6): The Danites meet with Micah's Levite. As the men from Dan were relaxing at Micah's house (with Micah's blessing of course), they met Micah's young private priest. They immediately noticed the priest has a different accent. It would have been a different accent from what Micah and the rest of the people living in Ephraim had. Immediately, they wondered what the priest was doing at Micah's house. The five spies speak with the Levite. They then ask the Levite to inquire of God for them about their trip.

(Judges 18:7-10): The Danites choose a city for expansion: Laish. The citizens of Laish were from Sidon, but the people of Laish did not have an alliance with Sidon nor were they considered an official outpost of Sidon. Thus, even if the nation of Sidon had some sympathy and attachment to the people of Laish, they were too far away and would not be able to be rescued if they needed to be. This was the perfect situation for Dan. The location was well watered, fertile and substantial in size. It was far from anyone who might try to rule over the place. The place is simply ideal. It is at the headwaters of one of the sources of the Jordan River. It is rich in trees. The Dainties return to the south and tell their brothers the city of Laish has been given to them by the LORD.

(Judges 18:11-13): They assemble an army of 600 to take possession of Laish. They begin their journey north.

The tribe of Dan adopts Micah's idolatry
(Judges 18:14-18): On their way to Laish, the army of 600 men take Micah's shrine for themselves. The tribe of Dan stop at Micah’s house to pick up the Levite and the idols.

(Judges 18:19-21): The Levite goes with the army from the tribe of Dan.

(Judges 18:22-24): Micah's foolish idolatry comes to nothing. Micah and some of his neighbors assemble and chase after the Danites. Micah asks for his idols and priest back.

(Judges 18:25-26): The army of the tribe of Dan refuses to give Micah his god back; so Micah goes home empty-handed.

(Judges 18:27-29): The army from the tribe of Dan conquers the city of Laish and rename it Dan.

(Judges 18:30-31): The tribe of Dan officially adopts the idolatry that began with Micah. The Levite’s identity is revealed. His name is Jonathan, and he is from Moses’ family.


Chapter 19
A  Levite and his concubine
(Judges 19:1): A Levite takes a concubine. Levite in Ephraim takes a concubine who is from Bethlehem.

(Judges 19:2-4): The Levite reconciles with his concubine. The concubine gets mad at her husband and returns home to her father in Bethlehem.After four months, the Levite ventures to Bethlehem to retrieve his girl. The girl’s father welcomes the man and invites him into the house. The Levite stays with the family for several days.

(Judges 19:5-10): The Levite of the concubine extends the visit with a generous show of hospitality. The Levite attempts to leave for Ephraim on the fourth day, but the girl’s father requests him to stay. The Levite stays until the fifth day and again tries to leave. The Levite and his concubine leave in the afternoon of the fifth day.

(Judges 19:11-15): Returning home, the Levite and the concubine decide to spend the night in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of the city for no one took them into his house to spend the night.

(Judges 19:16-21): Finally, a fellow Ephraimite finds them and extends hospitality. An Ephraimite who was sojourning in Gibeah sees the Levite and his concubine. He offers hospitality to the group.

The Crime of Gibeah
(Judges 19:22): The perverted worthless men of Gibeah surround the dwelling place of the Ephraimite. They demand to have relations with the male guest.

(Judges 19:23-26): The Ephraimite goes out to negotiate with the men of Gibeah. He offers his daughter and the Levite’s concubine. The concubine is given instead of her husband. She is raped all night. At the light of day, she crawls back to the Ephraimite’s home. She dies on the doorstep.

(Judges 19:27-30): The Levite discovers his dead concubine and issues a call for national judgment. The Levite takes his dead concubine, loads he up on to a donkey and brings her back to Ephraim. He cuts up her body in a ritualistic manner and sends one body part to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Levite wants all of Israel to consider the crime and take action.


Chapter 20
ISRAEL'S WAR WITH BENJAMIN AND GIBEAH

The nation gathers to judge Gibeah
(Judges 20:1-2): The nation gather at the Levite's request. All of Israel from Dan to Beersheba gather together at Mizpah. The wording used suggests the Israelites believe this is a holy gathering—something sanctioned by the LORD.

(Judges 20:3-7): The Levite describes the abuse and murder of his concubine. The Levite gives bad information and states the men of Gibeah wanted to kill him. (The only information given in the Bible regarding this is that the men of Gibeah wanted to have relations with the Levite and not kill him.)

