Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Apr 5th, 2024 Avenge Not Yourselves

Today’s Passage – 1 Samuel 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Matthew 6:33

Read the “0405 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “I’ve Got Your Back.“

“4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. 7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.” (1 Samuel 24:4-7)

In today’s reading, we saw that King Saul is becoming increasingly unstable in his insecurity and obsession with David. In chapter 22, Saul had all the priests of Nob and their families killed because he thought that they had intentionally helped David. In chapter 23, Saul pursues after David in Keilah, a city that David had just delivered from the armies of the Philistines. It was revealed to David by God that even though David had saved the people of Keilah from the Philistines, they were still going to turn him over to King Saul. It is sad to think that people will do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, even betray a good friend.

In chapter 24, Saul and three thousand of his men pursued after David in the wilderness of  Engedi. In Engidi David had a perfect opportunity to kill Saul but refused to do so. He spared his life and stated that he would not “stretch forth [his] hand against [Saul].”  David is still thinking clearly and he is following the will of God even though he is under tremendous pressure to react in the flesh because of Saul’s insane and unwarranted obsession and jealousy of David. David chooses not to act in vengeance against King Saul and instead turns him over to the Lord. David trusts that God will take care of Saul in his own time. Note – David will have another opportunity to eliminate Saul in chapter 26, but will again refuse to do so.

This willingness to restrain himself from vengeance that David exemplified in the Old Testament was also taught by the Lord in the Sermon on the Mount.

“43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

It was also taught by Paul in his Letter to the Romans:

“19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21)

If you and I are living for God, there will be people who the Devil will raise up to attack us. Not everyone will applaud us for doing the right thing. There may even be carnal believers who will oppose what we are trying to do. Worse yet, there you may have friends that will turn against you like the people of Keilah did to David.

When we are persecuted for righteousness sake, we need to follow the example of David and not attack back. Hopefully, our enemies will turn to the Lord in repentance and faith, but even if they don’t, we can be sure that God will always do what is right regarding our enemies. He will take care of the situation. We just need to leave it in the Lord’s hands.

The Lord said when He was being crucified: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Martin D. Niemöller once told of his incarceration at Dachau. His cell was in plain view of the gallows. Day after day he watched men and women go to their deaths. He could hear their cries, curses, and prayers. He declared that the gallows became his best teacher. Through that horrible experience he was haunted by two questions: “What will happen on the day they lead you there and put you to the test? When they put that rope around your neck, what will be your last words? Will they be, ‘Father, forgive them’ or will they be ‘Criminals! Scum?’ ”

Niemöller said that if Jesus had cried out in vengeance, there would have been no New Testament, no church, and no Christian history.^[1]

^[1] G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 95–96.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.

Mar 30th, 2024 The Circuit Riders – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – 1 Samuel 4 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 13 – 15; Proverbs 30; Psalms 146 – 150)

Read the “0330 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.” (1Samuel 7:15-17)

Good morning. As the High Priest of Israel, Samuel followed a circuit of towns judging God’s people. Jesus was with His eleven apostles…

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

In America, back in the 1700’s and the 1800’s, the Methodists had preachers that would go from town to town preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was something that the Methodists had done in England. As the settlements in America grew they would start churches. And just like Samuel they would spread the Word of God throughout America. The circuit riders were also known as saddlebag preachers. Everything they had, and needed, was carried in their saddle bags. They braved the elements, riding their horses through rain and snow. They knew the Lord would take care of them. We have circuit riders today called Evangelists. They also go from city to city, town to town with the Gospel. Paul wrote to Timothy…

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2Timothy 4:1-5)

But this message goes out to us also to do the work of an Evangelist. Our call is in all the Gospels. Besides Mark 16:15…

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:45-48)

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21)

Even the wisest king Israel ever had (Solomon) wrote…

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)

So send I you to bind the bruised and broken

Over wandering souls to work, to weep, to wake

To bear the burdens of a world a-weary

So send I you to suffer for My sake

Pray for our circuit riders.

