Bible Readings for August 1st Judges 15 | Acts 19 | Jeremiah 28 | Mark 14 The last two days, we have been meditating on the ways the life of Samson foreshadows the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We will return to that theme tomorrow, but for today, we should spend some time thinking about the tragedy of Samson’s life. Certainly, God accomplished his plans through Samson, but Samson stands as a warning not to waste the gifts God has given to us, since God gives us gifts for his purposes, not for ours. In Judges 15, we find Samson doing what Samson does throughout his entire life—recklessly attacking the Philistines in whatever way is right in his own eyes. To be clear, the problem with attacking the Philistines or burning their fields is not Samson’s violence. God raised Samson up as a judge in Israel for just that purpose—to defeat the Philistines in order to give peace to God’s people. The problem, rather, is with the way that Samson goes about it, seeking vengeance only in retaliation for his own, personal vendettas. We see a major clue that Samson is fulfilling his role as judge in the wrong way in Judges 14:3, when Samson was originally asking for his parents to get him the Philistine woman as a wife. There, he said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” This phrase, “right in my [own] eyes,” is the cause of all Israel’s trouble in the book of Judges. Right after the death of Samson at the end of Judges 16, we read this summary in Judges 17:6: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Samson did what everyone else in Israel did by seeking to do what was right in his own eyes, not what was right in Yahweh’s eyes. And yet, Yahweh still used Samson, and used him mightily. But even though Yahweh can use our total rebellion against him for his own purposes and glory does not mean that we are justified in our rebellion. Furthermore, Samson’s sin directly caused needless suffering in his life. God used him, but Samson suffered because of his sin. The lesson we learn from Samson, then, is that God uses even the worst, most disobedient people for his purposes in building Christ’s kingdom on this earth. Nevertheless, when we disobey God, we needlessly bring suffering upon ourselves. Furthermore, we should recognize that not everyone has the opportunity to repent as Samson did. If you find yourself seeking to do what is right in your own eyes, repent before it is too late. Today, seek to do what is right in God’s eyes, not your own. Repent, believe the gospel, and seek to obey Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit wherever he leads you—not only for Christ’s glory, but also for your good.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for August 1st</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg15" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 15</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 19</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer28" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 28</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 14</a> The last two days, we have been meditating on the ways the life of Samson foreshadows the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We will return to that theme tomorrow, but for today, we should spend some time thinking about the tragedy of Samson’s life. Certainly, God accomplished his plans through Samson, but Samson stands as a warning not to waste the gifts God has given to us, since God gives us gifts for his purposes, not for ours. In Judges 15, we find Samson doing what Samson does throughout his entire life—recklessly attacking the Philistines in whatever way is right in his own eyes. To be clear, the problem with attacking the Philistines or burning their fields is not Samson’s violence. God raised Samson up as a judge in Israel for just that purpose—to defeat the Philistines in order to give peace to God’s people. The problem, rather, is with the way that Samson goes about it, seeking vengeance only in retaliation for his own, personal vendettas. We see a major clue that Samson is fulfilling his role as judge in the wrong way in Judges 14:3, when Samson was originally asking for his parents to get him the Philistine woman as a wife. There, he said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” This phrase, “right in my [own] eyes,” is the cause of all Israel’s trouble in the book of Judges. Right after the death of Samson at the end of Judges 16, we read this summary in Judges 17:6: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Samson did what everyone else in Israel did by seeking to do what was right in his own eyes, not what was right in Yahweh’s eyes. And yet, Yahweh still used Samson, and used him mightily. But even though Yahweh can use our total rebellion against him for his own purposes and glory does not mean that we are justified in our rebellion. Furthermore, Samson’s sin directly caused needless suffering in his life. God used him, but Samson suffered because of his sin. The lesson we learn from Samson, then, is that God uses even the worst, most disobedient people for his purposes in building Christ’s kingdom on this earth. Nevertheless, when we disobey God, we needlessly bring suffering upon ourselves. Furthermore, we should recognize that not everyone has the opportunity to repent as Samson did. If you find yourself seeking to do what is right in your own eyes, repent before it is too late. Today, seek to do what is right in God’s eyes, not your own. Repent, believe the gospel, and seek to obey Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit wherever he leads you—not only for Christ’s glory, but also for your good. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

August 1st: Bible Meditation for Judges 15

Bible Readings for July 31st Judges 14 | Acts 18 | Jeremiah 27 | Mark 13 Through Samson, God was not merely saving his people by raising up one more judge, as we began to discuss yesterday. Through Samson, God was also uniquely foreshadowing the life and ministry of his own Son, Jesus Christ. Today, we get a few more clues about what the coming Messiah would look like. First, Samson chooses a wife who would eventually bring disaster upon him, but we are told explicitly that Samson’s desire to marry a Philistine came from Yahweh, “for [Yahweh] was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines” (Judg. 14:4). Second, as Samson is traveling to the vineyards of Timnah with his mother and father, he destroys a lion with his bare hands. This lion had attacked him, seeking to devour him, but Samson dismantled the lion with ease even though he had no weapons with him. Third, Samson makes himself unclean by eating honey from a swarm of bees who had made their home in the carcass of the lion. This was a violation of Samson’s Nazirite vow, since an animal lying dead on the road for some days would be unclean. But there’s another way that Samson’s story points forward to Christ: through a riddle that cannot be guessed but must be revealed. This is the strangest part of the story, but it is also the most significant. Samson tells a riddle that would have been impossible for the Philistines to guess unless they were given the answer directly. So, the Philistines get Samson’s wife to help them cheat Samson. Now, take a step back, and look at the elements of this story again. Like Samson, Jesus also came into this world to seek a bride—and his bride (the church) brought him to destruction, since Jesus purchased his bride through giving up his life on the cross. There at the cross, Jesus tore apart another lion, Satan, who prowls constantly, seeking to devour God’s people (1 Pet. 5:8). And through the resurrection, Jesus made something sweet out of the most unclean things in this world: sin, death, and the devil. By making himself unclean, he reversed the curse that they held over us. Now, no one reading the story of Samson before Jesus came into this world would have recognized any of this. These riddles are what Paul calls “the mystery hidden for ages” (Eph. 3:9), and it would have been impossible to decipher without being told the meaning of the story. But now that Jesus  has come, God is delighted to give us the meaning of these stories—and without the deception and manipulation of the Philistines. The riddles have now been made plain: the story of Samson announces to us in advance that Jesus Christ would be born into this world by a virgin and that he would be set apart by the Holy Spirit to save sinners from the curse of sin through his death and resurrection.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 31st</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 14</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts18" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 18</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer27" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 27</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 13</a> Through Samson, God was not merely saving his people by raising up one more judge, as we began to discuss yesterday. Through Samson, God was also uniquely foreshadowing the life and ministry of his own Son, Jesus Christ. Today, we get a few more clues about what the coming Messiah would look like. First, Samson chooses a wife who would eventually bring disaster upon him, but we are told explicitly that Samson’s desire to marry a Philistine came from Yahweh, “for [Yahweh] was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines” (Judg. 14:4). Second, as Samson is traveling to the vineyards of Timnah with his mother and father, he destroys a lion with his bare hands. This lion had attacked him, seeking to devour him, but Samson dismantled the lion with ease even though he had no weapons with him. Third, Samson makes himself unclean by eating honey from a swarm of bees who had made their home in the carcass of the lion. This was a violation of Samson’s Nazirite vow, since an animal lying dead on the road for some days would be unclean. But there’s another way that Samson’s story points forward to Christ: through a riddle that cannot be guessed but must be revealed. This is the strangest part of the story, but it is also the most significant. Samson tells a riddle that would have been impossible for the Philistines to guess unless they were given the answer directly. So, the Philistines get Samson’s wife to help them cheat Samson. Now, take a step back, and look at the elements of this story again. Like Samson, Jesus also came into this world to seek a bride—and his bride (the church) brought him to destruction, since Jesus purchased his bride through giving up his life on the cross. There at the cross, Jesus tore apart another lion, Satan, who prowls constantly, seeking to devour God’s people (1 Pet. 5:8). And through the resurrection, Jesus made something sweet out of the most unclean things in this world: sin, death, and the devil. By making himself unclean, he reversed the curse that they held over us. Now, no one reading the story of Samson before Jesus came into this world would have recognized any of this. These riddles are what Paul calls “the mystery hidden for ages” (Eph. 3:9), and it would have been impossible to decipher without being told the meaning of the story. But now that Jesus has come, God is delighted to give us the meaning of these stories—and without the deception and manipulation of the Philistines. The riddles have now been made plain: the story of Samson announces to us in advance that Jesus Christ would be born into this world by a virgin and that he would be set apart by the Holy Spirit to save sinners from the curse of sin through his death and resurrection. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 31st: Bible Meditation for Judges 14

Bible Readings for July 30th Judges 13 | Acts 17 | Jeremiah 26 | Mark 12 In Judges 13, we read the beginning of the story of one of the more prominent figures in the book of Judges: Samson. Most importantly, the story of Samson foreshadows the story of Jesus in significant ways—very similar to how the story of Joseph foreshadows the story of Christ.1 Samson, however, is not a righteous figure as Joseph was but rather a deeply flawed person whose failures, more than his successes, cast light on Christ’s glory. In Judges 13, we see the first of two major hints about the forthcoming story of Jesus. First, we read that Samson was born miraculously to a barren woman, according to the prophecy of a heavenly messenger. While the barren women of the Bible were often looked down upon in their societies, God loved them and used them uniquely to demonstrate his power by opening their closed wombs. And just as God had opened the wombs of Sarah (Gen. 21:1), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), and Rachel (Gen. 30:22), so God also opens the womb of the wife of Manoah here in Judges 13. Second, we read that Samson was set apart from the beginning as a Nazirite to God. The laws concerning Nazirites were given in Numbers 6, describing the only way that non-priestly Israelites could become holy before Yahweh. Samson would be set apart for the duration of his life, requiring him to avoid touching anything unclean and to refrain from cutting his hair for as long as he lived. As we will see, Samson did not keep this vow well; however, the Spirit of God was upon him from when he was young, stirring him toward the purpose that God had set him apart to accomplish (Judg. 13:24–25). And in these two elements of Samson’s story, we see glimmers of the story of Jesus. Ultimately, God would demonstrate his power most fully not merely by opening the womb of a barren woman but by opening the womb of a virgin who had never known a man sexually at all (Luke 1:34). More than that, Jesus was also set apart like Samson, although not through a Nazirite vow.2 Instead, Jesus was publicly set apart as the beloved Son of the Father at his baptism. At that point, the Spirit of God came upon him to anoint him for the ministry that God had prepared for him (Matt. 2:16). Through such an imperfect man like Samson, God not only saved his people Israel in the short term but also laid the foundations for the way he would save his people eternally through his Son. Tomorrow we will continue to see how God raised up a servant like Samson to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus. 1 See meditations for Genesis 37–50. 2 Jesus was a Nazarene (Matt. 2:23)—that is, he lived in the city of Nazareth—not a Nazirite.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 30th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 13</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 17</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer26" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 26</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark12" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 12</a> In Judges 13, we read the beginning of the story of one of the more prominent figures in the book of Judges: Samson. Most importantly, the story of Samson foreshadows the story of Jesus in significant ways—very similar to how the story of Joseph foreshadows the story of Christ.<a href="#sdfootnote1sym" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> Samson, however, is not a righteous figure as Joseph was but rather a deeply flawed person whose failures, more than his successes, cast light on Christ’s glory. In Judges 13, we see the first of two major hints about the forthcoming story of Jesus. First, we read that Samson was born miraculously to a barren woman, according to the prophecy of a heavenly messenger. While the barren women of the Bible were often looked down upon in their societies, God loved them and used them uniquely to demonstrate his power by opening their closed wombs. And just as God had opened the wombs of Sarah (Gen. 21:1), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), and Rachel (Gen. 30:22), so God also opens the womb of the wife of Manoah here in Judges 13. Second, we read that Samson was set apart from the beginning as a Nazirite to God. The laws concerning Nazirites were given in Numbers 6, describing the only way that non-priestly Israelites could become holy before Yahweh. Samson would be set apart for the duration of his life, requiring him to avoid touching anything unclean and to refrain from cutting his hair for as long as he lived. As we will see, Samson did not keep this vow well; however, the Spirit of God was upon him from when he was young, stirring him toward the purpose that God had set him apart to accomplish (Judg. 13:24–25). And in these two elements of Samson’s story, we see glimmers of the story of Jesus. Ultimately, God would demonstrate his power most fully not merely by opening the womb of a barren woman but by opening the womb of a virgin who had never known a man sexually at all (Luke 1:34). More than that, Jesus was also set apart like Samson, although not through a Nazirite vow.<a href="#sdfootnote2sym" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2</a> Instead, Jesus was publicly set apart as the beloved Son of the Father at his baptism. At that point, the Spirit of God came upon him to anoint him for the ministry that God had prepared for him (Matt. 2:16). Through such an imperfect man like Samson, God not only saved his people Israel in the short term but also laid the foundations for the way he would save his people eternally through his Son. Tomorrow we will continue to see how God raised up a servant like Samson to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus. <a href="#sdfootnote1anc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> See meditations for Genesis 37–50. <a href="#sdfootnote2anc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2</a> Jesus was a Nazarene (Matt. 2:23)—that is, he lived in the city of Nazareth—not a Nazirite. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 30th: Bible Meditation for Judges 13

