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God’s message to me: “I will provide.” That’s what God says to me. Through every problem in my life and through every time of “famine” God has provided. There have been times of plenty. As a long haul trucker I made plenty of money and had no worries. I have also had times like this when I couldn’t get work, couldn’t make ends meet and God had to provide. As a child and as an adult, even in the leanest of times, I have never gone without a roof over my head and food on the table. It wasn’t always what I wanted but it was sufficient for my needs. God is capable of prospering us greatly or of simply providing our needs. He does these things to let us know He is God.
In my time of plenty I often forgot Him, skipping church for months or even years, being a workaholic, being a bad example and so on. In my times of little God has reminded me He provides all so that when the plenty returned I remembered Him and when the little returned I trusted Him.
Promises: God can provide all our needs and “possible” has nothing to do it. When the common way of doing things is not available God can use the uncommon and even the supernatural to provide.
Commands: Do not tolerate false Gods or false teachers. The Lord will provide the proof of His truth and existence. Just as he did for Elijah He can and will do the impossible to prove himself. Burning the offering on wood and alter socked with water and an offering soaked in water with a pool of water all around was nothing for the God who can let an entire town be leveled by a tornado and leave the church untouched in the middle. You’ve seen those photo’s and you understand what I’m saying. Those who can see His miracles and still deny Him have made their choice. The rest of us can learn and turn to Him.
It was predicted that the prophets of Baal and Asherah would be sacrificed and in this story we see them all killed after their god was proven false and Jehovah proven true. Note that God didn’t ask for blind faith but provided ample evidence before asking for action.
Timeless principles: not every little disaster is a curse from God. The widow’s son became very ill and died. She saw this as judgment for her sins. God used it as an opportunity to show His unlimited power. God raised the child from the dead showing he could do much more than simply meet their needs.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Trust God for our needs no matter how great or small. From providing the next meal to raising the dead, God has provided examples to show He is capable of all that we need.
more to learn for in-depth study: Here is an exception to the rule. Elijah is a hero of the bible who did not live the life of Donald Trump. After predicting drought and famine for the king of Israel He lived in hiding near a small stream where ravens brought him food and he drank from the stream. When the stream dried up he lived with a widow and her son. They had a little flour and a little oil and the Lord made sure it never ran out but they did not go without. they weren’t prospering. The four and oil weren’t multiplying so that they had extra and could give it or sell it. It was never used up and it was sufficient for their needs.
tomorrow: First Kings 19-21
Showing posts with label Baal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baal. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Judges 9-10
God’s message to me: My job is what God gives me to do. Pursuing other things because I can is a path to disaster. Attacking others to promote myself is completely wrong. If I am not enough on my own destroying others will not make me more. The trick is to use what I have to it’s best effect and let God ceal with others.
Promises: “Vengeance is mine”, says the Lord. “I will repay.” Abimelech was in the position of a king with the backing of the locals and his family plus a military at his disposal. Jotham didn’t have much chance of being the Avenger of blood for his family against those odds. Instead he put it in God’s hands to decide if Abimilech was where he belonged and to deal with him if he wasn’t. God fulfilled Jotham’s curse on Abimilech and his followers and kept Jotham safe in the meantime.
Commands: Don’t assume authority that God hasn’t given you. God intends us all to be priests and kings in his kingdom and he has jobs for us here but assuming authority He reserved for another can be real trouble.
Timeless principles: The fact that you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Even if you can find a lot of people who agree with your actions you need to be certain it is your job. Just as Abimilech got those around him to make him king I think we can all remember someone who got into elected office and didn’t belong. Likewise I have known a few pastors who did the job for a few years and wound up losing the position later because they weren’t meant to hold it. Most had bad experiences on their way out as a result of doing things they shouldn’t have because they weren’t supposed to be there.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: God places us in positions we are often uncomfortable with. Some of those positions involve leadership. We often find ourselves surprised at how well we do in positions we felt unqualified to hold.
By the same token, there are times when we feel we could do a job better than the person who is in it. Most often these are jobs with authority. The appropriate way to handle this is to add our support to the leaders and WORK WITH THEM (not against them or in spite of them) to help them accomplish the job they are doing. If they don’t belong there God will put the appropriate person there. In the meantime, doing what God has gifted us to do will attract the attention of those who need those things done.