Peace.

Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with 2 comments.

Mar 27th, 2024 The Craziest Story in the Bible

Today’s Passage – Judges 20 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 4 – 6;  Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 89:1

Read the “0327 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Right in Their Own Eyes.“

Judges 19 – 21 is really one very long and very strange story, a saga really, involving a civil war within Israel. All of Israel set out to destroy the tribe of Benjamin, all because of a bizarre event that was described in chapter 19. The root cause of the problems within these chapters is the same as what caused the problems in the previous chapters. The first verse of the story and the last verse say it all.

“…there was no king in Israel…” (Judges 19:1)

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

Not having an earthly king in Israel was not the problem. The problem was that God had been dethroned, and his Word was not being used as the ruling principles to govern life. People were doing what they wanted, instead of what God in His word said was right to do. There was no king, but there was no godly leadership in the land pointing people in the right direction. The result was that the nation divided and drifted further and further away from the will of God.

Practical Point – Whenever a nation drifts away from the principles found in the Word of God, it will devolve into a selfish, immoral, and idolatrous disaster.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

Whenever a family, or even an individual Christian, drifts away from the Bible, he will wander on a sea of uncertainty, and will find himself far away from the blessings of God.

In chapter nineteen, we saw the bizarre provocation that instigated the civil war that breaks out. A woman from Israel had been brutally gang raped left to die by the men of Gibeah, a city that belonged to the Tribe of Benjamin. This took place only after the woman’s husband had refused to allow the men to have sex with him, which was what they really wanted.

The man sent word to all of Israel about what had happened in Gibeah by sending to each of the tribes a part of the body of his concubine.

In chapter twenty, we will read about the problem that was caused in Israel because of what took place in Gibeah – a civil war, and a bloody and brutal civil war at that.

All of this happened because Israel is operating outside of the teachings of God. They are doing their own thing. They are making it up as they go.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Here in chapter twenty, we will see Israel wake up and realize how sinful their nation had become, and they come out against Gibeah and Benjamin to purge out this heinous sin from within her borders.

I        Israel Combines Forces to Confront Benjamin (vs. 1 – 17)

Verse 1 – Notice that Israel was finally unified again. (“all”, “as one man”) Instead of everyone doing their own thing, now Israel is doing one thing together. (See also vs. 8 and 11)

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” (Philippians 1:27)

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

Notice the phrase, “from Dan even to Beerheeba.” Dan was the northernmost part of Israel and Beersheba was geographically the furthest south. You may remember that Dan was formerly called Laish but was conquered by the tribe of Dan in Judges 18.

Notice also that all of Israel is gathered in Mizpah, which was only about five miles to the north of Gibeah.

Verse 2 – Notice there were nearly a half-million soldiers from all the tribes, which is a large army. It took this heinous act from chapter nineteen to wake the nation out of their slumber and move them into unified action.

Verse 3 – Notice that the Benjamites were aware of the impending attack. I am certain that the Levite whose concubine was killed sent out a piece of her body to Benjamin as well. Besides that, an army of 400,000 could not possibly be gathered 5 miles away from Gibeah without the Benjamites being aware of what was going on. Mizpah itself was a city within the borders of the territory of Benjamin.

The leaders of the tribes that were assembled all investigate further the crime that had taken place in Gibeah.

In vs. 4 – 7, the Levite rehashes the story, but does not embellish. It states concisely what had been done.

Notice in v. 7 that he asks the same question that was asked in the last verse of chapter nineteen: “consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.” Apparently, Israel had considered what had happened and was still considering it here and were now counseling among themselves as to what they should do.

There were many violations of the Law within Gibeah in this case, and each was punishable by death:

1. The Men of Gibeah were guilty of Sodomy.

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13)

2. They were also guilty of adultery. Even if adultery was consensual, it was punishable by death.

“If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 22:22)

3. They were also guilty of rape.

“But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.” (Deuteronomy 22:25-27)

4. They were guilty of being “sons of Belial.” (Judges 19:22 – see Deuteronomy 13:12 – 18) Belial means “worthless, good for nothing, or wicked.” Basically, it means that they have completely abandoned God.

