Judges continued and closing arguments

Judges chapters 13 - 21

- Samson is one of the bible characters that tends to get covered quite extensively. Before Samson was born GOD had delivered the Israelite's into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. GOD announced and raised up Samson as a judge and he judged Israel for 20 years it is never said that he tried delivering the Israelite's from Philistine control or that he worked with or ever communicated with the High Priest.

- When the Angel of the LORD announced the pregnancy and instructions on how to raise the child as a Nazarite. Numbers 6: 1-27  The Angel of the LORD converses with Manoah’s wife alone and afterwards she tells her husband about what had happened and the conversation.

- Even though the instructions were clear and straight forward, Manoah still prays that GOD would send the man back to tell them how to raise the boy. I don’t know if this speaks to his unbelief of what his wife saw and heard or that his pride is wounded because the man of GOD chose not talk to him directly?

- GOD heard Manoah’s prayer and the Angel still went to speak to the Mrs., for me this speaks volumes. Notice what the Angel of the LORD says to Manoah after he is asked what  is the rule that governs the boy’s life and work. The Angel of the LORD repeats your wife must do... he does not say you and your wife must do....

- It wasn’t until after the goat and grain offering burnt up and the Angel of the LORD left that Manoah realised that this was the Angel of GOD and they were gonna die because they saw GOD.

- The voice of reason is Manoah’s wife, which could explain why The Angel of the LORD only appeared to her first.

- Samson spots his first wife, one of the daughters of the Philistines. His parents try to change his mind, but GOD would use it as an opportunity against the Philistines. Samson’s statement about the girl he desired was the bi-word of the nation of Israel during this period, “right in my eyes”. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes, they defined good and evil, and just like in Eden there is always repercussions.

- The foxes incident should have shown to the men of Judah that GOD was up to something. It took 3,000 men of Judah to go get Samson and bring him back peaceably to the Philistines at Lehi. It only took one Spirit infused man to strike down 1,000 of the Philistines with the jaw bone of a donkey, literally making an ass of them. It was also at Lehi that GOD brought water out of the ground at Samson’s request. If one person calling on the LORD had this kind of effect imagine what 3,0000+1 could do?

- The fact that trouble always seemed to find Samson with the women he chose to associate with should have been a red flag for him. From the young philistine woman that revealed his riddle, to the prostitute at Gaza and finally to Delilah, Samson knew how to pick them. I wonder if this attribute of his was inherited from Manoah?  The obvious did not appear obvious to him, especially after two failed attempts by Delilah.

- Was Samson’s strength actually tied to his hair? The Spirit of the LORD was his strength and to falsely attribute his strength to his hair and not the LORD was not giving GOD the glory due him. It definitely wasn’t the fact that he was a Nazarite as he claimed because he was a poor example of a Nazarite, except for the hair. If he had ascribed his strength to GOD there would be nothing Delilah or the Philistines lords could take from him to negate it.

- Samson’s death request to GOD was again all GOD’s timing, the location, all the Philistine lords present, the architecture, not a coincidence.

- In Judges 16:31 It is written that Samson judged Israel for twenty years, but no rest for the people or the land is mentioned, interesting?

Judges 17

- I’ve mentioned in other places that we don’t hear much about a High Priest or any kind of spiritual guidance. Then we are introduced to Micah a man living in the hill country allotted to Ephraim, a son who “borrowed” without his mother’s knowledge 1,100 pieces of silver. He confesses and returns it to his mother and she is so happy she takes 200 pieces of it and hires a silversmith to make a metal image.

- Micah then takes it, puts it in his house and adds it to his shrine along with an ephod he had made to be with his household gods. As if that wasn’t sketchy enough he then ordains one of his son’s as his priest.

- In Judges 17 verse 6 the text is written from a historical perspective, “in those days there was no king in Israel.” Also the “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Where was the spiritual leader of Israel?

- Next Micah finds and hires a young man who is a Levite from Bethlehem and he became Micah’s priest. This young Levite obviously has no training, knowledge or connection to his actually leader, the High Priest or those that work under him.

- The levites were to be supported by the other tribes, but answer to the High Priest not to individuals as though they were hired hands.

- Micah seemed to think he has GOD in his pocket, because of this little arrangement. 

- Judges 18, The Danites, Micah and the Levite

- The Danites still did not acquire their allotted heritage and went looking in places that were good in their own eye’s. This lead a group of spies to not only Micah’s neck of the woods, but to his house and as coincidence would have it they recognised the young Levite from Bethlehem there, what are the chances? The Levite told them his story and they asked him to inquire of God for them. The success and peace that were given by the young priest would be short lived and not of GOD. The only truth in his statement was that GOD was watching.