(Judges 20:8-11): Preparations for war are made. A supply line is established as the men of Israel prepare for battle.

(Judges 20:12-17): Benjamin's help sought and not given. Benjamin is asked to give up the fugitives of Gibeah. They refuse. 26,700 men from Benjamin are gathered for war. Seven hundred of these men are able to sling stones and are deadly accurate.

The battle against Benjamin and Gibeah

(Judges 20:18-21): The first day of battle--Israel is defeated before Benjamin. The men of Israel inquire of the LORD who should go up to battle. The tribe of Judah is told to go up. It is a bad day for Israel. They lose 22,000 men in battle on the first day.

(Judges 20:22-23): Israel seeks God after the first defeat. Israels goes to the LORD a second time. This time they weep before Him. They are again told to go to battle.

 (Judges 20:24-25): On the second day of battle, Israel is defeated before Benjamin again. Israel loses 18,000 men on the second day of battle.

(Judges 20:26-28): Israel repents before God after the second defeat. After the second defeat, the Israelites go again before the LORD. This time they bring sacrifices, they fast and repent. Now, the LORD gives them a slightly different answer. He says they will defeat Benjamin.

(Judges 20:29-48): Third day of battle--victory for Israel over Benjamin and Gibeah. The third day of battle is much like the first two days, except this time Israel has a new battle plan. Much like Joshua’s victory over Ai, the Israelites draw the men out of Gibeah. As the battle heats up outside the city walls, another brigade of men comes into the city and burns it to the ground. The men from Gibeah get caught in between two of Israel’s forces. They cannot retreat to the city. Many flee to the Rock of Rimmon. Twenty five thousand one hundred men from Benjamin die that day.


Chapter 21
A foolish oath
(Judges 21:1): At Mizpah, a curse is laid on anyone who gives their daughter as wives for the tribe of Benjamin. Swearing oaths and making vows in God's name is a dangerous undertaking. We moderns like to think otherwise, but we really do not take these oaths and vows all that seriously. But to the ancient, it was unthinkable to violate an oath or vow because the consequence was probably going to be devastating and long lasting. Making a rash oath or vow is a bad idea, and now Israel realized that they had doomed the Benjamites by speaking too quickly with their lips.

(Judges 21:2-6): Israel realizes that a whole tribe is in danger of extinction.
Solutions to the problem of the foolish oath
Judges 21:7-15): Destroying the city of Jabesh and taking their young women was a solution to the problem. Verse seven sums up the problem. The sons of Israel find an answer to the problem in a very convoluted and unexpected way. It starts with Israel's search to find out if any clan of Hebrews had failed to show up to contribute to the war effort.

It turns out that the people of the city of Jabesh-gilead (meaning the people who lived in the city of Jabesh in the territory of Gilead, east of the Jordan River) did not answer the call. This was in violation of a much earlier and perhaps more fundamental oath: that all of Israel was united under God and the Laws of Moses. They were to act together as one in times of crisis. Jabesh were traitors to God and to Israel. Not only that, at the time of the war council in Mizpah, an oath was sworn in which the punishment for whomever did not participate in the war against Benjamin was death.

And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him.The 400 virgins of Jabesh were given to the male survivors of Benjamin, but that still left 200 men without wives. What should they do? Well, they came up with another cleaver plan.

(Judges 21:16-24): A scheme to give the remaining men of Benjamin an opportunity to take wives. There was a festival to the LORD each year in Shiloh, and lots and lots of women went to it. The young girls, especially virgins, participated by dancing in the festival. Some leaders of the Israelites went to the leaders of the 600 remaining Benjamites and told them that if they would go to Shiloh at the festival time and hide, then when the virgins came out to dance, they could pounce on them. The virgins would then be their wives. The Israelites would be sure there was no interference and the men of Benjamin would be free to remove these girls back to the allotted territory of Benjamin.

(Judges 21:25): The summary observation of the times of Israel.  
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Final Thoughts
In the time of King Saul, we are going to find an interesting relationship between Saul and the people of Gilead. When Ammon threatened the people of Gilead, they turned to Saul for help (1 Samuel 11:1-11). Later, it would be the men of Gilead who recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons as their corpses hung on the walls of Bethshan (1 Samuel 31:11-13). Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, and so we see how and why the tribe of Benjamin had a special bond with the people of Gilead. They were closely related by blood and it happened as the aftermath of the war with Benjamin.

Book of Judges Review Part Five (Chapters 13-17)

Chapter 13
The Angel of the LORD announces the birth of Samson to Manoah's wife.

