Odd! Is He with them with them once and not with them in another. Makes me wonder if they themselves did not pursue this because of the iron chariots instead.
What was the criteria used here? Once you begin allowing for some foreigners don't you have to allow for the rest? Doesn't this contradict what you were told by God to do? What your other brethren are also attempting to perform? Doesn't this begin a snowball process of rationalized disobedience?
Reprobate Mind - Look at how quick they forget God. All of the battles. All of the victories under impossible odds. All of the miracles. So much for rational thought, the heart instead does what it wants and from that proceeds to rationalize it. The heart certainly has it's problems with God.
Do you remember how they swore upon the rock just two chapters ago at the end of Joshua? One generation should not make oaths for the children of the next. Did they not take into account that Joshua may well have brought all this up because of something he knew all to well? There were already foriegn gods in their possession for them to have to put away.
How many times we think that God's intent is to completely drive out all the bad things in our lives so that we can live peaceably and prosperously and without trial; that we could live our lives as we see fit. It is of course a vain imagination. The proving that God required here of Israel may not have been for His own satisfaction but, for they themselves to see and learn of. He knows our heart, that we will only call to Him when there is no other way out of our self induced troubles. It would be wise for us to know that and thus the proving.
Why then has this befallen us? Because we did evil in the sight of the Lord. Because we did not obey His voice. Because within even his fathers household and local community they were worshiping Baal. Because God put these things in place to prove Israel whether they would obey His voice. Next question!
So often we read and study the Bible searching for our own personal needs and problems. Our eye is singular. Other times we think in terms that everyone needs to become involved or to be doing this. Occasions like this we think that if not everyone is doing this then there is no reason for us to continue. Instead we should see things more like God sees it, who will claim the glory? how many people does it actually take? has not God gone ahead of us to deliver the victory anyway?
The tendency is for us to limit God down to what we ourselves are able to do for Him (individually mainly as our expectation of the collective suffers). It must have been astonishing for Gideon to peek in the enemies camp by night and hear what God was in the process of doing for Israel.
Interesting to note that as much as God did in preparing this victory, He still required them to be of strong courage and to obey His specific directions to the tee in order to complete this deliverence. God made sure from the start that this was not a victory that they could glory in for themselves by limiting the participants down to the size of the average highschool graduation class.
Did Gileods downfall make it easier for Israel to run a whoring after his death? Was it bound to happen anyway? Could we say that at the very least his downfall prepared his family for the calamity about to befall them?
Did Gideons downfall make it easier for Israel to run a whoring after his death? Was it bound to happen anyway? Could we say that at the very least his downfall prepared his family for the calamity about to befall them?
It would e interesting to know more about the mechanic of how Israel pleaded to God. Was this unanimous? How long would it take to bring everyone into a unanimous agreement? Was it a majority? If we were to do this nationaly today how large of a coilition would have to be built?
Obviously, some men just make better warior leaders than other. The residents here had to swallow in their pride and previous exilement to gain the expertiese of this judge. It does not specifically say that they consulted God for this. It does appear that God however blessed the action.
The story of Samson is a hard one to figure; not the best of role models for sure. Israel is controlled by the Philistines so they are not in God's favor. Samson is God's anointed judge for that time yet he almost seems to flaunt the fact that nothing bad can happen to him; he pushes and crosses the line often. Not even Israel can be too pleased with his example. Given the chance to better their situation with their captors, they capture and turn Samson in. He is still God's anointed, they are still on God's bad side. Samson is then filled with might from the Holy Spirit and avenges his captors convincingly. He eventually meets his flaunting demise, but, for Israel you don't mess with God's anointed no matter.
An interesting look into the lives of the peoples of this time. When it is said that they "did what was right in their own eyes" that's just what they did. One man made him idols and made him his own personal levite priest to go along side. Another was a priest who was sold out to the highest bidder. Another is a well intending hospitable man who attempts to protect his guests from the townsfolk mob giving his concubine over to the ritual lusts of the men of his town. Then he sends pieces of her body to the leaders of the eleven other tribes inciting a civil war. Everyone involved surely found a way to justify themselves and their despicable actions no doubt.
Every man did what was right in his own eyes? Apparently the tribe of Benjamin thought it right to defend a clan of ritualistic rapists and murderers. Better to go to war with the eleven other tribes than deal justly with the evil in their own midst.
Israel had the permission of God, they had the numerical advantage, they had done the prayer and fasting and worship and their cause was just and yet they lost convincingly these first few attempts. Who knows the reasoning that God pursued the eventual victory in this way, but, no doubt His purpose holy and just even if unknown to us. Given Israel's response post victory to the desperate need of their making to continue observing Benjamin's right to inheritance with new wives, they must have felt that God reasoning must have included the future ability of the twelve tribes to resume as one nation. We too must be aware that not every victory, even by God's direct blessing protects us from initial defeat or partial culpability. Victory may come at great sacrifice and frustration.
Every man doing what is right in his own eye? One city chose not to engage this civil war at all. They hid themselves from the ranks of Israel. In the end they paid the price of restoration by the blood of there own citizens and the servitude of their female virgins. The responsibilities of a nation are all mens. Pacifism, not standing against the blatant injustice of others, not standing for the effort toward restoration of justice whatever the cost, hiding behind some supposed morality free from the greater morality of other people's rights and just penalties afforded has unforeseen longterm consequences.
2012 - pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.0.9d - GPL3
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