Those who do their best with what they have find their abilities and responsibilities increased. Do well in a little and God will give you much.
more to learn for in-depth study: Gideon had 70 sons and many wives. He even had a son by a concubine in Shechem. Abimelech has his own part of the story later. With all his mistakes Gideon did a few things right besides leading the army. After defeating the Midinites the Israelites tried to make him king. He refused the job and told them God would rule them.
Abimelech, son of the concubine, decided he could be king and convinced the people of his town to make him king. He killed all but one of Gideon’s other sons so that none could take his place. The last son called a curse on him for the evil he did to his father and on the people that made him king for repaying Gideon’s valor with treachery. Abimilech was king 3 years before people started turning against him. He tried to reinforce his rule with force and destroyed the city that made him king and was killed trying to take another city. God fulfilled the curse brought on him by his act of murder and attempt to take power that wasn’t his.
After Abimilech came Tola who judged Israel for 23 years and then Jair who judged Israel for 22 years and had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys and had 30 towns called Havoth Jair in Gilead. After Him the Israelites again began worshipping the gods of the surrounding peoples. They worshipped the Baals, the Ashtoreths, The Syrian, Sidonian and Moabite Gods as well as the Ammonite and Philistine gods.
God gave them into the Oppression of the Philistines and the Ammonites who oppressed them 18 years even crossing the Jordon to harass the tribes that were there. When they cried to God for help He told them to try calling the false gods they had served after he delivered them from each of the oppressors that had come upon them from Egypt until that time. The Israelites got rid of the false gods and idols and served God and begged His help until He could no longer ignore their misery. As the people of Israel prepared for war against their oppressors they asked “who will lead us as an army?”
Thus the passage ends just prior to one of my favorite judges. Whenever I read about Jephtha I get a mental picture of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the Scorpion King, striding out to defend Israel.
tomorrow: Judges 11-13
Promises: “Vengeance is mine”, says the Lord. “I will repay.” Abimelech was in the position of a king with the backing of the locals and his family plus a military at his disposal. Jotham didn’t have much chance of being the Avenger of blood for his family against those odds. Instead he put it in God’s hands to decide if Abimilech was where he belonged and to deal with him if he wasn’t. God fulfilled Jotham’s curse on Abimilech and his followers and kept Jotham safe in the meantime.
Commands: Don’t assume authority that God hasn’t given you. God intends us all to be priests and kings in his kingdom and he has jobs for us here but assuming authority He reserved for another can be real trouble.
Timeless principles: The fact that you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Even if you can find a lot of people who agree with your actions you need to be certain it is your job. Just as Abimilech got those around him to make him king I think we can all remember someone who got into elected office and didn’t belong. Likewise I have known a few pastors who did the job for a few years and wound up losing the position later because they weren’t meant to hold it. Most had bad experiences on their way out as a result of doing things they shouldn’t have because they weren’t supposed to be there.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: God places us in positions we are often uncomfortable with. Some of those positions involve leadership. We often find ourselves surprised at how well we do in positions we felt unqualified to hold.
By the same token, there are times when we feel we could do a job better than the person who is in it. Most often these are jobs with authority. The appropriate way to handle this is to add our support to the leaders and WORK WITH THEM (not against them or in spite of them) to help them accomplish the job they are doing. If they don’t belong there God will put the appropriate person there. In the meantime, doing what God has gifted us to do will attract the attention of those who need those things done.
Those who do their best with what they have find their abilities and responsibilities increased. Do well in a little and God will give you much.
more to learn for in-depth study: Gideon had 70 sons and many wives. He even had a son by a concubine in Shechem. Abimelech has his own part of the story later. With all his mistakes Gideon did a few things right besides leading the army. After defeating the Midinites the Israelites tried to make him king. He refused the job and told them God would rule them.
Abimelech, son of the concubine, decided he could be king and convinced the people of his town to make him king. He killed all but one of Gideon’s other sons so that none could take his place. The last son called a curse on him for the evil he did to his father and on the people that made him king for repaying Gideon’s valor with treachery. Abimilech was king 3 years before people started turning against him. He tried to reinforce his rule with force and destroyed the city that made him king and was killed trying to take another city. God fulfilled the curse brought on him by his act of murder and attempt to take power that wasn’t his.
After Abimilech came Tola who judged Israel for 23 years and then Jair who judged Israel for 22 years and had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys and had 30 towns called Havoth Jair in Gilead. After Him the Israelites again began worshipping the gods of the surrounding peoples. They worshipped the Baals, the Ashtoreths, The Syrian, Sidonian and Moabite Gods as well as the Ammonite and Philistine gods.
