Eleven Men and a Lady

Judges 

In part of the last blog post I mentioned how the High priest seemed absent in the book of Judges. Regarding the conquest of the promised land, it was Eleazer the third son of Aaron, that was with Joshua, and took part in the distribution of the land recorded in Joshua 14:1

- When Joshua passed away, some time after that it is recorded that Eleazer died and was buried too, Joshua 24:33

- Phinehas Eleazer’s son is mentioned, or rather the town named after him as the location where Eleazer is buried.

- Was Phinehas installed as High Priest at that point or before? Dunno.

- Phinehas, or rather the name, shows up again in the battle between the tribes and the tribe of Benjamin because of the Levite and his concubine. Judges 20: 27, 28 - And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days) 

- One thing we know for sure is at some point between Judges and the time of 1 Samuel, the High Priest’s position moves from Eleazer’s line, Phinehas’, or his kid(s) to Eleazer’s brother Ithmar, or rather his descent Eli, who is mentioned in 1 Samuel along with his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. (Boy! didn’t that get confusing quick)

- Two men with the same name, one recorded earlier as being zealous for the LORD, Exodus 25:10 and one who the text states “did not know GOD”, 1 Samuel 2:12

- Keep the first Phinehas in mind when we get to the war with Benjamin.

- Prelude, the Nations that remained would be a test for the new generation of Israelites that had not experienced war, to teach them and test whether obey the commandments of the LORD.

- In verse 6 of Chapter 3 the Israelites were intermarrying with the people of the land, something GOD had forbid them to do, in turn the people served the Baals and the Asheroth not the true GOD.

- The first Judge the LORD raised up was Caleb’s younger brother Othneil, and then the land had rest for forty years.

- Othniel’s area of influence was between Beersheba, and Hebron.

- Israel was under servitude to the king of Mesopotamia for eight years, then free for 40 years. Freedom or servitude, which is better? Apparently, Israel has a hard time deciding. (If I’m being honest me too, before Christ)

- Next King of Moab, Eglon defeated Israel and the people served him 18 years until GOD raised up Ehud (Judge), a left-handed Benjaminite. He freed the people and the land had rest for eighty years.  Oppressed for 18yrs free for 80.

- Ehud’s area of influence was in Benjamin and Ephraim.

- Next was Shamgar who is credited with saving the people from the Philistines. 

- Shamgar’s area of influence would have been northern Israel somewhere between Megiddo and Hazor, close to the sea.

- Next on the scene after Ehud death is Deborah a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel. Pause on this one, yes, a woman. It is written that the people of Israel came up for her judgement at the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim.

- Do a little digging, how far away was Shiloh and the tabernacle, the ark, and the High Priest?

- Interesting that Deborah is Judging for the people, a woman no less and no mention of the religious leader of Israel. (A man) 

- GOD can and will use those he chooses to, it’s not based on my or your criteria, it’s the LORD’s. Keep that in mind the next time you see a Woman, that GOD is using for the kingdom. GOD is not going to ask you if it violates your laws. That’s like asking an infant what it thinks about particle physics, the Hadron collider, and quarks?

- Jabin King of Canaan, in Hazor and his army commander, Sisera

oppressed Israel for twenty years, they used chariots of iron.

- Notice in the text, Deborah, she tells a man named Barak, or rather reminds him that the LORD has already spoke to him about the coming battle with Sisera the general of Jabin’s army.  The LORD will draw them out to battle and deliver them into Barak’s hand.

- Barak (a man, the commander of 10,000 men) said he will not go to battle unless Deborah (a woman) goes with him. Yes, I’m repeating this intentionally to belabor the point. 

- The LORD does not deliver Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army into the hand of Barak for his glory, but into the hand of a woman, Jael the wife of Heber a Kenite. Again ouch! to the male warrior ego.

- A reminder that GOD is the one who wins battles, not numbers, not chariots of Iron and horses, men, or egos.

- The Song of Deborah and Barak reveals that the LORD used the weather and a woman against the forces of Sisera, two things that men find hard to control, but still try.

- In the Song it mentions that Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, Dan stayed with the ships. Asher sat still by his landings, while Zebulun and Naphtali risked their lives. Verse 23 the angel of the LORD curses Meroz, it’s inhabitants because they did not come to the help of the LORD.

- “Meroz” is a reminder for us that if the LORD asks you to help, remember GOD can get it done without you, but GOD choses to have his people partner with him in the work. It should be a fearful thing to say no and refuse the KING of Kings and the LORD of Lords and be cursed for it.

- Israel was oppressed for twenty years and afterwards the land had rest for forty years, interesting phrase?

- Next Midian and the Amalekites oppressed Israel for seven years and then GOD raised up Gideon. The people cried out to the LORD and the LORD reminded them why they were in this predicament, but still sent someone to help.

