Bible Reading Reflection from Judges 15-21

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟝:𝟙

"But after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife with a young goat, and said, "I will go in to my wife in her room." But her father did not let him enter."

Mark Driscoll had a reputation of preaching the Song of Songs in a very sexually graphic way, for which the words of commentator Tremper Longman "it reveals more about the interpreters than the text" is appropriate.

On the other end, we have people like JD Grear and Ed Litton who say the Bible whispers about sexual sin. The Bible shouted as loud as it can be against sexual sin. But actually, it seems to give a whispering description about sexual activity. May we never preach it, teach it, imagine it, or read it to sin. Recently Abraham Piper (a prodigal son of John Piper) in a TikTok video revealed that as a pastor’s kid, he would read Song of Songs with an illicit pleasure.

The Bible I will argue is R-rated when it comes to violence, like hacking Agag into pieces, or Phinehas spearing through Zimri and Cozbi. However, it will be PG or Family rating when it comes to nudity! And preachers often do otherwise because the former sounds bad the latter sells!

Even in this passage, the story is narrated carefully, with a common verb "go"

 

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟞:𝟚𝟘

"She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him."

Playing with fire, Playing with the devil, and Playing with sin are Playing with Delilah. What sadness! "As at other times, but" Thieves must be thinking the same. At least almost all the heist movies I watched are like that. 😄 Saying "one more time, and this shall be the last" and they died!

When we play with things unplayable, we keep on saying one more time, and hardly it stops, it keeps saying one more time, or finally gets caught!

Don't play with Delilah! Better to dwell in the corner of the rooftop in solitude! 😬

 

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟟:𝟞

"In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes."

Judges 17 records the bizarre story of Micah: Sin upon sin. Personal sin to family sin to community sin unfolds. Indeed, sin breeds, and is rightly compared to a contagious virus and cancer!

In our daily conversation, "he did his best" is often an expression of defeat to make it sound nicer than what actually is. Man doing, according to what he thinks is best and right is a pathetic condition expressed politely. Moses warned them not to live like this (Deut. 12:8)!

 

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟘

"The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image and went among the people."

A wise priest indeed! If you are willing [planning or scheming] to be wicked, at least be rich. It's better to be a rich wicked man than to be a poor wicked fool!

I heard a rumour that some Muslim groups promised to give a sum of 2 lakh rupees to some of our people in Tamenglong if they would become Muslims. Hmm! I don't know the rest of the deal, but I would not mind them becoming Muslims and getting 2 lakh rupees than to remain poor and still go to hell! 😬😎

Now, Micah’s idolatry has turned to family idolatry to Clan idolatry. Individual to Community. Sin spreads!

 

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟙𝟡:𝟚𝟚

"While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, ‘Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him.’"

Chapter 18 was Idolatry — Individual to Community.

Chapter 19 is Immortality — Individual to Community.

The pandemic of sin, corruption!

There are certain worthless fellows in every society at any time, I suppose.

The world at biblical times is not better than our world now. They were told to live differently, and we are still told to not live like the world.

Instead of being transformed by the word, people are conforming to the world. Let's live by the conviction from the exemplary saints gone before us, not by the culture of our time.

 

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟚𝟘:𝟚𝟛

"The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him.""

These guys didn't want to kill but were willing to slaughter if necessary. It was expressed genuinely through weeping till evening and then burnt up their cities.

Hmm! Before you burnt up somebody's home, weep before God from morning till evening! Before you confront others, weep over him before God. Before you criticize somebody, pray, pray, pray, yea, a long prayer!

Or shut off your mouth, huh! 😬😂

 

𝕁𝕌𝔻𝔾𝔼𝕊 𝟚𝟙:𝟙𝟘

"And the congregation sent 12,000 of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones."

What insanity! They were weeping for Benjamites, yet set out to massacre the people of Jabesh-gilead. And they allowed their women to be kidnapped by the Benjamites.

Didn't the war start because of molesting a concubine by the Benjamites, and now allowing their women to be kidnapped? Mankind is not only depraved but stupid!  The same insanity, stupidity can be said of the covid pandemic of our time!