Bible Readings for July 29th Judges 12 | Acts 16 | Jeremiah 25 | Mark 11 At this point, it is already obvious that the book of Judges is an extremely low point in the Bible. Because there is no king in Israel, every man does what is right in his own eyes. Here in Judges 12, we see another step down the long, deep stairway into the dungeon of Israel’s apostasy. This time, Israel destroys itself not with idolatry but with petty, deadly bickering among themselves. Immediately on the heels of a great victory against the Ammonites, men of the tribe of Ephraim pick a fight with the Gileadites, insisting that they should have been involved in the war, challenging Jephthah and threatening to burn his house down (Judg. 12:1). Now, we read back in Judges 10:9 that the Ammonites had fought against Ephraim as a part of Yahweh’s handing his people over to their enemies; however, we do not read anything in Judges 11 to corroborate Jephthah’s claim that he had asked the Ephraimites for assistance (Judg. 12:2–3). Perhaps he is telling the truth, and perhaps not. Regardless, Jephthah takes the same approach that he had with the king of the Ammonites, attempting to seek peace by asking, “Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” (Judge. 12:3). The Ephraimites do not relent, however, so Jephthah gathers his army from Gilead to fight against the Ephraimites. Then, once they defeat the Ephraimites, Jephthah guards the return back to the land of Ephraim by asking each person attempting to cross the fords of the Jordan whether he is an Ephraimite. If the person is not able to pronounce “Shibboleth” correctly (instead saying “Sibboleth”), Jephthah and his men slaughter that fugitive. In all, the Gileadites slay 42,000 of their fellow Israelites from Ephraim. First, Israel’s sins are interconnected. It is not as though Israel could have enjoyed peace and prosperity while they still served idols. Rather, when human beings do not rightly worship the living God, they cannot rightly relate to one another. Second, Israel’s in-fighting is an even greater crime than normal human squabbling. These are the chosen people of God, whom Yahweh redeemed out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm! How could they possibly slaughter one another in a petty territorial dispute? There is a warning here for those of us who live in Christian communities, since Satan tries to attack us from many angles. Sometimes—even when we focus vigilantly on guarding our own personal piety—Satan attacks us by trying to divide us against our fellow believers. He is a cunning, deceitful liar, and he will divide us however he can. For this reason, David exclaims in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Brothers and sisters, let us seek peace and unity with our fellow believers for whom Jesus Christ died.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 29th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg12" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 12</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts16" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 16</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer25" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 25</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 11</a> At this point, it is already obvious that the book of Judges is an extremely low point in the Bible. Because there is no king in Israel, every man does what is right in his own eyes. Here in Judges 12, we see another step down the long, deep stairway into the dungeon of Israel’s apostasy. This time, Israel destroys itself not with idolatry but with petty, deadly bickering among themselves. Immediately on the heels of a great victory against the Ammonites, men of the tribe of Ephraim pick a fight with the Gileadites, insisting that they should have been involved in the war, challenging Jephthah and threatening to burn his house down (Judg. 12:1). Now, we read back in Judges 10:9 that the Ammonites had fought against Ephraim as a part of Yahweh’s handing his people over to their enemies; however, we do not read anything in Judges 11 to corroborate Jephthah’s claim that he had asked the Ephraimites for assistance (Judg. 12:2–3). Perhaps he is telling the truth, and perhaps not. Regardless, Jephthah takes the same approach that he had with the king of the Ammonites, attempting to seek peace by asking, “Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” (Judge. 12:3). The Ephraimites do not relent, however, so Jephthah gathers his army from Gilead to fight against the Ephraimites. Then, once they defeat the Ephraimites, Jephthah guards the return back to the land of Ephraim by asking each person attempting to cross the fords of the Jordan whether he is an Ephraimite. If the person is not able to pronounce “Shibboleth” correctly (instead saying “Sibboleth”), Jephthah and his men slaughter that fugitive. In all, the Gileadites slay 42,000 of their fellow Israelites from Ephraim. First, Israel’s sins are interconnected. It is not as though Israel could have enjoyed peace and prosperity while they still served idols. Rather, when human beings do not rightly worship the living God, they cannot rightly relate to one another. Second, Israel’s in-fighting is an even greater crime than normal human squabbling. These are the chosen people of God, whom Yahweh redeemed out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm! How could they possibly slaughter one another in a petty territorial dispute? There is a warning here for those of us who live in Christian communities, since Satan tries to attack us from many angles. Sometimes—even when we focus vigilantly on guarding our own personal piety—Satan attacks us by trying to divide us against our fellow believers. He is a cunning, deceitful liar, and he will divide us however he can. For this reason, David exclaims in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Brothers and sisters, let us seek peace and unity with our fellow believers for whom Jesus Christ died. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 29th: Bible Meditation for Judges 12

Bible Readings for July 28th Judges 11 | Acts 15 | Jeremiah 24 | Mark 10 In yesterday’s reading, Yahweh tested Israel by promising not to save them after the latest round of rebellion and idolatry. To their credit, Israel repents for seemingly the thousandth time, putting away the foreign gods and returning to serve Yahweh. In response, we read that Yahweh “became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judg. 10:16)—that is, he was moved compassionately to save his people. To accomplish this salvation, Yahweh raised up a judge named Jephthah who not only saved Israel but also accomplished something far more significant by foreshadowing Yahweh’s own Son, Jesus, in three important ways. First, notice that Yahweh raises up a savior for Israel from an outcast born to a woman of ill repute. Because Jephthah’s mother had been a prostitute, his half-brothers had rejected him—until now. This is an interesting wrinkle to the story, since later on Jesus also was born out of wedlock, so that even Joseph desired to break off his betrothal to Mary (Matt. 1:19). Then, Jesus was rejected by his family (John 7:5). Eventually, however, Jesus arose to become the savior of Israel. Second, Jephthah reasons with the king of the Ammonites, asserting Israel’s legitimate claim to the land of Gilead peaceably rather than rashly going to war (Judg. 11:14–28).1 But when the king of the Ammonites nevertheless insists on marching into battle against Israel, the Spirit of Yahweh comes upon Jephthah to give him victory in battle (Judg. 11:29). In the same way, Jesus came first peaceably, but after being vindicated through his resurrection, he ascended into heaven with a warning that he would one day return as a conquering warrior. Third, the tragedy of this story involves Jephthah’s foolish vow to offer up as a burnt offering the first living creature who approached him from his house upon his return if Yahweh would give him victory over the Ammonites—a vow that cost him his only, beloved daughter (Judg. 11:30–40). At a time when Israel habitually forsook Yahweh, Jephthah’s daughter insisted that her father keep his vows to Yahweh, even at the cost of her own life. And it is here that we see the picture of Jesus shining most clearly. All the way back in Genesis 15, Yahweh had sworn to be torn in two if Abraham or Abraham’s offspring violated the terms of the covenant. Jesus did not dispute the vow of his Father but rather obediently took upon himself the full wrath of his Father’s covenant curses against Israel for their disobedience, fulfilling the vow that Yahweh had sworn to Abraham. We are not meant to admire Jephthah’s foolishness as we read this story. Rather, we are meant to behold the costly, magnificent grace of God who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us at the cross to fulfill God’s covenant vows to his people. 1 This passage is a bit confusing because of the fact that Gilead is the name of Jephthah’s father (Judg. 11:1) and also the name of the region east of the Jordan River, which belonged to the tribes of Manasseh and Gad as their inheritance (Num. 32).  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 28th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 11</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts15" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 15</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 24</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 10</a> In yesterday’s reading, Yahweh tested Israel by promising not to save them after the latest round of rebellion and idolatry. To their credit, Israel repents for seemingly the thousandth time, putting away the foreign gods and returning to serve Yahweh. In response, we read that Yahweh “became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judg. 10:16)—that is, he was moved compassionately to save his people. To accomplish this salvation, Yahweh raised up a judge named Jephthah who not only saved Israel but also accomplished something far more significant by foreshadowing Yahweh’s own Son, Jesus, in three important ways. First, notice that Yahweh raises up a savior for Israel from an outcast born to a woman of ill repute. Because Jephthah’s mother had been a prostitute, his half-brothers had rejected him—until now. This is an interesting wrinkle to the story, since later on Jesus also was born out of wedlock, so that even Joseph desired to break off his betrothal to Mary (Matt. 1:19). Then, Jesus was rejected by his family (John 7:5). Eventually, however, Jesus arose to become the savior of Israel. Second, Jephthah reasons with the king of the Ammonites, asserting Israel’s legitimate claim to the land of Gilead peaceably rather than rashly going to war (Judg. 11:14–28).<a href="#sdfootnote1sym" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> But when the king of the Ammonites nevertheless insists on marching into battle against Israel, the Spirit of Yahweh comes upon Jephthah to give him victory in battle (Judg. 11:29). In the same way, Jesus came first peaceably, but after being vindicated through his resurrection, he ascended into heaven with a warning that he would one day return as a conquering warrior. Third, the tragedy of this story involves Jephthah’s foolish vow to offer up as a burnt offering the first living creature who approached him from his house upon his return if Yahweh would give him victory over the Ammonites—a vow that cost him his only, beloved daughter (Judg. 11:30–40). At a time when Israel habitually forsook Yahweh, Jephthah’s daughter insisted that her father keep his vows to Yahweh, even at the cost of her own life. And it is here that we see the picture of Jesus shining most clearly. All the way back in Genesis 15, Yahweh had sworn to be torn in two if Abraham or Abraham’s offspring violated the terms of the covenant. Jesus did not dispute the vow of his Father but rather obediently took upon himself the full wrath of his Father’s covenant curses against Israel for their disobedience, fulfilling the vow that Yahweh had sworn to Abraham. We are not meant to admire Jephthah’s foolishness as we read this story. Rather, we are meant to behold the costly, magnificent grace of God who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us at the cross to fulfill God’s covenant vows to his people. <a href="#sdfootnote1anc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> This passage is a bit confusing because of the fact that Gilead is the name of Jephthah’s father (Judg. 11:1) and also the name of the region east of the Jordan River, which belonged to the tribes of Manasseh and Gad as their inheritance (Num. 32). <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 28th: Bible Meditation for Judges 11

