Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Today is History Tuesday. We’ll read Judges 1-6. I’m calling today’s episode “Questioning God.”

Comments on Judges 1, 2 and 6

Thoughts on Judges 1

Before I get to the thought that I’m left with upon reading this chapter, let me first address the somewhat brutal treatment of Adoni-Bezek upon his defeat by Judah. We are told that they cut off his thumbs and his big toes. You might wonder why they would do such a thing. First off, the reason for cutting off the thumbs is so that he could never again pick up a sword or pull a bow in battle. The big toes were cut off so that he could never again run in pursuit of, or away from an enemy. This sort of treatment was not something that the Israelites normally did, but it was something that Adoni-Bezek had done some seventy times. So this was done to him as a sort of retribution.

We read today of several victories by the various tribes, but also several instances where they were unable to completely rid themselves of the Canaanites. 

Had not God promised this land to them? Did he not say that He would deliver their enemies to them? So what’s going on here? Why were they not able?

We’re given a hint in verse 19: “And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.”

Remember hearing about chariots of iron in the book of Joshua? It seems that the tribes of Joseph, Ephriam and Manasseh, were afraid of these chariots. They thought that they could not be defeated. But God had told them that He would deliver their enemies into their hands. Why the fear, then? 

Because they did not believe. They lacked faith. And this is at the bottom of why the Israelites were unable to completely rid the promised land of the Canaanites.

And it is the reason why we often have our own Canaanites in our lives. How often are we told in scripture to “Fear not”? Do a search sometime. Over and over again, God says, “Fear not.” 

And yet, some of us are riddled with fear. Or we have one iron chariot in our life that we are afraid to deal with.

God says, “Fear not. I am with you always.” If God is for us, who can be against us?

Fear not.

Thoughts on Judges 2

Today we read a stark reminder of how important it is to pass on our faith from one generation to the next. In Judges 2, verse 10 we read that “…there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”

Think of it. When the generation that had miraculously been brought into the Promised Land died off, the generation that followed them didn’t know the Lord or the way in which He had blessed and delivered them. 

How could that be? So many things had been put into place as reminders, and the people had been instructed to teach their children God’s law and how He had been with Israel. Why did the following generation not know?

Perhaps is was because the generation who had seen first hand had become jaded by the presence of God. Maybe they got so busy in their pursuit of the Promised Land and the subsequent settling there that they had no time for God and the passing on of the remembrances of His working in their behalf. Or maybe, since they had not completely ejected the Canaanites and the other original inhabitants, they were reticent to “offend” these people by teaching these important, life-giving lessons. 

Wait a minute. This almost sounds like what’s going on today, doesn’t it? 

Beloved, we are living in perilous times. We’re living in a culture that is bent on cowing us into silence. The name of Jesus is offensive to the ears of those who do not know him. There are areas of the world where Christians are killed because of their faith. Yes, that is happening today. The litany of the censorship of Christian beliefs and expressions of faith is long. We must not be intimidated into silence, because it is up to us to pass our faith on to our children, the next generation. The church is always just one generation away from near extinction, and how sad it would be to be the one who drops the baton. 

Speak up. Teach your children. Tell them how God has changed your life. Be specific. Recollect when He miraculously stepped into a life situation and made a difference. If you can’t remember a time, then begin now to keep a written record, a journal, so that, going forward, those times are not forgotten. God is intimately involved in each of our lives, because we are His, and He loves us. It’s what He does! Don’t allow His involvement in your life to be forgotten, and don’t be like this generation of Israelites, and become jaded to His loving presence in your life. Your descendants’ spiritual survival may depend on it.

Thoughts on Judges 6

You gotta love Gideon. God comes to him, and the first thing Gideon does is question God. 

“Excuse me,” Gideon says, “but if the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles?”

“Pardon me, but how can I save Israel? I’m the youngest one of the weakest family in the tribe. If it’s not too much trouble, prove to me that you’re really the Lord.”

So then God proves that He is God, and Gideon panics! “Oh, Lord God! I’ve seen God face to face!” And God lovingly calms him down. So much so that Gideon builds an altar on that spot and names it “The Lord is Peace”.

