Read Judges 21
This chapter is a story of redemption. God restoring after war and devastation. All Israel has promised not to give their daughters to a Benjamite to marry. Those who fight are mourning the loss of their brother Benjamin. They must have felt like I do when I hear another preacher has lost his church because of an affair, or another Christian marriage has broken up, or another Christian has decided to go after the things of the world. But, read verse 6. They repented
for Benjamin their brother. How sweet is that? Then they tried to find a solution for them to carry on their inheritance which would mean they would need women to marry. The other tribes had sworn they would not let any of their women marry Benjamites. This was a problem since most of their women had been killed in battle.
But before tending to that, they got rid of the sin in the camp. There was one group that didn't come out to fight. They sent 12,000 men to wipe out all except for the young virgins. The line of Jabesh-gilead was now stopped. "Jabesh-gilead" means a dried testimony. That just about explains what happened to their testimony - it dried up. If we don't fight for something we will have lived in vain.
Next they went to the Rock of Rimmon where some of the Benjamites had fled. I quess that was like running to the altar and holding on the horns for mercy. They gave these men the young virgins they had gotten in Jabesh-gilead, but there wasn't enough for every man. But, they remembered that Shiloah had a festival every year where the young virgins would come out and dance. They told the men to hide in the vineyards till the women came out to dance, then go get one. What a surprise for the women!!! Gives a new meaning to "being swept off your feet."
They did just that and took them back home to start building back Benjamin's inheritance. Notice the last line: "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes." That line is like God's disclaimer: '"this is man's way, not My way."
I sure don't want God to say that over my life: "she had no king, so she did what was right in her own eyes." This story seems so barbaric, so unfair, and so unGod. And it is, because what is right in our own eyes is always barbaric, unfair, and unGod. God, we seek your ways, your heart, your thoughts. We want to have you as our King and do everything that is right in Your eyes.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tues. devo - I'm glad I don't live in the Old Testament
Read Judges 19-20
Israel is living in a time when "every man did what was right in their own eyes." I don't enjoy reading these chapters because it makes me sick to read what happened to that poor concubine. Women were treated like property: used and abused. A Levite is traveling with his concubine and comes to the Benjamite town of Gibeah, where he needs to stay for the night. An old man takes him home with him but when the men of the town found out there was a stranger in town they want him handed over to them to sexually abuse. The are homosexuals. The man gave them his concubine instead. (How inhumane!!!) These wicked men of Gibeah took her and abused her all night. The next morning they found her dead body at the door of the house and her hands on the threshold. When she wouldn't get up the man took her home and cut her body into 11 pieces and sent them to all the tribes of Israel except Benjamin. He rallied all of them to go fight this Benjamite town. The whole tribe of Benjamin chose to fight for this town.
The first two days of battle, the Benjamites won even though the Israelites had asked for God's blessing. By the third day, the Israelites were pretty discouraged. They fasted, prayed, offered sacrifices, and God told them they would win today. They drew the Benjamins away from the city and caught the city on fire. Israel won the victory.
Sometimes we have to keep fighting even when things don't look promising. There are some strongholds that "hold" on very "strongly". When the disciples couldn't cast out a deaf and dumb demon (Mark 9:17-29) Jesus said, "This kind come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." Isaiah 58 says that fasting undoes heavy burdens, breaks yokes, and lets the oppressed go free.
Lord, give us a tenatious spirit to keep fighting against all odds. Show us when we need to fast, when we need to fight, and when we need to just be still and let you fight for us. In everything, we trust you.
Israel is living in a time when "every man did what was right in their own eyes." I don't enjoy reading these chapters because it makes me sick to read what happened to that poor concubine. Women were treated like property: used and abused. A Levite is traveling with his concubine and comes to the Benjamite town of Gibeah, where he needs to stay for the night. An old man takes him home with him but when the men of the town found out there was a stranger in town they want him handed over to them to sexually abuse. The are homosexuals. The man gave them his concubine instead. (How inhumane!!!) These wicked men of Gibeah took her and abused her all night. The next morning they found her dead body at the door of the house and her hands on the threshold. When she wouldn't get up the man took her home and cut her body into 11 pieces and sent them to all the tribes of Israel except Benjamin. He rallied all of them to go fight this Benjamite town. The whole tribe of Benjamin chose to fight for this town.