Bible Readings for July 27th Judges 10 | Acts 14 | Jeremiah 23 | Mark 9 After the leadership of two more judges, Tola and Jair, Israel descends deeper into their rebellion and idolatry, forsaking Yahweh once again. So Yahweh again hands his people over to their enemies to oppress them because of their idolatries (Judg. 10:7–9). And—exactly according to the pattern—Israel cries out for Yahweh to save them from their enemies, confessing that they had sinned. But this time, as if recognizing that Israel had begun to treat his grace cheaply, Yahweh refuses Israel’s request. In Judges 10:11–14, Yahweh recounts that he had saved Israel from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites through their history but that his intervention to save them has never made a difference in their hearts. Yahweh states here that he will no longer rescue his people: “Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress” (Judg. 10:13–14). If these other gods are worthy of your worship, Yahweh reasons, then let them save you. Yahweh makes two things clear in this passage. First, he insists that he is able to save Israel—and more than that, that he has saved Israel, again and again. But second, Yahweh explains that there comes a point in the process of apostasy where Yahweh must allow us to go our own way to experience the full consequences of our sin without his help. In this way, Yahweh is testing Israel. Will they genuinely repent, or not? Often, the only way that Yahweh can get our attention is by giving us exactly what we want, by handing us over to our sin. For the same reason, Paul instructs the church at Corinth to deliver an unrepentant sinner “to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5:5). Notice that last phrase: the goal of excommunication is “that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord,” which is accomplished by confronting him with the terror of being cut off from God. There is no sinner who has gone too far to receive Christ’s mercy. There are, however, sinners who have gone so far so that they do not want Christ’s mercy any longer. When sinners are handed over to Satan, it is because their hearts have been hardened to the degree that they no longer desire forgiveness. Today, pay careful attention to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55:6). Are you permitting sin and idolatry to remain in your life? Cut it off before you cut yourself off from the mercy of the Lord.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 27th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 10</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 14</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer23" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 23</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 9</a> After the leadership of two more judges, Tola and Jair, Israel descends deeper into their rebellion and idolatry, forsaking Yahweh once again. So Yahweh again hands his people over to their enemies to oppress them because of their idolatries (Judg. 10:7–9). And—exactly according to the pattern—Israel cries out for Yahweh to save them from their enemies, confessing that they had sinned. But this time, as if recognizing that Israel had begun to treat his grace cheaply, Yahweh refuses Israel’s request. In Judges 10:11–14, Yahweh recounts that he had saved Israel from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites through their history but that his intervention to save them has never made a difference in their hearts. Yahweh states here that he will no longer rescue his people: “Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress” (Judg. 10:13–14). If these other gods are worthy of your worship, Yahweh reasons, then let them save you. Yahweh makes two things clear in this passage. First, he insists that he is able to save Israel—and more than that, that he has saved Israel, again and again. But second, Yahweh explains that there comes a point in the process of apostasy where Yahweh must allow us to go our own way to experience the full consequences of our sin without his help. In this way, Yahweh is testing Israel. Will they genuinely repent, or not? Often, the only way that Yahweh can get our attention is by giving us exactly what we want, by handing us over to our sin. For the same reason, Paul instructs the church at Corinth to deliver an unrepentant sinner “to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5:5). Notice that last phrase: the goal of excommunication is “that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord,” which is accomplished by confronting him with the terror of being cut off from God. There is no sinner who has gone too far to receive Christ’s mercy. There are, however, sinners who have gone so far so that they do not want Christ’s mercy any longer. When sinners are handed over to Satan, it is because their hearts have been hardened to the degree that they no longer desire forgiveness. Today, pay careful attention to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55:6). Are you permitting sin and idolatry to remain in your life? Cut it off before you cut yourself off from the mercy of the Lord. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 27th: Bible Meditation for Judges 10

Bible Readings for July 26th Judges 9 | Acts 13 | Jeremiah 22 | Mark 8 With each chapter, the story of Israel during the period of the judges descends lower and lower—from the godly elders who served with Joshua in Judges 1, we now come to the story of the wicked Abimelech. Oddly, Abimelech’s name means “my father is king,” even though Abimelech’s father, Gideon (also called Jerubbaal; cf. Judg. 6:32), had refused Israel’s offer to make him king in Judges 8:22–23. It is possible that Abimelech changed his own name to legitimize his claims to the throne, but regardless, he clearly wanted to exploit the request of the Israelites for Gideon and Gideon’s sons to reign over them. To do so, Abimelech is willing even to murder seventy of his own brothers in order to remove any other contenders for the throne of Israel, saying, “Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?” (Judg. 9:2). The leaders of Shechem listen to Abimelech’s bloodthirsty, treacherous plot, and they give Abimelech the money to hire worthless men to murder his brothers (Judg. 9:3–5). Once the deed is done, the leaders of Shechem make Abimelech king over them (Judg. 9:6). And yet, Yahweh does not permit either Abimelech or the leaders of Shechem to get away with the evil they have committed. God sends an evil spirit to provoke conflict between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem (Judg. 9:23), a conflict that ends with the death of many inhabitants of Shechem as Abimelech burns the Tower of Shechem, killing 1,000 men and women in it as judgment for their crimes (Judg. 9:49, 57). Then, God returns Abimelech’s murderous brutality literally on his own head, as a woman in Thebez throws an upper millstone over the city wall, crushing Abimelech’s skull (Judg. 9:50–57). Now, we should see this story as a move—albeit, a wicked move—toward the good goal that Yahweh has in mind for his people. As we have mentioned already, the whole book of Judges proclaims that Israel needs a king. The story of Abimelech is the story of an illegitimate, bloodthirsty attempt at enthroning a scoundrel in order to gain that king. Because Israel has no king, they are doing whatever is right in their own eyes rather than waiting on Yahweh’s choice of a king. But we should hear a warning in this story against our own treachery—even when we stop short of bloodshed. Very often, our impatience or greedy ambition leads us to pursue good gifts from God in bad ways. We become willing to manipulate, cheat, or lie in order to obtain whatever our hearts desire. Therefore, the story of Abimelech is given for our instruction. Repent and wait on Yahweh to give you the good desires of his heart in his own timing.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 26th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 9</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 13</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer22" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 22</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 8</a> With each chapter, the story of Israel during the period of the judges descends lower and lower—from the godly elders who served with Joshua in Judges 1, we now come to the story of the wicked Abimelech. Oddly, Abimelech’s name means “my father is king,” even though Abimelech’s father, Gideon (also called Jerubbaal; cf. Judg. 6:32), had refused Israel’s offer to make him king in Judges 8:22–23. It is possible that Abimelech changed his own name to legitimize his claims to the throne, but regardless, he clearly wanted to exploit the request of the Israelites for Gideon and Gideon’s sons to reign over them. To do so, Abimelech is willing even to murder seventy of his own brothers in order to remove any other contenders for the throne of Israel, saying, “Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?” (Judg. 9:2). The leaders of Shechem listen to Abimelech’s bloodthirsty, treacherous plot, and they give Abimelech the money to hire worthless men to murder his brothers (Judg. 9:3–5). Once the deed is done, the leaders of Shechem make Abimelech king over them (Judg. 9:6). And yet, Yahweh does not permit either Abimelech or the leaders of Shechem to get away with the evil they have committed. God sends an evil spirit to provoke conflict between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem (Judg. 9:23), a conflict that ends with the death of many inhabitants of Shechem as Abimelech burns the Tower of Shechem, killing 1,000 men and women in it as judgment for their crimes (Judg. 9:49, 57). Then, God returns Abimelech’s murderous brutality literally on his own head, as a woman in Thebez throws an upper millstone over the city wall, crushing Abimelech’s skull (Judg. 9:50–57). Now, we should see this story as a move—albeit, a wicked move—toward the good goal that Yahweh has in mind for his people. As we have mentioned already, the whole book of Judges proclaims that Israel needs a king. The story of Abimelech is the story of an illegitimate, bloodthirsty attempt at enthroning a scoundrel in order to gain that king. Because Israel has no king, they are doing whatever is right in their own eyes rather than waiting on Yahweh’s choice of a king. But we should hear a warning in this story against our own treachery—even when we stop short of bloodshed. Very often, our impatience or greedy ambition leads us to pursue good gifts from God in bad ways. We become willing to manipulate, cheat, or lie in order to obtain whatever our hearts desire. Therefore, the story of Abimelech is given for our instruction. Repent and wait on Yahweh to give you the good desires of his heart in his own timing. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 26th: Bible Meditation for Judges 9