(Judges 13:1): Life in Israel at the time of Samson's birth. Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD. The LORD sold them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years.

The tribe of Dan: By this time in Israel’s history, the tribe of Dan had mostly moved to the northern region of Israel near the Lebanon border. They had captured a city called Laish and renamed it Dan after their tribal leader. Few Dainties remained behind, and most of them lived on the border of the tribe of Dan and Judah. The Philistines were a fierce force to defeat. Dan decided not to conquer the Philistines, but instead they decided to mix and mingle with them. They blended the two religions, intermarried and formed alliances with the Philistines. This displeased God, but the Israelites were not concerned about the decay of their society.

(Judges 13:2-3): The Angel of the LORD appears to Manoah's wife.

(Judges 13:4-5): Special instructions regarding the child to come. Samson is to be a Nazirite from the moment of his conception. His mother is to observe special instructions. She is not to drink wine or strong drink nor eat anything unclean. Samson will also follow these instructions and in addition, he is not to cut his hair. Samson’s job is to begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.

(Judges 13:6-7): Manoah's wife reported the appearance of the Angel of the LORD to her husband.

The Angel of the LORD announces the birth of Samson to Manoah
(Judges 13:8-14): The Angel of the LORD reconfirms the words spoken before. In verse eight, we find Manoah praying to God to send this prophet back to them so they could be taught what was to be done with the child.

The mysterious man shows up again a second time. As like the previous time, the angel of God appears to the unnamed wife of Manoah. She races to fetch her husband. Manoah comes and greets the man. Manoah asks the question that was at the forefront of his mind--what are we to do with this child? The man of God did not answer Manoah's question, but gives the same instructions as the first time.

(Judges 13:15-18): Manoah offers the Angel of the LORD a meal; the Angel of the LORD will only accepts an offering. Manoah realizes he has received the full oracle from the prophet. He then offers the standard Middle Eastern hospitality and requests that the man stay with them for a while and be honored with a special meal. The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will not eat your food." Manoah asks the angel of the LORD His name. The angel says, “Why do you ask me my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

Wonderful: This word means full of wonder, incomprehensible, full of awe. It is a divine attribute and is the word pille in Hebrew.

(Judges 13:19-21): The Angel of the LORD displays His authority to Manoah and his wife. Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock of the LORD. Manoah's offering was acceptable to the LORD. With Manoah and his wife standing looking on, suddenly this being melded into the flames. He then shot upwards into the sky and vanished. That was the final clue. Manoah and his wife fell on their face to the ground in fear and awe. They both finally grasped just who this being was. It was neither a man or an angel. It was God.

(Judges 13:22-23): The reaction of Manoah and his wife. Manoah believes they are going to die because they have seen God. Manoah’s wife reassures Manoah after God showed them all these signs and wonders, God is not going to kill them.

(Judges 13:24-25): Samson born, and the Holy Spirit comes upon him.

Chapter 14
SAMSON'S FIRST FAILED MARRIAGE

(Judges 14:1-3): Samson demands a Philistine wife. Samson goes down to Timnah. He sees a Philistine woman. She looks good in Samson’s eyes. He tells his parents to get her as a wife for him.

(Judges 14:4): God's will behind the scenes of Samson's desire to marry a Philistine woman.

(Judges 14:5-9): Samson slays a lion and eats some wild honey. Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah. A lion comes roaring toward Samson. The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Samson. Samson slays the lion. When Samson returns to take the Philistine woman, he returns back to the body of the lion cub. Behold, there is a swarm of bees and honey in the cavity of the lion cub. Samson eats some honey and scoops up some for his parents.

 The feast and the riddle
(Judges 14:10-11): Samson hosts a "bachelor party" for Philistine friends. In verse ten, we are told that the marriage ceremony began when Samson's father went down to greet Samson's bride-to-be. We are told a banquet was served.

(Judges 14:12-14): Samson poses a riddle concerning the lion and the honey. The bridegroom does his duty to entertain the guests. Samson offers a riddle. And to go along with it, he offers a wager: if the thirty male guests can decipher the answer, Samson promises to buy them thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.

The riddle: Out of the eater came something to eat. And out of the strong came something sweet. This riddle is referring to the lion Samson killed, and the honey the bees formed inside it. But who could have ever guessed such a thing? This is nothing in which logic, deductive reasoning or cleverness could ever solve. One had to be there at the lion incident to have any idea what Samson was talking about. Solving such a so-called riddle is impossible.