The first two days of battle, the Benjamites won even though the Israelites had asked for God's blessing. By the third day, the Israelites were pretty discouraged. They fasted, prayed, offered sacrifices, and God told them they would win today. They drew the Benjamins away from the city and caught the city on fire. Israel won the victory.
Sometimes we have to keep fighting even when things don't look promising. There are some strongholds that "hold" on very "strongly". When the disciples couldn't cast out a deaf and dumb demon (Mark 9:17-29) Jesus said, "This kind come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." Isaiah 58 says that fasting undoes heavy burdens, breaks yokes, and lets the oppressed go free.
Lord, give us a tenatious spirit to keep fighting against all odds. Show us when we need to fast, when we need to fight, and when we need to just be still and let you fight for us. In everything, we trust you.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday's Devo - Samson vs. John the Baptist
Read Luke 1:5-17
I know Samson is finished, but I have to bring up an interesting discovery I made. I have found that the Bible is full of dualities. Two people will have so much in common, yet turn out completly opposite. (Jacob and Esau, Adam and Jesus, Isaac and Ishmael) I see this mirror image in Samson and John the Baptist. Both were born to women who were barren till God spoke life into their womb. Both parents were visited by an angel from the Lord and told not to eat or drink anything from the vine. Both were dedicated from the womb. Now things get different. Samson was put under a strict Nazirite vow. It was the epitome of living "under the law." He was to live all his life under this strict law. The law didn't make him a godly man, in fact, it did just the opposite. Religion makes you a Pharasee - good on the outside, but dead on the inside. Samson followed the strict law of the Nazirite (until Delilah) and broke all the others. He went after prostitutes, hung out with the heathens, murdered for revenge, destroyed property, etc., etc. The only time we see him calling out for God is in the end so he could "avenge his two eyes."
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb. His mission was to turn the hearts of the children of Israel to the Lord. He was to give the spirit and power of Elijah. Samson had super natural strenth; John had Supernatural power. Both came from God: one natural, one spiritual. That is the main point about the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament is about laws that man cannot keep. The New Testament is about God's spirit who can give you power to overcome our flesh.
Samson brought fear and terror everywhere he went. John brought joy and salvation. I can't imagine what it was like to live in the Old Testament without a Bible and without the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful to be living now.
We have a mirror image. It is ourself. We have the "old man" and the "new man". The old man tries to follow God's laws with little success. The new man falls on the mercy of God and is strengthened with God's power to walk with God. The new is so much better. Romans is all about these two that war against each other. Lord, kill our flesh that your life might be resurrected in us.
I know Samson is finished, but I have to bring up an interesting discovery I made. I have found that the Bible is full of dualities. Two people will have so much in common, yet turn out completly opposite. (Jacob and Esau, Adam and Jesus, Isaac and Ishmael) I see this mirror image in Samson and John the Baptist. Both were born to women who were barren till God spoke life into their womb. Both parents were visited by an angel from the Lord and told not to eat or drink anything from the vine. Both were dedicated from the womb. Now things get different. Samson was put under a strict Nazirite vow. It was the epitome of living "under the law." He was to live all his life under this strict law. The law didn't make him a godly man, in fact, it did just the opposite. Religion makes you a Pharasee - good on the outside, but dead on the inside. Samson followed the strict law of the Nazirite (until Delilah) and broke all the others. He went after prostitutes, hung out with the heathens, murdered for revenge, destroyed property, etc., etc. The only time we see him calling out for God is in the end so he could "avenge his two eyes."
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb. His mission was to turn the hearts of the children of Israel to the Lord. He was to give the spirit and power of Elijah. Samson had super natural strenth; John had Supernatural power. Both came from God: one natural, one spiritual. That is the main point about the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament is about laws that man cannot keep. The New Testament is about God's spirit who can give you power to overcome our flesh.