God gave them into the Oppression of the Philistines and the Ammonites who oppressed them 18 years even crossing the Jordon to harass the tribes that were there. When they cried to God for help He told them to try calling the false gods they had served after he delivered them from each of the oppressors that had come upon them from Egypt until that time. The Israelites got rid of the false gods and idols and served God and begged His help until He could no longer ignore their misery. As the people of Israel prepared for war against their oppressors they asked “who will lead us as an army?”
Thus the passage ends just prior to one of my favorite judges. Whenever I read about Jephtha I get a mental picture of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the Scorpion King, striding out to defend Israel.
tomorrow: Judges 11-13
Friday, March 13, 2009
Judges 4-6
Today we begin to study two of my favorite judges who also happen to be among the most famous. Deborah and Gideon make two important points about how Christians should live and several minor points about things that may interest you. Hang on to your hat's, this one's a little long.
God’s message to me: Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, was a prophetess and judge of Israel. As a Baptist, there are many in my faith who would disagree with women in leadership positions but, clearly, God does not ban them from such positions. While it is rare for women to fulfill these roles Deborah was a prophetess, a judge and leader, and, when forced to action by the inaction of men, she became a military commander.
Gideon asked for signs. First, he laid his sacrifices on a bare rock and when the Lord touched the rock with a staff fire came out of the rock and burned up all the offering. After calling together an army Gideon tested God again. He placed a fleece in the open and asked God to put dew on the fleece(Sheep’s wool) and not the ground around it. The next morning the ground was dry and Gideon squeezed a bowl full of water out of the fleece. Asking God not to be angry, Gideon reassured himself asking God to place dew on the ground but not the fleece. The next morning the fleece was dry and the ground around it was wet.
When facing a tough decision and asking God’s guidance, there is nothing wrong with setting a test and assuring results. Continued testing after a clear answer is wrong, as is ignoring the answer when you get it but, seeking a clear answer is never wrong.
Promises: The song of Deborah includes, not only praise for those who took part and great praise for those who played key rolls but also, curses on those who failed to join the war. Only two tribes contributed greatly to the victory and no allies came at all.
Commands: Do not tolerate false gods. I hate to repeat this but, the Taliban were right to destroy the idols to Buddha carved into their mountain. The Lord called Gideon to tear down the alter to Baal, build an alter to God, cut down the Idol of Ashteroth and use it for firewood to burn an offering to God. When people called for Gideon's execution for destroying the alter and idol his father called him Jerubbaal (let Baal plead) saying, if Baal and Ashteroth had power they could kill him themselves for his attack on them.
Timeless principles: Barak the son of Abinoam of Kedesh in Naphtali was the military commander charged with overcoming Jabin’s army. He refused to go to battle unless Deborah went with him. (apparently he didn’t have faith in a woman as prophet or judge either)
Deborah was quite willing to go but reminded him that, if she did, he would gain no glory for the win. Barak and his army defeated and killed all the army and chariots of Jabinand the General, sisera ran away on foot. Heber the Kenite was of the children of Moses’ father in law. His people were at peace with king Jabin. When Heber’s wife Jael offered Sisera a hiding place as he passed their tent.
He went in and she covered him with a blanket. He asked for water and she gave him milk. He fell asleep and she hammered a tent peg through his head “nailing him” to the ground. The Israelites continued their campaign against Jabin until he and his people were destroyed but Jael got credit for killing Jabin’s general and Deborah got credit for leading the nation to victory. After that the land had peace for 40 years.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Don’t be afraid to “test the spirits”. “Laying a fleece before God”, whatever form the test may take, is not only acceptable it is often the only way that you can be certain of God’s intent. Gideon met face to face with the Angel of the Lord and watched as he brought fire from a rock to incinerate an offering. Even so, God did not consider it improper for Gideon to set a test to be sure it was God’s will that he lead the Israeli Army.
more to learn for in-depth study: After Ehud died the Israelites fell back into sin against God were given to Jabin, king of Canaan ruling from Hazor and his general Sisera. With 900 chariots of iron the enemy oppressed Israel for 20 years.