Bible Readings for July 25th Judges 8 | Acts 12 | Jeremiah 21 | Mark 7 In Judges 6–7, we might have developed high hopes for Gideon’s potential. Here was a man who began his service to Yahweh in extreme humility, insisting that he was the least man in the weakest clan in all Israel (Judg. 6:15). Still, Yahweh gave him signs to confirm his call at every step of the way. If there was anyone who should have understood his own frailty and Yahweh’s power, it was Gideon. But here in Judges 8, we read two stories about how Gideon’s life tragically did not end in the way that it began. The first story is actually a continuation of Israel’s battle against Midian from Judges 7. In Judges 8, we find Gideon and his 300 men continuing to pursue Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, all the way to Succoth. There, Gideon asks for bread to sustain the strength of his men, but the officials of the city refuse to provide them with food for fear of supporting a losing army (Judg. 8:4–6). This rejection infuriates Gideon, and when he eventually does capture the two Midianite kings, he returns to flail the flesh of the officials of Succoth with thorns and briers (Judg. 8:13–16)—but then he overreacts to such a degree as to kill the rest of the men in the city (Judg. 8:17). And sadly, the second story is even worse. In Judges 8:22–28, the people of Israel plead with Gideon to rule over them—him and his sons after him. To his credit, Gideon refuses to become the king (Judg. 8:23), but then the story takes a terrible turn. In a scene highly reminiscent of the golden calf story from Exodus 32, Gideon asks the people for their golden earrings, which he melts down into an ephod—probably a gold-laden cloak with clear religious significance, perhaps built to resemble the ephod reserved for the priests of Israel to wear (Ex. 28:6–14, 39:2–5).1 We aren’t given many details about this ephod, except that it became a snare for Israel, and even for Gideon and Gideon’s family, leading them to whore after the ephod—that is, to use it as a part of worshiping false gods (Judg. 8:27). It is worth noting that in the later chapters of Judges, an ephod is created again explicitly for idol worship (Judg. 17:5, 18:14–20). The mere fact that we begin our race well does not necessarily mean that we will end it well. As we grow, we must remain vigilant not to let our love for the Lord grow cold, nor to begin to nurse bitterness from self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance toward those around us, even when others hurt us. Learn from Gideon’s story and pray that God would give you the grace necessary to persevere and complete the course set before you. 1 C. J. Goslinga, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, trans. Ray Togtman (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1986), 351–52.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 25th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 8</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts12" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 12</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer21" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 21</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 7</a> In Judges 6–7, we might have developed high hopes for Gideon’s potential. Here was a man who began his service to Yahweh in extreme humility, insisting that he was the least man in the weakest clan in all Israel (Judg. 6:15). Still, Yahweh gave him signs to confirm his call at every step of the way. If there was anyone who should have understood his own frailty and Yahweh’s power, it was Gideon. But here in Judges 8, we read two stories about how Gideon’s life tragically did not end in the way that it began. The first story is actually a continuation of Israel’s battle against Midian from Judges 7. In Judges 8, we find Gideon and his 300 men continuing to pursue Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, all the way to Succoth. There, Gideon asks for bread to sustain the strength of his men, but the officials of the city refuse to provide them with food for fear of supporting a losing army (Judg. 8:4–6). This rejection infuriates Gideon, and when he eventually does capture the two Midianite kings, he returns to flail the flesh of the officials of Succoth with thorns and briers (Judg. 8:13–16)—but then he overreacts to such a degree as to kill the rest of the men in the city (Judg. 8:17). And sadly, the second story is even worse. In Judges 8:22–28, the people of Israel plead with Gideon to rule over them—him and his sons after him. To his credit, Gideon refuses to become the king (Judg. 8:23), but then the story takes a terrible turn. In a scene highly reminiscent of the golden calf story from Exodus 32, Gideon asks the people for their golden earrings, which he melts down into an ephod—probably a gold-laden cloak with clear religious significance, perhaps built to resemble the ephod reserved for the priests of Israel to wear (Ex. 28:6–14, 39:2–5).<a href="#sdfootnote1sym" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> We aren’t given many details about this ephod, except that it became a snare for Israel, and even for Gideon and Gideon’s family, leading them to whore after the ephod—that is, to use it as a part of worshiping false gods (Judg. 8:27). It is worth noting that in the later chapters of Judges, an ephod is created again explicitly for idol worship (Judg. 17:5, 18:14–20). The mere fact that we begin our race well does not necessarily mean that we will end it well. As we grow, we must remain vigilant not to let our love for the Lord grow cold, nor to begin to nurse bitterness from self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance toward those around us, even when others hurt us. Learn from Gideon’s story and pray that God would give you the grace necessary to persevere and complete the course set before you. <a href="#sdfootnote1anc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> C. J. Goslinga, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310452805/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0310452805&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=19baskets-20&amp;linkId=5CNJT2A5ZETXXRO2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua, Judges, Ruth</a>, trans. Ray Togtman (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1986), 351–52. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 25th: Bible Meditation for Judges 8

Bible Readings for July 24th Judges 7 | Acts 11 | Jeremiah 20 | Mark 6 In our meditation for Deuteronomy 20, we looked at three of the possible exceptions that would allow an Israelite to opt out of going to war. If a man had just gained a new house or a new vineyard or a new wife, that man was exempt from the requirement of going to battle (Deut. 20:5–7). There was a fourth reason that a man could cite for not going to war, however: if a man was fearful, he could opt out, “lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own” (Deut. 20:8). In other words, the practical consideration was to prevent the fears of one soldier from bringing down everyone else with him. In Judges 7, Yahweh instructs Gideon to pare down the number of soldiers going out to battle with him. First, Yahweh instructs him to ask whether any of the men are fearful to go to battle, and so 22,000 soldiers leave while 10,000 remain (Judg. 7:2–3). Then, so that all Israel will know for certain that Yahweh alone is giving them the victory and not the strength of their own hand, Yahweh tells Gideon to have his soldiers take a drink from the river. Any who make themselves vulnerable to enemies by putting their heads down to lap directly from the river are sent home, while the cautious ones who stay alert by bringing water up to their mouths will stay for the battle. After this test, only 300 warriors remain (Judg. 7:4–8). One of the ironies of this story, however, is that the very man whom Yahweh has called to lead Israel into battle is the most fearful of them all. Even though Gideon had requested three different signs in Judges 6, Yahweh graciously provides Gideon another sign in Judges 7:9–14. As Gideon spies out the Midianite camp, he overhears one Midianite tell another of a dream where a cake of barley bread destroyed the entire camp of Midian. The man’s fellow soldier interprets the dream clearly: “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp” (Judg. 7:14). That sign is all that Gideon needs to lead his fellow Israelites into battle. There, through the crashing of the jars and the burning of the torches and the shouts of the men, Yahweh sends Midian into a panic, so that the Midianites largely kill one another, and the Israelites pursue the rest. What fears plague you as you follow Jesus? Take comfort in the fact that when Yahweh calls fearful people to serve him, he makes ample, gracious provision for their fears. Fearful one, trust in the Lord. His power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 24th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 7</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 11</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 20</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 6</a> In our meditation for Deuteronomy 20, we looked at three of the possible exceptions that would allow an Israelite to opt out of going to war. If a man had just gained a new house or a new vineyard or a new wife, that man was exempt from the requirement of going to battle (Deut. 20:5–7). There was a fourth reason that a man could cite for not going to war, however: if a man was fearful, he could opt out, “lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own” (Deut. 20:8). In other words, the practical consideration was to prevent the fears of one soldier from bringing down everyone else with him. In Judges 7, Yahweh instructs Gideon to pare down the number of soldiers going out to battle with him. First, Yahweh instructs him to ask whether any of the men are fearful to go to battle, and so 22,000 soldiers leave while 10,000 remain (Judg. 7:2–3). Then, so that all Israel will know for certain that Yahweh alone is giving them the victory and not the strength of their own hand, Yahweh tells Gideon to have his soldiers take a drink from the river. Any who make themselves vulnerable to enemies by putting their heads down to lap directly from the river are sent home, while the cautious ones who stay alert by bringing water up to their mouths will stay for the battle. After this test, only 300 warriors remain (Judg. 7:4–8). One of the ironies of this story, however, is that the very man whom Yahweh has called to lead Israel into battle is the most fearful of them all. Even though Gideon had requested three different signs in Judges 6, Yahweh graciously provides Gideon another sign in Judges 7:9–14. As Gideon spies out the Midianite camp, he overhears one Midianite tell another of a dream where a cake of barley bread destroyed the entire camp of Midian. The man’s fellow soldier interprets the dream clearly: “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp” (Judg. 7:14). That sign is all that Gideon needs to lead his fellow Israelites into battle. There, through the crashing of the jars and the burning of the torches and the shouts of the men, Yahweh sends Midian into a panic, so that the Midianites largely kill one another, and the Israelites pursue the rest. What fears plague you as you follow Jesus? Take comfort in the fact that when Yahweh calls fearful people to serve him, he makes ample, gracious provision for their fears. Fearful one, trust in the Lord. His power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 24th: Bible Meditation for Judges 7

Bible Readings for July 23rd Judges 6 | Acts 10 | Jeremiah 19 | Mark 5 After Israel had been oppressed by the Midianites for seven years (Judg. 6:1), God raises up a leader to save his people—not a valiant warrior-judge, but a weak, fearful man named Gideon. And because Gideon is weak and fearful, he has much to teach us about following Jesus in spite of our fears and unbelief. To begin, Gideon does not take his call to judge Israel with vain overconfidence but with humility—and even with great fear. In fact, he humbly asks, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judg. 6:15). Furthermore, when Gideon does obey Yahweh by pulling down the altar of Baal and cutting down the Asherah pole, he is so afraid of his family and the men of the town that he does so at night (Judg. 6:27). This is not a man who believes himself capable of overturning the world—this is a man like you and me, one who is terrified of what other people might think of him for obeying Yahweh. Additionally, Gideon asks for multiple signs—first, the angel of Yahweh gives him a sign by consuming the meat and unleavened cakes with fire that Gideon had brought in Judges 6:17–21. Then, in Judges 6:36–40, Gideon asks to see Yahweh put dew on a fleece while keeping the ground dry but then to keep a fleece dry while putting dew on the ground. He is willing to step out in faith, but he wants to make absolutely certain that it is Yahweh who is sending him. We should learn two important lessons from this first glimpse into the life and ministry of Gideon. First, we should recognize that God knows our weaknesses. Our fear and unbelief do not catch God off guard because God knows our hearts, and he loves us. God wants to lead us beyond our fears, but he is patient with us in the midst of our fears. Second, we should also recognize that God has made provisions to help us in our weaknesses. Just as God was pleased to give Gideon a sign to help his unbelief, so also God is pleased to give us signs to help our unbelief—and in fact, God has given us better signs. The signs God gives us in baptism and the Lord’s Supper are physical, tangible signs that point us to the full realities of the gospel of Jesus. It isn’t that God’s word is lacking, but our faith is lacking and so God meets us in our frailty by giving us physical signs to help our unbelief. Are you afraid to follow Jesus? If so, take advantage of the signs God has given for your benefit. These signs proclaim the gospel to you in order to give you confidence when your faith falters.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 23rd</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 6</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 10</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 19</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 5</a> After Israel had been oppressed by the Midianites for seven years (Judg. 6:1), God raises up a leader to save his people—not a valiant warrior-judge, but a weak, fearful man named Gideon. And because Gideon is weak and fearful, he has much to teach us about following Jesus in spite of our fears and unbelief. To begin, Gideon does not take his call to judge Israel with vain overconfidence but with humility—and even with great fear. In fact, he humbly asks, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judg. 6:15). Furthermore, when Gideon does obey Yahweh by pulling down the altar of Baal and cutting down the Asherah pole, he is so afraid of his family and the men of the town that he does so at night (Judg. 6:27). This is not a man who believes himself capable of overturning the world—this is a man like you and me, one who is terrified of what other people might think of him for obeying Yahweh. Additionally, Gideon asks for multiple signs—first, the angel of Yahweh gives him a sign by consuming the meat and unleavened cakes with fire that Gideon had brought in Judges 6:17–21. Then, in Judges 6:36–40, Gideon asks to see Yahweh put dew on a fleece while keeping the ground dry but then to keep a fleece dry while putting dew on the ground. He is willing to step out in faith, but he wants to make absolutely certain that it is Yahweh who is sending him. We should learn two important lessons from this first glimpse into the life and ministry of Gideon. First, we should recognize that God knows our weaknesses. Our fear and unbelief do not catch God off guard because God knows our hearts, and he loves us. God wants to lead us beyond our fears, but he is patient with us in the midst of our fears. Second, we should also recognize that God has made provisions to help us in our weaknesses. Just as God was pleased to give Gideon a sign to help his unbelief, so also God is pleased to give us signs to help our unbelief—and in fact, God has given us better signs. The signs God gives us in baptism and the Lord’s Supper are physical, tangible signs that point us to the full realities of the gospel of Jesus. It isn’t that God’s word is lacking, but our faith is lacking and so God meets us in our frailty by giving us physical signs to help our unbelief. Are you afraid to follow Jesus? If so, take advantage of the signs God has given for your benefit. These signs proclaim the gospel to you in order to give you confidence when your faith falters. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 23rd: Bible Meditation for Judges 6