(Judges 14:15-18): Samson's Philistine wife extracts the answer to the riddle from Samson and tells it to the Philistines. Samson's wife weeps before him during the entire feast. Samson gives in. He tells his Philistine finance the riddle. The woman tells her comrades the answer. Samson becomes furious his finance divulged the riddle’s answer the the wedding guests.

(Judges 14:19-20): Samson's anger and revenge. The Spirit of the LORD came mightily on Samson. Samson slew 30 men and took their garments to give to the Philistine wedding guests. Samson storms off. Samson’s betrothed is given to another man.


Chapter 15

(Judges 15:1-3): Samson's rage at discovering his wife is given to another man.
Samson shows up at his bride’s home with a goat. Samson was not allowed to enter the bride’s tent. Samson is offered the bride’s younger sister for a wife.



(Judges 15:4-5): Samson strikes out against the Philistines by burning their crops. Samson takes revenge by tying up 300 jackals. He lit the jackals on fire. The jackals ignited the Philistines field.

(Judges 15:6-7): The Philistines retaliate by killing Samson's wife and family.

(Judges 15:8): Samson repays the Philistines for the murder of his wife. Samson went on another random killing spree. He killed any Philistine who came across his path. Then, Samson left Philistia and went to a cave called the rock of Etam.

(Judges 15:9-13): The Philistines camp in Judah. Judah asks why the Philistines are there. Judah sends 3,000 men to the rock of Etam to bind Samson and deliver him to the Philistines. Judah binds Samson with two new ropes.

(Judges 15:14-17): Samson uses the jawbone of a donkey to kill a thousand Philistines. The Spirit of the LORD comes mightily upon Samson. Samson uses a jawbone of a donkey to slay 1,000 Philistines.

(Judges 15:18-20): God provides for Samson miraculously. Samson becomes thirsty. God provides Samson with a spring of water.


Chapter 16
Samson and Delilah
(Judges 16:1-3): Samson and the harlot at Gaza. Samson visits a harlot in Gaza. The Gazites find out about Samson’s visit and lie in wait for Samson. Samson takes the city gates and walks up a hill where he deposits them on a road which leads to Hebron.

(Judges 16:4-5): Delilah agrees to betray Samson. The five lords of the five Philistine cities meet with Delilah and offer her 1100 pieces of silver each if Delilah can figure out where Samson’s great strength lies.

(Judges 16:6-9): Samson lies to Delilah about the source of his strength. Samson begins a lying spree. Samson tells Delilah if he is bound with seven fresh cords, he will become weak like any other man. Samson is bound, and he is able to snap off the cords.

(Judges 16:10-12): Samson lies to Delilah about the source of his strength for a second time. Samson next tells Delilah if he is bound with new ropes, he will become weak. He is bound and again snaps the ropes.

(Judges 16:13-15): Samson lies to Delilah about the source of his strength for the third time. Samson next says if his hair is bound in a weaver’s loom, he will be weak. His hair is tied up in a weaver’s loom, and again, Samson is able to break away from the weaver’s loom.

(Judges 16:16-19): Samson finally betrays the source of his strength. Delilah presses Samson daily about the source of his great strength. Samson finally tells her he is a Nazirite, and his strength lies in his seven locks of hair. Delilah summons the Philistine leaders and has Samson sleep on her lap. Samson’s locks are cut off while he is sleeping.

(Judges 16:20): Samson is seized by the Philistines.

(Judges 16:21-22): Samson's Philistine imprisonment. Samson’s eyes are gouged out by the Philistines. They bring him to Gaza where he sits at a hand mill and grinds grain all day long. Samson lives his life utterly humiliated. During this time, Samson repents and turns back to God. (Samson’s hair begins to grow.)

(Judges 16:23-25): Samson is mocked by his enemies. The Philistines gather to have a large celebration. Everyone was in high spirits and sent to have Samson entertain them.

(Judges 16:26-31): Samson's bittersweet death. Samson is brought to the festival. He asks the young boy who is guiding him if he can rest his hands on the pillars of the building. Samson in one last act, pushes the pillars from their bases and causes the building to collapse. There were 3,000 men and women looking on the event from the roof. Samson killed more on the day of his death than during all the other times he fought the Philistines. Samson’s family comes and buries Samson.