You’d think that would settle it, right? Nah. Just before going into battle, the battle that God had told Gideon that He (God) would give him victory in, Gideon asks God for proof that He would indeed bring him victory. Not once, but twice(!) he asked.

We look at Gideon as we read this chapter and say, c’mon Gideon! Oh ye of little faith. Here God appears to you, and you question Him? Not once, but five times in just 40 verses! Dude, what do you want? Criminy!

You know why we have the Bible, right? Yes, it’s God’s way of revealing himself to us, but it also so that we can see that our weakness need not separate us from God. Talk about a weak faith! Five times Gideon questioned God. And God looked beyond his doubts and gave Gideon what he needed to build him up so that He (God) could accomplish something great through this very weak vessel.

Do you feel weak? Do you doubt that God can use you? It is always the weak, frail, damaged vessel that God chooses. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be a pillar of the community or a towering example of faith. God has something that He wants you to accomplish! I am as sure of that as anything in this world. If you are hearing my voice right now, you are on this planet for a good reason…a God reason! If you know God has asked you to do something, but you’ve been putting it off because you don’t feel worthy, get busy. Of course you aren’t worthy! None of us are. But God uses us anyway. And if you don’t know what He wants you to do, ask Him, and keep asking until you get an answer. I guarantee He will answer you. That’s the kind of prayer He loves.

And when you doubt, remember Gideon.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 ESV; Ch. 4-5 NCV; Ch. 6 ERV

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Judges 1-6: Questioning God (LSFAB S13E038)

[TEASER – 0:00]
It’s what he does.

[INTRO S13E038 – 0:09]
Here we are together again. Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. Podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year. Thank you for letting me join you today. This is History Tuesday. We’ll read Judges 1 through 6. I misspoke yesterday and said chapters 1 through 5. I’ve got comments today after the reading on chapters 1, 2, and 6. And I’ll tell you in advance that this will be a somewhat long episode. But tomorrow is Psalms Wednesday, so it’ll be much shorter, probably in the neighborhood of 15 minutes. I’m calling today’s episode, “Questioning God”. And we’re in the countdown week to the 18th anniversary of the first Lifespring podcast this coming Sunday, November 13, 2022. I’ll talk about that a little bit later in the show.

Before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 1:01]
Our Heavenly Father, we ask that you would speak to us today as we read. We thank you for this time and we ask your blessing on it. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

All right, let’s get started.

[JUDGES 1 (ESV) – 1:15]
Judges, chapter 1.

(1) After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” (2) The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” (3) And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. (4) Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. (5) They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. (6) Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. (7) And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

(8) And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. (9) And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. (10) And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

(11) From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. (12) And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” (13) And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. (14) When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” (15) She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

(16) And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. (17) And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. (18) Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. (19) And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron. (20) And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. (21) But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

(22)n The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. (23) And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) (24) And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” (25) And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. (26) And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

(27) Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. (28) When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

(29) And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

(30) Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.

(31) Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, (32) so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

(33) Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

(34) The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. (35) The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. (36) And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

[JUDGES 2 (ESV) – 6:38]
Judges, chapter 2.

(1) Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, (2) and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? (3) So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” (4) As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. (5) And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

(6) When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. (7) And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. (8) And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. (9) And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. (10) And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

(11) And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. (12) And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. (13) They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. (14) So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. (15) Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

(16) Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. (17) Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. (18) Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. (19) But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (20) So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, (21) I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, (22) in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” (23) So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

[JUDGES 3 (ESV) – 10:08]
Judges, chapter 3.

(1) Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. (2) It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. (3) These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. (4) They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. (5) So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (6) And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

(7) And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. (8) Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. (9) But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. (10) The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. (11) So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

(12) And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. (13) He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. (14) And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

(15) Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. (16) And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. (17) And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. (18) And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. (19) But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. (20) And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. (21) And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. (22) And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. (23) Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.

(24) When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” (25) And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.

