Monday, April 16, 2012

Bible Reading Challenge Week 16 Day 1

Our reading challenge for the day is Judges 15-19. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Judges 15-16 - This chapter gives us a clear view of this deliverer of Israel. He has been away from his wife long enough that her father has married her to another man. He retaliates by military force. He then engages in various types of deceit and complains to God about his thirst before seeing God’s provision of water. When he ends up with another woman, to whom he is not married, she entices him to disclose the secret of his strength. It takes her several attempts, so it is clear that he knew what she was doing but didn’t seem to care. In the end he seems to care about God as he is bringing down the Philistine palace. Yet we are left doubting his sincerity and commitment. Of course, many are left doubting us as well. The bottom line is that God uses unexpected deliverers.

Judges 17-19 - See how the society spirals down into idolatry and worse as there are no judges. People make their own gods, hire priests to serve those gods, use those priests to serve as prophets of the true God, and generally go their own way. At the end of chapter 19 we see murder and mayhem of all sorts.

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