Not a Children's Story - Day 19

Judges 15:13 - I Samuel 2:29

           In this section of reading there are a lot of familiar people. Samson and Delilah; Ruth and Naomi; Hannah; Eli and his sons; and Samuel. They all have a lessons we have heard since we were children in Sunday school.

           There is also an event that takes place in this reading that we do not hear about. I do not even understand why it is including in our bibles.

           It is about a Levite who takes a concubine from Bethlehem-Judah.

"And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah." Judges 19:1

           The Levite had to chase her down all the way back to her father's house.

"And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months."  Judges 19:2

           The Levite spoke nice to her so she would come back to him.

"And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him." Judges 19:3

           Why did he go after her? Why did he act like he wanted her? So then they travel to Gibeah where and old man takes them in instead of leaving them out on the street all night.

"So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink." Judges 19:21

           The Benjamites show up at the door and they want the stranger. The old man offers his own daughter and the Levite's concubine instead.

"Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing." Judges 19:24

           ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

          Mind you, this is not the first time that women have been offered up in the place of a man. Lot offered his own virgin daughters to the men in the city so they would not take the angels that were trying to get him to leave the city before it was destroyed(Genesis 19:5-8).

          The Levite gives his concubine to the men of the city.

"But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light." Judges 19:25,26

          After all that, this is really the verse that really gets me so angry. The Levite goes out to leave in the morning and sees his concubine laying at the front door.

"And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place." Judges 19:28

          He does not even notice she is dead. Then he lies about his part in it.

"And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead." Judges 20:5

         

          Oh buddy, they did not want to kill you...and you gave them your concubine!

          Yes, this passage has me hot! Why did God include this event in his word? I have no idea. But I still trust God and his Bible.

          If you have anything you would like to add, please feel free to leave a comment. This is not your children's Sunday school lesson today.







Final Authority - Day 18

Judges 3:28 - Judges 15:12

"Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian." Judges 8:22

           The children of Israel just completed a great victory. They must have forgotten again who was responsible for that because they looked toward Gideon to be there leader. They wanted a man instead of God.

"And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you." Judges 8:23

          Gideon was very wise to refuse the offer. He knew who gave them the victory, it was God.

"And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god." Judges 8:33

          Israel does good as long as Gideon was alive. However, as soon as he died Israel went to go after other gods.

          I would do well to keep God and his word, the King James Bible, as my final authority. When things are chaotic and/or the leadership changes in my life, that will not effect Who is really the leader in my life.

This was Their Lot - Day 17

Joshua 15:1 - Judges 8:27

"And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?" Joshua 17:14

          God had blessed each tribe of the children of Israel with a lot or portion of land. The children of the tribe of Joseph were not satisfied with the lot they got and wanted more land.

 

"And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee."  Joshua 17:15

 

          Joshua told them yes they could have more land but it would be in the wooded area on the mountain. They would have to do the work to clear it.

 

"And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel." Joshua 17:16

 

          The children of Joseph were still not satisfied.

 

"And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:

But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong."  Joshua 17:17-18

 

           Joshua told them again that they will clear the land and they will drive out the Canaanites, even though they are strong. To get this part of their inheritance they will have to work for it.

          God has so many blessings he just gives to us because he loves us so much. Sometimes there may be blessings that we may have to work for to receive. That makes those blessings even sweeter because not every one is going to want to do the work to receive them.

 

          I want to be thankful for all that God has for me. When the opportunity comes where I need to work hard for something I hope I have the character to see that it is for my good. I hope I will be willing to do the hard work to get the special blessings.





Daily Bible Reading - Day 16

Joshua 1:1 - Joshua 14:15

          Daily Bible reading is as important today as it was back in Joshua's day.

"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Joshua 3:5

          One of the ways God prepares us for his plan is by speaking to us through his word. The King James Bible.

          We mostly likely will not be planning to do something wrong if we are reading our Bibles daily.

"Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." Joshua 7:13

             When we have sin in our lives, we can not stand before the lost world and testify of God.

          The children of Israel had to face God's fierce wrath often. I am glad I have Jesus to stand between me and God's anger toward sin. That is what motivates me to read God's Word and do my best to obey it.



Blessings and Curses - Day 15

Deuteronomy 32:12 - Deuteronomy 34:12

          In today's reading the Lord is giving them a final warning. He tells them how he will bless them when they follow him and then all the ways he is going to curse them if they do not follow him.

          Even so, there will be those who will do wrong and think that every thing is fine.

"And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:" Deut. 29:19

God wants us to follow him completely.

"If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul." Deut. 30:10

          Is it pride that makes us disregard God's laws and then we think everything will work out for good?

          I have learned that all of God's words are important. The little rules ones and the big rules. By keeping my mind on the things of God I will be more aware when I start to stray away from his Word. 

Farewell Speech - Day 14

Deuteronomy 8:1 - Deuteronomy 23:11

"Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee."  Deut. 9:3

         This section of reading reminds me of when I would be sending my children off to camp. The night before and the morning they would leave, I would be reminding them of things that they need to make sure they did and caution them of things they should not do. 

            "Don't forget to brush your teeth, or don't drink to much before you go to bed."

         "If you eat too much sugar, you know how you will get. Don't forget to tell the counselor that you have allergies."

          And then my final request, " If you need anything, call me."

"Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee." Duet. 9:4

          Moses is not going with them over to the promised land. He is telling them all that the Lord is going to do for them. God is reminding them that it is not because they are righteous but because He hates sin that He is going before them and clearing the land.

"For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." Duet. 20:4

          It's like we are reading Moses's  farewell speech to the children of Israel. He really wants them to do well and obey God.

          As a parent, every day is filled with lessons to teach my children to stay close to God and obey his Word.They will disobey but God is there with forgiveness. One day my children will move out and be on their own. I need to do all I can to prepare them to serve Him.

Journey - Day 13

Numbers 32:20 - Deuteronomy 7:26

          In this section of reading we read of the journeys of the children of Israel. In Deuteronomy, Moses is reminding them of the first time they came to the border of the promised land.

"And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give us."  Deut. 1:25

          It was such a change for them. Could all this good really be them?

"Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God:"  Deut. 1:26

          They could not believe they deserved it. Was it because they did not trust God? Maybe they did not know God well enough?

"And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us." Deut. 1:27

          Did god love us enough to allow all this goodness to really happen to us??

          Then the fellow Christians, who were afraid of change and maybe they did not want the responsibility of such a good land, discouraged the children of Israel even more. 



"Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there." Deut. 1:28

          Moses tried to encourage them but they just would not go.

"Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;"  Deut. 1:29,30

          I have learned that the path God has for me to follow is a hard path. Fellow Christians even try to discourage such a journey for me.

          I believe that God loves me and wants me to have good things. This journey I am on is very hard at times but it is also laced with blessings and peace. I know I am right where I need to be.