Monthly Archives: March 2023

Daily Bible Study

March 22, 2023 Bible Study — God Will Give Us Signs That We Are Doing His Will

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Judges 7-8.

I want to write about Gideon’s faith.  A week or two back it was pointed out to me that our failure today to see signs and wonders similar to those written about in the New Testament is not because our faith is too small.  My initial response to that was to think, “Well yes, but…”  Then I read today’s passage.  To fully understand what the meaning it conveyed to me we need to take a look at something from yesterday’s passage which I did not write about yesterday.  In yesterday’s passage, God had called Gideon to lead the Israelites against the overwhelming force of the Midianites.  Gideon asked for God to give him a sign that he had been interpreted God’s leading correctly, and from that sign we get the expression of “asking for a fleece.”  Gideon got the answer for which he had asked.  In fact God gave him an answer twice.  Then, when the time came to attack, God told him to do so, but God also said, “If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp and listen.” That is a paraphrase and there was a bit more to it than that, but the account tells us that Gideon did go down and listen.  Now, why did Gideon go down and listen?  Because he was afraid.  Think about that.  Gideon had laid down a fleece at night, asking God for it to be wet from dew in the morning while the ground around it was dry.  In the morning, the ground was dry and Gideon squeezed a bowlful of water out of the fleece.  Then Gideon asked God to do the opposite the following night, and the morning after the fleece was dry while the ground around it was wet from dew.  Yet, when it came time to do as God commanded, Gideon was still afraid.  Here’s the important part, God didn’t leave Gideon hanging, He knew Gideon was afraid and provided him with a sign to strengthen his courage.

We see from this that God did not use Gideon to save the Israelites from the Midianites because of his great faith, because Gideon did not have great faith.  In the same way, we do not need great faith to accomplish God’s purpose, we just need to be willing to do what God tells us to do.  When we start doing what God tells us to do, He will provide us with evidence that we are doing the right thing.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 21, 2023 Bible Study — If God Has Called You To Do A Task, You Will Be Able To Do That Task

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Judges 4-6.

After the death of Ehud, while Deborah was the judge of final appeal over all of Israel, the Israelites once again turned away from God.  Which tells us that even with a leader over the people, they sometimes refused to hold one another accountable.  One might conjecture that this happened because Deborah was a woman, and thus not a strong enough leader.  However, the context of the passage does not support that conclusion.  When Deborah told Barak to gather men and attack Sisera, he agreed to do so only on the condition that she accompany him.  If she was a strong enough leader that Barak wanted her presence when he went to war, her “weakness” as a woman was not the reason for Israel falling away from God.  In fact, despite the writers of the books of the Old Testament which record the history of Israel focusing on the importance of the righteousness, or lack thereof, among Israel’s leaders, reading those books leads one to conclude that the presence of good leaders reflected the desire of the people to serve God rather than the other way around.  I would also like to note that Deborah’s response to Barak’s condition suggests that if Barak had been willing to do what Deborah told him without her going with him we would not know who Deborah was and Barak would be one of the judges recorded in this book.

The Song of Deborah which is recorded here as being the victory song which Deborah and Barak sang after the death of Sisera puts a somewhat different light on events than the account given before that.  The first thing I want to note is that the song mentions Shamgar, who was mentioned in passing at the end of Chapter 3 as someone who had saved Israel.  The song suggests that Deborah and Barak lived at about the same time as Shamgar.  Perhaps, the king of Hazor, to whom Sisera owed fealty, was oppressing the Israelites from the Northeast while the Philistines were doing so from the Southwest.  But I wanted to focus on from the song is the repeated references to the Israelites not being willing to defend themselves until Deborah arose.  Then comes the line which I want to highlight, “until I arose, a mother in Israel.”  Deborah was a mother who had had enough.  As I read this song, she shamed the men of Israel into standing up for their countryfolk.  Perhaps “shamed” is the wrong word, she motivated them to do so.  The point I want to make here is that although God usually calls a man to fill the leadership role when He calls His people back to Him, He will use a woman in that role when it suits His purposes.  Or to put it another way, just because God usually calls a certain type of person for a particular role does not mean that He has not called you for that role.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 20, 2023 Bible Study — Refusing To Be Held Accountable Leads To Division

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Judges 1-3.