- The Angel of the LORD appears to Gideon who is hiding while beating out the wheat in a winepress. Gideon by his own words is the least in his father’s house, amongst a clan that is considered the weakest in Manasseh.

- Again, GOD chose not work through the High Priest, Levites, or the Elders of Israel, to get things accomplished. Could it be that they are not doing the work they have been given? 

- In Gideon’s conversation and meal prep and offering to the angel of the LORD, a physical manifestation, whose staff touched the food, and it was consumed by fire, then the angel vanished. As Gideon was standing there talking to himself, GOD who is still there answers him and later that night continues to instruct him the next steps.

- Gideon’s fleece and him being unsure of GOD’s answer, this is a wonderful picture of GOD’s patience with us and dealing with our doubts and anxiety. GOD knows all about your anxieties and doubts and loves you anyway.

- Gideon and the initial 22,000 people, more than half of them were fearful and did not want to go to war. Of the 10,000 that remained only 300 were truly ready for battle. The rest were sent back home.

- When GOD is the one leading the campaign, the numbers mean very little. GOD can do it all without us, but desires us to join in the work, remembering that apart from the LORD it wouldn’t work.

- After Gideon and his men scared the Midianites (I’m sure GOD was working in the background), they fled, and Gideon and his men chased them. What happens next is a picture of the uncooperative spirit in Israel this is evident in the interaction between Gideon and the men of Ephraim, Gideon, and the men of Succoth, and the men of Penuel. Israel was supposed to be one nation under GOD, instead they were many ununified locations each under a god/authority of their own choosing. Remind you of any country(ies) you know?

- After the victory some of the men of Israel wanted to make Gideon a ruler over them, and not just Gideon, but his son and grandson.

- Gideon’s answer shows he knew exactly who was responsible for the victory and who Israel’s rightful ruler is, the LORD.

- Gideon’s ephod may have been for him just a reminder of all that the LORD at accomplished and the victory won, but to Gideon’s family and others it became snare because they desired it more than the one who had saved them.

- Seven years of oppression from Midian and then Forty years of rest because of GOD’s work through a judge named Gideon. 

- The history of Abimelech is the scary “What if” to the peoples request to make Gideon their king. Abimelech was a son of Gideon who desired to be ruler of the people in his area.

- It seems whenever someone desires to be God (King) instead of leaving that to GOD alone, death follows soon afterwards. It happened in the garden, with the Man and the Woman, it will happen to members of the Devine council Psalm 82: 6-7 and it begins and ends with Abimelech.

- He makes an offer to the leaders of Shechem, and they decide to follow him. They give him seventy pieces that had been donated to the house of Baal-berith a god of the shechemities.

- With the money he hires some mercs and goes to his Fathers house and kills all the male descendants of Gideon except for the youngest Jotham because he hid himself.

- Jotham makes a pronouncement against the leaders of Shechem and Abimelech, he reminds them that it was Gideon who fought and risked his life for the people and they in turn have aided in the death of all the male descendants of Gideon except for him. He then runs away to Beer away from his brother Abimelech.

- Abimelech ruled for three years, then GOD judged him by sending an evil between him and the leaders of Shechem

- Eventually Abimelech not only captures their city, he kills all the people in it, destroys the city and if that were not enough he sows it with salt so nothing grows there. He went to a Tower stronghold where other leaders of Shechem were hiding and burnt it down killing everyone in the tower. Abimelech went to another strong tower where leaders of another city were hiding and attempted to do the same thing and a woman threw a milestone and crushed his skull. As Abimelech lay dying, he asked his armour-bearer to run him through so they wouldn’t say a woman killed him. That didn’t work because GOD made sure anyone reading Judges would know what really happened. GOD used a woman to give Abimelech a killer headache.

- After Abimelech, Tola a man of Issachar who lived in Shamir, the hill country of Ephraim arose to save Israel.  He judged Israel twenty-three years and he died.

- After Tola, Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel twenty-two years.

- In Judges 10: 6 the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, Ashtaroth, gods of Sidon, gods of Moab, gods of the Ammonites, gods of the Philistines. The LORD was angry with them, and they were oppressed for eighteen years.

- Again, I ask the question, where is the Spiritual leader of Israel? Where is the High Priest and the Levites? 

- In verse 10:15 the people recognize they have sinned and put away their foreign gods, the people of Israel came together and camped at Mizpah, and the leaders of Gilead asked the question, who will fight for us? He shall be our leader.

- Seems they forgot about GOD’s command to Judah (Judges 1:2), also who was in fact the head over all the inhabitants, not just Gilead, but all of Israel.

Next – Judges continued and closing arguments