Day 59 - Judges and Cycles of War

Abimelech from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

2024 Read the Bible in a Year February 28, 2024

Readings for Today:

Day 59 - Judges 9:1 - 12:15 

Map of time of Judges

Prayer:

Loving God, dissolve the barriers of suspicion that divide us from one another.

Fill us with your love that casts out fear.

Clothe us in your light and grace, that we may be agents of hope and encouragement for those that despair and have lost their way.

Help us each to find our own particular way in which to proclaim the good news of your saving love in our daily life and work.

We pray for our government and for our leaders at every level of authority, that they may be strengthened to heal the structures that bruise your people.

God, hear our prayers.

Amen

(All Saints Episcopal Church - Pasadena prayers - 27 Oct 2019 worship)

Reflection: 

We continue with the cycle of God saving the people. The people fall away from God and worship local deities. God lets the local warlords take over the Israelites and they pray for salvation. God hears them and appoints leaders to take back the land for the Israelites and then lead the people until they die. The cycle begins again.  The point of telling us these stories is that God will go to amazing lengths to establish or reestablish relationships with God’s people. We need to hear this message, over and over again in our lives. God is willing to fight for you because you are a part of God’s family always despite our wandering away from God.

Judges 9:11 is a good summary of the cycle -

11 The Lord said to the people of Israel, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to me for help. Didn’t I rescue you from them? 13 But you still abandoned me and served other gods. That’s why I won’t rescue you again. 14 Cry out for help to the gods you chose. Let them rescue you when you’re in trouble.”

15 The people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever you think is right. But please rescue us today!” 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods they had and served the Lord. So the Lord could not bear to have Israel suffer any longer. (God’s Word Translation via Biblegateway.com)

The judges/warlords/regional governors in this section of reading are:

Abimelech - takes power, kills 70 brothers to consolidate power, great warrior, killed by a woman, bad ruler.

Tola - not much said about him. Lived in the mountains and was a judge of the people for 23 years.

Jair - 22 year rule; 30 sons; 30 donkeys; 30 cities.

Jephthah - a judge for six years and killed thousands of people.

Ibzan  - a judge for seven years, 30 sons and 30 daughters, died and was buried in Bethlehem.

Elon - a judge for 10 years and died.

Abdon - a judge for eight years, credited settling a long standing feud, 40 sons, and 30 grandsons 

Tomorrow's Readings: Judges 13;1 - 16:31

First Quarter Readings

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2024 Read the Bible in a Year is a featured Bible Study to inspire spirituality. This plan has been used on The Bible in Time blog site in the past and now includes new material and reflections.

By Dave Eitland. Free for faith community use. Thanks, Katheryn for the editorial help. This was published on February 27,2024, in Oregon, USA.