Samson brought fear and terror everywhere he went. John brought joy and salvation. I can't imagine what it was like to live in the Old Testament without a Bible and without the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful to be living now.
We have a mirror image. It is ourself. We have the "old man" and the "new man". The old man tries to follow God's laws with little success. The new man falls on the mercy of God and is strengthened with God's power to walk with God. The new is so much better. Romans is all about these two that war against each other. Lord, kill our flesh that your life might be resurrected in us.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday Devo - Vow Fulfilled
Read Judges 16:21-31
Normally, a Nazirite makes a vow for a certain amount of time then is free. After he has fulfilled his vow he goes to the entrance of the Tabernacle and offers sacrifices to the Lord. Then the Nazirite shaves their head and the hair is placed on the fire under the sacrifice. The priest puts some of the sacrifice into the hands of the Naiarite. After this ceremony the Nazirite may drink wine again.
Samson was different because he was to be a Nazirite till he died. If a Nazirite comes into contact with a dead person, then the hair he has dedicated will be defiled and has to be shaved. That is what happened to Samson, he chose to associate with the dead - Deliah; so his head was defiled. It had to be shaved. Delilah had just the right barber. The Philistines put out his eyes, brought him to Gaza (which ironically means "strong") and bound him with fetters of brass. Brass is from a Hebrew word that means "from the red color of the throat of a serpent when hissing". Satan was certainly hissing when he delivered Samson over to the Philistines. His eyes had been used to get him in trouble in the past. He admired way too many women with them. His eyes won't be troubling him anymore. He was made to grind in the prison house.
However, God is a redeeming God. While Samson was grinding in the prison house, his hair began to grow. The Philistines were celebrating their fish god, Dagon for delivering them from their enemies, mainly Samson. After a few too many drinks, they called to have Samson brought out so they could taunt him. A much humbler Samson came out and called out to God to give him strength to avenge him of his eyes. He stood in the entrance of the building and took the pillars and brought the roof down. He became the sacrifice, that his vow would be fulfilled. He killed more Philistines in his death than in his life.
Samson is always a sad story to me because although Samson was dedicated to God, he never seemed to accept it or make it a goal. Instead of embracing his calling to start delivering the Israelites from the Philistines, he was motivated by revenge and rage. And instead of wanting a relationship with God, he had a lot of relationships with harlots. It does prove that the gifts of God are without repentence. (Ro. 11:29) They don't depend on our devotion or anything we do.
I pray that we use our gifts for God with great joy and devotion. May we enjoy our jouney with God and all the ways he choses to use us. Purify our hearts O God!
Normally, a Nazirite makes a vow for a certain amount of time then is free. After he has fulfilled his vow he goes to the entrance of the Tabernacle and offers sacrifices to the Lord. Then the Nazirite shaves their head and the hair is placed on the fire under the sacrifice. The priest puts some of the sacrifice into the hands of the Naiarite. After this ceremony the Nazirite may drink wine again.
Samson was different because he was to be a Nazirite till he died. If a Nazirite comes into contact with a dead person, then the hair he has dedicated will be defiled and has to be shaved. That is what happened to Samson, he chose to associate with the dead - Deliah; so his head was defiled. It had to be shaved. Delilah had just the right barber. The Philistines put out his eyes, brought him to Gaza (which ironically means "strong") and bound him with fetters of brass. Brass is from a Hebrew word that means "from the red color of the throat of a serpent when hissing". Satan was certainly hissing when he delivered Samson over to the Philistines. His eyes had been used to get him in trouble in the past. He admired way too many women with them. His eyes won't be troubling him anymore. He was made to grind in the prison house.
However, God is a redeeming God. While Samson was grinding in the prison house, his hair began to grow. The Philistines were celebrating their fish god, Dagon for delivering them from their enemies, mainly Samson. After a few too many drinks, they called to have Samson brought out so they could taunt him. A much humbler Samson came out and called out to God to give him strength to avenge him of his eyes. He stood in the entrance of the building and took the pillars and brought the roof down. He became the sacrifice, that his vow would be fulfilled. He killed more Philistines in his death than in his life.
