March 11–Judges 13-16

“Did you ever have to make up your mind? Pick up on one and leave the other one behind. It’s not often easy, and not often kind. Did you ever have to make up your mind?” (The Lovin’ Spoonful).

With apologies to those who didn’t grow up in the 60’s, John Sebastian asks an important question. Did you ever have to make up your mind?

The life of every believer is a choice between two great forces colliding in the universe. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit”(Galatians 5:17, KJV).

Flesh is a reality in every person. Dishonest. Insecure. Proud and self-determining. The flesh is the old me that competes with the Spirit for control of decisions and attention. “The mind set on the flesh, does not subject itself to the law of God, it is not even able to do so”(Romans 8:7).

In the believer, however, the Spirit is ALSO a reality! A new life from Heaven. Animating presence. True and real and eternal. In me, creating a new me. “If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Samson (today’s reading) is a picture of the inner warfare that comes when both forces collide in unregulated contest. A man with divided loyalties, Samson is, at times, consciously and courageously obedient. At other times, he is self-referenced and immoral. Back and forth he goes. Undecided. Unstable. He will not make up his mind! See James 1:8.

Like Samson, those with divided hearts always come to a tragic reckoning. At some point, an invisible line of God’s forbearance is crossed, and without further warning, judgment comes. “The Lord departed from him”(16:20). Samson was not even aware when the Lord’s protection was removed.

Friend, will you look honestly at your own heart today? Will you agree that, even now, a selfish and foolish man lives inside of you, struggling for control? What possible loyalty do you owe this self-seeking, God-ignoring man? Why do you give this old man any of your confidence or attention? “We put no confidence in the flesh,” says Paul in Philippians 3:3. Will you turn in confession and repentance to God? Will you make up your mind?

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy”(Proverbs 29:1).

“How long will you waver between two opinions?”(1 Kings 18:21).

March 11–Judges 13-16

“Did you ever have to make up your mind? Pick up on one and leave the other one behind. It’s not often easy, and not often kind. Did you ever have to make up your mind?” (The Lovin’ Spoonful).

With apologies to those who didn’t grow up in the 60’s, John Sebastian asks an important question. Did you ever have to make up your mind?

The life of every believer is a choice between two great forces colliding in the universe. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit”(Galatians 5:17, KJV).

Flesh is a reality in every person. Dishonest. Insecure. Proud and self-determining. The flesh is the old me that competes with the Spirit for control of decisions and attention. “The mind set on the flesh, does not subject itself to the law of God, it is not even able to do so”(Romans 8:7).

In the believer, however, the Spirit is ALSO a reality! A new life from Heaven. Animating presence. True and real and eternal. In me, creating a new me. “If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Samson (today’s reading) is a picture of the inner warfare that comes when both forces collide in unregulated contest. A man with divided loyalties, Samson is, at times, consciously and courageously obedient. At other times, he is self-referenced and immoral. Back and forth he goes. Undecided. Unstable. He will not make up his mind! See James 1:8.

Like Samson, those with divided hearts always come to a tragic reckoning. At some point, an invisible line of God’s forbearance is crossed, and judgment comes without further warning. “The Lord departed from him”(16:20). Samson was not even aware when the Lord’s protection was removed.

Friend, will you look honestly at your own heart today? Will you agree that, even now, a selfish and foolish man lives inside of you, struggling for control? What possible loyalty do you owe this self-seeking, God-ignoring man? Why do you give this old man any of your confidence or attention? “We put no confidence in the flesh,” says Paul in Philippians 3:3. Will you turn in confession and repentance to God? Will you make up your mind?

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy”(Proverbs 29:1).

“How long will you waver between two opinions?”(1 Kings 18:21).

March 11–Judges 13-16

“Did you ever have to make up your mind? Pick up on one and leave the other one behind. It’s not often easy, and not often kind. Did you ever have to make up your mind?” (The Lovin’ Spoonful).

With apologies to those who didn’t grow up in the 60’s, John Sebastian asks an important question. Did you ever have to make up your mind?

The life of every believer is a choice between two great forces colliding in the universe. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit”(Galatians 5:17, KJV).

Flesh is a reality in every person. Dishonest. Insecure. Proud and self-determining. The flesh is the old me that competes with the Spirit for control of decisions and attention. “The mind set on the flesh, does not subject itself to the law of God, it is not even able to do so”(Romans 8:7).

