July 18, 2023

You can always turn back to God.

Judges 10-11

Anne Rodgers
Tuesday's Devo

July 18, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

July 18, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

July 18, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

July 18, 2023

Big Idea

Failure: Doing what's right in your own eyes.

Key Verse | Judges 10:14-15

"Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress." And the people of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day."

Judges 10-11

Tola and Jair

1 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.

3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

Further Disobedience and Oppression

6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

10 And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 And the LORD said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

Jephthah Delivers Israel

1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him.

4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” 7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head.” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah.

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, “What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13 And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably.” 14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.

18 Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. 19 Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our country,’ 20 but Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21 And the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23 So then the LORD, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? 24 Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the LORD our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. 25 Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? 26 While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? 27 I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.

Jephthah's Tragic Vow

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whatever 1 11:31 Or whoever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it 2 11:31 Or him up for a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow.” 36 And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” 37 So she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.” 38 So he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. 39 And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.

Footnotes

[1] 11:31 Or whoever
[2] 11:31 Or him

"How should we think about Jeptha's vow?"

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Judges 10-11

Has someone ever been so frustrated with you that they just released you to do as you pleased?  Many times in my life I've been in an argument, thinking I was right. Then, my sinful "crazy" self steps in to prove how right I am. Sadly, my "crazy" plays out more at home, with my husband having to step in and help be the clean-up crew for my tornado.

What kind of "crazy" (sin) was Israel doing? Just read the words following this repeated phrase in Judges: "The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD" (Judges 10:6a). The evil: sexual immorality through idol worship coupled with peer pressure and a general apathy and rebellion to God. Sound familiar? At least some parts of the previous sentence have been a part of my life. The most common one for me is rebellion to God. It may not look exactly like bowing down before a literal idol, but it involves elevating my wants and desires over what God desires.

We see God's just response (Judges 10:14) followed by the Israelites understanding that they have sinned and once again crying out for a savior to intervene as a result of their wicked behavior (Judges 10:15). Should I shake my fingers at the Israelites? No, because I have seen this play out in my life. In Romans 1:24-25, Paul states that "God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, . . . because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator . . . ."

There are many times in my life when I exchange the truth about God for a lie. So how do I break out of this sin cycle? By turning to God, acknowledging Him and His perfect ways, seeking His Word, and surrounding myself with people who will point me in the right way. Through this passage we can see that the key to turning back to an unchangeable, steadfast God is to begin by rejecting your sin and seeking Him and His ways.

This month's memory verse

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

– James 3:17

Discussion Questions

1. What are God's ways? A good passage to read is Romans 12:9-21. Pick one that you could ask the Spirit to help grow in your life.

2. Do you want to know more about the type of idol worship that was happening in Israel then that sounds very familiar to what our culture is doing now? Read this article: https://www.gotquestions.org/Baal-and-Asherah.html

3. What kind of "crazy" (sin) is in your life that you need to turn away from and to turn back to God? Confess it today to the Lord and to close, trusted friends. The Lord will come through for you.

4. Are you in the middle of a rebellion against God? It's not too late to turn to Him. If you're reading these words, this is God's grace to you in reaching out to you. 

5. In Judges 11, we read about Jephthah. Talk about his "crazy"—he made a deal with God that wasn't even necessary, which led to the Lord showing His sovereign plan in Jephthah's family. Read Hebrews 11. Whom do you see mentioned there? How does this reinforce the truth that we can always turn back to God in faith and obedience?

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HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Anne. I love your citation of Romans 1:24-25. And this is really convicting- “elevating my wants and desires over what God desires.” Q1. Romans 12:16b is a key risk for me, “Never be wise in your own sight.” A few years ago I was told a story about a small child’s birthday where a magician came to entertain the children. He brought the birthday girl up to be his “assistant” and engaged in several tricks. At the end she turned toward her family and friends and said, “Look what I did!!” That’s the risk. God provides for me, gives me gifts, and blesses me materially…and I think I did it alone. Q2. Today it seems I/we worship invisible idols; reputation, opinions of others, self-righteousness, political/cultural identity etc. To be sure, I have my risks of physical idols like a newer truck and fancier shotguns. But they don’t draw me off track as easily as the invisible ones. Q3. I would not call it crazy but food as a coping mechanism is a lifelong struggle. It was easier when I was burning 5,000 calories a day. The adjustment has been long and slow. Q4. My primary sin is going to control first before I go to God’s Word, prayer, and counsel. Bit by bit I learn and turn. Q5. Hebrews 11 is among the greatest teachings for me. How could all these knuckle heads get into the Hall of Faith? The answers are humbling.
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Hugh Stephenson

