Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
Day 100 and 73
immersed in Judges.
The book of judges describes the period in Israel's history between its
conquest of the promised land and the anointing of the nation's first king.
With each new generation, one question keeps appearing.
Will Israel remain committed to its covenant relationship with God?
In answering this crucial question, the Book of Judges expresses two themes.
It shows that Israel has a recurring problem with idolatry and turning
away from God, and it makes the case that the nation would benefit
from having a single strong leader, particularly one from the tribe of Judah.
The status of God's covenant bond with his people is a central
concern throughout the Bible.
At this point in the story, the Book of Judges seems to suggest that Israel
could be led into more faithful covenant keeping by a strong and worthy king.
The three major sections in the book's literary structure help to
make a case for a monarchy in Israel.
The brief opening part of the book centers on the question of Israel's
loyalty to God and to the covenant.
After Joshua's death, will the people follow God's instructions?
Will they take full possession of the land in a pattern that repeats throughout the
book, Israel falls short of God's plan and then suffers the inevitable consequences.
The second and largest part of the book tells the story of 12
judges or rescuers chosen by God to rescue Israel from its enemies.
The number matches the number of Israel's tribes and seems designed to
show that the nation will remain in disunity and confusion if it relies
on temporary leaders who only arise to deal with an immediate crisis.
There is a pronounced pattern in the accounts of the judges.
A dismal cycle in which Israel fails to keep its covenant with God
falls under God's judgment and cries out in distress, after which God
raises up a rescuer to save them.
The cycle repeats again and again.
Showing that Israel's present status as a tribal confederation is not helping it
fulfill its covenant calling in the world.
The people continually forget their identity as God's chosen people
and fail to demonstrate through their lives that God is their king.
The individual stories of Israel's judges are interesting in their own
right in the accounts of leaders like Gideon, Deborah, Samson, and others.
We read stories of doubt, military cunning, decisive
action, and God's sovereignty.
As he works for his people in spite of their compromises and moral failures.
But it has become clear that Israel needs a new kind of leader to unify the tribes
in faithful covenant obedience to God.
The third and final section of Judges focuses on two stories of unimaginable
moral failure and disaster demonstrating the desperate need for change in Israel.
It is noted at both the beginning and end of these stories that in
those days, Israel had no king.
All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
Thus, the overall argument of the Book of Judges proposes that the nation needs not
merely individuals, but an institution, the kingship, to protect it and help
it to remain faithful to the Lord.
Specifically the book has David's royal line in mind at both the
beginning and the end of Judges.
The Israelites ask God, which tribe should lead them into battle.
God answers, Judah is to go first.
The placement of these episodes is designed to confirm that God's choice
to rule over Israel is the line of David from the tribe of Judah.
In contrast, the tribe of Israel's first king Saul, the tribe of Benjamin, is
frequently shown in a negative light.
Israel is to have a king, but not just any king.
Since Israel has rejected the Lord as king, an adequate human king
will have to lead the people to faithfully worship and honor God.
This brings the story of Israel to the point where God is ready
to make his fourth covenant.
Establishing David as King of Israel and founder of a Royal dynasty,
the Book of Judges.
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites, ask the Lord, which tribe should
go first to attack the Canaanites.
The Lord answered Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.
The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, join with
us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us.
Then we will help you conquer your territory.
So the men of Simeon went with Judah.
When the Man of Judah attacked the Lord, gave them victory over the Canaanites
and parasites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bza.
While at bza, they encountered King Adonai Bza and fought against him, and the
Canaanites and parasites were defeated.
Adonai Bza escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and
cut off his thumbs and big toes.
Said, I once had 70 kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off
eating scraps from under my table.
Now, God has paid me back for what I did to them.
They took him to Jerusalem and he died there.
The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its
people and setting the city on fire.
Then they went down to fight the Canaanites living in the Hill country,
the Negev and the Western foothills.
Judah marched against the Canaanites and Hebron, formerly called Eth aba, defeating
the forces of Isha, a Hyman and Alai.
From there, they went to fight against the people living in the town
of Deber, formerly called Eth Ser.
Caleb said, I will give my daughter Axa in marriage to the one who
attacks and captures Eth ser.
Aneal, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Ken was the one who conquered it.
So Axa became ath Neil's wife.
When Axa married Ath Neil, she urged him to ask her father for a field.
As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, what's the matter?
She said, let me have another gift.
You have already given me land and the negative.
Now please give me springs of water too.
