The Book of Judges comes to an end with the seemingly bizarre account of Israel ganging up on an entire tribe of countrymen and women for the egregious acts of one town. Because the account, chronologically, fits with the events at the beginning of the book, this account is a fitting bookend to set up the spiritual drift detailed in the following historical books.
Category: Prophets and Writings
These studies cover the ancient grouping of Hebrew Bible writings called Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). These books include from Joshua through Malachi in the conventional Christian canon.
https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/file/080719%20Judges%2020.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:43 — )Subscribe: RSSThe tribes of Israel recognized the evil done by some in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin (Judges 19). Yet the disaster that came upon the avenging armies twice didn’t convince all of Israel that a greater evil — a pagan priesthood — was […]
Judges 19-20 is a disturbing account of a Levite, from the tribe God picked to be His closest ambassadors to Israel and the world, who not only had a concubine but also callously let her get raped to death by a Sodom-like mob. The Bible’s detractors and defenders of liberal morality hold this account up as a key exhibit, but what does God really want us to learn in this no-holds-barred account?
Micah makes a graven image and finds a Levite to officiate worship of the graven image. The Danites come to Ephraim and to Micah’s house and ask for God’s blessing on their endeavor to the North to make war. The Danites later take Micah and the worship items as well as their entire households and emigrated North.
https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/file/080517%20Judges%2016.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:00 — )Subscribe: RSSSamson’s "downfall" at the hands of Delilah and the Philistines is a popular Bible story. However, Samson is more prophet — often a messianic figure — than delivering judge. Other than "I won’t leave you alone," what is the message God is telling us?
https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/file/080503%20Judges%2015.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:53 — )Subscribe: RSSThe stories of Samson’s mighty victories with a jawbone of a donkey and torches lit between foxes’ tails are favorites in children’s books. Was Samson just a clever brute hero, or is God trying to send a message down through the ages about what […]
Samson is often depicted as a hedonistic yet blessed mealy-minded muscleman, but the Bible puts him forward as a ruler of Israel. Actually, he was a prophet too, as seen in his riddle to the Philistines in this chapter.