In the believer, however, the Spirit is ALSO a reality! A new life from Heaven. Animating presence. True and real and eternal. In me, creating a new me. “If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Samson (today’s reading) is a picture of the inner warfare that comes when both forces collide in unregulated contest. A man with divided loyalties, Samson is, at times, consciously and courageously obedient. At other times, he is self-referenced and immoral. Back and forth he goes. Undecided. Unstable. He will not make up his mind! See James 1:8.

Like Samson, those with divided hearts always come to a tragic reckoning. At some point, an invisible line of God’s forbearance is crossed, and judgment comes without further warning. “The Lord departed from him”(16:20). Samson was not even aware when the Lord’s protection was removed.

Friend, will you look honestly at your own heart today? Will you agree that, even now, a selfish and foolish man lives inside of you, struggling for control? What possible loyalty do you owe this self-seeking, God-ignoring man? Why do you give this old man any of your confidence or attention? “We put no confidence in the flesh,” says Paul in Philippians 3:3. Will you turn in confession and repentance to God? Will you make up your mind?

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy”(Proverbs 29:1).

“How long will you waver between two opinions?”(1 Kings 18:21).

March 10–Judges 10-12

“The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 10:7).

The Creator of the universe (Who reveals Himself in Scripture) is a paradox, a perfect balance of seemingly irreconcilable virtues. He is just AND merciful. His heart is filled with hatred for sin AND pity for sinners. Both. Simultaneously. Perfectly.

Our reading today tells of God’s fierce wrath against sin! A God of consequences. A God who holds men accountable against the unbending standard of His holiness.

However, please notice Judges 10:16. “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.” A God of great sympathy also! Anguished by the misery of His people, He is moved toward them in kindness.

Which is He? One or the other? Both! For all the logical difficulties it presents us, God is internally (and eternally) balanced in His expression of both virtues. The Lamb and the Lion are the same person. “God is love,” says the Scripture. “Our God is a consuming fire,” it also says. Larger than logic, God is good and fearful in a way that only He knows.

In Exodus 20, the 2nd Commandment warns us from, “creating a god in our own image.” In obedience to this commandment, the task of every human is to imagine and accept God as He reveals Himself. Even when it is logically impossible to do so!

Friend, would an observer see fear of God in your life? Would the same observer see your child-like trust in God’s mercy? Will we, as a nation, recognize it when God’s anger burns toward us for our unbelief and sin? If the true God is to be feared and loved, our lives must give testimony to both. We are to believe both. We are to preach both.

“Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites by keeping them both, and by keeping them both furious”(G.K. Chesterton).

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

March 9–Judges 8-9

“Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god”(8:33).

A faithful relationship with an invisible God is unnatural. It is possible only by the Spirit. When our minds are set on the flesh (in the sense of looking to ourselves, depending on our thoughts), the gravitational pull of the world will always be too strong for us.

Sad story. After Gideon died, in the absence of his positive influence, the sons of Israel were pulled back toward Baal. Why? Why would anyone gravitate back to a system as vile and cruel as Baalism? The answer is obvious. The people lacked inner conviction. Without it, they drifted back to the false answers and easy choices of culture.

All of us are like SHEEP. Indecisive. Uncertain. Easily influenced. Into such fickle hearts as ours, however, the Lord inserts the STEEL of His word! We recognize our shepherd’s voice and it becomes in us a rod, a staff, a solid rock, a sword that cuts through uncertainty. Faith comes through hearing and courage comes through faith. We begin to stand. See Ephesians 6:14.

In Matthew 16, our Lord probed the disciples with two important questions. “Who do PEOPLE say the Son of Man is?” (Important to know and monitor this information. We should be students and observers of the world and its ideas.) The second, however, is the larger question. “Who do YOU say that I am?” YOU in contrast to the world? YOU in solidarity with the Scripture and Spirit?

Is there a God? What is His nature and character? What is my duty to Him? These are essential questions. We cannot trust others to provide the answers. “I have more insight than my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation,” says Psalm 119:99.

Those who follow Christ must never be conformed to the human-centered logic of the current age. To find and stand on God’s word is true wisdom.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”(Romans 12:2).

March 9–Judges 8-9

“Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god”(8:33).

A faithful relationship with an invisible God is unnatural. It is possible only by the Spirit. When our minds are set on the flesh (in the sense of looking to ourselves, depending on our thoughts), the gravitational pull of the world will always be too strong for us.