(26) Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. (27) When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. (28) And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. (29) And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. (30) So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

(31) After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

[JUDGES 4 (NCV) – 14:46]
Judges, chapter 4.

(1) After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what the Lord said was wrong. (2) So he let Jabin, a king of Canaan who ruled in the city of Hazor, defeat Israel. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of Jabin’s army. (3) Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and was very cruel to the people of Israel for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

(4) A prophetess named Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was judge of Israel at that time. (5) Deborah would sit under the Palm Tree of Deborah, which was between the cities of Ramah and Bethel, in the mountains of Ephraim. And the people of Israel would come to her to settle their arguments.

(6) Deborah sent a message to Barak son of Abinoam. Barak lived in the city of Kedesh, which is in the area of Naphtali. Deborah said to Barak, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go and gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them to Mount Tabor. (7) I will make Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and his army meet you at the Kishon River. I will hand Sisera over to you.’”

(8) Then Barak said to Deborah, “I will go if you will go with me, but if you won’t go with me, I won’t go.”

(9) “Of course I will go with you,” Deborah answered, “but you will not get credit for the victory. The Lord will let a woman defeat Sisera.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. (10) At Kedesh, Barak called the people of Zebulun and Naphtali together. From them, he gathered ten thousand men to follow him, and Deborah went with him also.

(11) Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law. Heber had put up his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim, near Kedesh.

(12) When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone to Mount Tabor, (13) Sisera gathered his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

(14) Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get up! Today is the day the Lord will hand over Sisera. The Lord has already cleared the way for you.” So Barak led ten thousand men down Mount Tabor. (15) As Barak approached, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. The Lord defeated them with the sword, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot. (16) Barak and his men chased Sisera’s chariots and army to Harosheth Haggoyim. With their swords they killed all of Sisera’s men; not one of them was left alive.

(17) But Sisera himself ran away to the tent where Jael lived. She was the wife of Heber, one of the Kenite family groups. Heber’s family was at peace with Jabin king of Hazor. (18) Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, master! Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera went into Jael’s tent, and she covered him with a rug.

(19) Sisera said to Jael, “I am thirsty. Please give me some water to drink.” So she opened a leather bag of milk and gave him a drink. Then she covered him up.

(20) He said to her, “Go stand at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ”

(21) But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer and quietly went to Sisera. Since he was very tired, he was in a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera’s head and into the ground. And so Sisera died.

(22) At that very moment Barak came by Jael’s tent, chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, “Come. I will show you the man you are looking for.” So Barak entered her tent, and there Sisera lay dead, with the tent peg in his head.

(23) On that day God defeated Jabin king of Canaan in the sight of Israel.

(24) Israel became stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan until finally they destroyed him.

[JUDGES 5 (NCV) – 18:36]
Judges, chapter 5.