A true story with changed names and approximate dates- In November of 2004 our friend Lilly got an unexpected phone call. The caller asked, “Are you the next of kin of the deceased?” She knew right away what had happened. Her brother Albert had died. He was 43. He dropped out of sight many months earlier. A lifetime of drugs and alcohol had finally caught up to him. His body was discovered on the back streets of the homeless community in downtown Atlanta. His early death was a tragedy but not a surprise to any of us who knew him and his family. An outside observer might ask, “How did this happen?” Albert’s family founded one of the largest banks in the southeast. His family was extremely wealthy and prominent. How in the world did he die as a broke and destitute homeless man on the streets? God explains this exact tragedy in Judges and in all Scripture as He shows us what happens when leadership fails. He gives us clear instructions on all aspects of life and is very specific on leadership, discipleship, and shepherding. Neither Albert nor his siblings were the beneficiaries of Godly leadership. His father divorced his mother when the kids were young. The kids were not shepherded or led by any Godly men. As a substitute, they all got paid out an outright gift of a $4,000,000 trust fund on their 21st birthday. That’s about $12,000,000 in today’s dollars. Albert lived the life you would imagine. Unrestrained hedonism. Unlimited self-indulgence. He had no purpose or direction. Eventually the money ran out and he wound up destitute on the streets. His entirely adult life could be described with the key verse, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” So what does God have to say about all this? It seems to me that He uses the minor judges like Jair to teach important lessons/truths. -In Jair we see a man whose ancestors stayed east of the Jordan. They did not honor God’s call to settle the Promised Land. -The fact that the 30 sons of this affluent and prosperous man rode around in the ancient equivalent of BMWs indicates probable polygamy. And we know how God feels about that. Just these two events indicate the lifestyle of the pagan nations. Not the call of Yahweh.
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Hugh Stephenson

The notes offer this- “In Jair's story I can see three things: (1) prosperity without purpose. (2) affluence without influence. (3) prestige without power." “The ministries of these two minor judges teach two lessons—one negative and the other positive: Negatively, they did not change any of the previous problems in Israel but only seem to have maintained the status quo.” “Positively, they illustrate God's gracious blessing of His apostate people despite themselves.” I’m Prodigal we see the blessings and curses of affluence all the time. Every bit as often as I see it counseling wealthy families. I recently came across this wisdom- “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times”. I’m in my 41st year of financial advisory. In all that time I have seen exactly 1 instance of wealth being stewarded well into a second and third generation. Even then, in that example the person took a good inheritance and turned it into a huge company. God has given me all I will ever need. Only if my heart is oriented to do what is right in His eyes will I never need an earthly king. That will be because I follow the King of Kings.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Anne! Bless you for today's devo!! Jephthah's Tragic Vow is the perfect heading for that story. What struck me more deeply in this read was his tragic self-centeredness: “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow.” Translation: "Oh bad girl, look what YOU have done! This is awful, and I'm blaming YOU." I am literally wincing. And I'm also amazed at his daughter's response, accepting the consequences of her father's foolishness with such equanimity. And I'm also wondering why it never occurred to Jephthah (as far as the text indicates) to confess his rash vow and inquire of the Lord if he could be released from it, because a human life is more valuable than his foolish word. What a powerful reminder to always, always check with the Lord. Jephthah's vow mattered more than his relationship with Yahweh. There's some crazy for you!
MS

Michael Scaman

What's in a name? The judge Tola means scarlet. ( Tola was son of Puah meaning splendid (one of the Egyptian midwives) and he was son of Dodo meaning beloved like "Dodi ani ani dodi" - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine) Tho your sins be scarlet [ tola ] they will be white as snow says Isaiah. We see it also in a worm called tola who dies in a tree and is crushed for it's blood. Psalms 22 I am a worm [tola - scarlet] and not a man. (not merely what you tink of as an earthworm) This points to Jesus work of atonement on the tree. Jair [means enlightened] 30 sons each with a donkey and a settlement. Humble and productive and peaceful bur not excessive one guy-one donkey. They all dwelt together nearby. I'm imagining once is a while they had a donkey parade where the kiddos cheered their favorite uncles as they rode by. Havvoth-jair meaning 'the encampments of the enlightened' sounds like a good thing. The dwelt together (very unlike Abimelech who tried to be the last man standing) Jephthah doubly sad. Looked down on by the world as an 'illegitimate' child , used by God to deliver, made a rash vow and the 'illegitimate' child lost his 'legitimate' child. Lessons learned: God uses things the world looks down on and don't make rash vows you could regret.
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Wray Miller

According to Constable, Leviticus 27:1-8 says you can pay to buy a vow back. Very sad for Japhthah's daughter that was overlooked. God provided a way out.
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Amy Lowther

1. God’s ways include caring for ourselves and for others. God, thank you for helping me hold fast to what is good and to not hold on to what is evil. Thank you for being strong and believing in each us. Amen. 2. The idol worship in Israel seems to be a reflection of how they lived, how they treated each other, and how they related to the Lord. 3. I believe listening to the Lord is important. 4. No, God is good. 5. I see the army practicing faith and showing we can always turn to God because they walked for seven days and the walls of Jericho came down. When you believe in God, you increase your chances of achieving your goals.