[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
[0:40
pm, 25/01/2022] S.R:
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙:𝟙𝟡
'Now
the LORD was 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Judah, and they took possession of the hill country;
but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had
iron chariots."
𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 God is success, victory, and fruitfulness.
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟘
"All
that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another
generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had
done for Israel."
A
sobering reminder why there should be mentoring of younger men to be the
leaders of tomorrow! In my case, I found myself mentoring those who are older
than me than those who are younger than me. But I hope to see younger men
soon...
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟛:𝟚𝟚
"The
handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he
did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out."
The
Bible often describes violence in a very gruesome detailed manner. Hmm! Just
something I am rethinking again! 🙂
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟜:𝟚𝟙
"But
Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went
secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the
ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died."
Another
one, gruesome murder! 🙂
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟝:𝟚𝟠
"Out
of the window she looked and lamented, The mother of Sisera through the
lattice, 'Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his
chariots tarry?'"
An
insight into a perspective of a woman regarding battles and war! I always love
this part whenever I read this account!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟞:𝟛𝟙
"But
Joash said to all who stood against him, ‘Will you contend for Baal, or will
you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning.
If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his
altar.’"
I
think we need some courageous parents like Joash for young leaders! 🙂👍😇
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟟:𝟟
"The
LORD said to Gideon, 'I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will
give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man
to his home.'"
Huh!
I have been misreading this account all these times (past). I always seem to
have read that the 300 were those who knelt down and drank the water. 😬🤦♂️😂
Hmm!
Thank God, I am corrected now! 😇
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟠:𝟚𝟚-𝟚𝟛
"Then
the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son,
also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."
But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule
over you; the LORD shall rule over you.""
Something
to learn from Gideon about leadership when followers are misguided!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟡:𝟝𝟛
"But
a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his
skull."
Killed
by a random woman, what an insult it was to him! It was fitting for he was a
man without honor! God knows how to avenge!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟙
"The
LORD said to the sons of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the
Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?""
God
wants me to remember His faithfulness in times of trouble! Indeed, why would my
soul be afraid? Forgive me, God!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟙:𝟛
"So
Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless
fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him."
This
is like Manipur's underground (insurgent group).
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟚:𝟞
"then
they would say to him, "Say now, 'Shibboleth.'" But he said,
"Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they
seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that
time 42,000 of Ephraim."
A
demonstration that humans, even people of God (yea, even godly Christians) are
often crueler to their own than to the outsiders.
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟛:𝟛
"Then
the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now,
you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give
birth to a son.""
The
Serpent talked to Adam's wife. The Angel of the Lord talked to Manoah's wife.
Manoah handled the situation better (and rightly) than Adam! Hmm!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟜:𝟚-𝟛
"So
he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I saw a woman in Timnah, one of
the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’
Then his father and his mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among the
daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a
wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get
her for me, for she looks good to me.’"
Love
at first sight is after all not good as Hollywood and Bollywood portrayed!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟞
"Then
Samson said, ‘With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone
of a donkey I have killed a thousand men.’"
He
seemed to praise himself for the slaughter rather than praising God for the
victory! What a tragedy!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟟
"It
came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his
soul was annoyed to death. So he told her all that was in his heart and said to
her, ‘A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from
my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will
become weak and be like any other man.’"
Is
it really difficult to not listen to a woman? 🤔😬😂😎
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟟:𝟡
"Micah
said to him, ‘Where do you come from?’ And he said to him, ‘I am a Levite from
Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever I may find a place.’"
I
identify myself with this young man to some extent for good or bad!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟞
"So
the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong
for him, he turned and went back to his house."
I
thank God that this episode is recorded in the Bible. It helps me see that God
sees everything going on earth and He is absolutely calm!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟡:𝟛𝟘
"All
who saw it said, "Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from
the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day.
Consider it, take counsel and speak up!""
It
happened in the days of Abraham. It happened in the days of the Judges. If it
happens again one of these days, it will not be surprising, and also the
judgment!
𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟛
"’Now
then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, 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."
These
guys are stupid. But what to do!
[11:42
pm, 14/02/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚𝟙:𝟛
"They
said, ‘Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one
tribe should be missing today in Israel?’"
They
prayed but didn't know what they were doing, had done, and were about to do. They
were acting [professing] and probably thinking also that they were spiritual
when they said this prayer, oh, what a bunch of sinners were they!
That's
true for every human being. It's impossible to not sin. It's impossible to not
hurt others. It's impossible to not suffer. Somewhere, someday, everyone falls.
But thanks be to God for His great mercy and grace! 😇🙏