Quick review: The children of Israel continued to serve God until Joshua and the other elders died who had seen the great works of God in the wilderness and in conquering the promised land. After that they began to serve the Baals and the Ashteroths and turn away from God. Before the turned against God they had consistently defeated the enemies they went against while those they allowed to remain were put under tribute. When the Israelites turned against God they began to lose their fights and their enemies became strong enough to oppress them.
The King of Mesopotamia became their oppressor for 8 years. Othniel the son of Kenaz, youngest brother of Caleb became the first judge of Israel. The spirit of the Lord was on him and he led the Israelites to victory in war against the king so the land had rest for 40 years. When Othniel died the Israelites turned back to false gods and Eglon, King of Moab gathered the people of Ammon and Amalek to defeat Israel. For 18 years he oppressed Israel until God raised the next judge, A man of the tribe of Benjamin named Ehud the son of Gera. The bible notes that this man was left-handed. Ehud made a double edged dagger around 18 inches long (for a look at something similar look up Arkansas Toothpick on the web). Ehud convinced Eglon he had a secret message for him and the king sent everyone out but him. Ehud told the king he had a message from God and he took the dagger out and buried it in Eglon. Eglon was a fat man and the blade and hilt were pushed all the way in so that they were hidden in the body and the king died. Ehud locked the doors and went out the window, meeting with the Israeli troops and leading them to battle against their oppressors. 10,000 Moabite died in the battle and the land had peace for 80 years.Shamgar, son of Anath killed 600 Philistines with an ox Goad (cattle prod) and only got one verse in the bible to cover his time as judge.
coming up: We won’t get to finish the story of Gideon today but we will start it. After the Israelites began to sin against God again The Midianites became their oppressors for seven years. The Midianites came in such numbers that the Israelites could not count them. The would loot their territory taking all the crops and livestock. The Israelites were forced to make their homes in the caves and rocks. This technique can be seen in the city of Petra which is entirely carved into the wall of a canyon. This was their defense but they could not protect their livelihood. God sent an unnamed prophet to remind them that his oppression was because they served a false god of the Amorites.
The Angel of God, came to Gideon, son of Joash the Abiezrite while he was threshing grain. He called Gideon a mighty man of valor and told him that he should go out and defeat the Mideanites because He had sent him.
Gideon was hiding in the winepress to thresh the grain so that the Midianites wouldn’t find it. He asked how he could be expected to accomplish this great feat. He was the least of his fathers house which was the weakest clan in one of the weakest tribes. The Lord said He would be with him and Gideon would be victorious. He asked for a sign. It is here that we get the name Jehovah-Shalom (the Lord is Peace)
tomorrow: Judges 7-8
God’s message to me: Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, was a prophetess and judge of Israel. As a Baptist, there are many in my faith who would disagree with women in leadership positions but, clearly, God does not ban them from such positions. While it is rare for women to fulfill these roles Deborah was a prophetess, a judge and leader, and, when forced to action by the inaction of men, she became a military commander.
Gideon asked for signs. First, he laid his sacrifices on a bare rock and when the Lord touched the rock with a staff fire came out of the rock and burned up all the offering. After calling together an army Gideon tested God again. He placed a fleece in the open and asked God to put dew on the fleece(Sheep’s wool) and not the ground around it. The next morning the ground was dry and Gideon squeezed a bowl full of water out of the fleece. Asking God not to be angry, Gideon reassured himself asking God to place dew on the ground but not the fleece. The next morning the fleece was dry and the ground around it was wet.
When facing a tough decision and asking God’s guidance, there is nothing wrong with setting a test and assuring results. Continued testing after a clear answer is wrong, as is ignoring the answer when you get it but, seeking a clear answer is never wrong.
Promises: The song of Deborah includes, not only praise for those who took part and great praise for those who played key rolls but also, curses on those who failed to join the war. Only two tribes contributed greatly to the victory and no allies came at all.
Commands: Do not tolerate false gods. I hate to repeat this but, the Taliban were right to destroy the idols to Buddha carved into their mountain. The Lord called Gideon to tear down the alter to Baal, build an alter to God, cut down the Idol of Ashteroth and use it for firewood to burn an offering to God. When people called for Gideon's execution for destroying the alter and idol his father called him Jerubbaal (let Baal plead) saying, if Baal and Ashteroth had power they could kill him themselves for his attack on them.