Samson is always a sad story to me because although Samson was dedicated to God, he never seemed to accept it or make it a goal. Instead of embracing his calling to start delivering the Israelites from the Philistines, he was motivated by revenge and rage. And instead of wanting a relationship with God, he had a lot of relationships with harlots. It does prove that the gifts of God are without repentence. (Ro. 11:29) They don't depend on our devotion or anything we do.
I pray that we use our gifts for God with great joy and devotion. May we enjoy our jouney with God and all the ways he choses to use us. Purify our hearts O God!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday Devo - Vow Fulfilled
Read Judges 16:21-31
Normally, a Nazirite makes a vow for a certain amount of time then is free. After he has fulfilled his vow he goes to the entrance of the Tabernacle and offers sacrifices to the Lord. Then the Nazirite shaves their head and the hair is placed on the fire under the sacrifice. The priest puts some of the sacrifice into the hands of the Naiarite. After this ceremony the Nazirite may drink wine again.
Samson was different because he was to be a Nazirite till he died. If a Nazirite comes into contact with a dead person, then the hair he has dedicated will be defiled and has to be shaved. That is what happened to Samson, he chose to associate with the dead - Deliah; so his head was defiled. It had to be shaved. Delilah had just the right barber. The Philistines put out his eyes, brought him to Gaza (which ironically means "strong") and bound him with fetters of brass. Brass is from a Hebrew word that means "from the red color of the throat of a serpent when hissing". Satan was certainly hissing when he delivered Samson over to the Philistines. His eyes had been used to get him in trouble in the past. He admired way too many women with them. His eyes won't be troubling him anymore. He was made to grind in the prison house.
However, God is a redeeming God. While Samson was grinding in the prison house, his hair began to grow. The Philistines were celebrating their fish god, Dagon for delivering them from their enemies, mainly Samson. After a few too many drinks, they called to have Samson brought out so they could taunt him. A much humbler Samson came out and called out to God to give him strength to avenge him of his eyes. He stood in the entrance of the building and took the pillars and brought the roof down. He became the sacrifice, that his vow would be fulfilled. He killed more Philistines in his death than in his life.
Samson is always a sad story to me because although Samson was dedicated to God, he never seemed to accept it or make it a goal. Instead of embracing his calling to start delivering the Israelites from the Philistines, he was motivated by revenge and rage. And instead of wanting a relationship with God, he had a lot of relationships with harlots. It does prove that the gifts of God are without repentence. (Ro. 11:29) They don't depend on our devotion or anything we do.
I pray that we use our gifts for God with great joy and devotion. May we enjoy our jouney with God and all the ways he choses to use us. Purify our hearts O God!
Normally, a Nazirite makes a vow for a certain amount of time then is free. After he has fulfilled his vow he goes to the entrance of the Tabernacle and offers sacrifices to the Lord. Then the Nazirite shaves their head and the hair is placed on the fire under the sacrifice. The priest puts some of the sacrifice into the hands of the Naiarite. After this ceremony the Nazirite may drink wine again.
Samson was different because he was to be a Nazirite till he died. If a Nazirite comes into contact with a dead person, then the hair he has dedicated will be defiled and has to be shaved. That is what happened to Samson, he chose to associate with the dead - Deliah; so his head was defiled. It had to be shaved. Delilah had just the right barber. The Philistines put out his eyes, brought him to Gaza (which ironically means "strong") and bound him with fetters of brass. Brass is from a Hebrew word that means "from the red color of the throat of a serpent when hissing". Satan was certainly hissing when he delivered Samson over to the Philistines. His eyes had been used to get him in trouble in the past. He admired way too many women with them. His eyes won't be troubling him anymore. He was made to grind in the prison house.
However, God is a redeeming God. While Samson was grinding in the prison house, his hair began to grow. The Philistines were celebrating their fish god, Dagon for delivering them from their enemies, mainly Samson. After a few too many drinks, they called to have Samson brought out so they could taunt him. A much humbler Samson came out and called out to God to give him strength to avenge him of his eyes. He stood in the entrance of the building and took the pillars and brought the roof down. He became the sacrifice, that his vow would be fulfilled. He killed more Philistines in his death than in his life.