So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs when the tribe of Judah
left Jericho, the city of Palms.
The Ken Knights, who were descendants of Moses' father-in-law, traveled with
them into the wilderness of Judah.
They settled among the people there near the town of Arad in the Nev.
Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zfa,
and they completely destroyed the town.
So the town was named Horman.
In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ash, Kalan, and Akron, along
with their surrounding territories.
The Lord was with the people of Judah and they took possession of the hill
country, but they failed to drive out the people living in the plains
who had iron chariots, the town of.
He was given to Caleb as Moses had promised, and Caleb drove out.
The people living there who were descendants of the three sons of Anac.
The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites
who were living in Jerusalem.
So to this day, the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people
of Benjamin, the descendants of Joseph attacked the town of
Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
They sent man to scout out Bethel, formerly known as Luz.
They confronted a man coming out of the town and said to him, show us a way into
the town and we will have mercy on you.
So he showed them a way in and they killed everyone in the town
except that man and his family.
Later, the man moved to the land of the Hitite, where he built a town.
He named it Luz, which is its name.
To this day, the Tribe of Manasses failed to drive out the people
living in Beth, Shan, AK Door, IUM, Meto, and all their surrounding
settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.
When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work
as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land.
The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in geezer, so
the Canaanites continued to live there.
Among them, the tribe of Zein failed to drive out the residents of Kiran and Neal,
so the Canaanites continued to live among them, but the Canaanites were forced to
work as slaves for the people of Zein.
The tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residence of Echo Seiden,
aab, ax, ib, PEBA, aic, and Reha.
Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites who controlled the
land for they failed to drive them out.
Likewise, the tribe of Naftali failed to drive out the residence
of Beth Mish and Beth Anat.
Instead, they moved in among the Canaanites who controlled the land.
Nevertheless, the people of Beth Mish and Beth a Nath were forced to work
as slaves for the people of Naftaly.
As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them back into
the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains.
The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Ez, Alan and Shea
Alba, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced
the Amorites to work as slaves.
The boundary of the Amorites ran from Scorpion Pass to Sila
and continued upward from there.
The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bohi and said to the Israelites, I
brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors.
And I said, I would never break my covenant with you for your part.
You are not to make any covenants with the people living in this land.
Instead, you were to destroy their altars, but you disobeyed my command.
Why did you do this?
So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living
in your land, they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will
be a constant temptation to you.
When the angel of the Lord finished speaking to all the
Israelites, the people wept loudly.
They called the place Boem, which means weeping, and they offered
sacrifices there to the Lord.
After Joshua sent the people away, each of the tribes left to take possession
of the land allotted to them, and the Israelites served the Lord throughout the
lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him, those who had seen all the
great things the Lord had done for Israel.
Joshua son of none.
The servant of the Lord died at the age of 110.
They buried him in the land.
He had been allocated at Tim Nth SRA in the hill country of Eum north of Mount
gay Ash after that generation died, another generation grew up who did not
acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.
The Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight and serve the images of Baal.
They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors who
had brought them out of Egypt.
They went after other gods worshiping the gods of the people around
them, and they angered the Lord.
They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of eth.
This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel.
So he handed them over to Raiders who stole their possessions.
He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were
no longer able to resist them.
Every time Israel went out to battle the Lord fought against them, causing them
to be defeated, just as he had warned, and the people were in great distress.
Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers.
Yet Israel did not listen to the judges, but prostituted themselves
by worshiping other gods how quickly they turned away from the path of
their ancestors who had walked in obedience to the Lord's commands.
Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge
and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge's lifetime.
For the Lord took pity on his people who were burdened by oppression and suffering.
But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt
ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them.
They went after other gods serving and worshiping them, and they refused to give
up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
So the Lord burned with anger against Israel, he said.
Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their
ancestors and have ignored my commands.
I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left Unconquered when he died.
I did this to test Israel to see whether or not they would follow the ways
of the Lord as their ancestors did.
That is why the Lord left those nations in place.
He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.
These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test Those
Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan, he did this to teach
warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.
These are the nations, the Philistines, those living under the five Philistine
rulers, all the Canaanites, the Ians, and the hives, living in
the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal, Herman to Libo Hamath.
These people were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would
obey the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors through Moses.
So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hitite, Amorites,
parasites, Paes, and Jebusites, and they intermarried with them.
Israelites sons married their daughters and Israelite daughters
were given in marriage to their sons.
And the Israelites served their gods.
This concludes today's immerse reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.