A Daily Journey Through the Unfolding Story of the Bible Based on the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Bible Readings for July 22nd Judges 5 | Acts 9 | Jeremiah 18 | Mark 4 Judges 4 narrates the story of how Yahweh saved his people from the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan. The prophetess-judge Deborah sent Barak, the commander of the army of Naphtali and Zebulun into battle against the army of Jabin’s general, Sisera (Judg. 4:4–10). During the battle, the Canaanite army and chariots were defeated, so that Sisera fled from the battlefield and sought refuge and rest in the tent of a non-Israelite Kenite woman named Jael (Judg. 4:17–18). But as soon as Sisera fell asleep, Jael killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple with a hammer (Judg. 4:19–22). In Judges 5, then, we find a song celebrating this brutal end to not only Israel’s battle against Sisera but also to the oppression Israel had faced at the hand of the Canaanites for twenty years before Yahweh raised up Deborah to judge Israel (Judg. 4:3). Modern readers might find this song a bit uncomfortable, since it celebrates the execution of Sisera at the hand of Jael. What, then, should we take from this passage? To begin, we should keep in mind the context of this story. In Judges 5:4–5, the song sets this latest battle in the context of a long line of Yahweh’s earth-trembling acts, beginning during the ministry of Moses, when Yahweh led his people out from Seir, through the region of Edom, and toward Mount Sinai. Here in the book of Judges, Israel is in the Promised Land, and they are still fighting to drive out the Canaanites who surround them, just as Yahweh had commanded them to do. Focus then on the way that the song concludes in Judges 5:31: “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.” Despite our potential misgivings, it is important to recognize that the Bible is a story about warfare—in the new covenant our warfare is spiritual rather than against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), but it is warfare nonetheless. The deep brokenness of creation cannot be solved through peace movements or skilled diplomacy, since our adversary the devil desires nothing except our utter annihilation (1 Pet. 5:8). There can be no lasting peace until Jesus Christ puts all of his enemies under his feet forever (1 Cor. 15:25). Therefore, brothers and sisters, sing. Even though we face setbacks and sorrows in this life, let us sing in the knowledge that the enemies of Yahweh will perish because Jesus reigns. Sin could not conquer him, Satan could not destroy him, and death could not hold him. And we—the friends of Jesus—will shine like the sun as he rises in his might to return for us on the last day (Judg. 5:31).  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 22nd</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 5</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 9</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer18" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 18</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 4</a> Judges 4 narrates the story of how Yahweh saved his people from the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan. The prophetess-judge Deborah sent Barak, the commander of the army of Naphtali and Zebulun into battle against the army of Jabin’s general, Sisera (Judg. 4:4–10). During the battle, the Canaanite army and chariots were defeated, so that Sisera fled from the battlefield and sought refuge and rest in the tent of a non-Israelite Kenite woman named Jael (Judg. 4:17–18). But as soon as Sisera fell asleep, Jael killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple with a hammer (Judg. 4:19–22). In Judges 5, then, we find a song celebrating this brutal end to not only Israel’s battle against Sisera but also to the oppression Israel had faced at the hand of the Canaanites for twenty years before Yahweh raised up Deborah to judge Israel (Judg. 4:3). Modern readers might find this song a bit uncomfortable, since it celebrates the execution of Sisera at the hand of Jael. What, then, should we take from this passage? To begin, we should keep in mind the context of this story. In Judges 5:4–5, the song sets this latest battle in the context of a long line of Yahweh’s earth-trembling acts, beginning during the ministry of Moses, when Yahweh led his people out from Seir, through the region of Edom, and toward Mount Sinai. Here in the book of Judges, Israel is in the Promised Land, and they are still fighting to drive out the Canaanites who surround them, just as Yahweh had commanded them to do. Focus then on the way that the song concludes in Judges 5:31: “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.” Despite our potential misgivings, it is important to recognize that the Bible is a story about warfare—in the new covenant our warfare is spiritual rather than against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), but it is warfare nonetheless. The deep brokenness of creation cannot be solved through peace movements or skilled diplomacy, since our adversary the devil desires nothing except our utter annihilation (1 Pet. 5:8). There can be no lasting peace until Jesus Christ puts all of his enemies under his feet forever (1 Cor. 15:25). Therefore, brothers and sisters, sing. Even though we face setbacks and sorrows in this life, let us sing in the knowledge that the enemies of Yahweh will perish because Jesus reigns. Sin could not conquer him, Satan could not destroy him, and death could not hold him. And we—the friends of Jesus—will shine like the sun as he rises in his might to return for us on the last day (Judg. 5:31). <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 22nd: Bible Meditation for Judges 5

Bible Readings for July 21st Judges 4 | Acts 8 | Jeremiah 17 | Mark 3 In Judges 3–4, we read short descriptions of the ministries of four of Israel’s judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah. As a preface to the stories of three of these judges (Shamgar’s one-verse story being the only exception), we read that the people of Israel sin by serving the false gods of the surrounding nations, provoking Yahweh to anger, and Yahweh then hands Israel over to oppression from their enemies (Judg. 3:7–9, 12, 4:1-3). In these stories, we see that the spiritual condition in Israel is rapidly deteriorating but that Yahweh repeatedly saves his people through the faithful ministry of even a single servant in each generation. Those single servants whom Yahweh sends to judge Israel in Judges 3–4 were mighty, valiant people. The Spirit of Yahweh himself was upon Othniel (Judg. 3:10), and the story of how Ehud killed Eglon to give Israel eighty years of freedom after eighteen years of Israel’s oppression is extraordinary (Judg. 3:12–30). Finally, the story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael is absolutely worthy of the song recorded for us in Judges 5. If Joshua was a high point in the story of Israel, Judges is a very low point—and, with each cycle of Israel’s apostasy, the degree to which the people sin against Yahweh will increase and the relative strength of the judges whom Yahweh sends will decrease over the course of this book. By the end of Judges, we no longer see strong leaders like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah but rather fools like Jephthah and Samson, all leading up to the horrific, final scene of a gang rape and murder in the Benjaminite city of Gibeah. But along the way, in situations that are by no means ideal, even one man or woman willing to obey Yahweh in these situations can make a big difference. From these stories, we should recognize the value of our own obedience, even in the midst of mass unfaithfulness from professing believers. It should grieve us to see widespread apostasy, but we should take comfort in the fact that, as Paul writes, “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Rom. 11:5)—that is, there is a group of people whom God is preserving through his grace to continue his work in this world until Jesus returns. The strength and size of the church will grow and shrink, but just as one judge could return the people of Israel back to serving Yahweh, so now God can use even the smallest remnant to restore his church to the faithful service of Jesus Christ today. As those around you fall away, remember the words of Jesus: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 21st</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 4</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 8</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 17</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 3</a> In Judges 3–4, we read short descriptions of the ministries of four of Israel’s judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah. As a preface to the stories of three of these judges (Shamgar’s one-verse story being the only exception), we read that the people of Israel sin by serving the false gods of the surrounding nations, provoking Yahweh to anger, and Yahweh then hands Israel over to oppression from their enemies (Judg. 3:7–9, 12, 4:1-3). In these stories, we see that the spiritual condition in Israel is rapidly deteriorating but that Yahweh repeatedly saves his people through the faithful ministry of even a single servant in each generation. Those single servants whom Yahweh sends to judge Israel in Judges 3–4 were mighty, valiant people. The Spirit of Yahweh himself was upon Othniel (Judg. 3:10), and the story of how Ehud killed Eglon to give Israel eighty years of freedom after eighteen years of Israel’s oppression is extraordinary (Judg. 3:12–30). Finally, the story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael is absolutely worthy of the song recorded for us in Judges 5. If Joshua was a high point in the story of Israel, Judges is a very low point—and, with each cycle of Israel’s apostasy, the degree to which the people sin against Yahweh will increase and the relative strength of the judges whom Yahweh sends will decrease over the course of this book. By the end of Judges, we no longer see strong leaders like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah but rather fools like Jephthah and Samson, all leading up to the horrific, final scene of a gang rape and murder in the Benjaminite city of Gibeah. But along the way, in situations that are by no means ideal, even one man or woman willing to obey Yahweh in these situations can make a big difference. From these stories, we should recognize the value of our own obedience, even in the midst of mass unfaithfulness from professing believers. It should grieve us to see widespread apostasy, but we should take comfort in the fact that, as Paul writes, “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Rom. 11:5)—that is, there is a group of people whom God is preserving through his grace to continue his work in this world until Jesus returns. The strength and size of the church will grow and shrink, but just as one judge could return the people of Israel back to serving Yahweh, so now God can use even the smallest remnant to restore his church to the faithful service of Jesus Christ today. As those around you fall away, remember the words of Jesus: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 21st: Bible Meditation for Judges 4

Bible Readings for July 20th Judges 3 | Acts 7 | Jeremiah 16 | Mark 2 In Judges 3:4, we read that Yahweh allowed Canaanites and Philistines to remain in the land “for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” This does not mean that Yahweh didn’t know which direction Israel would go (we will look at two factors that tell us this). In fact, this passage has much to say to help us understand better the significance of Yahweh’s tests for those of us living today. First, Yahweh had made no effort to keep Israel’s inevitable failure a secret. Yahweh had told Moses that, after Moses would die, “this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them” (Deut. 31:16). Joshua had even told the entire nation of Israel when he flatly told the people, “You are not able to the serve the LORD, for he is a holy God” (Josh. 24:19). From what we have read so far, the results of Israel’s tests are a foregone conclusion. Second, God makes it clear that his reasons for testing Israel are multifaceted and not a blind experiment. In Judges 3:2, Yahweh explains another purpose behind testing Israel: “It was in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.” Yahweh knows his exact purposes in these tests. But if it isn’t that Yahweh needed to learn that Israel would not be able to obey his commandments, then what was the point of testing Israel at all? Why not simply wipe away the Canaanites and the Philistines so that Israel could get on with enjoying the Promised Land? In fact, these tests came in order to teach Israel that they were incapable of obeying Yahweh. The law was given, the Apostle Paul explains, to teach us our depravity: “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). That word “guardian” (paidagogos) is the word from which we get our word pedagogy, a word referring to the practice of teaching. These failures taught Israel that their hearts were hard, that they were not capable of obeying Yahweh, and that they needed a king who could make them righteous in spite of themselves. In fact, the law continues to teach us that we also stand in need of a king who can make us righteous. But hear now the good news of the gospel: Jesus Christ came to be tested in our place so that we might be rewarded on the basis of his performance, since he was cursed on the basis of our failure.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 20th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 3</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 7</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer16" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 16</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 2</a> In Judges 3:4, we read that Yahweh allowed Canaanites and Philistines to remain in the land “for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” This does not mean that Yahweh didn’t know which direction Israel would go (we will look at two factors that tell us this). In fact, this passage has much to say to help us understand better the significance of Yahweh’s tests for those of us living today. First, Yahweh had made no effort to keep Israel’s inevitable failure a secret. Yahweh had told Moses that, after Moses would die, “this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them” (Deut. 31:16). Joshua had even told the entire nation of Israel when he flatly told the people, “You are not able to the serve the LORD, for he is a holy God” (Josh. 24:19). From what we have read so far, the results of Israel’s tests are a foregone conclusion. Second, God makes it clear that his reasons for testing Israel are multifaceted and not a blind experiment. In Judges 3:2, Yahweh explains another purpose behind testing Israel: “It was in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.” Yahweh knows his exact purposes in these tests. But if it isn’t that Yahweh needed to learn that Israel would not be able to obey his commandments, then what was the point of testing Israel at all? Why not simply wipe away the Canaanites and the Philistines so that Israel could get on with enjoying the Promised Land? In fact, these tests came in order to teach Israel that they were incapable of obeying Yahweh. The law was given, the Apostle Paul explains, to teach us our depravity: “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). That word “guardian” (paidagogos) is the word from which we get our word pedagogy, a word referring to the practice of teaching. These failures taught Israel that their hearts were hard, that they were not capable of obeying Yahweh, and that they needed a king who could make them righteous in spite of themselves. In fact, the law continues to teach us that we also stand in need of a king who can make us righteous. But hear now the good news of the gospel: Jesus Christ came to be tested in our place so that we might be rewarded on the basis of his performance, since he was cursed on the basis of our failure. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 20th: Bible Meditation for Judges 3