In vs. 8 – 17, the people of Israel are determined to go up against Benjamin. They first attempt to get Benjamin to turn over the guilty men, but Benjamin refuses to do so. Though Benjamin is grossly outnumbered (16 to 1), they are dug in and determined to fight. Note – it is hard to believe that there were not at least some people who would want to do the right thing and turn over the guilty parties. Yet, it seems that they are just as unified in their defense of the wicked, and the Israelites were to condemn them.  

Notice that among the soldiers of Benjamin there were seven hundred left-handed stone slingers that could hit “at an hair breath, and not miss.” This would be an extremely powerful force. David took down a nine-foot giant with a sling and a stone.

II        Israel is Crushed Twice Even After Consulting with the Lord (vs. 18 – 25)

This part of the story is very difficult for me to wrap my head around. Twice, the Lord is consulted by the Israelites, and twice the Lord answers in the affirmative, but still the Israelites lose two big battles, and thousands of men are killed.

Perhaps they did not consult with God soon enough. Maybe they should have sought God before they made their plans. Perhaps they didn’t ask God the right questions.

Verse 18 – the house of God is likely a reference to the Tabernacle, which was in Shiloh. (Judges 18:31; 1 Samuel 1:9 – See Map) Some say, the reference here is to Bethel, and claim that the Tabernacle was located there at this time. The phrase, “house of God” is translated from the Hebrew words, “bayith ‘elohiym.”

First, they ask God which tribe should go up first. The answer is Judah. The Levite was originally from Bethlehem, which is within Judah.

Verses 19 – 21 – The Israelite’s lose the battle and 22,000 men.

In verses 22 – 25, the Israelites ask, “shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother?” The Lord tells them to go, but they lose again – this time eighteen thousand men.

The Israelites lose 40,000 men in the first two battles, where the Benjamites only lose 1,000.

Why would God allow them to lose, especially after consulting with Him?

1. He wanted them to remember just how bitter the consequences of sin are. Remember, the Israelites were just as much to blame as the Benjamites were. They had gotten away from God also.
2. He wanted them to feel the pain and experience the terribleness of a civil war.
3. It took several hard steps for sin to get into Israel, and it will take several hard, costly, and painful steps to get the sin purged out.

III       Israel Finally Conquers Benjamin After Conferring with the Lord a Third Time (vs. 26 – 48)

This time, Phinehas consults God at Shiloh, and asks: “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” (v. 28) This not likely the same Phinehas as is mentioned in Exodus, Numbers, and Joshua, unless this story is chronologically out of order, and occurs very early in the time period of the Judges. There were probably many men named Phinehas that descended from the line of Eliazar. Remember, the period of the Judges was a period of approximately 330 years from 1380 BC. To 1050 BC.

This time, the Lord tells them to go, and promises victory, which He did not do previously.

The Israelites use the same battle plan that they used in their final battle against Ai. They draw the men of Gibeah out of the city, and when they are out of the city, another army enters the city and sets it on fire. When the men of Gibeah see the fire, they turn around to help the city, but now they have attacker in front of them and behind them.

Illustration – Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20^th Maine at Gettysburg, at the Battle of Little Round Top. He had to hold the flank, because if the enemy broke the flank, they would have gotten behind the Union Lines.

The Men of Gibeah lose 25,000 in this battle, and with the 1,000 that they lost in the first two battles, they were down to 600 men, who hid up in the rock Rimmon for four months.

All the men (and apparently, the women) of Benjamin, besides these 600 will be killed.

In chapter 21, we will see how the people will rebuild the tribe of Benjamin. The story in chapter 21 is almost as bizarre as the story so far in chapters 19 and 20.

However, the people are still doing their own thing – they are following that which is right in their own eyes. You see, there was no king in Israel – not even God.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.

