today's meditation (1 Sam.2:1-10) Humbly Trusting

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(1 Samuel 2:1-36)  Then Hannah prayed and said,
     “My heart rejoices in the Lord;
     My horn is exalted in the Lord,
     My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
     Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2  There is no one holy like the Lord,
     Indeed, there is no one besides You,
     Nor is there any rock like our God.
3  Do not go on boasting so very proudly,
     Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
     For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
     And with Him actions are weighed.
4  The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces,
     But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
5  Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
     But those who were hungry cease to be hungry.
     Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,
     But she who has many children languishes.
6  The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
     He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
7  The Lord makes poor and rich;
     He humbles, He also exalts.
8  He raises the poor from the dust,
     He lifts the needy from the garbage heap 
     To seat them with nobles,
     And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance;
     For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
     And He set the world on them.
9  He watches over the feet of His godly ones,
     But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
     For not by might shall a person prevail.
10 Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified;
     Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
     The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
     And He will give strength to His king,
     And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Even though Hannah had just said goodbye to her very young child as she gave Samuel to the priests to raise up, to prepare him for a life of serving God, she prayed with joy and exultation.  From her prayer, we can see that she understood salvation and the importance of a life with God.  

God is holy and just, and will judge everyone according to His standard.  On one's own, no one can measure up.  No one can save themselves.  Our strength and knowledge is nothing compared to the Lord's.  The arrogant who think they can earn or fight their way to heaven will be brought down.  Those who humble themselves, and recognize their need for the Lord and find refuge in Him, will be lifted up.  

So my takeaway from these verses is to be like Hannah in her response, in that, no matter what is happening to me or around me, I need to keep humbly trusting in God, and obediently serving and worshiping Him, only.

today's meditation (1Sam.1) Sharing Our Feelings With God

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(1 Samuel 1:1-28) Now there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of armies in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Her rival, moreover, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 And it happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, that she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she made a vow and said, “Lord of armies, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your bond-servant and remember me, and not forget Your bond-servant, but will give Your bond-servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”

12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like a drunk? Get rid of your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman despairing in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your bond-servant a useless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “Let your bond-servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 Then they got up early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him of the Lord.”

21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and stay there for life.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull, one ephah of flour, and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. 28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:   

Well, I cannot imagine physically giving away my child at the age of around 4 or 5 years of age - or at any age for that matter.  But we should "give" our loved ones to the Lord, in that we teach them and share with them God's love and God's word... in that we seek God's will for their lives, and not try to impose our will on them... in that we trust Him to take care of them, so we do not have to spend our time worrying... 

With that said, because "it is easier said than done" - to NOT worry about our loved ones OF ANY AGE!!! - we should go to God in prayer regarding all matters.  God already knows what is in our hearts!!!  So when we are struggling with pride or frustrations or worry or fear or despair...  we should talk to the Lord about it, confess those sinful feelings, and allow Him to work in our hearts.  Without a doubt, He is faithful to do that!  

He is the great Counselor!  No matter what happens in life, He can give us peace and contentment, joy and courage, to move forward in His will and in His strength.

today's meditation (Ruth 3-4) Looking at the Heart

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(Ruth 3:1-18) Then her mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may go well for you? 2 Now then, is Boaz not our relative, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3 Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not reveal yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be when he lies down, that you shall take notice of the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you should do.” 5 And she said to her, “All that you say I will do.”

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 And it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 So he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your slave. Now spread your garment over your slave, for you are a redeemer.” 10 Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first, by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 So now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you say, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. 12 But now, although it is true that I am a redeemer, yet there is also a redeemer more closely related than I. 13 Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and got up before one person could recognize another; and he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Again he said, “Give me the shawl that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She also said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”

(Ruth 4:1-22) Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. 2 Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has to sell the plot of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 So I thought that I would inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me so that I may know; for there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, otherwise I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, since I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel. 8 So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 Furthermore, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be eliminated from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the descendants whom the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had relations with her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, 22 and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As seen in the previous chapters, Naomi's approach to life was not necessarily according to God's will.  Ruth was new to this culture, so she would have honored her mother-in-law's advice.  Fortunately, Boaz was a man of God - who went "by the book" - according to God's will.  He made sure to protect both his and Ruth's reputation, by even avoiding the appearance of sin.  They both waited until they were married.  