Bible Readings for July 19th Judges 2 | Acts 6 | Jeremiah 15 | Mark 1 Judges 2:16–23 explicitly describes the pattern that we will encounter again and again through this book: Israel will sin, and, as a result, Yahweh will hand his people over to judgment. But, when the people cry out to Yahweh to rescue them, Yahweh will raise up a judge for them, since he is “moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them” (Judg. 2:18). Yahweh will give victory to the judge, and the judge will reform the worship of Israel for the duration of his life. But then, when the judge dies, Israel will sink deeper into sin than they had before the ministry of the judge. From that point, the pattern will start over again, but Israel will begin the cycle from a worse condition than in the previous iteration. We find the starting point for this spiral descent, then, with the elders who had served alongside Joshua. For as long as that generation lived, the people of Israel did not worship false gods (Judg. 2:5–10). Instead, the sin of their generation was their failure to obey Yahweh fully by driving the inhabitants of Canaan out of the land, as we looked at in Judges 1. But when those elders died, severing the last remaining connection back to Joshua (and back to Moses before him), Israel does whatever is right in their own eyes—and specifically, they begin to serve the Baals and the Ashtaroth (Judg. 2:11–15). This provokes Yahweh to anger, and he turns Israel over to be defeated and oppressed by their enemies, starting the cycle all over again. Thus begins the tragic story of the book of Judges. But as we discussed yesterday, this whole story underscores Israel’s desperate need for a shepherd. Most of the judges that we will read about in this book were prophets, but none were priests who had ultimate responsibility for governing Israel’s religious life, and none were kings who had ultimate responsibility for governing Israel’s civil life.1 The judges had been appointed by Moses only to assist with the work of shepherding God’s people (Ex. 18). In other words, judges were never meant to be the exclusive leaders of God’s people. Yahweh’s people need a shepherd—and that is as true today as it was then. In the new covenant, Jesus has come as our ultimate prophet, priest, and king, but when Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave leaders as gifts to his people to assist him in his ministry (Eph. 4:7–12). In other words, Jesus gave us pastors and elders to serve as undershepherds, caring for the flock of God until the chief shepherd appears again (1 Pet. 5:1–5). Today, there is a king in Israel who, through his elders, shepherds us to ensure that we do what is right in God’s sight, rather than in our own. 1 James Bannerman, The Church of Christ: A Treatise on the Nature, Powers, Ordinances, Discipline, and Government of the Christian Church, new ed., (Edinburgh, UK: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2015), 131.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 19th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 2</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 6</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer15" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 15</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/mark1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 1</a> Judges 2:16–23 explicitly describes the pattern that we will encounter again and again through this book: Israel will sin, and, as a result, Yahweh will hand his people over to judgment. But, when the people cry out to Yahweh to rescue them, Yahweh will raise up a judge for them, since he is “moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them” (Judg. 2:18). Yahweh will give victory to the judge, and the judge will reform the worship of Israel for the duration of his life. But then, when the judge dies, Israel will sink deeper into sin than they had before the ministry of the judge. From that point, the pattern will start over again, but Israel will begin the cycle from a worse condition than in the previous iteration. We find the starting point for this spiral descent, then, with the elders who had served alongside Joshua. For as long as that generation lived, the people of Israel did not worship false gods (Judg. 2:5–10). Instead, the sin of their generation was their failure to obey Yahweh fully by driving the inhabitants of Canaan out of the land, as we looked at in Judges 1. But when those elders died, severing the last remaining connection back to Joshua (and back to Moses before him), Israel does whatever is right in their own eyes—and specifically, they begin to serve the Baals and the Ashtaroth (Judg. 2:11–15). This provokes Yahweh to anger, and he turns Israel over to be defeated and oppressed by their enemies, starting the cycle all over again. Thus begins the tragic story of the book of Judges. But as we discussed yesterday, this whole story underscores Israel’s desperate need for a shepherd. Most of the judges that we will read about in this book were prophets, but none were priests who had ultimate responsibility for governing Israel’s religious life, and none were kings who had ultimate responsibility for governing Israel’s civil life.<a href="#sdfootnote1sym" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> The judges had been appointed by Moses only to assist with the work of shepherding God’s people (Ex. 18). In other words, judges were never meant to be the exclusive leaders of God’s people. Yahweh’s people need a shepherd—and that is as true today as it was then. In the new covenant, Jesus has come as our ultimate prophet, priest, and king, but when Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave leaders as gifts to his people to assist him in his ministry (Eph. 4:7–12). In other words, Jesus gave us pastors and elders to serve as undershepherds, caring for the flock of God until the chief shepherd appears again (1 Pet. 5:1–5). Today, there is a king in Israel who, through his elders, shepherds us to ensure that we do what is right in God’s sight, rather than in our own. <a href="#sdfootnote1anc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a> James Bannerman, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1848715021/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1848715021&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=19baskets-20&amp;linkId=MWLFSTXYZVPKDPLT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Church of Christ: A Treatise on the Nature, Powers, Ordinances, Discipline, and Government of the Christian Church</a>, new ed., (Edinburgh, UK: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2015), 131. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 19th: Bible Meditation for Judges 2

Bible Readings for July 18th Judges 1 | Acts 5 | Jeremiah 14 | Matthew 28 The positive beginning to the book of Judges is entirely misleading. Joshua’s death leaves Israel without a clear leader for the first time since Yahweh called Moses to shepherd Israel. The question, then, is this: Will Israel continue to follow Yahweh or not? And at first, things seem to go well. In Judges 1:1, we find the people of Israel inquiring of Yahweh to ask about how they should proceed with their battle plans. Then, in Judges 1:2–26, Yahweh gives Judah, Simeon, and Joseph clear marching orders, and they all obey. So far, so good. But from chapter 1, verse 27 on, the book of Judges recounts Israel’s slow descent into some of the darkest days in their history, a descent that begins initially with small acts of disobedience. To begin, Israel merely fails to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan completely. In some cases, the Israelites capture the Canaanites and put them to forced labor (Judg. 1:28, 30, 33, 35), and in other cases, they simply allow the Canaanites to continue living in their midst (Judg. 1:29, 31–32). Part of the reason for Israel’s disobedience stems from an unwillingness to obey Yahweh fully. These stories sounds a lot like the one we will read later in 1 Samuel 15, when King Saul wants to keep the livestock of the Amalekites and to spare the life of their king, Agag, rather than devoting everything to total destruction as Yahweh had commanded. Because of Saul’s disobedience, Yahweh tears the kingdom of Israel away from him (1 Sam. 15:28). But as we continue to read, we will discover a larger theme throughout the book of Judges, which is that Israel desperately needs a leader. Toward the end of the book, a verse emerges twice to crystalize this idea, once in Judges 17:6 and again at the end of the book in 21:25: “In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Additionally, the phrase “there was no king in Israel” shows up another two times, in Judges 18:1 and 19:1. The book of Judges teaches, then, that God’s people are lost sheep who need a shepherd. The stories of Israel’s weakness without a leader set up the story of the coming of Israel’s great shepherd king, David, in 1 Samuel. In David, God would put a man after his own heart on the throne of Israel, not only to lead his people in conquest against their enemies, but also to lead them in seeking Yahweh. Ultimately, Yahweh would raise up from David’s line our great shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, to reign as Israel’s king forever. But that’s getting a bit ahead of the story. In the coming chapters of Judges, things will get much worse before they get better.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 18th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/judg1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges 1</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 5</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 14</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/matt28" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 28</a> The positive beginning to the book of Judges is entirely misleading. Joshua’s death leaves Israel without a clear leader for the first time since Yahweh called Moses to shepherd Israel. The question, then, is this: Will Israel continue to follow Yahweh or not? And at first, things seem to go well. In Judges 1:1, we find the people of Israel inquiring of Yahweh to ask about how they should proceed with their battle plans. Then, in Judges 1:2–26, Yahweh gives Judah, Simeon, and Joseph clear marching orders, and they all obey. So far, so good. But from chapter 1, verse 27 on, the book of Judges recounts Israel’s slow descent into some of the darkest days in their history, a descent that begins initially with small acts of disobedience. To begin, Israel merely fails to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan completely. In some cases, the Israelites capture the Canaanites and put them to forced labor (Judg. 1:28, 30, 33, 35), and in other cases, they simply allow the Canaanites to continue living in their midst (Judg. 1:29, 31–32). Part of the reason for Israel’s disobedience stems from an unwillingness to obey Yahweh fully. These stories sounds a lot like the one we will read later in 1 Samuel 15, when King Saul wants to keep the livestock of the Amalekites and to spare the life of their king, Agag, rather than devoting everything to total destruction as Yahweh had commanded. Because of Saul’s disobedience, Yahweh tears the kingdom of Israel away from him (1 Sam. 15:28). But as we continue to read, we will discover a larger theme throughout the book of Judges, which is that Israel desperately needs a leader. Toward the end of the book, a verse emerges twice to crystalize this idea, once in Judges 17:6 and again at the end of the book in 21:25: “In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Additionally, the phrase “there was no king in Israel” shows up another two times, in Judges 18:1 and 19:1. The book of Judges teaches, then, that God’s people are lost sheep who need a shepherd. The stories of Israel’s weakness without a leader set up the story of the coming of Israel’s great shepherd king, David, in 1 Samuel. In David, God would put a man after his own heart on the throne of Israel, not only to lead his people in conquest against their enemies, but also to lead them in seeking Yahweh. Ultimately, Yahweh would raise up from David’s line our great shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, to reign as Israel’s king forever. But that’s getting a bit ahead of the story. In the coming chapters of Judges, things will get much worse before they get better. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 18th: Bible Meditation for Judges 1