(1) On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

(2) “The leaders led Israel.
The people volunteered to go to battle.
Praise the Lord!
(3) Listen, kings.
Pay attention, rulers!
I myself will sing to the Lord.
I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.
(4) “Lord, when you came from Edom,
when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,
the skies rained,
and the clouds dropped water.
(5) The mountains shook before the Lord, the God of Mount Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel!
(6) “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the main roads were empty.
Travelers went on the back roads.
(7) There were no warriors in Israel
until I, Deborah, arose,
until I arose to be a mother to Israel.
(8) At that time they chose to follow new gods.
Because of this, enemies fought us at our city gates.
No one could find a shield or a spear
among the forty thousand people of Israel.
(9) My heart is with the commanders of Israel.
They volunteered freely from among the people.
Praise the Lord!
(10) “You who ride on white donkeys
and sit on saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road, listen!
(11) Listen to the sound of the singers
at the watering holes.
There they tell about the victories of the Lord,
the victories of the Lord’s warriors in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates.
(12) “Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Go capture your enemies, son of Abinoam!
(13) “Then those who were left came down to the important leaders.
The Lord’s people came down to me with strong men.
(14) They came from Ephraim in the mountains of Amalek.
Benjamin was among the people who followed you.
From the family group of Makir, the commanders came down.
And from Zebulun came those who lead.
(15) The princes of Issachar were with Deborah.
The people of Issachar were loyal to Barak
and followed him into the valley.
The Reubenites thought hard
about what they would do.
(16) Why did you stay by the sheepfold?
Was it to hear the music played for your sheep?
The Reubenites thought hard
about what they would do.
(17) The people of Gilead stayed east of the Jordan River.
People of Dan, why did you stay by the ships?
The people of Asher stayed at the seashore,
at their safe harbors.
(18) But the people of Zebulun risked their lives,
as did the people of Naphtali on the battlefield.
(19) “The kings came, and they fought.
At that time the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo.
But they took away no silver or possessions of Israel.
(20) The stars fought from heaven;
from their paths, they fought Sisera.
(21) The Kishon River swept Sisera’s men away,
that old river, the Kishon River.
March on, my soul, with strength!
(22) Then the horses’ hoofs beat the ground.
Galloping, galloping go Sisera’s mighty horses.
(23) ‘May the town of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord.
‘Bitterly curse its people,
because they did not come to help the Lord.
They did not fight the strong enemy.’
(24) “May Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite,
be blessed above all women who live in tents.
(25) Sisera asked for water,
but Jael gave him milk.
In a bowl fit for a ruler,
she brought him cream.
(26) Jael reached out and took the tent peg.
Her right hand reached for the workman’s hammer.
She hit Sisera! She smashed his head!
She crushed and pierced the side of his head!
(27) At Jael’s feet he sank.
He fell, and he lay there.
At her feet he sank. He fell.
Where Sisera sank, there he fell, dead!
(28) “Sisera’s mother looked out through the window.
She looked through the curtains and cried out,
‘Why is Sisera’s chariot so late in coming?
Why are sounds of his chariots’ horses delayed?’
(29) The wisest of her servant ladies answer her,
and Sisera’s mother says to herself,
(30)‘Surely they are robbing the people they defeated!
Surely they are dividing those things among themselves!
Each soldier is given a girl or two.
Maybe Sisera is taking pieces of dyed cloth.
Maybe they are even taking
pieces of dyed, embroidered cloth for the necks of the victors!’
(31) “Let all your enemies die this way, Lord!
But let all the people who love you
be as strong as the rising sun!”
Then there was peace in the land for forty years.

[JUDGES 6 (ERV) – 23:03]
Judges, chapter 6.

(1) Again the Israelites did what the Lord said was wrong. So for seven years the Lord allowed the Midianites to defeat the Israelites.

(2) The Midianites were very powerful and were cruel to the Israelites. So the Israelites made many hiding places in the mountains. They hid their food in caves and places that were hard to find. (3) They did that because the Midianites and Amalekites from the east always came and destroyed their crops. (4) They camped in the land and destroyed the crops that the Israelites had planted. They ruined the crops of the Israelites as far as the land near the city of Gaza. They did not leave anything for the Israelites to eat. They did not even leave them any sheep, cattle, or donkeys. (5) The Midianites came with their families, animals, and tents. They were like a swarm of locusts! They and their camels were too many to count. They came into the land and ruined it. (6) The Israelites became very poor because of the Midianites. So the Israelites cried to the Lord for help.

(7) The Midianites did all these bad things, so the Israelites cried to the Lord for help. (8) The Lord sent a prophet to them. He said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘You were slaves in the land of Egypt. I made you free and brought you out of that land. (9) I saved you from the powerful Egyptians. Then the Canaanites hurt you, so I saved you again. I made them leave their land. And I gave their land to you.’ (10) Then I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You will live in the land of the Amorites, but you must not worship their false gods.’ But you did not obey me.”

(11-12) One time the angel of the Lord came to a place called Ophrah and sat under an oak tree. This oak tree belonged to a man named Joash from the Abiezer family. His son Gideon was beating some wheat in a winepress. He was hiding so that the Midianites could not see the wheat. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord be with you, brave soldier.”

(13) Then Gideon said, “Pardon me, sir, but if the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles? We heard that he did wonderful things for our ancestors. They tell us that the Lord took them out of Egypt. But now it seems the Lord has left us and is letting the Midianites defeat us.”