Sad story. After Gideon died, in the absence of his positive influence, the sons of Israel were pulled back toward Baal. Why? Why would anyone gravitate back to a system as vile and cruel as Baalism? The answer is obvious. The people lacked inner conviction. Without it, they drifted back to the false answers and easy choices of culture.

All of us are like SHEEP. Indecisive. Uncertain. Easily influenced. Into such fickle hearts as ours, however, the Lord inserts the STEEL of His word! We recognize our shepherd’s voice and it becomes in us a rod, a staff, a solid rock, a sword that cuts through uncertainty. Faith comes through hearing and courage comes through faith. We begin to stand. See Ephesians 6:14.

In Matthew 16, our Lord probed the disciples with two important questions. “Who do PEOPLE say the Son of Man is?” (Important to know and monitor this information. We should be students and observers of the world and its ideas.) The second, however, is the larger question. “Who do YOU say that I am?” YOU in contrast to the world? YOU in solidarity with the Scripture and Spirit?

Is there a God? What is His nature and character? What is my duty to Him? These are essential questions. We cannot trust others to provide the answers. “I have more insight than my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation,” says Psalm 119:99.

Those who follow Christ must never be conformed to the human-centered logic of the current age. To find and stand on God’s word is true wisdom.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”(Romans 12:2).

March 8–Judges 5-7

“The Lord said to him, ‘Peace to you, do not fear; for you shall not die.’ Then Gideon built an altar. . .and named it, “The Lord is Peace”(6:23-24).

It was a NEW experience for Gideon. Something he hungered for his whole life. ”Peace that passes understanding,” Paul called it years later. See Philippians 4:7. For years, Gideon lived with inner uncertainty and fear. So many questions! Deep and nagging insecurities! This day, as he focused his eyes on God, a calm assurance flowed into his heart like a warm, clean river! He wasn’t anxious anymore!

Responding with gratitude to this delicious confidence, Gideon built an altar and gave testimony. “The Lord IS peace.” It was his testimony. In God, humans find supernatural wholeness and rest.

In Gideon’s day, many believed that God had “abandoned Israel”. See 6:13. The truer truth, declared by a prophet, was that Israel had disobeyed and was being disciplined. How grateful we should be for God’s word and those who speak it! For peace to come, we must repent. “Let the wicked abandon his way, and the unrighteous person his thoughts” (Isaiah 55:7). “There is no peace for the wicked”(Isaiah 48:22).

Active obedience was also required! Tear down your Father’s Baal! Reduce your army from 32,000 to 300! One experience after another, Gideon learned to act with God’s leadership, to do what God says. Peace isn’t passive or static. It is active and obedient. The Lord moves! We must move too!

Friend, is your heart anxious? Do you struggle with feeling safe in this hostile world? The peace you are searching for is available in Christ. Just as He did with Gideon, the Prince of Peace is revealing Himself to you, calling you to trust and obey. The Lord IS peace and He will guide you to it.

“Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace, over all victorious in its bright increase. . .stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest, finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest”(Frances Havergal).

“Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”(Matthew 11:28-29).

March 7–Judges 2-4

“Now Deborah, a prophetess. . .was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm tree. . .between Ramah and Bethel. . .and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgement”(4:4-5).

When did she realize the gift? As a young girl? A teenager? A busy wife and mother? Was she praying one day when the Spirit of the Lord poured on her the gift of prophecy? Were there multiple moments she was required to press through the skepticism and scorn of her male contemporaries? Whatever the details, over time Deborah grew to become a spokesperson for God. Knowing Him, she spoke His word to others.

There are some who felt then (still do) that women are disqualified from this blessed task. God does not share this bias. “Your sons and your daughters will prophesy” (Acts 2:17). “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

God is “no respecter of persons”. No one impresses God. No one. As clay pots, it is foolish for us to spend much time wondering whether we are adequate for Spiritual service. Wealth. Education. Gender. Appearance. None of these are essential. The Spirit IS our qualification!

As Deborah found courage to speak God’s word, others began to hear the Lord through her. She did not seek their permission, or need it. Gradually, she gained reputation for wisdom and judgment. When she summoned Barak, he came! When she predicted victory, the results followed. In the battle with Sisera, God did exactly what He promised Deborah!