Bible Readings for July 17th Joshua 24 | Acts 4 | Jeremiah 13 | Matthew 27 In Joshua 24, we find God burying another one of his mighty workmen, Joshua. But before Joshua goes to his grave, he renews Israel’s covenant with Yahweh. We should not miss that the covenant renewal process begins, once again, with the story of Yahweh’s grace toward Israel in Joshua 24:1–13. Just as in Deuteronomy 1–3, and then again in Deuteronomy 29 when Moses renewed the covenant in the land of Moab, the story of Yahweh’s redemption precedes Israel’s recommitment to obey Yahweh’s law. In this way, Yahweh continually reminds his people that grace came first, not law. We do not obey the law so that God will love us; we can only seek to obey God’s law when we recognize that God has already demonstrated his love toward us. Then, once Joshua works through the full story of Yahweh’s mercy toward his people, he demands that the people choose which God (or gods) they will serve. He pleads with them to put away the false gods that their fathers served and serve only Yahweh. Leading by example one final time, Joshua announces, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15). Thankfully, the Israelites swear to serve only Yahweh, “for he is our God” (Josh. 24:18). Joshua’s response, however, might catch us off guard. He rejects their words, saying, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins” (Josh. 24:19). There is truth to this—as we will see in the book of Judges, Israel will quickly slip into lasting patterns of rebellion and apostasy. Still, Joshua doesn’t reject Israel’s commitment altogether. Instead, he simply holds them to their word by renewing the covenant there in Shechem (Josh. 24:25), writing the words of God’s law on a giant stone set up as a witness against Israel if they should ever rebel against Yahweh (Josh. 24:26–27). This was as much as Joshua could do at this point in salvation history, but it was not enough. God’s people would not be changed through words written externally, on stone, under the old covenant. Indeed, we cannot be transformed unless God writes his words internally, on our hearts, through the new covenant ministry of the Holy Spirit. If you are in Christ, you are able to serve Yahweh, even though he is a holy and jealous God—not because you are righteous, but because God himself has begun to write his covenant on your heart, transforming you from the inside out. This good work will not be completed until the day of Jesus Christ, but make no mistake—God will be faithful to complete the work that he has begun in you (Phil. 1:6). Therefore, as for you and your house, serve the Lord.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 17th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/josh24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua 24</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 4</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 13</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/matt27" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 27</a> In Joshua 24, we find God burying another one of his mighty workmen, Joshua. But before Joshua goes to his grave, he renews Israel’s covenant with Yahweh. We should not miss that the covenant renewal process begins, once again, with the story of Yahweh’s grace toward Israel in Joshua 24:1–13. Just as in Deuteronomy 1–3, and then again in Deuteronomy 29 when Moses renewed the covenant in the land of Moab, the story of Yahweh’s redemption precedes Israel’s recommitment to obey Yahweh’s law. In this way, Yahweh continually reminds his people that grace came first, not law. We do not obey the law so that God will love us; we can only seek to obey God’s law when we recognize that God has already demonstrated his love toward us. Then, once Joshua works through the full story of Yahweh’s mercy toward his people, he demands that the people choose which God (or gods) they will serve. He pleads with them to put away the false gods that their fathers served and serve only Yahweh. Leading by example one final time, Joshua announces, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15). Thankfully, the Israelites swear to serve only Yahweh, “for he is our God” (Josh. 24:18). Joshua’s response, however, might catch us off guard. He rejects their words, saying, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins” (Josh. 24:19). There is truth to this—as we will see in the book of Judges, Israel will quickly slip into lasting patterns of rebellion and apostasy. Still, Joshua doesn’t reject Israel’s commitment altogether. Instead, he simply holds them to their word by renewing the covenant there in Shechem (Josh. 24:25), writing the words of God’s law on a giant stone set up as a witness against Israel if they should ever rebel against Yahweh (Josh. 24:26–27). This was as much as Joshua could do at this point in salvation history, but it was not enough. God’s people would not be changed through words written externally, on stone, under the old covenant. Indeed, we cannot be transformed unless God writes his words internally, on our hearts, through the new covenant ministry of the Holy Spirit. If you are in Christ, you are able to serve Yahweh, even though he is a holy and jealous God—not because you are righteous, but because God himself has begun to write his covenant on your heart, transforming you from the inside out. This good work will not be completed until the day of Jesus Christ, but make no mistake—God will be faithful to complete the work that he has begun in you (Phil. 1:6). Therefore, as for you and your house, serve the Lord. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 17th: Bible Meditation for Joshua 24

Bible Readings for July 16th Joshua 23 | Acts 3 | Jeremiah 12 | Matthew 26 Joshua’s leadership of Israel seems to have passed surprisingly quickly. Where we followed Moses through four long books of the Pentateuch, from Exodus through Deuteronomy, we find the ministry of Joshua winding down here in Joshua 23. In this final charge to Israel, Joshua reminds us about the true nature of spiritual leadership. Now, even though the book of Joshua takes up much less text than what we saw of Moses’s ministry, remember that Joshua served Israel for a long time. Joshua 23:1 tells us that much time had passed before Joshua gives this final charge to Israel. Additionally, we should also keep in mind that Joshua had been Moses’s right-hand man from as early as Exodus 17, when Israel had just barely crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness, when he led Israel into battle against Amalek (Ex. 17:9–26). Joshua’s leadership has not been the meteoric rise of an immature believer, but the enduring faithfulness of a lifelong saint. Still, even though Joshua has seen many victories during the course of his life, he is under no illusion about the ultimate source of Israel’s protection: Yahweh himself has been fighting for Israel (Josh. 23:3). Joshua reminds the people of Israel of this point in order to urge them to continue being strong and courageous to obey Yahweh. Specifically, Joshua charges Israel to continue walking in Yahweh’s law: “Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left…” (Josh. 23:6). Joshua’s evaluation of his own life and ministry is instructive. He doesn’t boast about the success of his own leadership or battle prowess, but he also doesn’t advise Israel to pursue peace at any cost in order to avoid the warfare that he himself has seen during the course of his life. Instead, Joshua preaches to Israel once again about the necessity of keeping Yahweh’s covenant. In some ways, Joshua 23 is something like Joshua’s miniature version of Deuteronomy. Joshua even reminds Israel in Joshua 23:9–16 of the blessings and the curses that Moses had described in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Spiritual leadership means first and foremost that we point people’s focus away from ourselves and toward our covenant-keeping God. It means avoiding a cult of personality completely but instead reminding the people whom God has entrusted to our leadership that it is God who has graciously given us his Son. Therefore, he insists we walk in faith and obedience before him. Spiritual leadership means, in the words of John the Baptist, that we must decrease and that Jesus must increase (John 3:30). As we live—and to whatever extent God entrusts to us the leadership of others—let us strive to exalt our covenant Lord, Jesus Christ, and not ourselves.  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 16th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/josh23" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua 23</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 3</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer12" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 12</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/matt26" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 26</a> Joshua’s leadership of Israel seems to have passed surprisingly quickly. Where we followed Moses through four long books of the Pentateuch, from Exodus through Deuteronomy, we find the ministry of Joshua winding down here in Joshua 23. In this final charge to Israel, Joshua reminds us about the true nature of spiritual leadership. Now, even though the book of Joshua takes up much less text than what we saw of Moses’s ministry, remember that Joshua served Israel for a long time. Joshua 23:1 tells us that much time had passed before Joshua gives this final charge to Israel. Additionally, we should also keep in mind that Joshua had been Moses’s right-hand man from as early as Exodus 17, when Israel had just barely crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness, when he led Israel into battle against Amalek (Ex. 17:9–26). Joshua’s leadership has not been the meteoric rise of an immature believer, but the enduring faithfulness of a lifelong saint. Still, even though Joshua has seen many victories during the course of his life, he is under no illusion about the ultimate source of Israel’s protection: Yahweh himself has been fighting for Israel (Josh. 23:3). Joshua reminds the people of Israel of this point in order to urge them to continue being strong and courageous to obey Yahweh. Specifically, Joshua charges Israel to continue walking in Yahweh’s law: “Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left…” (Josh. 23:6). Joshua’s evaluation of his own life and ministry is instructive. He doesn’t boast about the success of his own leadership or battle prowess, but he also doesn’t advise Israel to pursue peace at any cost in order to avoid the warfare that he himself has seen during the course of his life. Instead, Joshua preaches to Israel once again about the necessity of keeping Yahweh’s covenant. In some ways, Joshua 23 is something like Joshua’s miniature version of Deuteronomy. Joshua even reminds Israel in Joshua 23:9–16 of the blessings and the curses that Moses had described in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Spiritual leadership means first and foremost that we point people’s focus away from ourselves and toward our covenant-keeping God. It means avoiding a cult of personality completely but instead reminding the people whom God has entrusted to our leadership that it is God who has graciously given us his Son. Therefore, he insists we walk in faith and obedience before him. Spiritual leadership means, in the words of John the Baptist, that we must decrease and that Jesus must increase (John 3:30). As we live—and to whatever extent God entrusts to us the leadership of others—let us strive to exalt our covenant Lord, Jesus Christ, and not ourselves. <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 16th: Bible Meditation for Joshua 23