- The Danites spied out the land of Laish, then reported back to their brothers at Zorah and  Eshtaol. They gathered 600 men, on the way they stopped at Micah’s house, stole his ephod, household gods, the carved image that Mom had made and pressed the young Levite into serving them. This quickly went from one family living under idolatry to a whole tribe. They conquered a land not theirs, they followed a spiritual leader of their own choosing and worshipping gods, but not the true GOD.

- Conquered lands that are not yours, false spiritual leaders and idols is not the formula for peace or success.

- Verse 30 gives us insight into the linage of the young priest, and he is not found in the line of Arron, he is not even High Priest material.

- the last verse ends with the image remaining as long as the house of GOD was at Shiloh. That was where GOD placed his name, but not where the tribe of Dan took it’s spiritual direction from.

- In Judges 19 we are introduced to a Levite, this one has a concubine, but no mention of his wife? The text says she was unfaithful to him, but the Septuagint translates it “became angry with him” and she returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem. Far be it that the Masoretic text should show a Levite priest in a bad light compared to a (woman) concubine? That’s just my opinion.

- The Levite goes after her to get her back and spends time with her dear old Dad, there seems to be an unintended extended stay, with a lot time spent making merry.

- Eventually they leave and end up in Gibeah, which was controlled by the tribe of Benjamin and old man gave them lodging for the night. Some drunk worthless men of the city surrounded the house and demanded the owner to bring out the stranger (Levite) that they might have sex with him. The old man offered his virgin daughters and the Levite’s concubine in his place. They refused so the man threw out the concubine and she was raped all night until morning. So much for being a spiritual leader or man in this incident. This is Eden all over again, we “Adam” are suppose to stand up for and protect those under our care. The Levite and the concubine were not equals like Eden, but she was under his care and protection, so a big fail.

- So after this the Levite puts her dead body on his donkey and rides to Shiloh to inquire from the High Priest (his boss) what should be best course of action.

- Nope, he takes her body home, cuts it up in pieces and sends twelve to all the tribes with a note attached. It must of seemed like a good idea in his eyes?

- Judges 20 Now all of Israel assembled at Mizpah, with the exception of the tribe of Benjamin because that just make so much sense, right? They hear the Levite retell his story and they pass judgement without a representative from Benjamin or Gibeah present.

- They mustered their forces against Gibeah and make their demands for the men who did this thing. It seems like a righteous request, but again the method that got them here was flawed. The Benjaminites came out in defiance of the other tribes request.

- It is now only at this point that the other tribes of Israel ask to inquire of the LORD and the only thing they ask is who should go first into battle?

- Well the answer is the same as when they had asked who should lead after Joshua passed, the tribe of Judah. Oh how quickly they’ve forgotten, a lot of things.

- The other Israelite tribes go up twice against Benjamin and get thoroughly trounced. After that loss they go to Bethel , crying and fasting, offering burnt offerings before the LORD, we finally hear about Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the high priest.

- Interestingly enough the Priesthood switches at some point from Eleazar's line to Ithamar’s line because when we get to the book of 1 Samuel the High Priest is Eli a son (descendant) of Ithamar not a son of Eleazar. Was the time of Judges lacking a Spiritual leader in the office of the High Priest that necessitated a switch?

- The other tribes of Israel finally get the upper hand and decimate the Benjaminites, not just the guilty ones.

- At Mizpah without asking for direction, they all had swore that none of the tribes would give their daughters in marriage to the tribe of Benjamin. 

- Next they did a count of who didn’t come up for the call to war with Benjamin, they saw that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come up so they sent men and killed everyone there except for 400 virgins and brought them to Shiloh, because that was a good idea???

- That was not enough women to help the tribe of Benjamin’s men to repopulate, so the leaders told the Benjaminites that during the yearly feast to the LORD at Shiloh, go lie in ambush and if you see any of our daughters come out to dance by the vineyards, snatch one for yourself as a wife. They felt bad for the breach the LORD had made in Israel, but no mention of the flawed choices that they all had made  that brought them down this road long before they ever sought any direction from GOD. This all seemed like a good idea to them?

-  The chapter ends with, In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (there was also was no Spiritual leader or direction in Israel)

There is a king, and there is a spiritual leader (High Priest), Jesus is patiently waiting for us to stop seeing what right in our eyes and trust what’s right in his eyes.

Next - Boaz was Ruth less before Naomi came along.