Chronological Bible Blog

Join us in reading the Bible in a year!

recent posts

About

    April 6th Chronological Bible Readings

    Judges 19:1-21:25
    ~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
    ~ Listen to today’s Scripture on ESV Online.org ~

    function googleTranslateElementInit() {
    new google.translate.TranslateElement({
    pageLanguage: ‘en’
    }, ‘google_translate_element’);
    }
    http://translate.google.com/translate_a/element.js?cb=googleTranslateElementInit

    Today’s readings in Judges 19 about the Levite’s concubine being raped and killed really made me tear up today. What a sad story! The evil of the act led to tens of thousands of men dying in battle in chapter 20. Notice the similarities between Judges chapter 19 and Genesis chapter 19?  In Genesis chapter 19 two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening and they planned to spend the night in the town square.  But Lot insisted they go with him and spend the night at his house.  Then, in the middle of the night the men of Sodom came to Lot’s house to have sex with the two angels.  Lot offered his two virgin daughters instead…   see the unfortunate similarities?  Social protocol of the time – protecting a house guest at any cost – unfortunately carried more authority in Judges chapter 19 than God’s law and moral convictions.  Obviously this is an extreme case in Judges chapter 19…. yet, is it possible that in today’s world social protocol of our time can sometimes carry more authority than moral convictions?  Will we stand tall today and protect someone when this is the case?  We will stand up for moral convictions over social protocol today?  An image is below for Judges chapter 19 verses 16 & 17 – “That evening an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going.”

    Judges_19_15_the_levite_at_gibeah


    And another image is below for Judges chapter 20 verses 4 through 7 – “The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, “My concubine and I came to Gibeah, a town in the land of Benjamin, to spend the night. That night some of the leaders of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead. So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the land of Israel, for these men have committed this terrible and shameful crime. Now then, the entire community of Israel must decide what should be done about this!””

    Judges_20_4_the_levite_declares_his_wron


    Today we finish the book of Judges!  What a powerful and telling verse the book closes with in chapter 21 verse 25: “In those days Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”  Unfortunately, so true then.  And perhaps so true for us today if we don’t have a king.  Fortunately, we do have the opportunity to have a king – through faith in Jesus.  Otherwise, without Jesus as our king, we will surely do whatever seems right in our own eyes.  I know I did for many years…  sad years they were.  Is Jesus your King?


    An image is below for verse 23 – “So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. They kidnapped the women who took part in the celebration and carried them off to the land of their own inheritance. Then they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.”

    Judges_21_23_the_benjamites_at_shiloh


    Worship God: Today’s readings in Judges reminded me of the song “Savior Please” by Josh Wilson:



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxhNVEUY55c

    Do you have a savior? Click here and be Saved!


    Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Judges 21:25 NIV


    Prayer Point: Pray that Jesus is your King. Pray that you will do as Jesus sees fit in His holy eyes.


    Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

    God bless,
    Mike

    Posted in

    2 responses to “April 6th Chronological Bible Readings”

    1. Ramona Avatar
      Ramona

      Judges 19:1-20:48
      Israel had moved the bar, the bar of righteousness, the bar that set boundaries, the bar that said, “This is sin.” You have a Levite that has a concubine and as the text states, was unfaithful to him. First question, “What is a Levite doing with a concubine that is a loose woman?” As per Moses’ directive, Levites were supposed to keep the Law so that they could teach the Law. The bar/standard was lowered.
      When Israel masses itself to fight this “horrid” sin, the bar has been set so low that the “sin” they all are living in is not even a blip on their radar screen. The outrage is a culmination of outrages acts on the other side of that bar that has been lowered almost to the ground. I’ve heard people say, and I’ve said it myself at one time or another, “I wouldn’t do that,” or “Even I wouldn’t do that,” as if our or my personal behavior or standard was “IT.” I know that it is not. I think we do this, consciously or sub-consciously, to distance ourselves from our sin, the “white lie,” syndrome. God has stated that when we break one Law we have broken them all; but, we insist that we are not as bad as that guy or gal over there or across the street. Yes we are.
      In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6 KJV)
      When we do what is right in our own eyes, we have set ourselves up as God which was and is the sin of Satan. There are only two kingdoms on the earth, The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan; which one do we say we are in and which one are we really in? As Children of God, are we trespassing in the wrong Kingdom? Or, can we be citizens of the Kingdom of Satan trying to pass ourselves off as children of the Light? And worse yet, do we, like this Levite, play our sin off in such a way that we share the outrages consequences of our actions as if it just fell out of the sky into a innocent lifestyle getting everyone upset enough to call a prayer meeting to do “spiritual warfare?” Hmmmm!
      Judges 21
      And the Israelites came to the house of God [Bethel] and sat there until evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. [Judg. 20:27.] And they said, O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel? (Judges 21:2-3 AMP)
      Ya think the folks were really interested in what God had to say? I do it, we do it, the church does it—we make decisions based on what seems right to us, what looks right in our own eye failing to seek God’s voice, and if He does speak, we ignore Him. Yet, when faced with the consequences and fruit of our “nutty” behavior, we ask God why? Ain’t nothing new under the sun, but everything is fresh and renewed under the Son.
      Grace and peace,
      Ramona

      Like

      Reply
    2. Tabitha Avatar
      Tabitha

      Too often we (people in general) do what is right in our own eyes. God help us to get our act together and behave like the children of the King that we are.

      Like

      Reply

    Leave a reply to Tabitha Cancel reply