Timeless principles: Barak the son of Abinoam of Kedesh in Naphtali was the military commander charged with overcoming Jabin’s army. He refused to go to battle unless Deborah went with him. (apparently he didn’t have faith in a woman as prophet or judge either)
Deborah was quite willing to go but reminded him that, if she did, he would gain no glory for the win. Barak and his army defeated and killed all the army and chariots of Jabinand the General, sisera ran away on foot. Heber the Kenite was of the children of Moses’ father in law. His people were at peace with king Jabin. When Heber’s wife Jael offered Sisera a hiding place as he passed their tent.
He went in and she covered him with a blanket. He asked for water and she gave him milk. He fell asleep and she hammered a tent peg through his head “nailing him” to the ground. The Israelites continued their campaign against Jabin until he and his people were destroyed but Jael got credit for killing Jabin’s general and Deborah got credit for leading the nation to victory. After that the land had peace for 40 years.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Don’t be afraid to “test the spirits”. “Laying a fleece before God”, whatever form the test may take, is not only acceptable it is often the only way that you can be certain of God’s intent. Gideon met face to face with the Angel of the Lord and watched as he brought fire from a rock to incinerate an offering. Even so, God did not consider it improper for Gideon to set a test to be sure it was God’s will that he lead the Israeli Army.
more to learn for in-depth study: After Ehud died the Israelites fell back into sin against God were given to Jabin, king of Canaan ruling from Hazor and his general Sisera. With 900 chariots of iron the enemy oppressed Israel for 20 years.
Quick review: The children of Israel continued to serve God until Joshua and the other elders died who had seen the great works of God in the wilderness and in conquering the promised land. After that they began to serve the Baals and the Ashteroths and turn away from God. Before the turned against God they had consistently defeated the enemies they went against while those they allowed to remain were put under tribute. When the Israelites turned against God they began to lose their fights and their enemies became strong enough to oppress them.
The King of Mesopotamia became their oppressor for 8 years. Othniel the son of Kenaz, youngest brother of Caleb became the first judge of Israel. The spirit of the Lord was on him and he led the Israelites to victory in war against the king so the land had rest for 40 years. When Othniel died the Israelites turned back to false gods and Eglon, King of Moab gathered the people of Ammon and Amalek to defeat Israel. For 18 years he oppressed Israel until God raised the next judge, A man of the tribe of Benjamin named Ehud the son of Gera. The bible notes that this man was left-handed. Ehud made a double edged dagger around 18 inches long (for a look at something similar look up Arkansas Toothpick on the web). Ehud convinced Eglon he had a secret message for him and the king sent everyone out but him. Ehud told the king he had a message from God and he took the dagger out and buried it in Eglon. Eglon was a fat man and the blade and hilt were pushed all the way in so that they were hidden in the body and the king died. Ehud locked the doors and went out the window, meeting with the Israeli troops and leading them to battle against their oppressors. 10,000 Moabite died in the battle and the land had peace for 80 years.Shamgar, son of Anath killed 600 Philistines with an ox Goad (cattle prod) and only got one verse in the bible to cover his time as judge.
coming up: We won’t get to finish the story of Gideon today but we will start it. After the Israelites began to sin against God again The Midianites became their oppressors for seven years. The Midianites came in such numbers that the Israelites could not count them. The would loot their territory taking all the crops and livestock. The Israelites were forced to make their homes in the caves and rocks. This technique can be seen in the city of Petra which is entirely carved into the wall of a canyon. This was their defense but they could not protect their livelihood. God sent an unnamed prophet to remind them that his oppression was because they served a false god of the Amorites.
The Angel of God, came to Gideon, son of Joash the Abiezrite while he was threshing grain. He called Gideon a mighty man of valor and told him that he should go out and defeat the Mideanites because He had sent him.
Gideon was hiding in the winepress to thresh the grain so that the Midianites wouldn’t find it. He asked how he could be expected to accomplish this great feat. He was the least of his fathers house which was the weakest clan in one of the weakest tribes. The Lord said He would be with him and Gideon would be victorious. He asked for a sign. It is here that we get the name Jehovah-Shalom (the Lord is Peace)
tomorrow: Judges 7-8
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Judges 1-3
God’s message to me: Finish the jobs God gives you. Don’t waste time with half an effort
Promises: If God gives you a job He gives you the ability to complete it.
Commands: There are tests before you. Follow God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. He will not look well on those who turn from Him. He will send salvation to those who ask for it.