Intriguing fact. Deborah lived in the area eventually known as Galilee. Mount Tabor is just a few miles from Nazareth. In many ways, Deborah reminds me of Mary, the mother of Christ.

As you read today, will you focus your attention on our great God? Will you accept that your true potential is hidden deep in a vibrant relationship with God and His gracious plan. Say it to yourself, dear one. “My adequacy comes from God.” Rest in this truth! Doing so, you will step into the legacy and example of Deborah.

“They did not know it was impossible, so they did it” (Mark Twain).

“Who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises. . .from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection” (Hebrews 11:33-35).

March 6–Joshua 23-Judges 1

“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do harm and consume you’ “(24:19-20).

Joshua was concerned. Deeply. The next years (recorded in the book of Judges) proved his anxieties justified.

Days before his own death, he gathered Israel to Shechem for a renewal of the covenant. He challenged them to serve the Lord in sincerity (Hebrew, tamim, complete, whole, entire) and truth (Hebrew, emet, firmness, faithfulness). Until we are “all in” and strong in our resolve, we cannot follow Jesus. Part of our heart is not enough.

When the people quickly and easily agreed, it only deepened Joshua’s concern. He feared their assumptions regarding God were too superficial, too polluted by pagan ideas. “You are not able to serve the Lord,” he warns them. In your present condition of mind and heart, without deep change (repentance) you will certainly fail.

In paganism (all man-made religions), there is a thin connection between religion and morality. The duties of pagan religion are largely ceremonial, disconnected from the life of the worshipper. One can go to church, do certain rituals, find assurance and then continue on with uninterrupted sinfulness. Not true of the true God. He will not allow anyone to make His house, “a den of thieves” a place where unrepentant people can go and feel safe. See Matthew 21:13. So long as Israel held these low (and false) ideas, so long as they ignored God’s holiness and jealousy, their service to God would be failure.

I wonder if we warn people enough these days. In an effort to encourage people toward Christ, we sometimes communicate only the benefits. We soften or ignore the very real costs. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me,” says the Lord in Luke 9:23. Part of our task in evangelism is to be honest with people regarding holiness and obedience. Joshua did. Jesus, too.

“Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness”(2 Timothy 2:19).

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. . .but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15).

Readers Notes: Some call the book of Judges the “Dark Ages” of Hebrew history. This book covers the period from the death of Joshua to the days just before the ascension of Saul as the first king of Israel. A sad cycle. The nation drifts from God, judgment comes, they cry to God and are delivered, then sink back into sin again. As you read, I pray the Lord will use this story to wake your heart to our own day and the desperate need for repentance and revival.

March 5–Joshua 20-22

“Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben (and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh). . .’What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel?’ “(22:13-14, 16).

Saying goodbye is hard. After seven years of warfare, forty thousand fighting men of Reuben and Gad and Manasseh left the camp of Israel. Fulfilling an agreement made years before, these brothers-in-arms were dismissed to their homes on the eastern side of the Jordan. Israel was still “one nation under God”, but now separated by significant distance and the psychological barrier of the river Jordan.

Distance is difficult. One of the reasons we are instructed not to, “miss the assembling of ourselves together,” is that unity flourishes in regular contact and communication. To STAY together we need to BE together.

No surprise, then, a disturbing rumor soon circulated through the camp. An altar had been raised by the departing tribes! In the absence of any other explanation, this news was perceived in the worst possible way. (Aren’t rumors usually?) Was this altar an act of idolatry? Were the departing tribes setting up their OWN place of worship in disobedience to God’s instruction? Were they forming a new church?

Following the sad tendency of the human heart, some immediately counseled war! Wisely, Joshua did not over-react. He sent a delegation to express concern and hear explanation. The altar was NOT an act of independence at all. Rather, a witness and reminder of their shared identity! The leaders of Reuben and Gad and Manasseh were measured and wise in their words. See 22:21-29. Thank God for Phineas and his ten-chief committee. Thank God for Joshua and his leadership.

In marriage and family, in congregational life and politics, if unity is the goal, communication is the necessary skill. Honest conversation can be difficult, but when done with a heart of humility, it can preserve unity and prevent great damage. Do you have brothers/sisters with whom you need to talk? When unity is threatened, and before you react, shouldn’t you hear their story and heart?

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called. . .being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”(Ephesians 4:1,3).

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother”(Matthew 18:15).