Judges 10 - 12

Click on Scripture above to read today's exciting text!

Here are a few thoughts from today's text:

1) What could an historian say about you? Today's text begins about the same way as it ends! It begins in chapter 10 naming a couple of judges who judged Israel, each for a period of at least 20 years. The sad part is that it doesn't say much about their leadership! There are NO great accomplishments. There are NO great battles. All we know about the first one is that he lived in a town called Shamir, and the second one had 30 sons who rode around on 30 donkeys and owned 30 towns. Wow! Is that it? Apparently the writer saw nothing more to write about them. If you look at the end of chapter 12 it's the same thing! In chapter 12 it speaks of 3 more judges and merely states the number of their children.

If you had 20 years to lead a nation and that's the only thing the historian could come up with about you, how would you feel? I thinks it's disappointing! Did they not accomplish anything that was influential for the nation? If the only attribute that comes to mind from a historian about your influence as a leader is that you had children (although having children is something to be proud of), I would say that you weren't much of a leader.

If someone were to write an historical account of how your life made an impact in this world, what do you suppose the writer would say? Would they be able to account for some mighty things God has accomplished in you and through you? Would they say that the people and neighbors around you are positively influenced by your life? Have you ever led someone to Christ? Will there be people in Heaven because of you? Do Satan and his forces feel any threat from the way your life influences people for the glory of God?

Think about it! Every day, your life is being written down in one of God's books! God is keeping a record of every thing you say, think, feel, and how you live. If knowing that you're life could possibly be found as reading material in a book some day, would people be encouraged by it, strengthened by it, find hope in it, and learn from it? Your life is a book. Make it an exciting one, one that you and God can be proud of!

2) God is a "tough love" kind of father! It doesn't take us long as we read chapter 10 before we see Israel doing "evil in the sight of the Lord" again! Isn't this the 7th time we've read this sad statement? Each time Israel does evil in God's sight, God abandones them up to their own fate. And, each time they fall into enslavement to the people who were once their slaves. In chapter 10, God's patience wears out and he says, "I will not rescue you anymore. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!"

God was angry! And, He had every right to be. But, Israel was no different than many Christians today. Many Christians turn away from God eventually and begin to live lifestyles that are totally contrary to what God expects of us. And, like the Israelites, when their in distress they cry out to God and say, "Where are you God? Don't you love me?"

Yes He does, but His tough love kicks in! This is how we know this - 10:16 says, "And he was grieved by their misery." God was grieving deeply over Israel's sinfulness and personal suffering. Like a loving father, He wanted to reach out and help His children in such a desparate way, but He knew that they would have to learn the hard way. As tough as it was for God, He chose to let them "skin their knees and bop their heads on tables." He loved Israel deeply, just as He loves us today. However, He will allow us the privilege to choose our own direction. If we fail to do as He commands, then He allows us the privilege to live with the consequences. Just like what we have to do with our own teenagers! You hate to see them make bad choices. You scold them and spank them and love them, but sometimes you have to give them over to God and practice tough love. Sometimes our children (and even us) best learn things doing it the hard way. You've heard it said, "We learn by our mistakes." It's true. Pain has a way of teaching us the facts of life. God knows this and allows us to experience pain for the very purpose of teaching us to trust Him and in His ways...not our own ways.

3) Words hurt! In chapter 11 we read the sad story of Jephthah. He had the unfortunate fate of being born out of the infidelity of his father. Due to the fact that he was seen by others as the unfortunate by-product of his father's lust over a town prostitute, life was made difficult for him. It became impossible to have a good relationship with his half-brothers. In fact, at some point in his life, these brothers forced him out of the family and away from any possibility of receiving any inheritance from his father. They verbally accused him of being "the son of a prostitute." Those words hurt Jephthah down to the very core of his being. And, it influenced him horribly. This anger caused him to charismatically attract "a band of worthless rebels" to follow him, and in return, became a "great warrior." Apparently, this anger created a sense of "fight" in him.

Although he was ridiculed and rejected by his own family, they eventually required his help to fight off the Ammonite army. In return, they would offer him the rulership of the city of Gilead.

I can understand kids saying bad things to each other, but I want to know "where was his father in all of this?" Gilead was proven to be an unfaithful husband. Apparently, he was an unfaithful father too! Jephthah was innocent, yet lived a life a guilt by association.

Who do you know that may have faced (or is facing) this type of situation? Only love can cure the pain that this kind of suffering has caused.

Have a great day! God bless!