SCRIPTURE: Judges 9 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, `Come and be our king.’ The thornbush said to the trees, `If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of…
irreverend
SCRIPTURE: Judges 8 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us–you, your son and your grandson–because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.’ But Gideon told them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.’ [Judges 8:22-23] Our tendency is to reject…
dreamweaver
SCRIPTURE: Judges 7 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, ‘Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.’ [Judges 7:15] When God supports a cause, nothing can defeat it. Even with an army of 300, Israel could defeat…
a prayer for disturbance
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters…
iconoclast
SCRIPTURE: Judges 6 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The men of the town demanded of Joash, ‘Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.’ [Judges 6:30] How things have digressed. Despite God’s warnings against idolatry and Baal worship, here we have the village leaders preparing to kill…
Jesus-centered bible reading
When Jesus walked the earth, God spoke from heaven several times, urging people to “listen to Him!” Although Jesus is no longer on earth, we can still hear Him speak through the four Gospels (biographies of Jesus). We can still choose (or refuse) to listen to Him. As Jesus-followers, we choose to believe that Jesus…
the universe declares
SCRIPTURE: Judges 5 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel. [Judges 5:4-5] I love the perspective in this song….
God goes ahead of us
SCRIPTURE: Judges 4 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?’ So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. [Judges 4:14]. In this passage we see God working in the midst of human circumstances. We…
mercy me
SCRIPTURE: Judges 3 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. [Judges 3:9] When the people move away from God, they experience the misery of His absence; when they move towards God, they experience the blessing of His presence….
let the children know
SCRIPTURE: Judges 2 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. [Judges 2:10-11] Two points catch my attention: first, that the people disobey…