Day 93: Strengths and Weaknesses

Today's readings: Judges 12-15 and Psalm 146.

I. Judges 12 recounts the final events of the leadership of Jephthah and then briefly mentions three judges after him: Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. Of course, there was violent intertribal rivalry, which plagued Jephthah to be sure before his death.

In the next chapter, we find the story of Samson, one of the most famous judges of Israel. His father, Manoah, and his wife both received an angelic visit telling them that they would bear a son who would be a Nazirite. The chapter concludes with the birth of Samson.

Judges 14 begins with Samson's marriage to a Philistine woman (mistake), his public career, and introduces the conflict between his divine calling and his own personal weaknesses. He was quite a character, what with slaying a lion, eating honey from its carcass, and killing Philistines to pay off a debt to others of their countrymen.

In today's last chapter, Samson has conflict with the Philistine rulers over Israel. First, his father-in-law had given away his wife to Samson's companion, offering a younger sister instead. He refused and, through some animal cruelty, destroyed Philistine fields with crops, vineyards, and olive groves. They were outraged and burned to death Samson's wife and father-in-law in retaliation. He slaughtered many of them in return, and after being handed over to the Philistines, killed many more with the "jawbone of an ass."

The BIY Companion, Vol I, has some good commentary on this:

Samson is not a particularly "good guy." He is a "hero" because he is strong, but he is not wise. He is consecrated, but he is not living a consecrated life... Though strong, Samson has many weaknesses, particularly his passions: his anger and lust will get him into trouble. Like Samson, we all have certain strengths and weaknesses. Rather than despairing about our weaknesses or dismissing them, we take them up to the Lord and ask him to heal us and purify us. We humbly ask him to help us so our weaknesses will not be our downfall, as they will be for Samson. (p. 198)

II. Psalm 146 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A psalm of praise. It invites the covenant people to look for help, not in earthly aristocrats, but in the God of Jacob. Trust in princes is misplaced and bound to disappoint; but trust in the Lord is a firm basis for hope. He is the world's all-powerful Creator as well as its all-benevolent King, who helps those who are powerless to escape their plight, such as those who are poor, oppressed, hungry, imprisoned, blind, sojourning, widowed, and orphaned. (p. 955)

There is a lot of wisdom in this psalm. Every mortal ruler or politician will let us down, for they too are human and fallible, capable of sin like the rest of us. Our complete trust, therefore, is far better for the Infinite, with God alone. 

That's it for today!

Day 92: Jephthah's Vow

 Today's readings: Judges 9-11, Ruth 4, and Psalm 137.

I. Judges 9 tells the story of Abimelech, one of Gideon's sons, and describes his rise and fall as a ruler in Israel. He began his usurped reign by murdering his brothers, which reminds me of many Ottoman rulers who would seize the throne centuries later. Yet he missed one, the youngest: Jotham, who would curse Abimelech and Shechem for this murderous sin. God must have heard him, because rivalry between the two arose within 3 years. Shechem rebels, Abimelech destroys it, and finally, Abimelech was killed while laying siege to Thebez.

In the next chapter, we are first given two judges who arose: Tola and Jair, leaders of Israel for 45 years of relative stability. What happened next shouldn't be too surprising given the narrative to date: Israel fell into idolatry again. God allows them to be oppressed by the Ammonites and Philistines as punishment. When the Israelites call out to Him in distress, He delivers this rather biting line:

Go and cry to the gods whom you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress. (Judg 10:14)

Yet, when they repent and "serve the Lord," God "became indignant over the misery of Israel." The chapter ends with the forces of Israel's foes encamped at Gilead, while Israel was at Mizpah, wondering who would lead them in battle.

In Judges 11, the answer is found. Jephthah, who had been driven out by his brothers for being illegitimate, was nevertheless chosen to lead Israel's forces. He was victorious, but had made a rash vow to sacrifice the first thing that came out of the door of his house. I'm sure he was thinking it would be one of his animals, but it wasn't. His daughter, his only child, was the first out the door. She was sacrificed as per his thoughtless vow.

The BIY Companion, Vol I, agrees:

"Heroes" of the Bible can be good and strong in some ways but can also be foolish and unfaithful. This rash vow of Jephthah is an example to avoid. We always want to make wise promises to the Lord rather than acting rashly. God does not desire the death of the living but that all might have fullness of life. (p. 196)

II. Ruth 4 concludes this charming short story of Ruth and Boaz with redemption, marriage, and the birth of a child who becomes part of the lineage of David and ultimately Jesus Christ. Boaz redeems Ruth, the two marry, and they have a son, Obed. The book ends with the genealogy of David down through Obed.