(14) The Lord turned toward Gideon and said, “Then use your great power and go save the Israelites from the Midianites. I am sending you to save them.”

(15) But Gideon answered and said, “Pardon me, sir. How can I save Israel? My family group is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the youngest one in my family.”

(16) The Lord answered Gideon and said, “I will be with you, so you can defeat the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.”

(17) Then Gideon said to him, “If you would, please give me some proof that you really are the Lord. (18) Please wait here. Don’t go away until I come back to you. Let me bring my offering and set it down in front of you.”

And the Lord said, “I will wait until you come back.”

(19) So Gideon went in and cooked a young goat in boiling water. He also took about 20 pounds of flour and made bread without yeast. Then he put the meat into a basket and the broth from the meat into a pot. He brought out the meat, the broth, and the bread without yeast and gave them to the Lord under the oak tree.

(20) The angel of God said to Gideon, “Put the meat and the bread on that rock over there. Then pour the broth on it.” Gideon did as he was told.

(21) The angel of the Lord had a walking stick in his hand. He touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick, and fire jumped up out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared.

(22) Then Gideon realized that he had been talking to the angel of the Lord. So he shouted, “Oh, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

(23) But the Lord said to Gideon, “Calm down! Don’t be afraid! You will not die!”

(24) So Gideon built an altar there to worship the Lord and named it “The Lord is Peace.” It still stands in the city of Ophrah, where the Abiezer family lives.

(25) That same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Choose your father’s best bull, the one that is seven years old. First, use it to pull down the altar your father built to worship Baal. Also, cut down the Asherah pole beside the altar. (26) Then build the right kind of altar for the Lord your God. Build it on this high ground. Then kill and burn the bull on this altar. Use the wood from the Asherah pole to burn your offering.”

(27) So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him to do. But Gideon was afraid that his family and the men of the city might see what he was doing, so he did it all at night, not in the daytime.

(28) The men of the city got up the next morning and saw that the altar for Baal had been destroyed! They also saw that the Asherah pole had been cut down. It had been sitting next to the altar for Baal. They also saw the altar that Gideon had built. And they saw the bull that had been sacrificed on that altar.

(29) The men of the city looked at each other and asked, “Who pulled down our altar? Who cut down our Asherah pole? Who sacrificed this bull on this new altar?” They asked many questions and tried to learn who did this.

Someone told them, “Gideon son of Joash did this.”

(30) So the men of the city came to Joash and said, “You must bring your son out. He pulled down the altar for Baal, and he cut down the Asherah pole that was beside it. So your son must die.”

(31) Then Joash spoke to the crowd that was standing around him. Joash said, “Are you going to take Baal’s side? Are you going to rescue Baal? If anyone takes Baal’s side, let him be put to death by morning. If Baal really is a god, let him defend himself when someone pulls down his altar.” (32) Joash said, “If Gideon pulled Baal’s altar down, let Baal argue with him.” On that day Joash gave Gideon a new name. He called him Jerub-Baal.

(33) The Midianites, Amalekites, and other people from the east joined together to fight against the Israelites. They went across the Jordan River and camped in the Jezreel Valley. (34) The Spirit of the Lord filled Gideon. So Gideon blew a trumpet to call the family of Abiezer to follow him. (35) He sent messengers to all the people of the tribe of Manasseh and told them to get their weapons and prepare for battle. Gideon also sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. The messengers took the same message to them. So they also went up to meet Gideon and his men.

(36) Then Gideon said to God, “You said that you would help me save the Israelites. Give me proof. (37) I will put a sheepskin on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the sheepskin, while all the ground is dry, I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.”

(38) And that is exactly what happened. Gideon got up early the next morning and squeezed the sheepskin. He was able to drain a bowl full of water from it.

(39) Then Gideon said to God, “Don’t be angry with me. Let me ask just one more thing. Let me test you one more time with the sheepskin. This time let the sheepskin be dry, while the ground around it gets wet with dew.”