Samson is always a sad story to me because although Samson was dedicated to God, he never seemed to accept it or make it a goal. Instead of embracing his calling to start delivering the Israelites from the Philistines, he was motivated by revenge and rage. And instead of wanting a relationship with God, he had a lot of relationships with harlots. It does prove that the gifts of God are without repentence. (Ro. 11:29) They don't depend on our devotion or anything we do.
I pray that we use our gifts for God with great joy and devotion. May we enjoy our jouney with God and all the ways he choses to use us. Purify our hearts O God!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thurs. Devo - Flirting with Evil
Read Judges 16: 1-20
Samson and Delilah; who has not heard of the lovers? "Delilah" means the vine of grapes. (Aren't grapes one of the things Samson was not suppose to eat?) She was bribed by the Philistine lords with 1100 pieces of silver to find out the secret of his strength.
First he told her that if she bound him with 7 new cords that hadn't been dried. (A Nazarite can't eat new grapes or dried.) But that didn't work. Next he told her to bind him with new ropes that have never been occupied. (A Nazarite can't eat anything made of the vine tree, from the inside of the unripe or new grape to the outside peel.) He broke these off like threads. She's still whinning... so he tells her to weave the 7 locks of his head with the web. (If a Nazarite accidentally come into contact with a dead person he has to shave his head on the 7th day.) Is Samson trying to give her subtle hints? When this didn't work she resorted to pure female manipulation: "How can you say you love me...when you haven't told me where your great strength lies?" She nagged him and nagged him till she finally wore him down and he told her. He could have told her about breaking any law of the Nazarite, but he chose the one about the hair. In the Nazarite laws (Numbers 6:7) it says, "that the consecration of his God is upon his head." Christ is our head and we are the body.
When Delilah saw that Samson had told her all his heart, she sent for the Philistine lords. She made him sleep in her lap and had his hair cut. They tormented him and watched as his strength left him. I wonder what that looked like? "Tormented" in the Hebrew means "to brow-beat". So they spoke curses over him. Words are powerful. Then she woke him up telling him that the Philistines were upon him. He got up like always and didn't even realize his strength had left him. He had gotten so caloused to the presence of God that he didn't recognize he had lost it.
Samson flirted with sin till he finally got swept away by it. How many times do we stay in situations where we are being whittled down by the world or Satan and just continue to stay there thinking we can be strong. Samson's pride blinded him to Delilah's deception. They say, "Sin will take you further than you meant to go, keep you longer than you meant to stay, and cost you more than you meant to pay." How true. In the end his discernment was so weak, he didn't even know God had left him.
Lord, show us where we are tempting evil. Give us a glimpse of your holiness to bring us back to the light. Let us be quick to turn and repent. We love you.
Samson and Delilah; who has not heard of the lovers? "Delilah" means the vine of grapes. (Aren't grapes one of the things Samson was not suppose to eat?) She was bribed by the Philistine lords with 1100 pieces of silver to find out the secret of his strength.
First he told her that if she bound him with 7 new cords that hadn't been dried. (A Nazarite can't eat new grapes or dried.) But that didn't work. Next he told her to bind him with new ropes that have never been occupied. (A Nazarite can't eat anything made of the vine tree, from the inside of the unripe or new grape to the outside peel.) He broke these off like threads. She's still whinning... so he tells her to weave the 7 locks of his head with the web. (If a Nazarite accidentally come into contact with a dead person he has to shave his head on the 7th day.) Is Samson trying to give her subtle hints? When this didn't work she resorted to pure female manipulation: "How can you say you love me...when you haven't told me where your great strength lies?" She nagged him and nagged him till she finally wore him down and he told her. He could have told her about breaking any law of the Nazarite, but he chose the one about the hair. In the Nazarite laws (Numbers 6:7) it says, "that the consecration of his God is upon his head." Christ is our head and we are the body.