Mar 23rd, 2024 Molech The Abomination – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Judges 9 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 2 Peter 1 – 3; Proverbs 23; Psalms 111 – 115)

Read the “0323 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.” (Judges 10:6-9)

Good morning. Israel did it again: they turned away from following the LORD. They started following the gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon, and those of the Philistines.

“And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” (Judges 10:11-14)

What a sad time in the history of Israel. God told them to go cry unto the gods which ye have chosen. One of those was the abomination of the children of Ammon named Molech. He required you to sacrifice your babies to him.

“And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:21)

“Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.” (Leviticus 20:2-5)

In America, babies are still be sacrificed to Molech. He is known by a different name here: Convenience. Is a baby going to interfere with your lifestyle? No problem, just go down to your nearest abortion clinic, Planned Parenthood, or doctor’s office. They will take care of it. They will crush your baby’s head. Burn it with some sort of salt solution. Rip it’s arms and legs off, and then remove what remains from your womb. Is this more humane than standing before a statue, and tossing your baby into a roaring fire to be burned alive? Just something to think about.

“For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:5)

“Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

A Christian has no business being a member of the Democratic Party. My body, my choice. Oh? Could the baby you aborted been ordained to have the cure for cancer. Think about that while you are on your death bed, lying in the hospital with tubes and wires hanging off your body. God has a purpose for everything, and everybody He creates: a baby is not an inconvenience.

If you had an abortion, God will forgive you if you ask Him. If you don’t know Him as your Saviour, then you need to invite Jesus into your heart. And one day you will see your baby again in Heaven.

Peace.

Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with 1 comment.

Mar 22nd, 2024 The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon

Today’s Passage – Judges 7 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Peter 1 – 5; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 47:1

Read a previous post from this passage – “Little is Much.”

Read the “0322 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.” (Judges 7:20)

In Judges six, we saw God’s calling of Gideon to lead Israel against the Midianites who had been oppressing them for seven years. Though Gideon is insecure and reluctant, God assures him that he is the man that God has chosen, and the man that God will equip and bless to bring victory to Israel. God gives Gideon three assurances in chapter six:

            He asks the Angel of the Lord to give him a sign (v. 17), which the Angel does by consuming with fire the sacrifice and the unleavened cakes that Gideon placed upon a rock.

            He also asked God to make his fleece wet while the ground remained dry.

            Finally, he asks God to keep the fleece dry while the ground around it is wet.

Chapter Seven

Here, in this chapter, we will see that God will once again encourage and assure Gideon that he is doing exactly what God wants him to do.  

I        The Lord Culls the Crowd (vs. 1 – 8)

God does not need a big crowd to win His battles or to fulfill His will. God wanted to be sure that the people knew that the victory came from Him. 

The army of Israel started out with 32,000. Gideon invited the fearful to leave and they immediately lost 10,000 and were down to 22,000. By the way – it is an amazing thing that Gideon did not leave. Then the Lord set up a test at the watering hole, and there he lost almost the entire army, leaving only 300 left to fight against the huge numbers of Midianites. 

This world is enamored with big numbers. big churches, big businesses. Growth is good if God is in it, but growth should not be the primary goal. We want to reach people, and we want to see people saved, for the Lord’s sake and for their good, not just so we can inflate our egos. God should be our primary goal, not numeric growth. If we are faithful to the Lord, He will probably give the increase, but if He doesn’t, we should still be content. Little is much when God is in it. God does not need big numbers. God’s people need a big God.

“And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?” (1 Chronicles 21:3)

“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6)

We learn from Judges 8:10 that there were 135,000 Midianites that they were about to go up against.

God does not need gifted people, either:

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:25-29)

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

But, be sure about this: the three hundred men that Gideon had left were all in. I would rather have 50 people who were sold out for the Lord than 5000 who were all about themselves. These 300 men that were left were being watched, and God liked what He saw in them. Warren Wiersbe said:

“Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when somebody may be taking your measure for a larger place.”^[1]

II       The Lord Cheers Up Gideon and Causes the Midianites to Fear (vs. 7 – 15)

The dream was God’s way of assuring Gideon that everything was OK; that he was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, and that all would be well. Gideon was a little bit insecure. This is now the fourth time that God reassures him.