I am unsure how the timing of what is described in today’s passage matches up with that described in the Book of Joshua.  The Book of Judges starts by saying “After the death of Joshua,…”, then goes on to talk about the tribe of Judah taking their territory.  In particular, this passage describes how Othniel earned Caleb’s daughter as his wife, an account which was also in the Book of Joshua.  I believe that this story is here to explain how Othniel, the first of the judges, rose to a position of prominence in Israel.  Actually, I want to backtrack a little bit.  I believe that Chapters 1 and 2 are intended to set the stage and explain how Israel went from Joshua’s conquest of the land to the situation which existed shortly before the Book of Judges was compiled (I believe that the Book of Judges was compiled either during the reign of King Saul or early in the reign of King David).  We can conclude from what we find written here, and in the Book of Joshua, that, as he approached his death, Joshua saw no reason to appoint a successor as individual leader over the Israelites.  The Israelites had no enemies in the land who could threaten them and were settling into the land.  However, without a leader to keep them focused on being faithful to God, they began to adopt the worship practices of the people remaining in the land.  Also, without a leader to make them into a unified political force, a neighboring power (the king of Aram) saw an opportunity to take control (a theme which gets repeated throughout this book).  When the Israelites started to turn back to God, Othniel used his connection to Caleb to unite them under him and drove the invaders out of the land.  Through the rest of his life Othniel led the people to remain faithful to the Lord.

After the death of Othniel, once again the people of Israel drifted away from following God.  The way I see it, they began to take the attitude of, “Who are you to tell me what I should, or should not, do?”  Without a defined leader, the Israelites stopped holding each other accountable to serving God, and to not worshiping idols.  The result was that they lost their unity and became susceptible to outside powers.  In this case, the king of Moab formed an alliance to impose his will on the land (basically demanding tribute and perhaps raiding).  Eventually, the Israelites once again turned back to God and Ehud rose up to lead them.  Ehud overthrew the Moabite king and united the people of Israel in obedience to God.  Throughout the Book of Judges we see this pattern repeated: the faithful leader dies, the people stop allowing themselves to be held accountable for their actions and drift away from God, the people no longer unite for their own defense, an oppressor takes advantage of their division, the people cry out to God, God raises up a faithful servant to unite them and free them from their oppressor.  If we refuse to be held accountable for our actions as individuals we will fall into sin.  If we refuse to be held accountable for our actions as a people, unity will disappear.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 19, 2023 Bible Study — Will You Choose To Serve God?

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 23-24.

Today’s passage describes events which took place after all of those described earlier in this book.  The Israelites have all found land to live upon in the land.  While they have not driven all of the non-Israelites out of the land, for the most part they have destroyed all of the non-Israelite political power bases and are living at peace. Joshua realized that he would not be around much longer to provide the Israelites with guidance, so he calls an assembly of the leadership of the people.  First, I want to note that Chapter 23 appears to be a summary of the assembly which Joshua called with Chapter 24 going into more detail.  First Joshua reminded the people of all of the good things which God had done for them.  Then he called them to respond to those good things by faithfully serving God.  I am hoping that you, my readers, can agree with me, and Joshua, that the Lord has done wonderful things for you.  If that is the case, then I will join Joshua in calling on you to faithfully serve God.  Do not associate with the idol worship going on around us.  Do not serve the gods to which so many bow down and serve.  Hold fast to the Lord our God.  Just as there was a price to pay for the Israelites listening to Joshua, there is a price to pay for us if we choose to faithfully serve God.  But, there is a price to pay if you choose to serve the gods of those around us.  So, if you find the price of serving God too high, you must choose which other gods your will serve.  Our world offers many such gods, choose which ones you will serve!  Or, choose to serve the Lord of Lords, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Joshua chose to serve God, I choose to do likewise.  I hope you will join me in my choice, even with the high price which Jesus made clear to us.

Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 18, 2023 Bible Study — Resolving Conflict By Talking And Listening

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 21-22.

For the last few days I have been commenting on how much of what was being described appears to me to have happened before the end of Chapter 11 where it says, “Then the land had rest from war.”  I believe that Chapter 22 describes wat happened immediately after that verse: the warriors of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed back over the Jordan River to the east side.  In any case, the warriors returning to their homes east of the Jordan built an altar as a  monument declaring unity between themselves and their kindred settling west of the Jordan.  The other tribes took this altar as a declaration of separation both from themselves and from their God.  From there this story becomes an example of how to deal with conflict.  The tribes west of the Jordan were angry, they thought the tribes east of the Jordan were rejecting them and their God as not “good enough”, and they believed the actions of the tribes east of the Jordan would negatively impact them.  However, instead of immediately going to war in order to protect themselves and punish the eastern tribes, they selected a delegation to speak with them and find out what they were doing, offering a solution if the eastern tribes had a legitimate reason for rejecting them.  When the delegation came to the eastern tribes, they could have taken it as an insult and immediately mustered to make war on those who showed such little trust in them.  After all, the eastern tribes had just returned from spending a generation fighting alongside their brothers now living to the west of the Jordan River.  But that is not how they reacted.  Instead they explained the purpose of the altar which they had built, they told the delegates that the altar had been built as a declaration unity between the tribes living east of the Jordan and the tribes living west of the Jordan, not as a declaration of independence from them.  Because both sides were willing to talk, and to listen, misunderstandings were resolved and peace was obtained.  Of course, peace would likely not have been possible if the eastern tribes had actually intended what the western tribes thought they intended.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 17, 2023 Bible Study — The Remaining Tribes Claim Their Land

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 18-20.

Continuing what I have been saying about the passages for the last few days, today’s passage also seems to me to be an account of things which happened in the time before Joshua 11:23.  As I read it, the conquest of the southern cities described in Chapter 10 is about the tribe of Judah claiming its allotment in the land, and the conquest of the northern cities described in Chapter 11 is about the tribes of Joseph claiming their allotment.  The allotments for the other seven tribes described here were smaller campaigns which involved the conquests of territories which did not enter the larger alliances.  Interestingly, we even have a reference here to the tribe of Dan losing control of their territory and later taking over the territory they name “Dan” which is recounted in more detail in Judges 18.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 16, 2023 Bible Study — Judah, Ephraim, And Manasseh Claim Their Lands

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 15-17.

Yesterday I mentioned that the account of Caleb claiming his inheritance in the land probably took place during the events described in Chapters 10 and 11.  The additional information concerning Caleb claiming his inheritance makes me think it took place during the events described in Chapter 10.  Following up on that, I would think that the description of the territory allotted to Ephraim and Manasseh would have then happened during the events described in Chapter 11.   We also learn from this passage that the two tribes of Joseph failed to completely drive the Canaanites out of the land of which they took possession.  I am tempted to think that the writer is making a contrast between the tribes of Joseph failing to drive out all of the Canaanites from their territory and the tribe of Judah doing so.  However, they did mention that the tribe of Judah failed to drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem, so perhaps that is not the point being made here.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 15, 2023 Bible Study — Recognizing Where The Authors Tell Us One Event Did Not Follow All Of Those Previously Recounted

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 12-14.