Bible Readings for July 15th Joshua 22 | Acts 2 | Jeremiah 11 | Matthew 25 At the end of Joshua 21, we read an assurance that all of Yahweh’s promises had finally been fulfilled: “Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:45). This remarkable summary of Israel’s conquest carries two important implications. First, this passage teaches that, technically speaking, the covenant promises Yahweh had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning the land of Canaan are here fulfilled in totality. Yahweh has officially made Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky (Deut. 10:22) and has given them the land of Canaan. From this point on, then, Israel would keep or lose the land based upon their own obedience. Second, now that the Israelites have finished their conquest in the land, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are finally permitted to return to their inheritances east of the Jordan. From here, we read that the eastern tribes built for themselves an altar of witness in Joshua 22:10–34—a story where both sides come off looking very good. For the part of the ten tribes of Israel, they are admirably incensed when they mistakenly believe that the eastern tribes have already slipped into false worship by creating a false altar (Josh. 22:19). Rather than becoming defensive about the misunderstanding, the eastern tribes patiently plead their case, calling Yahweh himself as their witness (Josh. 22:22–23). The two eastern tribes had built the altar as a witness to their children after them that they did indeed have a portion with the other tribes who dwelt west of the Jordan (Josh. 22:24–29). Neither side acted from ego or pride but out of jealousy for the glory of Yahweh. They were willing to go to war if necessary (Josh. 22:12), but they rejoiced and blessed God when they discovered the truth (Josh. 22:31–34). This is a model for the zeal that Christians ought to have for the peace and purity of the church. Sometimes, Christians fail to promote the peace of the church by fighting for the sake of fighting, making mountains out of mere altars of witness, and refusing to listen carefully to our brothers and sisters in Christ. But other times, Christians fail to protect the purity of the church by tolerating sin in our midst or backing away from controversy out of a desire for peace at any cost. In fact, Jesus does not give us the option of erring toward either side. On the one hand, Jesus prays that his people would be unified as one church (John 17:20–23), but on the other hand, Jesus prays that we would be sanctified in God’s truth (John 17:17). To which side do you err? What would pursuing peace and purity mean in your situation?  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 15th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/josh22" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua 22</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 2</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 11</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/matt25" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 25</a> At the end of Joshua 21, we read an assurance that all of Yahweh’s promises had finally been fulfilled: “Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:45). This remarkable summary of Israel’s conquest carries two important implications. First, this passage teaches that, technically speaking, the covenant promises Yahweh had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning the land of Canaan are here fulfilled in totality. Yahweh has officially made Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky (Deut. 10:22) and has given them the land of Canaan. From this point on, then, Israel would keep or lose the land based upon their own obedience. Second, now that the Israelites have finished their conquest in the land, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are finally permitted to return to their inheritances east of the Jordan. From here, we read that the eastern tribes built for themselves an altar of witness in Joshua 22:10–34—a story where both sides come off looking very good. For the part of the ten tribes of Israel, they are admirably incensed when they mistakenly believe that the eastern tribes have already slipped into false worship by creating a false altar (Josh. 22:19). Rather than becoming defensive about the misunderstanding, the eastern tribes patiently plead their case, calling Yahweh himself as their witness (Josh. 22:22–23). The two eastern tribes had built the altar as a witness to their children after them that they did indeed have a portion with the other tribes who dwelt west of the Jordan (Josh. 22:24–29). Neither side acted from ego or pride but out of jealousy for the glory of Yahweh. They were willing to go to war if necessary (Josh. 22:12), but they rejoiced and blessed God when they discovered the truth (Josh. 22:31–34). This is a model for the zeal that Christians ought to have for the peace and purity of the church. Sometimes, Christians fail to promote the peace of the church by fighting for the sake of fighting, making mountains out of mere altars of witness, and refusing to listen carefully to our brothers and sisters in Christ. But other times, Christians fail to protect the purity of the church by tolerating sin in our midst or backing away from controversy out of a desire for peace at any cost. In fact, Jesus does not give us the option of erring toward either side. On the one hand, Jesus prays that his people would be unified as one church (John 17:20–23), but on the other hand, Jesus prays that we would be sanctified in God’s truth (John 17:17). To which side do you err? What would pursuing peace and purity mean in your situation? <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 15th: Bible Meditation for Joshua 22

Bible Readings for July 14th Joshua 20–21 | Acts 1 | Jeremiah 10 | Matthew 24 In Joshua 20–21, we read about the dwelling places assigned to the tribe of Levi. Importantly, six of the forty-eight cities that the Levites would inhabit served as cities of refuge for the manslayer who had killed a person unintentionally: Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan (Num. 35:6–34; Deut. 19:1–13; Josh. 20:7–8, 21:41). But beyond the cities of refuge, these chapters illustrate two important theological principles. First, the Levites lived in cities from the inheritance given to the other Israelite tribes. These forty-eight cities were technically not the inheritance of the Levites but simply the dwelling places of the Levites. Second, the reason the Levites were not given an inheritance was that Yahweh had given the tribe of Levi an even greater heritage: the priesthood (Josh. 18:7). There is a fascinating interplay of diverse gifts and callings here in the nation of Israel. On the one hand, the priests had been given direct access to Yahweh in their holy calling to minister inside the tabernacle. But on the other hand, the other tribes of Israel had to support the Levites out of their own inheritances by giving them cities and pasturelands in which they would dwell. In the new covenant, we have only one priest who mediates between God and us—that is, our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:14). It is Jesus who sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us in the throne room of God by pleading the merits of his own blood and righteousness (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). Through the priesthood of Jesus, we have direct access to the Father (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18). God has appointed pastors and elders not to mediate between us and God but to lead us spiritually in the church (Tit. 1:5–9; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:1–5). We are called to support our pastors financially to give them freedom from worldly cares and avocations as they minister to us (1 Cor. 9:8–11; 1 Tim. 5:17–18), but the New Testament makes it clear that they do not have greater access to God than anyone else. All of us stand to inherit Christ together, but God has mercifully given us elders to serve as under-shepherds of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Therefore, obey the elders God has given you and submit to them, just as the Israelites were called to do with the priests whom Yahweh had appointed from the tribe of Levi. But, rejoice in your greater privileges: unlike the non-Levitical Israelites, you have direct access to your heavenly Father in the holy places through your great high priest. Therefore, draw near to God through Jesus Christ in one Spirit (Eph. 2:18; Heb. 10:19–25).  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 14th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/josh20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua 20</a>–<a href="http://esv.to/josh21" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">21</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/acts1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 1</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 10</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/matt24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 24</a> In Joshua 20–21, we read about the dwelling places assigned to the tribe of Levi. Importantly, six of the forty-eight cities that the Levites would inhabit served as cities of refuge for the manslayer who had killed a person unintentionally: Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan (Num. 35:6–34; Deut. 19:1–13; Josh. 20:7–8, 21:41). But beyond the cities of refuge, these chapters illustrate two important theological principles. First, the Levites lived in cities from the inheritance given to the other Israelite tribes. These forty-eight cities were technically not the inheritance of the Levites but simply the dwelling places of the Levites. Second, the reason the Levites were not given an inheritance was that Yahweh had given the tribe of Levi an even greater heritage: the priesthood (Josh. 18:7). There is a fascinating interplay of diverse gifts and callings here in the nation of Israel. On the one hand, the priests had been given direct access to Yahweh in their holy calling to minister inside the tabernacle. But on the other hand, the other tribes of Israel had to support the Levites out of their own inheritances by giving them cities and pasturelands in which they would dwell. In the new covenant, we have only one priest who mediates between God and us—that is, our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:14). It is Jesus who sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us in the throne room of God by pleading the merits of his own blood and righteousness (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). Through the priesthood of Jesus, we have direct access to the Father (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18). God has appointed pastors and elders not to mediate between us and God but to lead us spiritually in the church (Tit. 1:5–9; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:1–5). We are called to support our pastors financially to give them freedom from worldly cares and avocations as they minister to us (1 Cor. 9:8–11; 1 Tim. 5:17–18), but the New Testament makes it clear that they do not have greater access to God than anyone else. All of us stand to inherit Christ together, but God has mercifully given us elders to serve as under-shepherds of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Therefore, obey the elders God has given you and submit to them, just as the Israelites were called to do with the priests whom Yahweh had appointed from the tribe of Levi. But, rejoice in your greater privileges: unlike the non-Levitical Israelites, you have direct access to your heavenly Father in the holy places through your great high priest. Therefore, draw near to God through Jesus Christ in one Spirit (Eph. 2:18; Heb. 10:19–25). <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 14th: Bible Meditation for Joshua 20–21

Bible Readings for July 13th Joshua 18–19 | Psalm 149–150 | Jeremiah 9 | Matthew 23 For the seven remaining tribes who had yet to receive their inheritance (Josh. 18:1–7), Joshua does not divide up the land unilaterally. Instead, Joshua puts the responsibility of claiming the rest of the land on the remaining seven tribes themselves. Oddly, it sounds as though those seven tribes were not eagerly waiting to receive their inheritance but perhaps had been apathetic about it. Joshua presses them, saying, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh. 18:3). So, Joshua commands those remaining tribes to send three men from each tribe to survey the land and to divide it for themselves into seven portions. Then, Joshua casts lots to assign those portions of the land to their respective tribes (Josh. 18:3–7). And finally, Joshua himself receives his special portion of the inheritance among the rest of his tribe of Ephraim for his faithful, courageous leadership of Israel these years (Josh. 19:49–50). This subject of Israel’s inheritance can strike modern Christians as irrelevant to our own lives, since the New Testament shifts the focus away from real estate in the Middle East onto Jesus Christ himself. What, then, should we take away from these lengthy passages regarding Israel’s inheritance that we have been reading for the past few days? First, we must understand that the Promised Land was always a shadow of Christ himself. In fact, the New Testament is full of discussions about the inheritance we stand to receive, since as the children of God we have been made “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Typologically, the Promised Land teaches us about what it means to inherit Christ. But second, we should learn from the sluggishness of the remaining seven tribes. It is easy to forget about the eternal weight of glory when we become caught up in the busyness of our day-to-day tasks. Or, we can too easily set our hopes on other prizes in life—relationships, riches, significance, or power—which distract us from seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33). One of the best ways to fix our hearts on Christ, then, is to survey him. Just as the Israelites surveyed the entire Promised Land to stake out their claim, let us survey the entire glory of Christ. Seek out the mountains of his righteousness (Ps. 36:6) and the lilies of his valleys (Song 2:1). Drink from his rivers of living waters (John 7:37–38), and relish the sweet honey of his word (Ps. 19:10). Study Christ. Know Christ. Delight in Christ. How long will you put off going in to take possession of Jesus Christ himself, whom Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has graciously given to you?  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

<h2>Bible Readings for July 13th</h2> <a href="http://esv.to/josh18" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua 18</a>–<a href="http://esv.to/josh19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">19</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/psalm149" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 149</a>–<a href="http://esv.to/psalm150" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">150</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/jer9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 9</a> | <a href="http://esv.to/matt23" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 23</a> For the seven remaining tribes who had yet to receive their inheritance (Josh. 18:1–7), Joshua does not divide up the land unilaterally. Instead, Joshua puts the responsibility of claiming the rest of the land on the remaining seven tribes themselves. Oddly, it sounds as though those seven tribes were not eagerly waiting to receive their inheritance but perhaps had been apathetic about it. Joshua presses them, saying, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh. 18:3). So, Joshua commands those remaining tribes to send three men from each tribe to survey the land and to divide it for themselves into seven portions. Then, Joshua casts lots to assign those portions of the land to their respective tribes (Josh. 18:3–7). And finally, Joshua himself receives his special portion of the inheritance among the rest of his tribe of Ephraim for his faithful, courageous leadership of Israel these years (Josh. 19:49–50). This subject of Israel’s inheritance can strike modern Christians as irrelevant to our own lives, since the New Testament shifts the focus away from real estate in the Middle East onto Jesus Christ himself. What, then, should we take away from these lengthy passages regarding Israel’s inheritance that we have been reading for the past few days? First, we must understand that the Promised Land was always a shadow of Christ himself. In fact, the New Testament is full of discussions about the inheritance we stand to receive, since as the children of God we have been made “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Typologically, the Promised Land teaches us about what it means to inherit Christ. But second, we should learn from the sluggishness of the remaining seven tribes. It is easy to forget about the eternal weight of glory when we become caught up in the busyness of our day-to-day tasks. Or, we can too easily set our hopes on other prizes in life—relationships, riches, significance, or power—which distract us from seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33). One of the best ways to fix our hearts on Christ, then, is to survey him. Just as the Israelites surveyed the entire Promised Land to stake out their claim, let us survey the entire glory of Christ. Seek out the mountains of his righteousness (Ps. 36:6) and the lilies of his valleys (Song 2:1). Drink from his rivers of living waters (John 7:37–38), and relish the sweet honey of his word (Ps. 19:10). Study Christ. Know Christ. Delight in Christ. How long will you put off going in to take possession of Jesus Christ himself, whom Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has graciously given to you? <a href="https://freedailybiblestudy.com/subscribe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

July 13th: Bible Meditation for Joshua 18–19

Insightful, Christ-centered accompaniment to the M&#39;Cheyne Bible reading plan. Highly recommend!

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