III       The Lord Conceives a Strange Attack Plan (vs. 16 – 22)

Note – “middle watch” in v. 19 is from 10 PM – 2 AM.

God does not do things our way. 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33)

Notice also that Gideon leads by example (v. 17)

IV      Israel Chases the Enemy (vs. 23 – 25) 

Gideon chases the enemy completely to the other side of the Jordan River. Sometimes, we win the battle, but we fail to drive the enemy completely out of our lives, which allows them to regain strength again. 

Notice the story starts with Gideon hiding by a winepress and ends with the enemies of Gideon being slain by a winepress.

Conclusion

The big problems that you have in your life are not big problems to God. The big enemies that you face are not big to God. God is well able to multiple your feeble efforts to fulfill His will. The widow’s mite was an awful lot of money in the hands of God. The little lad’s lunch of loaves and fishes was multiplied to feed 5000 men, and possible 15,000 more women and children. Little is much when God is in it.

Chapter Eight

In chapter eight, we see the conclusion of the campaign against the Midianites, and we learn what happens to Gideon afterwards, and what happens to Israel when Gideon is gone.

I        Gideon Placates the Ephraimites Anger (vs. 1 – 3)

As the Midianites were escaping to the south and east, Gideon called upon Ephraim, which was located to the south of the location of the battle. They were strategically in the right spot to cut off many of the escaping Midianites, and they were able to capture and kill two of the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb.

However, the Ephraimites were upset because Gideon had not initially called them to fight. (See Judges 6:35) I am not sure of the reason that Gideon didn’t call for them at the beginning of the battle, but he assures them that their role at the end of the battle was critical to Israel’s success.

Don’t be offended if you are not asked to do something. It may be that God is reserving you for something bigger later.

Illustrate – I wanted to teach the 4^th – 6^th grade class but wasn’t asked. Later, however, Pastor Wedemeyer asked me to be his youth director.

II       Gideon Pursues After the Remaining Midianites (vs. 8 – 12)

The men of Succoth and Penuel both chose the wrong side. They calculated that the 15,000 left from Midian should easily conquer these 300 from Israel. They calculated against God. Always a mistake. 

Always take the side of what is right, regardless of what you think the consequences may be. Sometimes it looks as if the devil’s crowd is winning, but you should always side with God’s people.

Note – “discomfited” means “terrified.”

III       Gideon Punishes Succoth and Penuel (vs. 13 – 17)

Gideon teaches Succoth a lesson, and they he kills all the men of Penuel. These cities reaped what they sowed. They were warned, but they made a bad decision, and God was giving them exactly what he warned them that he would give.

IV       Gideon Puts an End to the Princes of Midian. (vs. 18 – 21)

These princes were brutal men who had murdered members of Gideon’s family. 

Notice that Jether was asked by his father to put these princes to death, but he refused. 

It would have been humiliating for (and possibly more painful) for these kings to be killed by Jether, rather than Gideon. Perhaps he was afraid. Maybe, he wasn’t ready. Maybe, he wasn’t gifted to be a warrior.

V       Gideon Produces an Ephod (vs. 22 – 27)

Gideon turns down the offer of being their king. This is the first mention of Israel desiring a king.

The ephod eventually became an idol that the people worshipped.

Hezekiah had the same problem with the brazen serpent. People were worshipping it, so Hezekiah destroyed it. (2 Kings 18:4)

Note – 700 shekels = 42.5 pounds.

VI      Gideon Passes and the People Forget God and Gideon’s Family (vs. 28 – 35)Israel failed to continue to worship the Lord, and they also failed to appreciate Gideon.

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1994). Be available (p. 60). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.

Mar 21st, 2024 Reluctant Leadership

Today’s Passage – Judges 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – James 1 – 5; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 34:6

Read previous posts from this passage – “Deborah and Jael – Women of God,” and “Gideon’s Fleece.”