Chapter 17
Micah makes a shrine for idols
(Judges 17:1-2): Micah returns a large amount of stolen silver to his mother. A man named Mikayahu (who is like God) steals 1100 pieces of silver from his mother. The mother utters a curse against the person who stole her money. The man returns the money and his name is changed to Micah (who is like…God is dropped from the name). Micah received a blessing from his mom to off-set the curse she uttered.

(Judges 17:3-4): Micah's mother directs that some of the money be used to make an image to be used in worship. Micah’s mom says she will dedicate the 1100 pieces of silver to make an idol to God. Instead, she uses only 200 pieces of silver to make an idol.

(Judges 17:5): Micah establishes an elaborate worship service. Micah has a shrine and makes his son a priest for the family.

Micah hires an unscrupulous Levite
(Judges 17:6-8): An opportunistic Levite looking for employment. A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah comes to Ephraim looking for employment. The man finds Micah’s house.

(Judges 17:9-11): Micah hires the Levite. Micah offers the Levite a job which includes 10 pieces of silver a year, living accommodations and a suit of clothes.

(Judges 17:12-13): A false consecration and a false confidence. Micah consecrates the Levite as a priest. Micah has no authority to do this. The Levite has no authority to be a priest since the priests must come from Aaron’s line. The Levite is not a descendant of Aaron. Micah nows believes the LORD will prosper him now that he has a Levite as a priest.

Peace in a World Not His

As we move forward from this election, it can be easy to be lead astray and to let your emotions be riled up. Whether you are happy or frustrated by the election results, it should not matter. Our goal here on earth is to walk out our lives the best we can and follow the teachings and commandments set forth by God. Who is in charge at the White House should not change how you will live your life.

Fear: Don’t Give in to it

There are many on in our society who are spreading doom and gloom. They are saying the President-elect is going to change the face of the nation—a nationwide lock-down, mandatory vaccinations, changing the electoral college, etc., etc. This same fear happens every time anyone runs for office.

When President Trump was elected, we had people say he was going to give this nation over to big business. He was going to kick seniors out into the streets and take away their Medicare and social security. Did any of that happen. The answer is no.

When President Obama was elected, people were concerned he was going to take away tax breaks for personal retirement funds (i.e., make Roth IRAs taxable) and begin raiding personal retirement funds. We were told ObamaCare was going to be the end of our healthcare system. DId any of this happen? The answer is no.

Our government is extremely complex. For one person to change the entire landscape of our nation in four or eight years is not likely. You would need to have full control over the House, Senate and Supreme Court. But then, you also have the States’ sovereignty. Never forget federal government is limited. There are boundaries which the federal government cannot overstep.

Fear is the means by which the media and many companies profit. The more they scare you, the more likely you will stay home, order items online, watch television, etc. If you do not give in to fear and continue living your life as set out by the Bible, your emotions will not be affected by the fear mongers.

There is nothing more you can do
It is easy to be wrapped up in the emotions of the election and the results, but there is nothing more any of us can do. Everything is now in the hands of our elected officials and the court system. We can be worried or be stressed, but our emotions will not change the outcome of anything. The only thing we can do is continue living our lives, focusing on how to best serve our Creator.

If we wish things to be different, there are Congressional elections again in two years. In four years, we again have the right to vote for the President. Aside from the upcoming elections, our duty for this last election is over. It is time to move on and let the courts and the elected officials handed the rest.

Minor inconveniences
If things do change under this administration, and I guarantee things will change for better or for worse as they have with every person who has been elected to the office of the President, remember if you are not happy about them, in the scope of everything they are minor inconveniences. If the tax law changes requiring you to pay more taxes, will that make you lose your house and live on the streets begging for food? No. Will it leave you with less money to spend on luxuries such as going out to eat, going on vacation or buying a new car? Maybe.

We live in a very privileged society. We have free education available to everyone, high standards of living and luxuries which can only be dreamed of by the rest of the world.

In South Africa, the country is on the verge of bankruptcy. The government is out of control. Leaders are hungry for power and corruption. They are raiding the personal retirement funds of their citizens. The people cannot protest. Any objection to the government’s actions could mean you are arrested or more likely, executed. Crime is through the roof.

The images we see of certain cities such as Portland and NYC where crime is on the rise and it seems as though violence, vandalism and anarchy reign supreme, these extremes are only in certain sections of certain cities in a few states inside a massive nation. Now imagine the entire nation was like Portland where cars and buildings were burning, people were being shot and there was no law enforcement. People stole from individuals and robbed businesses. This is what the country of South Africa is like. There are no safe places. Everywhere it is a war zone. There is no peace. There is no police. There is no justice. It is every man for himself, but you cannot fight back or you will be arrested or killed by the government. These are real threats to their lives. These are real inconveniences. It is not about what car we can buy or which house should we live in. It is about where can I seek shelter and not be robbed, beaten or shot. Where can I find food? There is a constant threat to your life; there is a constant fight to stay alive.


The two extremes and flourishing under them both
We have many examples in the Bible of people living under oppressive regimes. Some of the governments had very lax laws and loose living. Some had very strict laws. Despite the circumstances, God’s people are able to flourish under them both.

Noah: Extreme liberal anything goes.
During Noah’s time, people had completely gone away from God. Shortly after God created Adam and Eve, men began profaning the name of the LORD. (Note what is translated as “to call upon the name of the LORD” is in Hebrew, “To call in a profane way (i.e., to make common) the name of the LORD.”)


 25Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Genesis 4:25-26)

The people started making God’s name common; they stopped reverencing Him as holy. They were living life any way they wanted, ignoring the commands they had from God.

      5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:5-8)

Noah was surrounded by pure wickedness, but he remained true to God. Noah is the first person to find grace in the sight of the LORD. Noah is rewarded for his faithfulness by being commanded to build an ark. Noah’s righteousness saves not only himself, but seven other members of his family.

Noah had about as much free choice as anyone could imagine. He probably was ridiculed for not partaking in the wickedness around him. It was probably extremely hard to remain faithful to God when sin was all around him.

Many people believe if they have freedom and an abundance of it, it would be very easy to live a life of following God. As we can see from Noah’s life, when there are few if any rules governing a society, anarchy and wickedness reign. When sin surrounds you everywhere you go, it can almost be too much of a temptation to give in and sin. It is much harder to live a life of righteousness when sin abounds than to live a life of righteousness when oppressed.

Daniel: Extreme lock-downs and cruel government
In the story of Daniel, we have almost the exact opposite societal situation from that of Noah. The Babylonian and Persian governments were extremely brutal. They had strict laws which could not be changed once declared. The king had absolute power. The people were powerless to rise up and protest.

When Daniel is taken to Babylon, he and his friends are supposed to eat food and drink which has been sacrificed to idols. They do not want to defile themselves. Daniel is bold. He asks for special accommodation. Amazingly, God grants Daniel compassion         in the sight of the commander of the officials.

      8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, 10and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12“Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13“Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
      14So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. (Daniel 1:8-16)

Daniel is bold. Daniel decides it is better to suffer consequences for following God than to submit to the king’s orders. God blesses Daniel and his friends for their faithfulness.

Daniel and his friends continue submitting to the oppressive government; however, when man’s law conflicts with God’s commands, Daniel and his friends risk death to follow God. And God delivers them from death. Examples include Daniel’s friends not being burned in the fiery furnace when they are commanded to bow down to a golden idol (Daniel chapter 3), and Daniel not being eaten by the lions when a decree is made to not pray to anyone but the king (Daniel chapter 6).


Worshiping God wherever you are
There was a Jewish man who was captured by the Russians and sent to Russian prison camps. Most people died in these camps. This man was sent from camp to camp. Each camp was progressively more and more brutal.

Finally, he was given his death sentence: he was sent to the northern regions of Siberia near the North Pole. The bright sun on the ice caused many people to go blind. The extreme isolation from the rest of the world caused many of the people to go mad. No one survived this place of extreme conditions. After serving 22 years in the various Russian camps, this Jewish man was set free.

The man flew to NYC to live with family and friends. When the man exited the car, he was singing a Jewish song as if he had just returned from a service at the synagogue. His family and friends were shocked. They asked the man, “Who can you be singing after spending 22 years in Russian prison camps!?” The man replied, “Well, nothing changed when I was in prison. In the morning, I said morning prayers. In the afternoon I said afternoon prayers. At night I said the shema. Just because my location was different did not mean I stopped worshiping God.”

Conclusion
This is what we must take away from everything. If policies change, if we become richer or poorer, if we must move to make ends meet, if we must change our daily lives in accordance with government policies, we can do all these things while still worshiping God.

The government does not affect our relationship with the Creator. The government does not affect our walk with the Creator.

We have the choice to keep on living for God or keep on living for ourselves. It is easy to live for God when our wallets are fat, our freedoms are vast, and peace and prosperity surround is. It is much more difficult to keep following our Maker when we are faced with uncertainty.

Many people want the Messiah to return tomorrow, but they forget the chaos which must first take place—wars, earthquakes, famines, etc. We want the utopian society without the suffering.

May continue to seek righteousness and only righteousness in the days, weeks and months to come.

 

Book of Judges Review Part Four (Chapters 9-12)

 Chapter 9
Abimelech is Gideon’s son by a concubine. One key thing to know is Abimelech was NOT a Judge. In fact, some wonder why this episode is even included in the Book of Judges. The story is somewhat of an antithesis of the previous three chapters. Gideon was a man raised up by God to be a Judge, and then he served the LORD in order to deliver his people from oppression. Contrast this with Abimelech, who was born into privilege, appointed himself as a leader of God's people and then served only his own personal lust for power in order to oppress his people.

Abimelech rallies his Canaanite family to rise up and support Abimelech as their leader. Abimelech murders his brothers. The people of Shechem make Abimelech their king. One of Gideon’s son (Jotham) is not slain. Jotham gives a fierce warning to Abimelech and Shechem about what will happen to them. He gives this warning in the form of a parable using trees. The olive, fig and vine refuse to be rulers. The trees of Jotham's parable had thus far failed to find a king. So, they went to what they saw as their last resort: the bramble. The bramble is the lowest grade of plant life. Any position would be considered a promotion. The bramble is hard, full of thorns and stickers and lies like a carpet on the surface of the ground. A bramble produces no fruit and no joy. It is worthless. However, it can cause harm and be a menace to farmers and other plants. It was especially dangerous during the summer months when it turned brittle and dry. It could easily catch fire and spreads at an amazing rate driven by hot winds. When it burns, it can ignite other plants as well.

The bramble agrees to be the trees' king. But they must come down and "take refuge in my shade". Additionally, if they confer kingship on it but will not take shelter in its shade, then the bramble will burn those trees down. Of course, what is portrayed here is an absurdity of sorts. Brambles cling so closely to the ground that they produce no usable shade.

Jotham applies the parable: the city of Shechem will be repaid for choosing such a worthless man. Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

Abimelech rules over Shechem for three years. Then an evil spirit arises between the men of Shechem and Abimelech. The men of Shechem set an ambush against Abimelech. They robbed all who might pass them along the road. The people of Shechem made plans to counter Abimelech's efforts as a first step towards deposing him. Among those plans was the one stated in verse 25 where they stationed liers in wait on the mountaintpos above Shecehm. In other words, they put some willing men upon the twin mountains of Ebal and Gerizim so they could look down upon the main trade highways running through Shechem which connected the east with the west and the north with the south. They then robbed the caravans which passed through the area.

Not only did this give these robbers a boost in their personal incomes, it caused a great deal of trouble for Abimelech, which was the intent. The kings of this era forced taxes and tolls from the traders and merchants who traveled the trade routes which ran through their territories. Part of the reason these traders agreed to pay the tolls was so they received the king's protection from thieves and nomads. If the local king failed to provide security and the thievery got too out of hand, the traders would avoid the area. The king would lose a major source of funds for his treasury. Abimelech soon learned of this, understood immediately what was happening and the stage was set for a showdown.

The men of Shechem choose a new leader, Gaal the son of Ebed. Gaal says he will defeat Abimelech. Zebul the leader of the city relays a message to Abimelech to come to Shechem and rout the city of Gaal. Abimelech defeats the rebellion of the men of Shechem. Abimelech attacks the citizens of Shechem and conquers the city.

The men of Shechem flee to the city’s tower. When Abimelech heard about the movements of the town's leadership, he took counter measures. He led his men to a nearby hill which had a dense growth of fir tress. He and his men chopped off branches, brought them to the temple-tower now packed with the upper crust of Shechem, laid the branches against it and then light them on fire. The greenness of the branches would have made for a horrible smoking while it burned through the wooden door and wooden roof which were standard for that time. Thus, many were killed as they sat huddled together. Over 1000 men and women were killed at the base of El's temple.

Then Abimelech went to Thebez. Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it. Abimelech used fire to force those who took refuge in the tower to come out or die by smoke and fire. But, this time, there was a different result. Abimelech approached the side of the tower to take hateful revenge by personally setting the branches against it which were lit on fire. A woman on the roof flung an upper millstone over the edge, striking Abimelech on his head and crushing his skull.

Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.


