Day 73: Judges 10, 11 and 12

He could bear Israel's misery no longer. (Judges 10:16)

The story of Jephthah would make a great action adventure movie. Because his father had an affair resulting in Jephthah’s birth, Jephthah was alienated from the rest of his family. His brothers didn't want him muddying the waters at inheritance time, so he was sent away – an exile of sorts.

That was all well and good until his brothers got in trouble with Ammon. Then they needed someone who could get things done, and who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty doing it. They lit the bat signal, and Jephthah answered. After his initial attempts at diplomacy failed, he made a deal – a terrible deal – with God. He promised God a sacrifice in exchange for victory, whatever met him upon his return home. When he approached the house, his heart broke to see his precious daughter run out to greet him with a welcome home kiss.

The lesson? Be careful what you promise. This was such a terrible promise; I seriously doubt God expected him to keep it, let alone make it in the first place. Maybe I'm wrong.

In the above verse, God expresses compassion for Israel his only daughter, who has chased after foreign gods once again. God vowed, I will no longer save you. (10:13) Later, however, his compassion moved him to reverse that decision. Why was Jephthah required to kill his only daughter when God spared his?

What lesson is God teaching you in this story?

Day 72: Judges 7, 8 and 9

Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. (Judges 7:23)

This may seem rather incidental to the story of Gideon and Israel’s fight against the Midianites, but I wanted to highlight a characteristic of Israeli life during the time of the judges. We think of the Israelites marching out of Egypt – a million strong – all thinking and acting as a unified body. Tradition tells us there were twelve tribes, but our tendency is to see them as Israel rather than individual tribal groups.

In Judges we see a glimpse of what is more likely the truth. These were scattered tribes who were at least somewhat settled into their inherited land holdings. If one of them was threatened, we may like to think all the rest rallied to their assistance, but reality is that they were a little more pragmatic than that. Different tribal groups had their own leadership and when they received a call for help, they would take into account: Am I threatened? Will I be threatened if our neighboring tribe falls to an enemy? If there was a direct threat to one's tribe, or if the threat was to a next-door neighbor, then they were motivated to do something about it. But what if the threat was on the extreme far end of Canaan? Fohgeddaboudit.

When asked for help, do we roll up our sleeves? Or is our first question, “What’s in it for us?”

Day 71: Judges 4, 5 and 6

Why is his chariot so long in coming? (Judges 5:28)

This story focusing on two of Israel's bravest women, Deborah the judge and Jael the housewife, is one of my favorites. The Canaanites were doing battle with Israel in the Jezreel Valley, drained by the Kishon River. Commander Sisera's 900 chariots were of no benefit in the fight. Unseasonable rains had swollen the Kishon, and the valley floor was marshy. The chariot wheels sank in the ankle-deep mud, and their drivers had no choice but to abandon them and flee on foot.

Running only delayed the inevitable for Sisera. When he stopped for some much needed rest, Jael gave him milk instead of water, which intensified his drowsiness. When he fell asleep, Jael made her move and killed him with a tent stake through the head.

The Song of Deborah (chapter 5) recounts the events of that day in a form easily passed down from generation to generation, guaranteeing Jael's exploit would be long remembered. In a tragic tale, the writer imagines the conversation going on back in Sisera's household. Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed? (5:28) Do we detect a note of sympathy for even the family members of the enemy robbed by war of their brave husbands, fathers and sons?

Our enemies are precious not only to their families, but also in the eyes of God.

Have you ever stopped to think that those life has set up as your enemies are also loved?

Day 70: Judges 1, 2 and 3

The Lord raised up judges, who saved them. (Judges 2:16)

Here in the opening chapters of Judges the writer sets the stage not only for the rest of the book, but for hundreds of years of Israel chasing after foreign gods. Theirs was a rollercoaster ride of faith and faithlessness. Every time God raised up a judge to lead and deliver them, Israel would follow his (or her) example of faithfulness as long as he was alive, but once he died, the nation would forget his faithfulness and forget Yahweh too.