Read the “0321 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. … 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. … 25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.” (Judges 6:11-12, 15-16, 25-27)

Before we get to the main thought for today’s devotion, let me point out two things that we have already discussed regarding the Book of Judges:

• Notice in our reading today, the pattern in the Book of Judges:

“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.” (Judges 4:1)

“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” (Judges 6:1)

After being delivered from their enemy, Israel would always go back to doing “evil in the sight of the Lord.” Here, we see the spiritual ups and downs of God’s people. They do well spiritually for a while, but when things get prosperous and safe for them, they forget about God. However, when God allows some of their enemies to gain strength and oppress them, they once again cry out to God for help. See a previous post that I did on this repeated pattern in Judges – “The Vicious Cycle in Judges“

• Notice – “the angel of the Lord” who appears to Gideon. He was discussed extensively in yesterday’s devotion – “Do As You Are Told.“

My thought this morning is about the fact that Gideon was not exactly who we might think would be the best choice to lead the people of God to victory over their enemies, which in this case was the Mideanites. We first meet him in verse eleven where he is hiding his wheat by the winepress. In verse fifteen, we hear Gideon telling the angel that he is not qualified. He kind of reminds us of Moses who also offered many excuses as to why he was not the best choice to lead Israel. He also needs a lot of reassurances from the angel. He asks for a sign in verse seventeen, and then for two more signs in verses 36 – 40 (see “Gideon’s Fleece”). Reluctantly, however, Gideon obeys the Lord and leads the people in battle against God’s enemies.

Why would God use a man like Gideon who was very fearful and unsure of himself? There are probably a few reasons, but two came to mind as I was reflecting upon this. First, if God chose a person with natural leadership ability and great human wisdom, the people might be tempted to praise the leader instead of God. In the following chapter, we will see that God also culled down the size of Gideon’s army from thirty-two thousand to a mere three hundred. God brought the victory and he wanted Israel to know that there was absolutely no earthly reason for their success.

Second, if a person with great charisma or natural talent was chosen, he might rely on those abilities instead of wholly following God. He may have even rebelled against God’s strange military tactics. Gideon, however, did exactly what God had told him to do.

“5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Sometimes the best leaders are developed because of great needs. David responded to “the cause” of the Philistine giant who was challenging Israel and mocking their God (1 Samuel 17). Nehemiah was motivated into action because of the great need within the City of Jerusalem. Neither of these men were looking for a leadership position, they were just driven into action by the need. They were reluctant, unsure of themselves, and more than a little fearful, but they each had faith that God was leading them into their leadership roles.

You may not think that you are qualified to be a leader of God’s people, either, but maybe God will also use you to inspire, encourage, and organize others in some great work for the Lord.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.

Mar 20th, 2024 Do As You’re Told!

Today’s Passage – Judges 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 10 – 13;  Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 34

Read the “0320 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “God Sent Them A Deliverer,”  “Hold the Line,“ and “The Vicious Cycle of Judges.”

“1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.” (Judges 2:1-5)

In Judges 1:22 – 25, God lists the people who were supposed to have been driven out of Canaan by the Israelites, but were allowed to remain in the land. It seems that in most of these cases, the Israelites were in a position of power over these Canaanite people because the text tells us that the Israelites made them tributaries, meaning that they had to pay tax money to the Israelites. If the Israelites had enough power over these Canaanites to force them to pay tribute, then why didn’t they just drive them out of the land as they were told by God to do? They simply did not obey God. 

In our text, in chapter 2, God sends the Angelo of the Lord to come and rebuke the Israelites.

This event seems to have happened when Joshua was still alive, and possibly before the Tabernacle was moved from Gilgal to Shiloh. Gilgal was where Israel first camped when they crossed the Jordan and entered the Land of Israel. (Joshua 5:10). Later, the Tabernacle was moved to Shiloh:

“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.” (Joshua 18:1)

The Angel of the Lord is believed by many to be a theophany (an appearance of God), or perhaps, a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ). At the very least, this Angel is a spokesman for God – God is speaking through him. The Angel of the Lord appears throughout the Old Testament and even in the New Testament.

