The first judge, the young man Othniel, is very ready to jeopard his life to capture—a wife! The story we are about to discuss actually occurred where it was first recounted, in Joshua 15:13-19. Although it is significant in that context as the first step in God’s promise of the land being dispersed, we passed […]
The devil doesn’t take you seriously, as long as you have no grasp on the Sword of the Spirit. I’m told that poltroon was one of the nineteenth century’s favorite insults. It means “coward,” in fact, a coward of the worst sort. The word comes from the Latin poltrone, which interestingly referred to someone whose […]
The first short paragraph of Judges chapter 1 is a portend of things to come. Who will lead them? When we open the book of Judges, Joshua has died. When Moses died, Joshua took over. With Joshua gone, Israel asks the Lord, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to […]
Judges spans the years between the conquest under Joshua and the kingship under Saul. Although the book of Judges seems to start brightly, as when “they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites” in the battle for Bezek (Jdg 1:5), the tide of war soon turns, with the encroaching waves of disobedience and unbelief. The period […]
This book isn’t for the faint-hearted. There’s no gratuitous violence, but plenty that shows sin’s results. I still like picture books. I love sharing the excitement with my little grandchildren, seeing their faces light up at every new page. It seems that God likes picture books as well. Almost half our Bible is composed of […]
Read More… from June 5, 2023 — Welcome To The Book Of Judges
Often the real impact of a person’s life is best seen after they die. That was true of Joshua, and Jesus, too. What a thrilling book this has been! It has as many valleys and mountains as the land of Israel, just like your life and mine. But through it all, we have discovered a […]
At the height of his career, Joshua waits at the very end of the line to receive his inheritance. We began the book of Joshua with the words, “Moses My servant is dead” (Jos 1:2). Now, after a rigorous life of responsibility, conflict, and victories, the book draws to its conclusion with Joshua also “going […]
Fathers! Is your desire to see your children revered by the world? You set a trap for their souls. At Shechem, Joshua reaches the climax of his appeal. Here are three practical steps that make all the difference in life. First, he says, “fear the Lord” (Jos 24:14). This is not slavish fear, terror in […]
Reminiscing about the past isn’t always a sign of old age; sometimes it’s a sign of wisdom. Having spoken to the leaders in chapter 23, Joshua sent them back to direct the whole nation to their national amphitheater, the Vale of Shechem, with its two grandstands, Mounts Ebal and Gerizim. In very recent memory they […]
Read More… from May 30, 2023 — A History Lesson To The Nation