III. Psalm 137 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A lament psalm. Its setting is the Babylonian Exile in the sixth century B.C., when Jewish captives wept over the fall of Jerusalem and refused to sing songs of joyful praise at the behest of their captors. It ends with an imprecatory prayer in which the Psalmist expresses an intense desire for justice. His hope is that God's punishment on Zion's conquerors will equal the magnitude of the atrocities committed against its inhabitants. (p. 948) 

That's all for today!

Day 91: Gideon's Story

Today's readings: Judges 6-8, Ruth 3, and Psalm 135.

I. Judges 6 introduces Gideon, called by God during a period when Israel was being oppressed by Midian. Israel's plight was due to its sin against the Lord. Yet Gideon, who, in his own words, was from a clan that's "the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family," but was still called. This will happen again and again in Scripture, where God will use what the world considers weakest or lowest to do His bidding, as seen most clearly in the life of Jesus here on earth. That aspect is something I've always enjoyed. Gideon then took a bull, tore down his town's altar to Baal and the Asherah pole, built an altar to the Lord, and made a sacrifice to Him. The next morning, the townspeople were outraged, but Gideon's father defended him. The chapter ends with Gideon asking God for a sign that He will deliver Israel, which He grants.

In the next chapter, Gideon gathers an army of 32,000 to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites. Yet, God winnows Gideon's forces down to just 300 men by various methods. With this small force, Gideon attacks his enemies, who fled in terror. Two princes of Midian were captured and executed.

Judges 8 recounts how Gideon pursued two Midianite kings, routing their army again and capturing them. He also took revenge upon Sukkot and Penuel, who had refused food to his men. Then the Midianite kings were executed for killing his brothers. Gideon is offered the opportunity to rule over Israel, which he turns down. However, he falls into idolatry, whether intentionally or not, by fashioning an ephod out of captured gold. In his later years, Gideon subdues Midian, Israel enjoys peace for forty years, and he dies an honored man. Israel soon after, though, goes back to worshipping Baal instead of God and fails to show gratitude to Gideon's family.

II. Ruth 3 gives the climax of the story, with Naomi coming up with a plan for Ruth to seek marriage and protection from Boaz.

As the BIY Companion, Vol I, notes:

In Ruth 3, we see the "kinsman-redeemer" (goel) as a defined role in the life of Israel. If an Israelite falls into slavery, loses land, or is killed, a kinsman-redeemer will rescue him or her or ensure justice (see Lev 25:25, 25:48, Num 35). A kinsman-redeemer will also carry on the family name by marrying a childless widow (see Deut 25:5-10) - like Ruth. The role of the kinsman-redeemer is to buy people out of slavery. Through his passion, death, and resurrection, this is what Jesus has done. He has redeemed us from the slavery of death by dying and rising from the dead so that you and I can have eternal life. (p. 194)

Boaz acts as a kinsman-redeemer, a type of Christ foreshadowing His greater acts.

III. Psalm 135 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed): 

A psalm of praise. The Lord is worshipped for his sovereignty over the natural world and for his goodness toward Israel, evidenced by the election, deliverance, and victories given to his people in early biblical history. He is a God far superior to the idols of the nations, which are nothing but the lifeless creations of men. The psalm ends with invitations for the whole congregation to bless the Lord. (p. 946)

That's all for today!

Day 90: Ruth and Boaz

Today's readings: Judges 4-5, Ruth 2, and Psalm 134.

I. Judges 4 tells the story of Israel's deliverance from oppression through Deborah and Barak, and the defeat of the Canaanite commander Sisera. The end of this chapter reads a bit like Judith, in that Jael kills Sisera in his sleep, or perhaps the other way around. It's almost as if there were female Jewish assassins of the oppressors of Israel!

In the next chapter, we find the Song of Deborah, one of the oldest poetic passages in the Bible. It celebrates the victory over the Canaanites and praises God for delivering Israel. After the song, the chapter ends with this:

And the land had rest for forty years. (Judg 5:31)

A very violent, brutal time, but it does show that God can use unexpected instruments and rules over all creation.

II. Ruth 2 tells how God begins providing for Ruth and Naomi through the kindness of Boaz. It is fitting that Boaz's compassion will become ancestral to Jesus. He serves as a type or foreshadowing of Christ.

III. Psalm 134 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

A liturgy for nighttime prayer in the Temple. Continuing the theme of "blessing" from 133:3, it invites worshippers to bless the Lord in prayer (134:1-2) and invokes the Lord's blessings upon them in return (134:3). (p. 946)

That's it for today!

Day 89: Israel's Cycle of Disobedience

 Today's readings: Judges 1-3, Ruth 1, and Psalm 133.

I. Judges 1 describes the period after Joshua's death, when the tribes of Israel continued the conquest of Canaan but did not completely drive out its inhabitants. So, in other words, only partial obedience to God's commands which leads to many future troubles as a result.

