Here Come the Judges!

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Jun-08-11 20:36:30

Rob H Genesis Church Posts: 56	Judges Ch. 3 & 4 What is evil? In Judges Ch. 3:7 we read that evil is forgetting the Lord your God in order to serve other gods. Because of this the Lord burns in anger. Kenaz means hunter in Hebrew, so right away we know that Othniel is of warrior blood. Still, it is not his own courage that prompts him to act, but “the Spirit of the Lord [coming] upon him.” Forty years represents a full generation of peace. The story of Ehud begins with the heartbreaking repetition that “once again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” Benjamin means son of my right hand, so it is a bit ironic that Ehud, from the tribe of Benjamin, was left-handed. As today, left-handedness was less common than right-handedness in the Ancient Near East. Ehud’s left-handedness meant that his homemade short sword was strapped to the opposite leg, not where a sword would normally be strapped. This gave Ehud the opportunity of surprise when it came to killing Eglon. The text’s emphasis on Eglon’s obesity may symbolize his excessive corruption. Ehud’s victory brings peace to the land for two generations. Edited By: Rob H Jun-09-11 20:15:39
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Jun-09-11 18:30:47

Rob H Genesis Church Posts: 56	Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4 The Bee and the Mountain Goat: Deborah means bee in Hebrew, and it is important to note that a female is the strong leader in this story. The OT (and the Bible in general) is often criticized as being anti-woman. To the contrary, Deborah, for one, suggests the heroic presentation of strong women in Scripture: Hannah, Abigail, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Lydia, Dorcas… Barak means thunderbolt, so the expectation is that Barak will bring the Lord’s great sword down upong Sisera, which does happen, but Barak is weak and uncertain compared to Deborah’s strength. The Lord is with Deborah. Heber the Kenite is likely originally from a tribe allied with Israel. Heber then moves and allies with Sisera and his mighty chariots. In preparing for battle, Sisera brings his chariots to the open area of the Jezreel Valley along the Kishon River. However, the verb translated as rout can also be understood as make a noise, or confuse, which perhaps implies a thunderstorm (thunderbolt) or flood impeding the chariots, thus allowing the Israelites to rout their enemy. (A similar flood aided Napoleon’s invasion of Turkish Syria in 1799 when the French army advanced as far as what is now Acre, Israel.) Jael, Heber’s wife, means mountain goat, and she appears to give aid and comfort to the fleeing Sisero. (His request violated cultural standards that only a woman’s husband or father may enter her tent.) Instead of aiding him, she kills him with a common tent peg. Her act thus reverses her husband’s alliance with Sisero and reestablishes an alliance with Israel.
	Yellow shoes are a reminder to always reflect the bright Light of Christ.
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Jun-09-11 18:34:02

Rob H Genesis Church Posts: 56	Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4 Questions for your consideration and interaction: How are we similarly disposed to forget our Lord in order to serve other gods? What other gods do we serve? Why does God burn in anger over the Israelites' forgetfulness and worship of other gods? Is God so insecure and in need of adulation? What is the significance of the unusual means with which Israel achieves victory? (i.e. Ehud is left-handed and wields a small, homemade sword, Deborah and Jael are women, and Jael uses a common tent peg)
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Jul-28-11 04:47:46

casparks4 Posts: 11	Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4 from Beth: Here in 2011, we are proud of our possessions, our abilities, and our self-reliance. That makes us self-centered and self-serving. We forget that God has richly blessed us. God might have a call on our lives that might interfere with our busy schedules. If the Israelites forgot their history, they would lose their God and their nation. Israel today is a small and committed nation(like Ehud & Jael were small and committed). They know their history and their future are in the hands of God.

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Aug-03-11 20:13:32

Rob H Genesis Church Posts: 56	Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4 True in 2011, and true of human beings throughout history. A narrow perspective tends to focus on self - an overly inward view (and a clinical symptom of depression). To remember, to look at history, gives us a broader perspective beyond just self. God wants His people to remember, to have a perspective beyond ourselves and our accomplishments in order to see God active in our lives.
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» Judges Ch. 3 & 4

Judges Ch. 3 & 4

Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4

Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4

Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4

Re: Judges Ch. 3 & 4