Boaz also went according to their customs, and held a meeting with witnesses and the redeemer who was next in line, in order to publicly and properly establish the relationship with Ruth.  Boaz did not look down on her as a foreigner, but looked at her heart, as God does.  He was also selfless as a husband, since marrying her would not establish his own inheritance, but build on another man's inheritance.  Because of this, we can see that even though he was rich, he did not love money or status.

Yet from this couple came a child, Obed... culturally called a "redeemer".  This child would father Jesse, who would father king David... and Jesus, the spiritual Redeemer and King of kings, would be born through this bloodline. 

We should never look down on anyone because of their skin color, or their cultural background, or their lack of status...  God looks at the heart, and uses everyone who has a willing and obedient spirit.

today's meditation (Ruth 2) Trusting God to Provide

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(Ruth 2:1)   Now Naomi had a relative of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain following one in whose eyes I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. 7 And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but join my young women here. 9 Keep your eyes on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have ordered the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 12 May the Lord reward your work, and may your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not like one of your female servants.”

14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 16 Also you are to purposely slip out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it so that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she picked it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took some out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living and from the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative; he is one of our redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You are to stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, so that others do not assault you in another field.” 23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Boaz was a  godly man who had stayed in Israel during the famine and trusted that the Lord would provide.  Not only did Boaz trust in the Lord, but he also was obedient to God's will, in that he made sure his reapers left some of the crop behind for gleaners - as per scripture...

(ie. Leviticus 19:9-10)   ..."Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.  And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God..."

God also blessed Ruth's efforts, as she didn't just sit back at the house and complain about being hungry in a strange place.  She went out to work, doing what she could, and trusted that God would see to their needs.  

We don't know if God will bless us with great wealth, but God will see to it that our needs are met when we do as we can, even if it is only at minimum wage.  We cannot see where this might lead, as we trust in the Lord to provide, as well as help our brethren and the strangers among us as we are able.

today's meditation (Ruth 1) Remaining Faithful

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(Ruth 1:1-22)  Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they entered the land of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them food. 7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May the Lord grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept. 10 However, they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has come out against me.”

14 And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.

19 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Can you say "victim"?  Naomi dared to speak for God and declare that God had victimized her!  That God was bitter towards HER!!!  Where to start?!  

At the beginning of the famine, Naomi and her husband did not trust God enough to remain in the promised land.  Instead they disregarded God's will, and took matters into their own hands by moving to a pagan country.  This sin led to more... because they lived in this community, the sons married pagan women.  Ultimately they made this move thinking they'd be safe from death - and yet - three out of four of them - died!!!  

Just because one uses God's name a lot, one might sound spiritual to some people, but it does not make one a believer.  The way Naomi spoke about God tells us that she had a very skewed idea of what and who God is.  She had no qualms about telling her daughters-in-law to return to their own gods.  And in her well-wishes, she said she hoped that God would treat them AS THEY HAD treated her family.  Her idea was that if you are a "good" person and have done some good things, the Lord should return that "favor"... HOPEFULLY!!!

Imagine how it would be if God actually worked that way.  If God gave us exactly what we deserved, and rewarded us based on what we tried to earn in our own efforts... we'd all be in really big trouble!!!  

Yet God does bless and reward the faithful - based on who HE is and on what HE has done and will do for us!  Notice, God provided food to those who stayed in the promised land, waiting on Him and trusting in Him.  

(Deuteronomy 7:9)  Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;

today's meditation (Jdg.21) Responding Correctly

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(Judges 21:1-25) Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and raised their voices and wept profusely. 3 And they said, “Why, Lord, God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that one tribe is missing today from Israel?” 4 And it came about the next day that the people got up early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 Then the sons of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not go up to the Lord in the assembly?” For they had taken a solemn oath concerning anyone who did not go up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall certainly be put to death.” 6 And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin, and said, “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel! 7 What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters as wives?”

8 And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not go up to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9 For when the people were counted, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. 10 And the congregation sent twelve thousand of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, along with the women and the children. 11 And this is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has slept with a male.” 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man by sleeping with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. 14 And the tribe of Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had allowed to live from the women of Jabesh-gilead; but they were not enough for them. 15 And the people were sorry for Benjamin, because the Lord had created a gap in the tribes of Israel.

16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women have been eliminated from Benjamin?” 17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel. 18 But we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin!”