(40) That night God did that very thing. Just the sheepskin was dry, but the ground around it was wet with dew.

[COMMENTARY – 30:16]
Before I get to my main thoughts on Judges 1, let me first address the somewhat brutal treatment of Adoni-bezek upon his defeat by Judah. We’re told that they cut off his thumbs and his big toes. You might wonder why they would do such a thing. Well, first off, the reason for cutting off the thumbs is so that he could never again pick up a sword or pull a bow in battle. The big toes were cut off so that he would never again be able to run in pursuit of or away from an enemy. This sort of treatment was not something that the Israelites normally did. But it was something that Adoni-bezek had done 70 times. So this was done to him as a sort of retribution.

Now in chapter 1, we read today of several victories by the various tribes, but also several instances where they were unable to completely rid themselves of the Canaanites.

Had not God promised this land to them? Did he not say that he would deliver their enemies to them? So what’s going on here? Why were they not able?

Well, we’re given a hint in verse 19 of chapter 1. And this is that verse, “And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron.”

Well, remember hearing about chariots of iron in the book of Joshua? It seems that the tribes of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh were afraid of these chariots. They thought they could not be defeated. But God had told them that he would deliver their enemies into their hands. So why fear?

Because they didn’t believe. They lacked faith. And this is at the bottom of why the Israelites were unable to completely rid the Promised Land of the Canaanites.

And it’s the reason why we often have our own Canaanites in our lives. How often are we told in Scripture to “Fear not?” Do a search sometime. God says in his Word, “Fear not” over and over again.

And yet some of us are riddled with fear. Or we have one iron chariot in our life that we’re afraid to deal with.

God says, “Fear not, I am with you always.” Well, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Beloved, fear not.

And then in chapter 2, we read a stark reminder of how important it is to pass on our faith from one generation to the next. In Judges 2, verse 10, we read that “…there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”

Think of it. When the generation that had miraculously been brought into the Promised Land died off, the generation that followed them didn’t know the Lord or the way in which he had blessed and delivered them.

How could that be? So many things had been put into place as reminders. And the people had been instructed to teach their children God’s law, and how he had been with Israel. Why did the following generation not know?

Maybe it was because the generation who had seen firsthand had become jaded by the presence of God. Maybe they got so busy in their pursuit of the Promised Land, and the subsequent settling there that they had no time for God and the passing on of the remembrances of his working in their behalf. Or maybe, since they had not completely ejected the Canaanites and the other original inhabitants, they were reticent to offend these people by teaching these important life-giving lessons.

Wait a minute. This almost sounds like what’s going on today, doesn’t it?

Beloved, we are living in perilous times. We’re living in a culture that is bent on cowing us into silence. The name of Jesus is offensive to the ears of those who don’t know him. There are areas of the world where Christians are killed because of their faith. Yes, that’s happening today. The litany of the censorship of Christian beliefs and expressions of faith is a long one. We must not be intimidated into silence, Beloved, because it is up to us to pass our faith on to our children, the next generation. The church is always just one generation away from near extinction, and how sad it would be to be the one who drops the baton. Yes, God has promised to always leave a remnant. But how sad would it be to be the generation that only leaves a remnant?

Beloved, speak up. Teach your children. Tell them how God has changed your life and be specific. Recollect when he miraculously stepped into a life situation of yours and made a difference? Now if you can’t remember a time then begin now to keep a written record, a journal so that going forward, those times are not forgotten. God is intimately involved in each of our lives because we are his, and he loves us. It’s what he does. Please don’t allow his involvement in your life to be forgotten. And don’t be like this generation of Israelites and become jaded to his loving presence in your life. Your descendants’ spiritual survival may depend on that.

And in Judges 6, you gotta love Gideon, right? God comes to him and the first thing Gideon does is question him. “Excuse me,” Gideon says, “but if the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles?”

“And pardon me, but how can I save Israel? I’m the youngest one of the weakest family in the tribe. If it’s not too much trouble, prove to me that you’re really the Lord.”