Note the following appearances of the Angel of the Lord and his purpose for appearing:

• Appearance to Hagar: Proclamation (Genesis 16:7-14)
• Appearance to Abraham: Proclamation (Genesis 18:1; 22:11-13)
• Appearance to Jacob: Proclamation (Genesis 28:13; 32:24-32; 48:16)
• Appearance to Moses: Proclamation (Exodus 3:2-6; 23:20; 33:18-23)
• Appearance as Pillar of Cloud/ Fire: Protection (Exodus 14:19-21)
• Appearance to Joshua: Proclamation (Joshua 5:13-15)
• Appearance to Balaam: Punishment (Numbers 22:22-35)
• Appearance to Gideon: Proclamation (Judges 6:11-24)
• Appearance to Manoah: Proclamation (Judges 13:2-23)
• Appearance to David: Punishment (I Chronicles 21:15-18)
• Appearance to Elijah: Proclamation (I Kings 19:5-8)
• Appearance to the Assyrian Army: Power (II Kings 19:35)
• Appearance to Isaiah: Proclamation (Isaiah 6:1-13)
• Appearance to the Three Hebrew Children: Protection (Daniel 3:25)
• Appearance to Daniel: Protection (Daniel 6:22; 7:9-14)
• Appearance to Zechariah: Protection (Zechariah 1:8-13; 2:8-11; 3:10)

On at least one of these appearances, the Angel of the Lord seems to receive worship from the people involved (see Judges 13:20), which is why he is believed to be Christ in the flesh. Angels don’t receive worship (Revelation 19:10; 22:9). The problem with the theory that the Angel of the Lord is pre-incarnate Christ is that he also appears in the New Testament:

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1:20)

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13)

“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” (Luke 2:9)

See Also Acts 5:19; 8:26; 12:7; 12:23

There are two more appearances of this angel in Judges (6:11 – 18 in connection with Gideon; 13:3 – 23 in connection with Samson)

This Angel in our text moves from Gilgal (possibly when the Ark was encamped there) to Bochim, which means weeping. The actual location of Bochim is unknown, though some believe it was near Bethel.

The Angel reminds them of God’s explicit warning regarding expelling all the Canaanites. (See Exodus 23:20 – 30 and Numbers 35:50 – 56)

At this time, the people expressed their remorse over their failure. They wept. Weeping is a good start, but it must lead to a permanent repentance.

In Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, he expresses the fact that the Corinthians were sorry for their sins, and that their sorrow led to repentance:

“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-11)

Unfortunately, even though the Israelites expressed their remorse and repented at this time, their repentance was short lived. Throughout this Book of Judges, we will see the people of God doing that which is right in their own eyes and forsaking God. True repentance will yield more than just the offering of sacrifices, it will produce obedience:

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

When will we learn that God knows what is best for us? We need to obey what He tells us to do.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.

Mar 19th, 2024 Don’t Jump to Conclusions

Today’s Passage – Joshua 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 5 – 8; Proverbs 19; Psalms 91 – 95)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 25

Read the “0319 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Keep Choosing the Lord“

“1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. 5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. … 9 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 10 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. … 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. … 16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? … 21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, 22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) 23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it; 24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel? 25 For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. … 33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.” (Joshua 22:1-6, 9-10, 12, 16, 21-27, 33)

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.

Mar 18th, 2024 God Is a Promise Keeper

Today’s Passage – Joshua 19 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Philemon – Hebrews 4; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 19

Read the “0318 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.

Mar 17th, 2024 Ephraim and Manasseh

Today’s Passage – Joshua 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Titus 1 – 3; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

Read a previous post from this passage – “Get to Work”

Read the “0317 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.” (Genesis 48:13-14)

Today’s post is a little longer and a bit more involved than usual. Today, we will do a Bible study on the half tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Chapters 16 and 17 deal with the land distribution for the Tribe of Joseph, which was made up of the two half tribes of Ephraim (Chapter 16) and Manasseh (Chapter 17).