19 So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of the Lord from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.” 20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21 and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards, and each of you shall seize his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, ‘Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man of Benjamin a wife in battle, nor did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.’” 23 The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they seized. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the cities and lived in them. 24 And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one departed from there to his inheritance.

25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

What I see Israel doing in this chapter is what people typically do... they complain to God and wonder why God has allowed bad things to happen - even though - they are usually the ones who have created their own mess.  It's not like it is wrong to ask the question.  It's all about what we learn from it and how we respond.  And there are three basic responses which can come out of this.  

The right response is to realize that we are sinners and we are suffering the consequences of sin, and we need God as our Lord and Savior.  Or we become angry and blame God for things and choose to rebel against Him.  Or we become religious for a time, trying to do things in our own strength and in our own way, instead of doing things God's way and in His strength.

It's fairly obvious - people need a king in their lives.  The two wrong responses involve us making ourselves king.  The correct response involves us making Jesus our King!  It's our choice:  do we want an imperfect human king in charge of our lives, or do we want the perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful heavenly King of kings in charge of our lives?

today's meditation (Jdg.20) Being Persistent

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(Judges 20:1-48) Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one person to the Lord at Mizpah. 2 And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword. 3 (Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness take place?” 4 So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 5 But the citizens of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night, threatening me. They intended to kill me; instead, they raped my concubine so that she died. 6 And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for they have committed an outrageous sin and vile act in Israel. 7 Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your response and advice here.”

8 Then all the people rose up as one person, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us go home. 9 But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot. 10 And we will take ten men out of a hundred throughout the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to supply provisions for the people, so that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the vile sin that they have committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.

12 Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you? 13 Now then, turn over the men, the worthless men who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14 Instead, the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel. 15 From the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were counted, twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were counted, seven hundred choice men. 16 Out of all these people seven hundred choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted, four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

18 Now the sons of Israel set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”

19 So the sons of Israel got up in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel lined up for battle against them at Gibeah. 21 Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and struck to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel. 22 But the people, the men of Israel, showed themselves courageous and lined up for battle again in the place where they had lined themselves up on the first day. 23 And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again advance for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”

24 So the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin on the second day. 25 And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and struck to the ground again eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all of these drew the sword. 26 Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel, and they wept and remained there before the Lord, and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 And the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I stop?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”

29 So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30 And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and lined up against Gibeah as at other times. 31 When the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, they were lured away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the roads (one of which goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah), and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the sons of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, like the first time.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let’s flee, so that we may draw them away from the city to the roads.” 33 Then all the men of Israel rose from their place and lined up at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush charged from their place, from Maareh-geba. 34 When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became fierce; but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them. 35 And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all who drew the sword.

36 So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, 37 the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the agreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. 39 Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Undoubtedly they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the entire city was going up in smoke to heaven. 41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was close to them. 42 Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel to flee in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who attacked from the cities were annihilating them in the midst of them. 43 They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the east. 44 So eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all of these were valiant men. 45 The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they caught five thousand of them on the roads and overtook them at Gidom, and killed two thousand of them. 46 So all those of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were valiant men. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months. 48 The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It was good that Israel wanted to take care of the unjust actions within their country, but why did they wait for something scary and tragic to happen?  Interesting how people tend to ignore God's existence and allow things to slide, thinking, "Eh, it's just a little thing..." But these things will only keep piling up, until things get really out of hand - and THEN - people think about going to God.  But because one hasn't been pursuing God, they don't KNOW Him or understand that He isn't just some big vending-machine-in-the-sky.

At least Israel was persistent in seeking out God's help.  At first they just asked God for one piece of advice.  God answered them.  If only they had asked for complete directions and asked Him for help!  The second time, they wept and asked if they should continue the battle.  Again God answered their question, but they still didn't seek out His will and ask for  His help.  Finally, the third time, Israel wept, fasted, worshipped, honored the Lord by giving offerings, asked for guidance and then waited on Him!

We have to stop thinking that we can do things on our own, or do some things on our own, and leave other things to God.  God wants to do everything - FOR us - all of the time... 24/7... so we should be persistent in our desire to continue a close personal relationship and dependency on the Lord!  When things are bad, as well as when things are good.  ESPECIALLY when things are good, because it is in good times that we can so very easily take God for granted or think that we don't need Him.