Timeless principles: Peer pressure is the fastest way to trouble. Stay away from those who will not give themselves to God. Christ would often have dinner with sinners and spend a little time teaching them and encouraging them to turn to God. He never made a habit of hanging out with those who would not accept God. Neither should you.
By allowing some of the people in the promised land to remain the Israelites left themselves open to temptations and danger. The peer pressure from these enemy kingdoms led many in Israel to sin and turn to worshiping false Gods like their neighbors. They had married these foreigners and given their daughters in marriage to them. It wasn’t just a neighbor doing wrong, the Israelites had made these people a part of their lives and adopted their ways instead of following God’s ways.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Ignore the modern thinking of modernizing the church. Many have said that the church needs to change with the times and update it’s thinking on things like sex, homosexuality, reproduction, abortion, etc. Remember that these are not new things. These issues were a problem all the way back to the first five books of the bible. God didn’t change His thinking then and He won’t now. The people who insist on us changing to fit their views are NO DIFFERENT from the Canaanites that led Israel into worshiping false Gods. They must be ignored and we must follow GOD’S WAY.
more to learn for in-depth study: This passage begins with the list of those kingdoms the Israelites didn’t destroy. It wasn’t that they couldn’t it was that they didn’t. They made excuses(their chariots are iron, they refused to leave, they persist) and didn’t finish the job. In other words, they were lazy. They took the easy fights and ignored the difficult ones. God would have been with them in every fight but, because they refused to finish the job God left the others in the land to test them. They were there to offer false worship(which the Israelites did), to take the Israelites captive as punishment for their acts against God(which happened on a regular basis), and they were defeated only slowly and in small groups so that the Israelites would have them there as a test but God still got to eventually run the Canaanites out of the land for their transgression.
The third chapter begins the time of Judges. The Israelites would turn to false worship, God would punish them by letting a neighbor take them captive, they would cry for God’s help, God would send a Judge to lead them to victory. While the Judge was in charge Israel would normally continue following God, remembering their recent victory through Him. After the Judge died and memory faded they would turn back to false gods and the process would repeat itself.
tomorrow: Judges 4-6
Promises: If God gives you a job He gives you the ability to complete it.
Commands: There are tests before you. Follow God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. He will not look well on those who turn from Him. He will send salvation to those who ask for it.
Timeless principles: Peer pressure is the fastest way to trouble. Stay away from those who will not give themselves to God. Christ would often have dinner with sinners and spend a little time teaching them and encouraging them to turn to God. He never made a habit of hanging out with those who would not accept God. Neither should you.
By allowing some of the people in the promised land to remain the Israelites left themselves open to temptations and danger. The peer pressure from these enemy kingdoms led many in Israel to sin and turn to worshiping false Gods like their neighbors. They had married these foreigners and given their daughters in marriage to them. It wasn’t just a neighbor doing wrong, the Israelites had made these people a part of their lives and adopted their ways instead of following God’s ways.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Ignore the modern thinking of modernizing the church. Many have said that the church needs to change with the times and update it’s thinking on things like sex, homosexuality, reproduction, abortion, etc. Remember that these are not new things. These issues were a problem all the way back to the first five books of the bible. God didn’t change His thinking then and He won’t now. The people who insist on us changing to fit their views are NO DIFFERENT from the Canaanites that led Israel into worshiping false Gods. They must be ignored and we must follow GOD’S WAY.
more to learn for in-depth study: This passage begins with the list of those kingdoms the Israelites didn’t destroy. It wasn’t that they couldn’t it was that they didn’t. They made excuses(their chariots are iron, they refused to leave, they persist) and didn’t finish the job. In other words, they were lazy. They took the easy fights and ignored the difficult ones. God would have been with them in every fight but, because they refused to finish the job God left the others in the land to test them. They were there to offer false worship(which the Israelites did), to take the Israelites captive as punishment for their acts against God(which happened on a regular basis), and they were defeated only slowly and in small groups so that the Israelites would have them there as a test but God still got to eventually run the Canaanites out of the land for their transgression.
The third chapter begins the time of Judges. The Israelites would turn to false worship, God would punish them by letting a neighbor take them captive, they would cry for God’s help, God would send a Judge to lead them to victory. While the Judge was in charge Israel would normally continue following God, remembering their recent victory through Him. After the Judge died and memory faded they would turn back to false gods and the process would repeat itself.
tomorrow: Judges 4-6
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