The third chapter introduces three judges. We've already met the first. Othniel is Caleb's nephew, who captures Kiriath Sepher and wins the hand of Caleb’s daughter in the process (gotta love an action romance story – probably had explosions... maybe not).

Then we meet Ehud, the left-handed judge. This was a paradox – the right hand was the hand of honor; being left-handed was a euphemism for being dishonest, or at the very least crafty. To that regard, Ehud lived up to his street cred, using subterfuge to assassinate Moab's king and free Israel from Moabite oppression.

The ongoing pattern for this book is Israel rejects God; Israel gets in trouble; they cry out to God for relief; God raises up a judge who delivers them and leads them until his death, at which time Israel once again rejects God.

Ever get yourself into trouble and then cry out for God to save you?

Day 69: Joshua 22, 23 and 24

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 25:15)

Although not nearly as complete as we usually assume, this is effectively the end of the campaign for Canaan. The tribes assemble and receive from Joshua a challenge to make a commitment. Serve the Lord, or don't serve the Lord, but don't try to have it both ways. The Israelites reject their foreign gods and pledge their fealty to Yahweh.

Have you ever stepped from a dock into a rowboat, or from the boat back to the dock? That's no time to be indecisive. If you pause too long between those two worlds – one foot in the boat and the other on the dock – disaster is almost guaranteed (or at least some airtime on America’s Funniest Home Videos). You've got to make a choice and commit.

The first commandment insisted that God's people put God first. Maybe Joshua knew that they couldn't have it both ways, and that vacillating between Yahweh and foreign gods was every bit as deadly as rejecting Yahweh completely. Remember, Joshua begins the Deuteronomic history, in which Israel's failures to keep the first commandment are tallied up, very possibly to explain to an exiled people (500 or more years after Joshua’s time) why the unthinkable has happened – why Jerusalem has been destroyed and Israel taken into captivity.

Are you on the dock or in the boat? You can’t have it both ways.

Do you need to make a commitment? What’s stopping you?

Day 68: Joshua 19, 20 and 21

Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:45)

What a testimony! And yet, could we claim any different?

Usually if I think God isn't coming through, it's because I've gotten impatient. If God doesn't do what I think he should do when I think he should do it, that doesn't mean he isn't working. It means something else is going on.

Another reason I might think I've come up short with God is that sometimes I put words in his mouth. Let's face it; God didn't promise me a vintage Jaguar XKE (although I think we all know how great I'd look driving one down the street). It's amazing how the frills of life can get labeled as necessities.

And other times it's because I don't recognize God's hand of mercy. Sometimes God shows his mercy by saying, "No." I'd probably get all sorts of speeding tickets in that Jaguar, although they do look really cool cruising along nice and slow – not that I've thought about it all that much.

The bottom line is that God answers prayer in accordance with his will, and his will for me is always better than my selfish yearnings or best laid – though naïve – plans. We struggle against his will, not realizing doing so means we are settling for less than God’s best.

When's the last time you looked back and were gently surprised at God's faithfulness?

Day 67: Joshua 16, 17 and 18

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. (Joshua 18:1)

After forty years of travel, the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) stood at Gilgal during the military campaigns for Canaan. Yesterday we read that even after the three campaigns, there was still work to do. In 18:2 we read that seven of twelve tribes still had not secured their inheritance. Frankly they would not until the days of King David. Once the initial campaigns were accomplished, the Tabernacle moved from Gilgal and was set up in Shiloh. There it would remain until the early days of Samuel (I'm thinking that makes it about 150 years), but we'll get to that story in a couple weeks. In the mean time, Shiloh would serve as the spiritual capital of Israel during the years of the judges.

Darker days were ahead. If you want to see what's coming, read Psalm 78:56-64. But for now, Shiloh was Israel’s spiritual center.

Everyone needs some sort of spiritual center, some place that takes them back to their spiritual roots. It might be the church (or river or lake) where you were baptized. It might be a passage of Scripture that has become especially meaningful to you over the years. It may be one of the names of God in which you have found your deepest need supplied. Or it could be the memory of someone special who prayed with you to receive Christ.

Where is your spiritual center?