The next chapter explains why Israel's situation deteriorates after Joshua's generation dies. It begins with a visit by the "Angel of the Lord," who reminded Israel of what God had done for them and His command to destroy all pagan idols. They wept, but they would soon fall into idolatry. The end of the chapter recounts how God raised up judges, who would repent enough to sway God's anger, but then fall back into idolatry upon the death of each one, leaving God angry with them.

Judges 3 begins the story of individual judges during this time, and recounts the pagan nations that Israel allowed to remain in the land. They fell into grave sin, and God withdrew His protection from them in punishment. They suffered calamities as a result. At the end of the chapter, Ehud and then Shamgar brought relief to Israel in God's name.

We have, as the BIY Companion, Vol I, puts it: "a cycle of disobedience, distress, repentance, the Lord's intervention with a redeemer, and renewal" (p. 190). This is actually seen throughout much of the Old Testament.

II. Ruth 1 begins a story that occurred during these troubled times. Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his sons go to Moab when a famine strikes Bethlehem. He dies, as do his sons, after marrying Moabite women. Naomi returns to Bethlehem, releasing her daughters-in-law to remain in their homeland. Ruth refuses, giving the famous line:

Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)

The women arrive in Bethlehem, with Naomi bitter over what has happened to her. 

As the BIY Companion, Vol I, notes:

The story of Naomi and Ruth shows that only true worship of the Lord and belonging to his covenant matters in the end, not ethnic origin. When Ruth proclaims that "your God will be my God," she is essentially converting, becoming a member of the covenant. Through the line of Ruth will come David, as well as his descendant Jesus. So the Savior of the world comes from a woman who begins life as a Moabite but who dies in covenant with the Lord. (p. 190)

III. Psalm 133 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

A wisdom psalm. It compares the blessing of family unity to sacred oil running down from the head of the high priest onto his vestment and to dew coming down from the heights of Mt. Hermon to moisten the hills of Zion. (p. 945)

That's all for today!

Day 88: Joshua's Last Words to Israel

Today's readings: Joshua 22-24 and Psalm 132.

I. In Joshua 22, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are released by Joshua to return to their homes east of the Jordan River after helping the other Israelites conquer the Promised Land. They built a memorial altar to God by the Jordan River, which the others mistook for a rival altar for worship, violating God's commands. Because of this, they prepared for war, but peace was restored when it was explained that this was a witness to their faith in God, not a separate place for sacrifice. The zeal they have for God is good, but this episode shows how easily they can be led astray when misunderstandings arise.

The next chapter gives an exhortation by Joshua, years later and now an old man, to remain faithful to God and the covenant, warning that failing to do so would bring great calamity upon them in punishment.

Joshua 24 gives Joshua's final assembly of all Israel at Shechem and serves as the conclusion of the book. The mighty acts that God has done for Israel are first recounted, followed by Joshua challenging the people to choose whom they will serve: the pagan gods of their ancestors or the God of Israel. Israel chooses to serve God and renews the covenant with Him, and soon after Joshua dies at a 110 years old.

[A]s for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Josh 24:15)

II. Psalm 132 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes: 

A royal psalm. Its focus is twofold: (1) David's oath to find a permanent home for the Ark of the Covenant; and (2) God's oath to grant David an everlasting kingship over his people. These two halves of the psalm follow the story of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem (= 2 Sam 7). Solomon cited words closely resembling 132:8-10 when he dedicated the Temple (2 Chron 6:41-42). Psalm 132 is featured in the Church's liturgy as the responsorial psalm for the vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption, reflecting the tradition that the ark is a type of Mary. (p. 944)

That's it for today!

Day 87: God Keeps His Promises

Today's readings: Joshua 19-21 and Psalm 131.

I. Oh no. Joshua 19 continues to give the areas allotted to the remaining tribes of Israel. Necessary to understand the history, but still a bit tedious.

The next chapter then describes the establishment of the Cities of Refuge, which God had commanded through Moses. This actually was more interesting to me as it shows the mercy of God.

Finally, Joshua 21 assigns some cities to the Levites, the tribe set apart for priestly and liturgical service. Unlike the other tribes, they didn't receive a territorial inheritance because God Himself was their inheritance. This shows that God cares for the well-being of his servants.

The BIY Companion, Vol I, notes:

These are more than just lists; they are historical records that touch on God's interaction with his people. The final lines today sum up the reason why all those tribes and places are presented: "The Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers; not one of all their enemies had withstood them ... Not one of all the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed" (Joshua 21:44-45). (p. 186)

II. Psalm 131 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A psalm of trust. It advocates humility as the proper spirit of prayer and the way to inner peace. The Psalmist renounces pride, compares himself to a small child feeling safe in his mother's lap, and encourages the people of Israel to draw close to God in the same way. (p. 944)

That's it for today!