I just finished reading Judges. This is a tough book of the Bible. Rape, pilage, plunder, worshiping other gods, Samson and his hair, Israel fighting amoung itself, then stealing woman for the Remaining Benjaminites.... One thing (of many stange things) that stands out is sometimes when the people of God made a vow they really didn't want to break it. Even when it makes no sense at all to keep the vow. See Judges 11. Jephthah makes a vow before God: "If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I'll give to God whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece... I'll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering." First what in the world was he thinking when he made that vow. Then just a couple of paragraphs later after his great victory. His only child, his only daughter comes out to greet him. He let's her go morn for a couple of months, and then "He fulfilled the vow with her that he had made."
I don't think I will understand this one. Was God pleased with his vow, with this sacrifice? What am I supposed to learn from this chapter. This story has turned my stomach.
Now as far as the rest of the book of Judges goes I think I can relate to some extent to the people of Israel. They keep having these seasons of good, focused on God times, and then these not so good, turn their back on God times. I really like this quote from Ch. 13 "And then the People of Israel were back at it again, doing what was evil in God's sight." It is that whole ... here we go again feeling. But I feel like I go through those seasons too. I have those times where I am focused of Christ, then I have those other times.
Judges is just a tough book.
1 comment:
Yeah man...I don't know. The sacrifice thing, definitely seems so wrong. Maybe...the point of the story was both to uplift the innocent girl for her submissiveness to her understanding of God's will and to show the worldliness of the state of Israel despite being led by a passionate and God-honoring leader. In 2 Chronicles 28:3, 33:6; and Jeremiah 7:31, 19:4, 32:35, God clearly expresses his views on the sacrifice of people--specifically children. But at the same time, this guy was really otherwise trying honestly to honor God with his life, so although it was a colossal earthly evil, I'm guessing it may not have been evidence of an unregenerate heart and therefore not something God would send him to eternal suffering for. But of course, God saved Isaac from the same fate, why did He not save this girl? In an eternal view, it doesn't matter, she and Isaac are probably hanging out talking about how much it sucked to know that their parents were going to sacrifice them...but from an earthly perspective...wow...it's unthinkable.
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