Chapter Eight

The week of March 11


Note: Please see Laurie Newell's parenting blog for The Story www.biblechurch.org/chbcjom/laurie-newell-blogs.html

So Moses is gone and his hand picked successor Joshua dies as well. At least he has died within their of their destination, the territory of Israel. They are 70 years outside of slavery in Egypt. But how do you develop the next line in succession? There was no king, so it would not come through lineage. Beyond that, the Israelites did evil in God's sight and worshipped the gods of the pagan culture surrounding them. In other words, they acted as if the only true God did not exist. This cause of living without God would have an effect that was dramatic.

Pp 103-4  God was angry with His people, allowing the enemy to defeat them, but also would raise up judges, regional leaders to rule and sometimes lead them into battle. On page after page we read that the people 'did what was right in their own eyes'. As they did evil and served foreign gods, God would let them reap what they had sown and then He would send a judge to rescue them. Why would God do this repeatedly? What does it say about His persistent love for His children?

Pp 105-6  After Othniel, one of these judges who had died, Ehud personally killed Eglon and rescued Israel again. Deborah was a woman who stepped up to lead when Barak would not lead on his own. After the enemy was routed Jael personally disposed of the enemy Sisera. What is the significance of God using men and women in leading Israel?

Pp 107-9 Then the Midianites plagued Israel and God chose a farmer to be a military leader for Israel. Gideon was self-deprecating and also more than once asked God’s confirmation through putting out a fleece. When we think of leaders do we think of humble, timid men? One thing Gideon had was devotion to God.

Pp 109-11  To test Gideon's trust, God winnowed down from 32k to 10k to 300 warriors. Why would God not want men who drank from their knees? Would you have thought you had enough men for battle? Gideon did conquer their enemy with 300 men.

Pp 112- 114 Manoah and his wife received a special blessing to have a son. That son, Samson became a strong warrior for God. The Spirit of God worked in him in an unusual way. But people susceptible to God may also be susceptible to the world. Samson wanted foreign women. The enemy used this as a weakness affecting all of Israel. Samson revealed his self-made riddle, then went into a rage when he was tricked. How can people be warm to God and yet so gullible to deception?

Pp 114-116 In a fit of rage Samson killed 30 of the enemy, effectively becoming a marked man. He later lit tails of foxes with fire to burn down fields. He was not a very welcomed man. But they could not subdue him because of his strength. Samson later went to a prostitute where his mighty power was unleashed on the enemy. Why would God work through leaders who do wrong things?

Pp 116-119  Delilah is the last of the foreign women who plagued Samson. His attraction to her violated his trust three times. Finally he was captured after he told of his strength being related to his length of hair. Captured, mocked and his eyes gouged out, Samson came to his senses. In one last prayer to God, he asked for a super-demonstration of strength. The answer to the prayer was shown in Samson’s knocking down the two pillars that held the roof covering 3000 of Israel’s enemies. How was God honored in Samson’s death? Could Samson have honored God better with his heart even if he didn’t have such strength? How does strength in one area obscure our spiritual need in another?