See also Genesis 48 to help make sense of Joshua 16 and 17. I will highlight a few verses from that portion of Scripture here:

“4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” (Genesis 48:4-5)

Note on Genesis 48:4 – 5 – Joseph’s two sons were adopted by Jacob here, and were given the right of the firstborn, but Ephraim traded place with Manasseh as the firstborn among the sons of Joseph:

“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s:)” (1 Chronicles 5:1-2)

“19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 48:19)

Note on Genesis 48:19 – After the kingdom splits in the time of Jeroboam and Rehoboam, Ephraim becomes the more dominant tribe in the northern kingdom. Also, Shiloh would be the city within the borders of Ephraim where the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant would stay for approximately 300 years. Joshua, the great leader of Israel, was from the tribe of Ephraim.

“22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” (Genesis 48:22)

Note on Genesis 48:22 – Genesis does not mention this conquest, but the parcel of land that he referred to here is mentioned in John 4:5:

“Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.” (John 4:5)

I        The Distribution of Land

         A       The Distribution for Ephraim (Joshua 16:5 – 9 See map)

Note on v. 9 – apparently Ephraim was also allotted some cities within the territory of Manasseh, perhaps because their total land area was small.

        B       The Distribution for Manasseh (Joshua 17:1 – 2; 7 – 11)

Note on Joshua 17:1

“And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.” (Numbers 32:39-40)

II       The Dereliction of Duty

“But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18)

         A       The Disobedience of Ephraim (vs. 10)

They failed to drive out all the Canaanites. This was slightly different from the situation with the Gibeonites, who made a peace treaty with Joshua. This was also different from the situation in chapter 15 where we are told that Jebusites dwelled with the children of Judah. Here there was no treaty, nor was there a peaceful coexistence, but the Canaanites were apparently conquered and made slaves. This was against God’s explicit command:

Disobedience is part of our fallen human nature – We won’t get it right all of the time.

Disobedience will cause long-term problems. The Canaanites that Ephraim allowed to remain in the land would eventually cause problems for them. Idolatry was part of Canaanite culture, and eventually would become a big problem in Israel.

The things that we disobediently allow in our lives today, may one day destroy our children or grand-children.

            B       The Disobedience of Manasseh (Joshua 17:12 – 13)

Manasseh’s situation was slightly different yet. They at first could not (vs. 12); then they would not drive the Canaanites out. (v. 13)

III       The Daughters of Zelophehad (Joshua 17:3 – 6)

See Numbers 27:1 – 11

The five daughters of Zelophehad brought a unique problem before Moses that Moses took up with God. Their father had no sons to give his land inheritance to and the daughters were afraid that they were going to lose their portion of the land. The Lord said that they were entitled to the inheritance. This caused Moses to write an amendment to the Law.

But this caused another potential problem. If the daughters of Zelophehad inherit land and then marry outside of their tribe, then the land would transfer to another tribe. (See Numbers 36:1 – 13) God stated that any women receiving a land inheritance would only be permitted to marry within her tribe.

IV      The Dissatisfaction of Manasseh and Ephraim (Joshua 17:14 – 18)

Here we see presumably the two half tribes complaining to Joshua regarding the portion of land that they received. They said it was too small. They said that they were far too “great” a people to be confined to such a small piece of land. Together, their population was 82,500, which was large. Manasseh had increased in size dramatically (by approximately 20,000 men) during their wandering in the Wilderness. Ephraim had decreased by 8,000 men.

            Joshua stated that what they had was enough, but they weren’t making the most of it.

            They would have to work for it.

            They would have to fight for it.

Many times, God’s people are dissatisfied with their lives, causing them to covet things that belong to somebody else. God wants us to appreciate what we have and make the most of what we have.

Don’t covet somebody else’s home – make the most of the home that God gave you. Don’t covet somebody else’s marriage – work hard and fight to make yours the best it can be.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.