Left to their own devices, the Israelites are hitting new lows:
- The story of the Levite in Gibeah sounds remarkably similar to the story of Lot in Genesis 19. Lot offered his two daughters to the mob; the Levite pushed his concubine (wife) out the door to be gang-raped by the Benjaminites. Awful. And then he takes her home, dismembers her, and sends her, piece by piece, to the tribes of Israel. (19:22-30)
- The Israelites fight the Benjaminites when they refuse to give up the men who raped the Levite's concubine. The Benjaminites are slaughtered by the other tribes. (20:13-17, 44-48)
- The Israelites feel sorry for the Benjaminites so their solution is to kill everyone in Jabesh Gilead for not showing up to fight along side them. (Huh??) But they keep the virgins in Jabesh Gilead alive for the last remaining Benjaminites to marry so the tribe won't die out. (21:6-14)
- There aren't enough women so the Israelites decide that the Benjaminites should kidnap girls from Shiloh as wives, and the Israelites will defend them to the fathers of the girls. And the Benjaminites do it!!! (21:16-23)
I've come to the conclusion that I don't like being lumped in with these wretched people. My pride can't take it. I mean, I know I'm not perfect - far from it - but really, I'm not THAT bad, am I??? Intellectually, I can grasp the concept of my depravity, but I can tell that I'm fighting it emotionally. Apparently, I still have a lot invested in being "pretty good."
But I know that God is telling me I am that bad - capable of anything apart from Him. And I'm not exactly sure what to do with my emotions. It feels like I'm moving backward, not forward, and that annoys me to no end. I feel undone, discombobulated, exposed by what I'm reading - and I don't like it at all.
[God's] powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it - no matter what. Hebrews 4:12-13I can absolutely relate to what Larry Crabb says:
"If You want me to see what's so terribly wrong with Your people that's just as wrong with me, I need some help...I feel afraid that I won't be able to recognize what my deepest problem is. Is it sin? Fear? Shame? Insecurity? But I'm even more afraid You'll make it clear. And that I'll be blown away...I'm left with the question: will You really change me? If I face what is so awful about me, will You fix it? And if so, how?" 66 LLThankfully, the book of Judges is not the end of His Story or my little story. God's larger story continues to unfold before my eyes, and He's actively working in me as well, whether I recognize it or not. We have 59 love letters to go, and I trust that God will show me what He wants me to see and understand. I only need to trust and obey - and be patient as I wait on the Lord.
"Twice in Judges (17:6 and 21:25) there is the telling refrain: "At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing." But we readers know that there was a king in Israel: God was king. And so, while the lack of an earthly king accounts for the moral and political anarchy, the presence of the sovereign God, however obscurely realized, means that the reality of the kingdom is never in doubt." Eugene Peterson, Introduction to JudgesSo grateful for that truth today as we close out Judges. God knows the beginning from the end. He is the Alpha and Omega. Our Awesome God is sovereign and will reign forever!
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So what has God been revealing to you through the book of Judges? What are you wrestling with? How has He been challenging or encouraging you through His Word? Staci and I would love to hear how God is speaking to you today.
7 comments:
This is a day late and a dollar short, and probably not the wisdom you were looking for...but this is hilarious and pertinent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNcMgGGOwzE
Thanks, Shannon for the the entertainment! I just chased the Tim Hawkins rabbit trail, watching some of his other material. :-)
Okay....so Judges?? I'm annoyed and have a hard time seeing the book as a Love Letter. When I read of slaughterings, kidnappings of young girls, - who by the way are just supposed to live with and marry their kidnappers and live a happy little life - and gang rapes - in which a husband didn't protect his wife, but instead pushed her our the door into the hands of the predators - I have a hard time seeing my association to any of it.
Ultimately, I do the same thing, Cici - I'm not that bad as those wretched people, Lord!
I think it also leads me to say, with a heavey heart: "What a fallen world we live." So much was lost at the first act of disbedience and there's nothing we, as people, can do to make it (the world) right again. Thankfully, God already has that plan that's been set in motion - all through the birth, life, cruxifiction, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Thank you, Father, for showing us how bad it can get - and how good it will end!
That's hilarious, Shannon! I did the same thing as Stacey - followed the rabbit trail of Tim Hawkins. He's pretty stinkin' funny! Thanks for the belly laugh this morning. I needed that!
In light of the heaviness of judges, Shannon's You Tube video recommendation was GREAT comic relief. I also went down the Tim Hawkins rabbit trail...What Men Don't Say to Their Wives was my favorite! Oh my gosh, I'm still hurting from laughing so hard. Thank you, Shannon!
Praise God that we aren't left with Judges. I'm just feeling YUCK from thinking that I am not far off from what we read.
But I am encouraged by the idea that none of us are far from "going off the deep end" yet in God's grace, He leads us and protects us. The verse that's really speaking to me right now, in the midst of seeing my sin and weakness is "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." We are like the Israelites and our hearts are "prone to wander, prone the leave the God I love" but by His grace, He goes after us. He loves us. He is faithful.
This is good news!!!
Just spent an hour watching Tim Hawkins video clips -- wow, needed a laugh and it was perfect!
Glad to be done with Judges and also feeling unsettled with my concept of God and of myself. Trying not to just escape the discomfort, but to sit in it and hear what God's saying.
UI'm a day late, but will chime in anyway. For me, it's been a little different with my Judges journey. Over the past 2 weeks I have been walking alongside a dear unbelieving friend who is contemplating the unthinkable. She hasn't done this attrocity yet, but she still might. I am humbled with an awareness that APART FROM CHRIST, I was completely enslaved to this complete wickedness that I sadly see in my friend and that we read about in Judges. But as the current song keeps replaying in my head, "I am not who I was. I'm being remade. I am new! I'm chosen and holy and I'm dearly loved. I am new!" And, "The One who is making everything new doesn't see me the way that I do." Thank you, God, for that huge and precious gift!!
So.... my prayer for my friend, as much as I want to focus on her not doing this evil act, is that she would see her self for who she is and her need for a Savior. That her whole family would be convicted and turn to God. That He would save her from herself. Isn't that what we all need?
Praying for your friend Della! I'm not past anything. I was so down five years ago that I didn't think I would make it. Listened to a CD by Tim Keller on Romans 7, our "splitness," and how much we have no idea of the evil that resides within. So grateful to God for replacing fears with love and for the hope that is now in my heart that I never ever dreamed could be there. Praying the the God of all Hope will show up for your precious friend and her family ~Romans 15:13~.
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