So then God proves that he is God. And Gideon panics, “Oh, Lord God, I’ve seen God face to face,” he said. And then God lovingly calms him down. So much so that Gideon builds an altar on that spot and names it, “The Lord is Peace.”

Now, you’d think that would settle it right? Nah. Just before going into battle, the battle that God had told Gideon that he would give him victory in, Gideon asks God for proof that he would indeed bring him victory. He didn’t ask him once. He asked him twice.

We look at Gideon, as we read this chapter, and we say, “Come on Gideon, oh, ye of little faith. Here God appears to you and you question him. Not once, but five times in just forty verses. Dude, what do you want?” As my grandfather would say, “For Criminy sake!”

You know why we have the Bible, right? Yes, it’s God’s way of revealing Himself to us. But it’s also so that we can see that our weaknesses need not separate us from God. Talk about a weak faith. Five times Gideon questioned God, and God looked beyond his doubts and gave Gideon what he needed to build him up so that he, God, could accomplish something great through this very weak vessel.

Beloved, do you feel weak? Do you doubt that God can use you? It’s always the weak, frail, damaged vessel that God chooses to use. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be a pillar of the community or a towering example of faith. God has something that he wants you to accomplish. I am as sure of this as anything in this world. If you’re hearing my voice right now you are on this planet for a good reason. A god reason. If you know that God has asked you to do something, but you’ve been putting it off because you don’t feel worthy. Get busy. Of course, you aren’t worthy. None of us are. But God uses us anyway. And if you don’t know what he wants you to do, ask him and keep asking until you get an answer. I guarantee he will answer you because that’s the kind of prayer he loves. And when you doubt, remember Gideon.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 38:08]
Did something stand out to you in today’s reading? Let me know. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511. Remember, if you’re outside the US put a +1 at the beginning of that number. You can also comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com and you can email me at st***@*************ia.com. I want to hear from you and I will either read your comment or play your call to the hotline on the show. Tomorrow is Psalms Wednesday and we will read chapters 15 through 17.

Boost.

[SEND IN PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS – 38:48]
And since tomorrow is Wednesday, we will be sharing praises and prayer requests. So if there is something that you would like to share with the Lifespring family in the way of praising God for his work in your life or a prayer request, be sure to go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com and fill out the form. We haven’t had much participation with this this season. And I’d like to see that change. Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. And remember if you like, you can remain anonymous.

[LIFESPRING’S 18TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – 39:20]
As I mentioned at the top of the show today, the 18th anniversary of the first Lifespring podcast is coming this Sunday, November 13, 2022. I was 50 years old with two young sons still living at home with the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I. My oldest son was not yet married and so we didn’t have any grandchildren yet. Oh, and podcasting as we know it was itself in its infancy. There were no Christian podcasts then other than maybe two that were simply repurposed church sermons. The total number of podcasts being produced was probably far less than 100. Today according to podcastindex.org There are 4,027,637 podcasts in existence, and the spirituality and religion category is the most populated category of podcasts. LeeAnn and I are empty nesters. All three boys are married and we have five grandchildren. Life for us has changed immensely. What were you doing 18 years ago? Now if you’d like to help me celebrate this 18th anniversary on next Sunday’s show I’ll thank everyone who makes a donation with 18 in the amount. For instance, but not limited to, amounts like $18.18 or $33.18 or $180… whatever you want to do. And boostagrams with 18 in them, maybe 181818 sats. Be as creative as you want to be. Donate at lifespringmedia.com/support or on your modern podcast app.

[OUTRO S13E038 – 40:59]
Okay, remember that tomorrow is Wednesday and we’ll be sharing praises and prayer requests. Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. You can remain anonymous if you want, but please do participate.

Sister Kirsty does the newsletter. Brother Sean of San Pedro does the chapters. And Sister Denise corrects the transcripts. Thank you, guys. God bless you. Comment on the show by calling the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511 or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com. Or email me at st***@*************ia.com. I do want to hear from you. If the show was a blessing in your life, please help support it. Go to lifespringmedia.com/support.

And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. It’s been my honor to spend some time with you today. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise