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 […]
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.
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.
The account of Samson, the strongman of ancient Israel is well-known. Yet what was so important about the Nazirite vow, which partly involved no haircuts, he and his mother were made to take? Who is God’s mystery angel named Wonderful and God-like.
Yeeftakh (Jephthah), whose name means “he opens,” is one of the most tragic of the judges of ancient Israel. His rash vow to God that ended being fulfilled by his daughter as a sacrifice disturbs many people. However, a close look at the account suggests quite a different outcome.
This passage looks at three leaders of ancient Israel: Tola, Yair (Jair), and Yeftah (Jephthah). After 45 years under the guidance of the first two, Israel then slid into devotion to the gods of surrounding nations. Israel finally realized the oppression under Philistia and Ammon was to turn them back to the LORD, Who led the nation out of bondage in Egypt.
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Judges 9
The account of Gideon’s son Avimelech (Abimelech) in this chapter is a good illustration of what the oft-misinterpreted Torah phrase, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” really means. What Avimelech sowed in grasping for power came down on him like a millstone.
Daniel Agee shows how the initially unassuming judge, or champion leader, of Israel called Gideon completed the victory God gave his 300 men over the 180,000-strong Midianite invading army. However, the lure of idolatry was so strong in the land of Israel that even Gideon’s best intentions to remain humble and pure before God unraveled starting with the attempted creation of a monarchy by his son.