At the end of Chapter 11 (the end of yesterday’s passage), we were told “Then the land had rest from war.”  Today’s passage ends with the same phrase.  This leads me to believe that we are intended to understand that some portion of today’s passage took place during the events recounted before that phrase was written at the end of Chapter 11.  As I read this, Chapter 12 is a summary of the kings defeated by Joshua before the end of Chapter 11.  I believe that Chapter 13 occurs after the end of Chapter 11, but that Chapter 14 occurs during the time when the battles written about before the end of Chapter 11 took place.  I am not quite sure when Caleb claimed his inheritance in Hebron, but I would guess it occurred shortly after Joshua and the Israelites finished their war against the alliance of the northern kings described in Chapter 11, most likely during the time in Chapter 11 where it describes the Israelites killing all of the Anakites who lived in the hill country.  I do not think figuring out the exact timing of when Caleb claimed his inheritance is important.  Rather, I think it is important to recognize the clues which tell us that account of one event is not intended to be understood as taking place after all of the events which had been described before the writer(s) got to the event in question.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 14, 2023 Bible Study — Joshua Destroys The Kingdoms In The Land

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 10-11.

A casual reading of this passage leads one to believe that by the end of it the Israelites had more or less destroyed all of the people inhabiting the land.  However, a closer reading tells a different story.  For example, the king of Jerusalem created the alliance which attacked Gibeon.  Yet, Jerusalem is not one of the cities described as being conquered and destroyed as part of the campaign which followed Joshua’s successful defense of Gibeon.  Jarmuth, another city which was part of that alliance, is also not mentioned as being conquered and destroyed.  Then in the summary of Joshua’s battles the passage tells us that the Israelites wiped out all of the Anakites in the hill country of both Judah and the northern part of the land, but that some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, cities which would later become centers of Philistine dominance (the Philistines were not yet on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea at the time of Joshua).   The other thing which hints to us that we are supposed to understand that not all of the people living in the land when the Israelites arrived is when it tells us that only the Gibeonites entered into a treaty with the Israelites.  If the Gibeonites had been the only people living in the land whose presence predated the Israelites there would have been no reason to mention this.  So, while Joshua destroyed the emerging nations in the land (we see the same southern and northern political divide emerge in the split kingdom), he did not completely eradicate the people living in the land.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

March 13, 2023 Bible Study — Joshua Makes A Second Copy Of God’s Commands On Stone

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Joshua 8-9.

There is much I could write about the victory over Ai, or about the Gibeonite deception of the Israelites, but I want to focus on when Joshua gathered the Israelites between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.  Joshua was carrying out the command which God had given the Israelites through Moses to assemble between these two mountains after they entered the land.  Then, while the people were gathered, Joshua wrote a copy of the law Moses had given the Israelites on stones.  This would be the second set of God’s commands written on stones.  I have always had it in my head that Moses had carved God’s commands into the stone tablets he prepared on Mount Sinai.  So, when I read that Joshua wrote on these I thought they would be different than the ones which Moses made.  However, when I went to check that, I discovered that the translation says that Moses wrote them.  That does not mean that neither of these sets of stones with God’s commands on them were not chiseled, but it seems unlikely that Joshua took the time to chisel the law of Moses onto these stones in front of the gathered people of Israel.

Having said all of that, what does this mean for us?  Well, the passage also says that Joshua read all of the law of Moses to the people during this gathering.  That reminds me of one of my college professors who would write key statements from his lecture on the blackboard during his classes.  As he wrote them he would discuss what they meant and how they fit into the rest of what he was teaching.  For me, that approach accomplished two things.  First, they allowed me to take particular note of the statements he wrote on the blackboard, and second, they caused those statements to encapsulate the entire lesson the professor was teaching.  So, Joshua writing God’s commands on the stones and then reading those commands to the Israelites helped them to internalize those commands.  In the same way, my writing this blog helps me internalize the lessons I learn from my daily Scripture reading.  I hope that reading the passages I write about and then reading my thoughts about them will help you internalize what God has to say to you through those passages (which may or may not have anything to do with what I write).

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.