When Delilah saw that Samson had told her all his heart, she sent for the Philistine lords. She made him sleep in her lap and had his hair cut. They tormented him and watched as his strength left him. I wonder what that looked like? "Tormented" in the Hebrew means "to brow-beat". So they spoke curses over him. Words are powerful. Then she woke him up telling him that the Philistines were upon him. He got up like always and didn't even realize his strength had left him. He had gotten so caloused to the presence of God that he didn't recognize he had lost it.
Samson flirted with sin till he finally got swept away by it. How many times do we stay in situations where we are being whittled down by the world or Satan and just continue to stay there thinking we can be strong. Samson's pride blinded him to Delilah's deception. They say, "Sin will take you further than you meant to go, keep you longer than you meant to stay, and cost you more than you meant to pay." How true. In the end his discernment was so weak, he didn't even know God had left him.
Lord, show us where we are tempting evil. Give us a glimpse of your holiness to bring us back to the light. Let us be quick to turn and repent. We love you.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wed Devo - From Death to Life
Wed. Devo
Read Judges 13
"And the children of Israel did evil AGAIN in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines 40 years....not again!?! So there is this man named Manoah and his wife who is barren. Ever notice how so many of the women in the Bible are barren women? Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, (the wives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). Then Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist in the New Testament. It is like being barren is a prerequisite for having a son that will be used greatly of God. As I meditated on this I realized that we are all barren before God visits us with His spirit and gives us life. Before that we cannot reproduce life. Once He is in us we give forth life everywhere we go.
This angel appears to Manoah's wife (apparently her name was not of significance) and told her she was going to conceive a son who was going to be a Nazarite from birth. He would deliver Israel from the Philistines. A Nazarite is a person separated unto the Lord. He can't drink wine or liquor, or eat grapes, raisins or anything unclean. He can't cut his hair, or come near a dead body, even if it is someone in his immediate family. He is to be holy to the Lord. (Num. 6)
Manoah missed the meeting with the angel so he asked for another one because he had some questions. God's angel came back and answered all his questions. Then, Manoah offered a sacrifice and the angel consumed it with fire and disappeared in the fire. How is that for the dramatic!
His wife got pregnant and conceived Sampson which means "a ray of sunlight". Then in the last verse it says , "And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. "Zorah" means a stinging hornet and Eshtaol means "intreaty". So it looks to me like God is saying that in between the times of his judgement (the stinging hornet) and their calling out (intreating) to Him that God began to move in their midst.
Lord, you saw us in our barrenness and put life in us through Your son, Jesus. We are so grateful. Let all that we do birth life to those around us. Let us be a ray of sunlight in someone's life today.
Read Judges 13
"And the children of Israel did evil AGAIN in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines 40 years....not again!?! So there is this man named Manoah and his wife who is barren. Ever notice how so many of the women in the Bible are barren women? Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, (the wives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). Then Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist in the New Testament. It is like being barren is a prerequisite for having a son that will be used greatly of God. As I meditated on this I realized that we are all barren before God visits us with His spirit and gives us life. Before that we cannot reproduce life. Once He is in us we give forth life everywhere we go.
This angel appears to Manoah's wife (apparently her name was not of significance) and told her she was going to conceive a son who was going to be a Nazarite from birth. He would deliver Israel from the Philistines. A Nazarite is a person separated unto the Lord. He can't drink wine or liquor, or eat grapes, raisins or anything unclean. He can't cut his hair, or come near a dead body, even if it is someone in his immediate family. He is to be holy to the Lord. (Num. 6)
Manoah missed the meeting with the angel so he asked for another one because he had some questions. God's angel came back and answered all his questions. Then, Manoah offered a sacrifice and the angel consumed it with fire and disappeared in the fire. How is that for the dramatic!
His wife got pregnant and conceived Sampson which means "a ray of sunlight". Then in the last verse it says , "And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. "Zorah" means a stinging hornet and Eshtaol means "intreaty". So it looks to me like God is saying that in between the times of his judgement (the stinging hornet) and their calling out (intreating) to Him that God began to move in their midst.
Lord, you saw us in our barrenness and put life in us through Your son, Jesus. We are so grateful. Let all that we do birth life to those around us. Let us be a ray of sunlight in someone's life today.
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