Sunday’s Study: Judges 17 – Micah and his idols

Micah lived in a time when lifestyle choices where “anything goes” … maybe not unlike today. He chose to set up a shrine (including idols) in his home. He hired a priest to make it legitimate. The priest’s greed allowed him to set aside what is right regarding proper worship and obedience to God’s will. [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 15 – Samson

If you watched the video for Chapter 14, you can jump about 2 1/2 minutes into today’s lesson. Today’s portion of Samson’s biographer required some of the history previously covered. I’m struck by how wonderful God is. We’re created in His image, but because we’re not God we’re flawed. We’re blessed and cursed with free [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 14 – Samson’s Marriage

In Judges 13 we are introduced to Samson’s parents, Manoah and an unnamed woman. In Judges 14 we are introduced to Samson and his bride (who also goes unnamed. Did you know he was married before he met Delilah?). Samson spots a woman in Timnah and decides she’s “the one”. He insists his parents arrange [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 13 – Samson’s Conception & Birth

In Judges 13, Manoah’s sterile wife (never named) encounters an angel of the Lord who foretells of the conception and birth of Samson. Other notable sterile-women-who-became-mothers-after-divine-intervention: Sarah, mother of Isaac; Rebekah, mother of Jacob; Hannah, mother of Samuel; Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. The angel instructs Samson’s parents to raise him as a Nazirite: [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 12 – Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

Today’s study wraps up Jephthah’s time as judge and his successors Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. It is noteworthy that the text shifts from referring to times of peace under the leadership of the blessed judges, to just highlighting the years of leadership (Jephthah, 6; Ibzan, 7; Elon, 10; & Abdon, 8). Jephthah’s time was not [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 11 – The Story of Jephthah

Today’s study is a “redo” of last week’s story, only this is a free-form telling of the tale. Watching myself on video is a good exercise. In the future, I will try to reduce the number of “and’s,” “so’s,” “basically’s,” etc. when I’m retelling these stories. I swear, the Old Testament is better than anything [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 11

Judges 11 tells the story of Jephthah, the illegitimate son of Gilead. Jephthah was a mighty warrior and a natural leader, chased off by his family as a social outcast. In the face of the Ammonites threat of war, the elders of Gilead brought Jephthah home and he was elected judge and made leader of [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 10

Today’s study touches on Tola (judged 23 years) and Jair (judged 22 years). Perhaps “minor judges” but representing the diversity of the leaders God used. After Jair died, the Israelites again served other gods – the Baals and Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the Philistines. The chapter [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 9

The stories of Gideon and his son Abimelech are centered in the Book of Judges. Gideon offers a stellar example of the leaders God chose to rescue his children and Abimelech is the antithesis, offering a stark contrast in behavior. It’s worthy of mention that in telling Abimelech’s tale, Gideon is only referred to by [...]

Sunday’s Study: Judges 8

Gideon’s story continues with his final battle with the Midianites and his pursuit of kings Zebah and Zalmunna. When he asked the people of Succoth and Peniel for aid and they declined, he promised vindication which he later delivered. For reasons that are not explained, Gideon melts down some of the plunder from his battles [...]