Chapter 10
Two minor judges:
Tola: Chapter ten begins by briefly introducing us to two of the five so-called "minor" judges. There is relatively little detail about either person. We are told Tola saved Israel, but that is about it. He ruled them for twenty-three years. He was from the tribe of Issachar; however, he lived in the hills of Ephraim.

Jair: Jair is only identified as being from Gilead. He judged the area for 22 years (one less than Tola before him). He held sway over 30 cities, each one governed by one of his thirty sons.

(Judges 10:7-9): LORD sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.

(Judges 10:10-14): Israel calls to the LORD; God's response to Israel.

(Judges 10:15-16): Repentance from Israel, mercy from God. They put away their foreign gods from among them.

(Judges 10:17-18): Israel gathers, but without a leader.
Verse 17 changes course and describes two armies. One was Ammon's army who assembled in Gilead in the Trans-Jordan. The other army was Israel's which was more of a militia. They assembled at Mizpah on the west side of the Jordan River. The time for confrontation between Israel and its eastern oppressor was at hand. But something was missing. Israel did not have a field general.

Chapter 11
Jephthah and the Ammonites

(Judges 11:1-3): Jephthah's background before his rise to leadership.
Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a harlot.
Illegitimate children of harlots were the lowest of the low in Israelite society (and most other societies as well). They were ignored and scorned, had no rights, received no schooling and were social outcasts. They lived miserable poverty stricken lives. Jephthah was kicked out of his father’s house. He leaves and lives in the land of Tob.

(Judges 11:4-8): The elders of Gilead call upon the leadership of Jephthah.

(Judges 11:9-11): Jephthah's response to the leaders of Gilead. Jephthah agrees to be Gilead’s leader on the condition he is made their leader.

(Judges 11:12-13): Jephthah negotiates with the King of the Ammonites. Jephthah sends messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon and tries to make the case the Ammonites never had claim to Israel’s land.

(Judges 11:29): Jephthah gathers troops and advances courageously on Ammon. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah.

(Judges 11:30-31): Jephthah makes a rash vow. Jephthah believes he can seek God's favor if he vowed to the LORD a sacrifice from the first thing which walks through the doors of his house to greet him when he returns home from battle after defeating the Ammonites.

(Judges 11:32-33): God grants Israel victory over the Ammonites.

(Judges 11:34-35): A difficult vow to fulfill. When Jephthah arrives home, his daughter comes out the door to greet him. Jephthah is devastated because he feels he can not go back on his vow to God since God had indeed given Israel victory.

(Judges 11:36-40): Jephthah fulfills his vow to God. Jephthah's daughter makes it clear she understood her father had no choice in the matter. She tells him to do what he has vowed he would do. In verse 39, we are told after a two month reprieve, her father followed through with his promise to God.


Chapter 12
Jephthah and the Ephraimites conflict

(Judges 12:1-3): The men of the tribe of Ephraim are angry with Jephthah. The tribe of Ephraim was the firstborn of the sons of Israel. They did not come to war when they were first called. Ephraim and Jephthah are very upset with each other. War breaks out.

(Judges 12:4-6): The Gileadites (led by Jephthah) overwhelm the people of the tribe of Ephraim. The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim.

Shibboleth: Apparently the Ephraimites had lost their ability to pronounce the letter sheen, which is the "sh" sound. Instead, they could only say it was an "s" sound. This dead giveaway proved to be fatal.

Jephthah's army devastated the Ephraimite army and killed 42,000 men, many because they could not make an "sh" sound, which prevented them from escaping across the river. This would have no doubt for many years greatly curtailed Ephraim's ability to both protect itself and to project its power over others. So, its status would have diminished for a time as a result of its arrogance which led to this ill-conceived and completely unnecessary battle with Jephthah and the highly insulted men of Gilead who had done such a good service for Israel.

(Judges 12:7): The remainder of Jephthah's time as a Judge. Jephthah judged Israel for six years.

Three minor judges:
(Judges 12:8-10): The Judge Ibzan. The era of Jephthah is over. After him came Ibzan. Almost nothing is said of him. We are not even sure of his tribal affiliation. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He judged Israel for seven years.

(Judges 12:11-12): The judge Elon. Elon was from the tribe of Zebulun.

(Judges 12:13-15): The Judge Abdon. Next came Abdon who had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. These sons rode on donkeys. This was a very royal and aristocratic family. Having so many children indicates Abdon had many wives and very well had 40 or more daughters in addition to all his sons. He most likely also ruled during a time of peace and prosperity. The time from his anointing to his death was a mere eight years.